In this course, developmental and object relationship theories of the first years of life relevant for child- and family-centred social work are presented and their practical relevance is illustrated by means of case studies. Graduates acquire knowledge about children's basic needs, conducive and obstructive developmental conditions as well as developmental impairments and disorders in childhood. A further focus is on conveying central aspects in the counselling of parents in the face of developmental difficulties of their children.

Lecture and discussion

Distance learning assignments: Elaboration of texts

Final exam: Final written exam

Distance Learning Assignments: Independent study of texts

The focus is on imparting knowledge about biopsychosocial models of health and illness (for example salutogenesis, vulnerability-stress model, resilience, capability approach) based on the situation of children of mentally ill parents. Another focus is on the needs and coping strategies of children whose parents are mentally ill, as well as central aspects of social therapeutic work with these children and their parents.

Lecture and discussion

Final exam: Final exam

Basic knowledge of attachment theory
Introduction to the assessment and support of parent-child relationships in early childhood
Differentiation of interaction patterns and their consequences for the accompanying work
Introduction to the diagnosis and treatment of early childhood regulation disorders.
Introduction to early relationship assessments (CARE Index & Strange Situation Procedure)

Theory input

Group work

Video analyses

Continuous assessment: Written exam with basic questions on the provided texts and themes and reflection on a video example

Selected current discourses on psychosocial diagnostics as well as classificatory and psychodynamic classification of children's behavioral problems or symptoms, developmental disorders and educational difficulties are presented. The formation and conditional relationships of typical behavioural problems and (developmental) difficulties in childhood are illuminated (e.g. AD(H)S, enuresis, encopresis, aggressive behaviour,...). A diagnostic process from the initial interview to intervention planning is presented, taking into account central requirements for beneficial and successful diagnostic processes.
Another focus is on the design of diagnostic processes in enforcement contexts.

Lecture and discussion

Distance learning assignments: Exercise and reflection

Final exam: lecture and discussion

Distance learning tasks: practice and reflection

The focus is the discussion and reflection on the applicability of psychosocial, diagnostic instruments. Their practice-oriented application is tested using case studies. Life situation diagnostics, network diagnostics, biographical diagnostics and much more are presented and their handling and interpretation practiced.

Application of mediated diagnostic tools to case studies

Continuous assessment: immanent examination character

The basic assumptions and principles of systemic counselling and psychoanalytic counselling (dealing with transference and countertransference processes, scenic understanding, facilitating dialogue) are discussed in relation to direct client contact and interdisciplinary cooperation. The focus is on the one hand on the systemic perspective with its view of resources and solutions and on the other hand on the beneficial relationship building with the clients and the development of a sustainable working alliance.
In addition, there is an intensive examination of the topic of conflict management.
Competences in dealing with complex discussion situations in a multi-person setting (family discussions, helper conferences, etc.) are taught in exercises,.
 

Analysis of videotaped and transcribed conversation situations
Exercises in the form of role plays
Linking back to theoretical foundations and models

Continuous assessment: Participation in role-playing games

Design and recording of a counseling setting in group work

Written analysis of the recording

In the course, communication and interaction are theoretically located in the context of the social therapeutic counselling process and/or treatment process. Students deal with different understandings of what it means to be a human being and constructions of family (e.g. humanistic, depth psychological, systemic-constructivist) and reflect on their significance for conducting conversations. Another focus is on the basic assumptions and principles of systemic counselling (systems theory, constructivism).
Exercises are used to test how to deal with difficult situations in different settings, to expand one's own communication and counselling skills and, in particular, to create an awareness of the significance of one's own experience in discussion situations and one's own attitudes.

Lecture and discussion

Group work

Continuous assessment: term paper

distance learning assignments

The course introduces the "logic" and basic concepts of qualitative social research.
The students receive an overview about methods of qualitative empirical social research. Selected survey instruments and evaluation methods (e.g. interviews, group discussions, qualitative content analysis, documentary method and grounded theory ) are introduced or taught in a practice-oriented manner using relevant examples.

Lecture and discussion
individual and group work
assignments: Practice and reflection

Continuous assessment: individual and groups assignments

Students are taught basic knowledge of common quantitative survey methods, in particular standardised written surveys (questionnaires). They learn to distinguish between good and bad questionnaires (quality criteria) and to plan and conduct their own quantitative surveys. Furthermore, descriptive statistical methods for the presentation and processing of data, such as measures of location and dispersion, contingency tables are worked on. Subsequently, students are taught the elementary methods of inferential statistics, such as correlation and significance tests, and their correct interpretation.

