SHZ 439 - Social Work Practice I

This course aims to enable students in the Department of Social Work at the Faculty of Health Sciences, İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, to apply the theoretical knowledge, professional values, ethical principles, and social work intervention skills acquired throughout their education in practice settings and to establish an effective integration between theory and practice.

Within the scope of the course, students are expected to become familiar with the organizational structures, functions, service models, and target populations of various social service institutions and organizations; to observe social work practices carried out at the individual, family, group, organizational, and community levels; and, where appropriate, to participate in professional practice processes. The course also aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills in fundamental areas of social work practice, including social investigation and assessment, professional interviewing, case analysis, documentation and record keeping, intervention planning, referral, and interagency collaboration.

Throughout the field practice process, students are expected to act in accordance with the ethical principles and professional values of social work, respect service users’ rights, confidentiality, and privacy, systematically document their practice experiences, and evaluate the cases they encounter within the framework of relevant social work theories and approaches.

Through visits to field placement institutions and organizations by the course instructor and evaluations conducted in collaboration with field supervisors, students’ ability to transfer theoretical knowledge into practice, fulfil professional roles and responsibilities, and demonstrate professional development will be monitored and reviewed. During this process, students will receive feedback on their field experiences to support the further development of their strengths and to help them identify professional competencies and skills that require further improvement.

Overall, the course aims to prepare students for professional social work practice by developing their competence in integrating theory and practice, acting with an awareness of professional and ethical responsibilities, and selecting and applying appropriate social work theories, approaches, and intervention methods when working with diverse service user groups and addressing a range of social problems within a generalist and holistic framework.

This course covers professional field practice processes designed to enable students to apply the theoretical knowledge, professional values, ethical principles, and intervention skills acquired throughout their social work education in practice settings. Within the scope of the course, students examine the organizational structure, functioning, duties and responsibilities, service models, target populations, and interagency collaboration processes of the social service institutions and organizations in which they undertake their field placements. They also observe the professional roles and responsibilities of social workers within organizational settings.

During the field practice process, students are informed about the İZÜ Department of Social Work Directive on Practice-Based Courses and the reports and forms used as part of their field placement. Accordingly, students engage in practical activities related to the preparation and use of Appendix 1 – Weekly Field Practice Attendance Form, Appendix 2 – Agency Profile Report, Appendix 3 – Problem Area Assessment Report, Appendix 4 – Weekly Activity Report, Appendix 5 – Preliminary Information Form for Social Work Practice with Individuals, Appendix 6 – Group and Group Members Profile Report, Appendix 7 – Process Report for Social Work Practice with Individuals, Appendix 8 – Group Process Report, Appendix 9 – Service User Assessment Report for Social Work Practice with Individuals, Appendix 10 – Group and Group Members Assessment Report, Appendix 11 – Agreement (Contract) Sample, Appendix 12 – End-of-Term Student Evaluation Report, and Appendix 13 – Student Evaluation Form for Field Supervisors.

The course also addresses social investigation and assessment, professional interviewing, observation, case analysis, preparation of Social Investigation Reports (SIR), documentation and record keeping, identification of service users’ needs, intervention planning, referral, monitoring, and evaluation processes. Processes related to social work practice with individuals and groups are examined through case examples and students’ field experiences in order to strengthen the integration of theoretical knowledge and professional practice.

Throughout the field placement, particular emphasis is placed on professional ethics, service users’ rights, privacy, confidentiality, protection of personal data, professional boundaries, and intra- and interagency collaboration. Students’ field experiences are reviewed and evaluated through case analyses, report reviews, classroom discussions, and feedback. Through visits to field placement institutions by the course instructor and evaluations conducted in collaboration with field supervisors, students’ professional development, participation in field practice, and ability to transfer theoretical knowledge into professional practice are monitored and assessed.

·     SHZ 439 Sosyal Hizmette blok uygulama dersi kapsamında kullanılacak rapor ve formlar

·     SHZ 439 Sosyal Hizmette blok uygulama dersi kapsamında kullanılacak rapor ve formlar

·     Ed. Hakan Acar, Nilüfer Cengiz, Elvettin Akman. Sosyal Politika ve Kamu Bileşenleriyle Sosyal Hizmet: Temelleri ve Uygulama Alanları, Maya Akademi, 2013.

