Fall 2026 SOWK 587 Class 08 Weekly Email

Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn

A significant activity school social workers engage in is completing individual work through the process of engagement, assessment, and intervention. This week’s reading, Jarolmen and Bautista-Thomas (2023), section one of chapter nine, describes the process social workers follow when implementing change in a school setting (referral, engagement, assessment, and implementation). They describe evidence-based practices related to intervention (cognitive-behavioral therapy, evidence-based trauma treatment, motivational interviewing, and a solution-focused brief approach) and to need (autism, behavioral disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety). The forum prompts build on this content. They are extra credit this week. During class, we will practice activities and discuss the referral, assessment, and treatment approaches.

The agenda for the in-person class includes:

• Referrals
• Practical application of gathering information
• Assessment
• Solution-Focused Therapy in the Schools

The learning objectives for the week include:

• Explain the stages of school-based intervention (referral, engagement, assessment, and intervention) and describe the school social worker’s role at each stage.
• Identify and evaluate evidence-based practices used in school settings to address common student needs, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), trauma-informed approaches, and solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT).
• Analyze culturally relevant adaptations of evidence-based interventions using case study material, with attention to feasibility and ethical considerations in school-based practice.
• Apply engagement and assessment skills in simulated activities, including role-plays of referral discussions and initial solution-focused sessions with students.

Unit Assignments

Content

• Read Jarolmen and Bautista-Thomas (2023), Section 1 of Chapter 9: Engagement, Assessment, and Intervention Skills in the School for Individuals

W-08 A-01: [Extra Credit] Asynchronous Participation and Engagement

The expectation is that each of your replies will be substantive and provide meaningful perspectives, contributing to the forum’s conversation and scholarship. They can be related to the prompts or build on conversations shared by peers. There are three forums for this week. I feel very behind and know you all might be as well. I’m offering participation this week to be worth extra credit. To get extra credit, you are expected to make at least 3 replies across any of the forums and read all of your peers’ replies. These forums include the following:

• Evidence-based practices in school social work are the focus of Referral, Engagement, Assessment, and Implementation in School, where students reflect on and connect these approaches.
• Students share progress on their factsheet projects in Sharing the Continued Development of Your Factsheet.
• Chapter 9 Textbook Questions prompts students to discuss the application of cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused techniques with diverse student populations across different school settings.

Unit Resources

You can listen to a podcast episode for this week’s reading Deep Dive on Chapter 9, Section I: Direct Practice Skills for School Social Workers, or see the entire series Deep Dive: Jarolmen and Bautista-Thomas (2023).

During class, we will review the clinical case study by Jiménez Chafey et al. (2009). It is published under open access at Clinical Case Study: CBT for Depression in a Puerto Rican Adolescent: Challenges and Variability in Treatment Response

The Lecture Videos tab in the MyHeritage course is where you will be able to find class recordings.

To-Do List

• Read chapter 9, section 1
• Make at least 3 replies in the forums to receive extra credit
• Attend class
• Be working on your school-related factsheet