Lecture and group work
Research-based learning
Evaluation of case studies in SPSS

Final exam: final exam

distance learning assignments

In this course, central criteria of scientific writing are developed and exercises on "writing fitness" and workflow are carried out.
The graduates acquire knowledge about content-related cornerstones of scientific work and analyse components of particularly successful scientific work.

Lecture and discussion

Group work

Work with texts

Continuous assessment: scientific paper of around 10 pages

The course includes the presentation and theoretical discussion of diagnostic instruments and their reflection with regard to planning and intervention.
The necessity of a well-founded and systematised risk diagnosis for the well-being and development of children and adolescents is addressed.
Basic knowledge of developmental psychology as a basis for a well-founded (risk) diagnosis and intervention planning is consolidated and further developed.
Graduates identify and assess child welfare risks on the basis of the course content and carry out their own risk management.

Lecture, individual and group work, distance learning

Final exam: distance learning

examination interview in the form of a group interview/group discussion

The course focuses on case-specific applications of selected classificatory, reconstructive and/or integrative diagnostic tools with the goal of intervention planning.

Lecture, PPP, (group) exercises, group discussions

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course deals with the particularities of communication with traumatized children and adolescents, as well as with possibilities of de-escalation in challenging situations.
In addition, conflict dynamics will be addressed, for example, how the dynamics of client (systems) can affect individuals or entire teams or (help) systems andhow to get out of such a dynamic.

Presentation, discussion, role play, group work, work on own cases.
In this course, theory transfer, self-awareness and methodology are linked with each other and in relation to the topic.

Continuous assessment: discussion, role play, group work

written reflection

writing a seminar paper

Reflective confrontations with the attitudes and images of human beings as well as discussion of definitions, principles and goals of motivational and activating interviewing are central contents of the course. Reflective discussions also take place with ambivalent feelings and attitudes on the part of the students as well as the acceptance of the inner conflict is made conscious.
In addition, knowledge is built up regarding the practical application of methods and intervention techniques as well as discussions about their possible uses.
Family processes are analyzed, systems explained and the setting of interventions that can initiate change are taught.
After a theoretical discussion of basic attitudes and basic assumptions as a basis for conducting conversations in family systems, methods for developing an appreciative and authentic attitude towards clients are presented. Subsequently, the shaping of a constructive working relationship with families is practiced using practical examples.

 

(Small) group work, role-playing, discussion and reflection on lessons learned, literature study, distance learning

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course deals with the factors influencing various forms of migration on family systems.
In the seminar, possibilities of analysis of the living environments of immmigrants with a focus on social work with families will be developed together.
Cultural and social characteristics, including family responsibilities, religion, dealing with authorities and ideas about health and illness will be considered.
The role as a social worker will be reflected upon with refence to one’s own professional experiences and competences in working with people of different origins will be expanded.

The seminar also focuses on practical examples and the reference to the current social landscape of specialized institutions on the topic.



 

Lecture, work in small groups, practice orientation by case studies

Continuous assessment: term paper

case processing

The course "Migration and Family" deals with the factors influencing different forms of migration on family systems. Specific emphasis is placed on the topics of racism, migration and the lifeworlds of people with migration and refugee experience, as well as, in a broader sense, the role of social work in this context.
The seminar deals with the topic on the basis of theoretical concepts.

Lecture, small group work, discussion of literature

Continuous assessment

Graduates will receive an overview of current relevant subject-specific questions and research fields as a stimulus for their own research work within the framework of the Master's thesis and concretise their own initial ideas. Guest speakers will present current research topics and gaps from the field of child and youth welfare.

Milestones as well as the structure and inner logic of a Master's thesis will be presented on the basis of the Master's thesis handbook and prevoius successful Master's theses. An essential step of the own Master's thesis, namely the exposé, will be dealt with in depth with the help of a guide to one's own "flash exposé". The citation rules of the FH Campus Wien are practiced.

Lecture, group and individual work, external lectures

Continuous assessment

The focus of the course is the implementation of your own research project. Following the definitions of the previous semester, an already developed research idea will be designed and step by step implemented empirically.

presentations, discussions, text study, group work, e-learning

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

Planning and development of empirical qualitative research projects in the field of child and family-centered social work

Application of selected qualitative methods of data collection and data analysis as part of a student research project

Writing a research report including presentation and discussion of research results

Keynote speech
Research-based learning
Project work on a self-chosen research topic

Continuous assessment: Development of a research design

Creation of a poster on the research design

Data collection

Data analysis, theorization

In this course, approaches and challenges of social pedagogical action are worked out using the example of the field of action "inpatient child and youth welfare". The focus is on:
> The field of social pedagogy taking into account a historical view
> Crisis work in social pedagogy
> The importance of the relationship in social pedagogy
> The special challenge of pedagogical work with children and adolescents with (psychiatric) diagnoses

Lecture, discussions, group work

Final exam: distance learning

final exam

The consequences of growing up in poverty for the everyday family life are presented in a general overview, based on current research results. Existing support services will be critically reflected upon and examined with regard to structural barriers to well-being and participation opportunities.
In particular, questions of social exclusion are to be examined in the context of structural changes and discussed with regard to their theoretical and practical consequences for social policy and social work.