·     Acar, H., Cengiz, N., & Akman, E. (Eds.). (2013). Sosyal politika ve kamu bileşenleriyle sosyal hizmet: Temelleri ve uygulama alanları. Maya Akademi.

·     Birkenmaier, J., & Berg-Weger, M. (2017). The practicum companion for social work: Integrating class and field work (4th ed.). Pearson.

·     Cournoyer, B. R. (2017). The social work skills workbook (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

·     Doel, M. (2012). Social work: The basics. Routledge.

·     İZÜ Sosyal Hizmet Bölümü. (2026). Uygulamalı dersler yönergesi. İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi.

·     İZÜ Sosyal Hizmet Bölümü. (2026). Sosyal hizmet uygulaması kapsamında kullanılacak rapor ve formlar. İstanbul Sabahattin Zaim Üniversitesi.

·     Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hull, G. H., Jr. (2018). Empowerment series: Understanding generalist practice (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

·     Miley, K. K., O’Melia, M., & DuBois, B. (2017). Generalist social work practice: An empowering approach (8th ed.). Pearson.

·     Payne, M. (2020). Modern social work theory (5th ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

·     Reamer, F. G. (2018). Social work values and ethics (5th ed.). Columbia University Press.

·     Sheafor, B. W., & Horejsi, C. J. (2015). Sosyal hizmet uygulaması: Temel teknikler ve ilkeler. Nika Yayınevi.

·     Shulman, L. (2016). The skills of helping individuals, families, groups, and communities (8th ed.). Cengage Learning.

·     Teater, B. (2015). Sosyal hizmet kuram ve yöntemleri: Uygulama için bir giriş. Nika Yayınevi.

·     Thompson, N. (2016). Kuram ve uygulamada sosyal hizmeti anlamak (3. bs.; B. Yıldırım, Çev.). Dipnot Yayınları.

·     Wayne, J., Bogo, M., & Raskin, M. (2010). Field education as the signature pedagogy of social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(3), 327–339. DOI: 10.5175/JSWE.2010.20090004

•Barry, J., & Said, S. (2024). Online learning and liminal spaces: An example of innovation in social work field education. The British Journal of Social Work, 54(6), 2756–2773. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcae049

• Eaton, A. D. (2026). Current issues with social work field education and ideas for change. Social Work Education, 45(1), 153–162. DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2025.2484360

• Esmaeili, S., & Archer-Kuhn, B. (2025). Teaching social work paradigms through case-based learning: A framework for theory-practice integration. Social Work Education. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2025.2604167

• Jain, R., Margolin, I., Peters, H., & Jain, R. (2025). Supervising social work students in field placements during COVID-19: Recommendations for future delivery during a pandemic. Practice, 37(1), 3–22. DOI: 10.1080/09503153.2024.2404881

• Jansing, C., Ketner, M., Shaw, L., Cooper-Bolinskey, D., & Rudd, S. (2025). Social work field education and supervision: What a global pandemic taught us. Journal of Social Work in the Global Community, 9, 1–12. DOI: 10.5590/JSWGC.2025.09.1058

• Kim, S., & Lim, S. (2025). Practicum plans and logs in social work field education: Evidence from cyber university students at community child centers. Journal of Future Society, 16(3), 118–138. DOI: 10.22987/jifso.2025.16.3.118

• Pascoe, K. M. (2025). ‘I don’t think they look at this as an issue’: Exploring the training and development needs of practice educators in social work field education. The British Journal of Social Work, 55(5), 2038–2055. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcaf032

• Stone, C. (2025). No one is talking to practice educators about generative artificial intelligence. The Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning. DOI: 10.1921/jpts20242434

• Turner, F. J. (Ed.). (2017). Social work treatment: Interlocking theoretical approaches (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.

• Zastrow, C., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2022). Empowerment series: Introduction to social work and social welfare: Empowering people (13th ed.). Cengage Learning.

• Within the scope of the “SHZ 439 / Social Work Practice II” course, students’ professional knowledge, skills, and experiences acquired in their field placement institutions will be evaluated in relation to theoretical knowledge.

