Graduate Courses
SOWK 602: Health Policy and Health Systems
Description
This course provides students with frameworks for understanding the interrelationship between developments in health and behavioral health policy, delivery systems, and social work practice on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. This includes how policy shapes the experiences of individuals and families; important aspects of care delivery and financing; models of care, tools for analyzing policies and advocacy; financial structures and financial sustainability; and workforce issues.
Emphasis will be placed on the critical examination of policies to increase the understanding of the impact of race, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation/identity, and culture. The course also considers the organizational context of social work practice in various health care settings. Practice issues associated with organizational structure, patient-centered care, team and interdisciplinary relations, as well as collaboration and conflict, are considered.
Ethical dilemmas and the significance of values will also be discussed in the course.
