Adele Weiner, Ph.D., A.C.S.W.                                                                                                                                                                  Fall 2004

Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University
New York City, NY

email: weinerap@ymail.yu.edu
Listserv: AIDSCLASS@ymail.yu.edu
HIV/AIDS Education Home Page: http://draweiner.freeservers.com/HIVEducation/index.html
Diversity University Home Page: http://moo.du.org/ 
Angel site: http://bh-ada.mis.yu.edu/Angel/frameIndex.htm  
 

SWK 6354 - SOCIAL DIMENSIONS OF AIDS

Please note that if you received this syllabus in a printed format on paper, that it exists as an interactive web based syllabus on the course web page at:: http://draweiner.freeservers.com/HIVEducation/index.html. Other useful web resources also appear on the course page. Students in the class will be required to access the web page to use the hyperlinks to locate readings and articles and engage in chat and e-mail discussions.
 

CLICK ON ANY HYPERLINK BELOW TO GO TO THAT SECTION OF THE SYLLABUS:




COURSE DESCRIPTION

Members of this course will have the opportunity to learn the most current information available about HIV/AIDS, explore personal and societal values, develop an understanding of the social issues faced by those who are HIV infected, their families and society as a whole and develop and participate in research, educational and prevention projects. This course will be a small seminar composed of students who are working in their field placements with those who are HIV infected. The use of the  Internet is required. Prerequisites: This course is open to second year students who have field placements with people affected by HIV/AIDS.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

This course builds upon the foundation course content in practice and fieldwork, HBSE, cultural diversity, policy and research. Throughout the course students are required to make connections to their advanced practice method and field, policy, research and values and ethics as it applies to practice.  By the completion of this course, students will demonstrate:



REQUIRED TEXTS

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RECOMMENDED MATERIALS

Students should select books from this list as relevant to their field placements and interests.
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GRADING

The final grade for this course will be determined in the following manner:

                             60% Experiential Projects (2)
                             25% Policy Analysis Paper on And the Band Played On
                             15% Participation*

*Class participation includes participation in AIDSCLASS listserv discussions and monthly meetings at Diversity University. Since a portion of the learning in this class will involve discussions, exercises and internet resources, students who miss an activity will miss valuable learning experiences that cannot be duplicated. It is expected that students will hand in written assignments as scheduled. There will be a penalty factor of one letter grade (i.e.. an "A" will become an "A-") for late assignments. For each week that an assignment is late, grades will be continually penalized.



INTERNET RESOURCES

There are three internet resources developed for this class. Students are expected to participate on a regular basis.



WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

POLICY ANALYSIS PAPER:  AND THE BAND PLAYED ON   - Due 6th Week of Class
            (Meets Learning Objectives 1, 4, 5 & 7.)

This paper is based on your reading of Randy Shilts' And the Band Played On. After reading the book, comment on the following questions in trying to understand the American response to AIDS:

This paper is to be completed within 5-7 double-spaced, typewritten pages. These papers must use proper grammar and APA citation style. While your focus is on the Shilts' book, your responses should include references to additional materials, particularly those that support your positions.


EXPERIENTIAL PROJECTS

There will be two projects in this course. The papers discussing your experience are to be completed within 5-7 double-spaced, typewritten pages. These papers must use proper grammar and APA citation style. Papers must make relevant references to readings and course materials. It is expected that in order to complete these projects adequately that students will use library resources in addition to citations provided in this course outline. Students should be prepared to discuss their papers in class. The specific details for each of these projects follow.

PROJECT #1 - "THE PERSONAL FACE OF AIDS" - Due on 10th Week of Class      Grandmother
            (Meets Learning Objectives 1, 3, 6 & 7)

This project involves interviewing people who are personally involved with AIDS. Students are to select one professional from Category A and one person from Category B: (a total of two interviews):

Category A 

A professional who works directly with those who are HIV infected (physician, nurse, social worker, etc.)

A professional who works indirectly on behalf of those who are HIV infected (community planner, politician, hospital administrator, researcher, etc.)


Category B

A volunteer providing services to HIV infected people

An HIV infected person

A significant other/family member of an HIV infected person


One of these interviews must take place in an agency that is not your primary field placement setting.