• Between Weeks 9 and 14, field placement project assignments, case analyses, and Social Investigation Reports (SIR) prepared by students may be presented and discussed within the course. The distribution of presentations across weeks and student groups will be planned together with the students at the beginning of the semester.

• In their assignments and presentations, students are expected to evaluate cases and social problems encountered in field practice in relation to social work theories, professional intervention methods, ethical principles and values, and micro-, mezzo-, and macro-level practice perspectives.

• Details regarding assignment topics, working groups, presentation dates, assessment criteria, and submission requirements will be discussed with students in Week 1 and finalized by the course instructor.

• Students are expected to attend classes having completed the relevant Appendix forms, weekly activity reports, case studies, and other professional records specified under the “Preparation” section of the weekly course schedule.

Course Attendance and Preparation

• In the “SHZ 439 / Social Work Practice II” course, students are expected to participate regularly in their field placement activities and fulfill the academic and professional responsibilities specified within the scope of the course.

• Students are required to attend classes having reviewed the “Preparation” topics specified for the following week in the weekly course schedule and having completed the relevant field practice forms, weekly activity reports, case studies, and other required professional records.

• During field practice, students are expected to follow the guidance provided by the field supervisor and course instructor and to act in accordance with professional ethics, confidentiality, privacy, personal data protection, and service users’ rights.

Rules Regarding Case Assignments

• The case assignment must be prepared individually and is not a group assignment. Each student is expected to independently examine the designated sample case based on their own research, professional assessment, and proposed solutions.

• Since students may work on the same or similar case topics, they may exchange academic ideas regarding the literature, relevant sources, and general approaches. However, each assignment must be original. In particular, the sections concerning case assessment, identification of problems, planning of social work interventions, selection of appropriate theories and approaches, and development of solutions must clearly reflect the student’s own professional assessment.

• In case assignments, students are expected to assess the individual, family, and social environment holistically, consider the micro, mezzo, and macro levels where appropriate, and integrate theoretical knowledge with the social work practice process.

• Real names, addresses, telephone numbers, or other personal information that could reveal the identity of service users must not be included in case analyses. Principles of confidentiality and privacy must be strictly observed.

Assignment Submission

• The assignment submission deadline will be determined together with the students and announced through the IZU Campus Information System (KBS).

• Students are responsible for following the submission date, time, and other instructions announced in the “ASSIGNMENTS” section of the “Material Sharing System” on KBS.

• Assignments must be prepared as Word (doc/docx) documents and submitted by the specified date and time.

Scope and Formatting Requirements of Assignments

• Excluding the cover page and appendices, assignments must be a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12 pages in length.

• The font must be Times New Roman.

• The main text must be written in 12-point font.

• Section and subsection headings must be written in 12-point font and bold.

• The main title of the assignment must be written in 14-point font, CAPITAL LETTERS, and bold.

• Headings must be aligned with the left margin without paragraph indentation.

• The main text must use 1.5-line spacing, with two lines of space between headings and the main text.

• Page margins must be 2.5 cm on the left and 2 cm on the top, bottom, and right.

• Page numbers must be placed at the bottom center of each page.

• Images, figures, graphs, and tables used in the assignment must be appropriately identified within the text, while additional detailed materials may be presented in the “Appendices” section.

Use of Academic Sources

• In-text citations and the reference list must be prepared in accordance with APA 7 guidelines.

• At least 10 academic sources, such as books, scholarly articles, and academic journals, must be used.

• Depending on the nature of the topic, students may use 5–10 reliable digital/web-based electronic sources.

• References must be listed alphabetically and formatted in accordance with APA 7 guidelines.

• Students are expected to use current scientific literature and reliable academic and institutional sources relevant to the field of social work.

Order of Sections in the Word (doc/docx) Assignment

• Cover Page

• Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Case Description and Background Information

• Assessment of the Case from a Social Work Perspective

• Identification of Problems and Needs

• Evaluation of Appropriate Social Work Theories and Approaches

• Intervention Plan and Professional Assessment

• Conclusion/Discussion and Recommendations (at least one page)

• References

• Appendices