Lecture, PPP, instructional video, group work, presentations, PollEV

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course covers all topics of the legal framework of social therapeutic social work:
- Children's rights, Art 8 EHRC
- Child law (parentage, custody, adoption, contact law, custody proceedings, etc.)
- Child and youth welfare law
- Child abduction, violence protection law, home residence law, accommodation law
- Reporting obligations, data protection, confidentiality
- Liability

lecture

Final exam: final exam

Risk Assessment is a core responsibility of social work in child protection services. This course introduces tools to structure the process of risk assessment, as well as some methodological background. Participants are required to assess the risk of children and adolescents while applying these tools to case vignettes and integrating the results into the subsequent case plan. Discussions call for a personal and critical reflection of the experiences with these tools during the assessment and in making case decisions.

Lecture, discussions, group exercises

Continuous assessment: immanent examination character

The exercise imparts knowledge of (social) psychological theories on the emergence and maintenance of escalation and practice-oriented strategies of crisis intervention and intervention planning.

Crises are a classic field of application of family-oriented social work. However, social work also causes crises and escalates them (e.g. in involuntary measures, external placements, etc.).

In the exercise, the participants should learn to reflect on the emotions and mechanisms associated with this.

Based on an understanding of the dynamics of crises and escalations, methods of avoiding escalations and of exerting influence in acutely escalated situations will be learned and practiced if necessary.

Discussion of literature

In the group, case studies are used to jointly try to understand their dynamics, to find possible solutions and to practice and evaluate these in role play.

Participants are invited to bring in cases from their professional practice.

Continuous assessment: Participation

Reading texts/answering questions in preparation

- in form of a presentation, a written exercise, or a term paper

The content of the course is the examination of the current status of the professional discussion on social work with multi-problem families.
Detailed presentation:
-The focus is on outreach pedagogical-social therapeutic work with families with individual and structural crises.
-Competency development in the field of social therapeutic action.
The psychodynamics and personality characteristics of high-risk families are discussed, as well as the interaction between clients and professionals.
-The concept of Scenic Understanding (Lorenzer, Trescher) is introduced, as well as other contextual topics (e.g. P. Crittenden).
-Principles, guiding ideas, goals and challenges of follow-up family work.




 

Theory transfer, consolidation of this through case vignettes and exercises in the context of the course

Final exam: final exam

professional acting in a forced context

Based on the legal work assignment, the course deals with the topic of the compulsory context and the effects on the immediate professional actions of the specialists.

Theoretical inputs using a case study

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The exercises build on the contents of the lecture with the same name. By means of case studies and video sequences, theoretical approaches, technical terms and methods should be better understood and a transfer into practice should take place.

Case studies and video analysis in individual and group work

Continuous assessment: final exam

The focus of this course is the concrete support in the preparation of the master thesis, starting with the submission up to the concrete implementation of the empirical surveys.
Students continue to work on their individual master's thesis in peer groups and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. Topics such as creating internal logic and argumentation stringency and overcoming writer's block are considered.
In addition to the exchange and discussion in peer groups, graduate students are expected to give a presentation on the current status of their master's thesis during the semester; depending on the wishes of the group, topics can also be focused on. The different stages of development of the work will be taken into account.

Discussions, coaching

Continuous assessment: participation

The course continues to build up the basic knowledge of attachment theory and the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of early childhood regulation disorders.
In addition, the development and differentiation of dyadic behavioral strategies in the toddler age is addressed. Parent-child interactions are observed and analyzed.

