Learning outcomes

Purpose of this course is to explain and discuss how professionals select, memorize and process relevant information on users/clients/patients. These information are especially relevant during the whole decision making process, on placement and intervention on foster children. Extensive literature in social psychology and organizational sciences has investigated how team can effectively make decision: the decision making process in child welfare will be analyzed; knowledge management frameworks and theories will be presented, their application to-and/or-in the Italian context will be discussed.
Supplementing materials presented in textbooks and papers, some presented videos will enhance discussion, by offering real world examples, illustrating key concepts and inspiring students to revisit ideas outside of class.

Prof. Barbara Krahè will give a lecture on domestic violence and sexual abuse

Program

Following themes will be presented and analyzed:
1) Knowledge management : knowledge as a product and knowledge as a process;
2) The evidence based practice and the evidence informed practice in social work;
3) Empathy, Assertiveness and perceived professional self efficacy in social work;
4) Team work
5) Leader - Member Exchange e TMX, Team – Member Exchange
6) Trust and abusive supervision;
7) Social support and self care
8) Domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Expected learning outcomes
Students will be able to :
• recognize the psychological processes involved in the co-construction and development of the users/social-worker relationship
• recognize the psychological processes involved in the co-construction and development of the relationships among co-workers
• recognize the psychological processes involved in the co-construction and development of the relationship with authority such as the one between social worker and chief or supervisor
• recognize and analyze the own communication strategies in order to optimize interpersonal and group climate at work.
• Recognize and analyze the decision making process in services with special reference to youth services and services for elder people
• Recognize the differences among data / information / knowledge and organizational culture in social services.

Readings:
Pedrazza M., Trifiletti E., Berlanda S., Di Bernardo G., (2013) Self-Efficacy in Social Work: Development and Initial Validation of the Self-Efficacy Scale for Social Workers «SOCIAL SCIENCES» , vol. 2 , 2013 , pp. 191-207

Harvey J. B., (1988), The Abilene Paradox: The management of agreement, Organizational Dinamics, pp-17-43

Hinojosa A.S., McCauley K:D:, Randolf-Seng B., Gardner W.L., (2014) Leader and follower attachment styles: Implications for authentic leader –follower relationships , The leadership Quarterly, 25, pp. 595-610.

Nowen E., Decuyper S., Put J., (2012), Team decision making in child welfare, Children and Youth Service Review, 34, pp. 2101-2116.

Mennen, F.E., O’Keefe M., (2005), Informed decision making in child welfare: the use of attachment theory, in Cildren and Youth Services Review, pp. 577-593.

Pedrazza M., Berlanda S., (2016), I professionisti nei servizi per i minori, comunicazione, innovazione e buone prassi, Erickson, Trento

Bressan F., Pedrazza M., Neve E., (2011), Il percorso formativo dell’assistente sociale: autovalutazione e benessere professionale, Franco Angeli, Milano. (sections: Pedrazza & Berlanda)

Examination Methods

Students are required to know the presented theoretical constructs, as well as to interpret the behavior of users potentially in charge of services, and the co-workers/leaders behavior in the organization according to the theories and concepts included in the syllabus.
The written examination consists of five question concerning both general and specific issues.
Grading: evaluation from 0/30 to 6/30 will be assigned to each answer with reference to the quality of the student’s written work according to the following criteria:
- Language appropriateness
- Answer’s coherence with the posed questions
- Student’s ability to synthesize
- The answer is not redundant
- Use of scientific terminology, appropriate to treated concepts and issues