Your interviews should focus on:

1.     How has HIV/AIDS effected the life of these persons? Personally? Professionally?

2.     What strategies have they developed to cope with HIV/AIDS?

3.     Have they had any negative or positive experience in receiving/delivering services or having any of their needs met? Explain.

4.     What recommendations do they have for improving service delivery?

5.     What recommendations would they make to another person who is in the same circumstances as themselves?

After completing your two interviews, discuss your findings as related to the materials you have been reading about the psychosocial, service delivery and political aspects of AIDS. The final portion of your written paper should focus on what you learned and how this assignment affected you, including your practice as a professional social worker? Avoid simply reporting on the responses to your interview questions. Students should be prepared to discuss their findings and experiences with other members of the course.
 

PROJECT #2- "AIDS Education/Prevention Project" - Due last week of class

Ryan White (Meets Learning Objectives 2, 3 & 7.)

This experiential project can be completed individually or in small groups. Each individual or group will develop an AIDS Education/Prevention Project to be carried out by the student(s) in their field placement agency, another community setting, and/or WSSW. The text You Can Do Something About AIDS provides many ideas that are suitable.

Time will be allotted in class for the students to work in groups to organize and develop these projects in consultation with the professor. Any materials to be distributed for this project require the prior approval of the professor, your field instructor or other agency administration.

Each student will prepare their own paper. The written portion of this project will include a brief description of the project and the learning goals that the individual/group hope to accomplish. In addition, students should discuss: Obstacles or issues that arose in the implementation of such a project; staff, clients or other persons' reactions to the project; and assessment of the success of the project and implications for future projects. These should be addressed as they relate to the course materials and library resources. The last topic to be addressed in the paper is the student's own personal reaction to their participation in the project and the implications for their practice as a social worker.
 

READING LIST AND COURSE CALENDAR

Students should begin reading Shilts' And the Band Played On and continue reading throughout the course. They will need to have completed this book by the end of the fifth week. Special sections that relate to individual topics have been noted in the course outline. The earlier in the course that students complete this reading, the more helpful will be the material in the book.

Students are expected to read all the required text materials and handouts as a minimum. Articles that are available from PROQUEST online through the New York Public Library or the Pollack Library are indicated by [P]. Remote access does require a New York City Public Library card or the bar code on your student ID.It is expected that other readings will be incorporated from the reading list as relevant to individual papers and assignments.

ABBREVIATIONS

I.     WHAT IS AIDS? INTRODUCTION (Session 1 - course objectives 1 & 2)

[AT]      Gant, "Essential Facts Every Social Worker Needs to Know",  3-2
[JS]       Chapter 1, Introduction and Summary
             Chapter 9 , The HIV/AIDS Epidemic in New York City
[I]         The Body Web Page on "What is AIDS?: http://www.thebody.com/whatis.html
[I]         Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (2000) Fact Sheets - HIV and Its Transmission: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/transmission.htm

II.     HISTORY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY (Session 2 - course objectives 1 & 2)

[I]     Centers for Disease Control (CDC). (1997). Update: AIDS --- United States, 2000Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 51(27), 592-595.

III.     RISK BEHAVIORS AND DIVERSE POPULATIONS (Sessions 3, 4 - course objectives 2 & 3)

[I] Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Unrecognized HIV Infection, Risk Behaviors, and Perceptions of Risk Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men --- Six U.S. Cities, 1994--1998. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). 51(33), 733-736.
IV.     DIFFICULT ISSUES (Sessions 5, 6 - course objectives 1, 3 & 5) V.     INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSES (Sessions 7, 8 - course objectives 1, 3 & 5))

        A.    THE MEDIA

        B. THE MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENT         C.  GOVERNMENT VI.    THE PERSONAL FACE OF AIDS (Sessions 9. 10. 11 - course objectives 1, 2, 3, & 6)


VII.     EDUCATION AND PREVENTION (Session 12 - course objective 5)

[I] CDC. (2003). Advancing HIV Prevention: New Strategies for a Changing Epidemic --- United States, 2003 .  52(15), 329-332.
VIII.     PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH HIV/AIDS
                (Sessions 13, 14, 15 - course objective 5)
EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT
DURING LAST MONTH OF COURSE


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