Lecture, discussion, videos

Final exam: final exam

Overview of Moral Justifications
Ethical Justification Attempts
Current Issues in Professional Ethics

Lecture

Final exam: exam

Basics on Psychotraumatology
Trauma vs. adverse developmental factors
Trauma disorders
Transgenerational transmission of trauma
Traumatherapeutic methods
"trauma therapy" vs. "psychotherapy"
Basics of trauma pedagogy
"Education" vs. "therapy" - the possibility of corrective experiences
Approaches in trauma pedagogy

lecture and discussion

Final exam: final exam

Consolidation of contents presented in "Theorieansätze zur Traumapädagogik"

practical exercise

Continuous assessment: Immanent examination character

The course focuses on the practical application of theoretical models and methods acquired during the course.
Reference is made to the necessity of mentalisation and reflection skills for the diagnostic case understanding of complex family systems.
Children and adolescents are considered in their development from the prenatal period to adolescence.
Exercises are given in initial diagnostic interviews, in forming a diagnostic working alliance and in hypothesis formation. This is also based on concrete case studies from counselling practice.

 

Theoretical inputs, presentations, group work, reflection on own childhood experiences, case presentations from practice, role plays and self-study.

Continuous assessment: Immanent examination character

Foster children grow up in a socialisation field that is shaped by two families: the family of origin and the foster family. They form a family-of-origin foster family figuration. In this process, challenges and problems can arise that both adults and children have to cope with. For this, social services can be useful. In this course, the topics of social pedagogical family work are dealt using the example of foster families. This includes the support of the family of origin, the clarification of perspectives, the return or permanent home in the foster family.
Central to this course is also the social pedagogical view of people in families and their resources, which can be made accessible to them through professional social work.

Lecture, materials for in-depth self-study, group work

Final exam: exam

The course deals with the question of the application of extensive socio-pedagogical work with families in the context of measures of full education. In order to further develop the practice, it is necessary to deal with and develop forms of family networking as well as considerations of experiential or action-oriented work with families and their children in the context of out-of-home placement processes.
The focus of this pedagogical focus is on the characteristics of planning, implementation, documentation and reflection of family pedagogical intervention projects (incl. self-experience parts), which are completed in the form of project exercises or applications. Optionally, a combination with the project considerations from the exercises on pedagogical-social therapeutic work with children and families in the outpatient sector can be achieved.

Theoretical knowledge transfer (lecture, PP), group work and discussions

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The focus of this course is the concrete support in the preparation of the master thesis, starting with the submission up to the concrete implementation of the empirical surveys.
Students continue to work on their individual master's thesis in peer groups and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. Topics such as creating internal logic and argumentation stringency and overcoming writer's block are considered.
In addition to the exchange and discussion in peer groups, graduates are expected to give a presentation on the current status of their Master's thesis during the semester; depending on the wishes of the group, topic-specific focal points can also be set. The different stages of development of the work will be taken into account.
 

Conversations, coaching

Continuous assessment: participation

There is independent preparation for the Master's examination

Independent preparation, literature research

Final exam: Oral Master's examination

Child- and family-centered social work includes, besides the work and direct contact with children and adolescents, also the work with their caregivers and substitute caregivers.
Within the framework of the course, competences are built up in all areas of parent education and in the didactic and methodical transfer of developmental psychological knowledge to the reference persons of the adolescents, as well as to the extended support system in schools and educational institutions. This leads to empowerment of the persons acting there and is thus to be regarded as an essential task of social work professionals.
Another focal point is the activity as a lecturer in parent education and the creation of parent education articles. The focus of this course is on adolescents, and guest lectures are given.
 

- Lecture

- Preparation and presentation of a parent education lecture in group work (Based on conducive elements of parent education, parent lectures on different educational topics are prepared and presented in group work).

Continuous assessment: Exam in Groups

Contents of the course are specific topics and problems of child (adolescent) development and their particular challenges for parents and guardians. Selected approaches and models of counselling parents in this context are taught.

Lecture, discussion

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course offers an overview of the educational and prevention-specific state of discussion on the topic of "prevention approaches and attachment theories in the family context".
Important elements in the work with parents, as well as concepts of parental education are addressed in order to be able to make a well-founded case-specific selection in practice.
A methodical socio-spatial knowledge of how to programmatically support families in educational, care and upbringing processes is also generated.

Lecture

Final exam: final exam

This course is dedicated to current topics in child- and family-centered social work.

Lecture, group and individual work

Continuous assessment: exam depending on the topic

Based on the definition of the term and the function of an expert opinion, this course aims at strengthening, reflecting and developing competences (professional, personal and social competences) for the preparation of expert opinions and professional reports.
Detailed contents of the course are:
- Structure and general standards for a scientifically sound preparation of expert reports and expert opinions
- Case vignettes - Processing of these on the basis of the course contents
- Formal requirements for a court-appointed and certified, as well as ad hoc expert activity
- Further case vignettes in the course and distance learning





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Lecture, discussion, working groups, distance learning

Continuous assessment: final work in groups