09/18 lecture behe
Opening reflections: the five-year-old self and wisdom with time
The speaker distinguishes two kinds of advice: time-based wisdom and application-based wisdom. Time adds wisdom; applying wisdom makes it meaningful in future contexts.
A five-year-old may be smarter in some ways, but cannot share the lived experience of being older (e.g., being 15 or another age).
An example of lived experience: the speaker’s oldest son, now a father, reflects on his own parenting and the advice given when younger.
The dialogue sequence includes family dynamics, questions about how to communicate, and the tension between feeling authentic versus giving a confident, practiced front (e.g., a child’s smile that might feel fake but is a muscle being exercised).
The underlying theme is how age and experience shape one’s capacity to give, receive, and apply wisdom in parenting and mentoring roles.
Montgomery College social work program: overview from Katie Morris (UOVC)
Presenter: Katie Morris, affiliated with UOVC’s social work program.
Location and campus options:
Shady Grove campus (Montgomery College). She notes the proximity to the class site and invites visitations.
Universities at Shady Grove (USG): 9 Maryland four-year schools located there, offering over programs among undergrad and graduate options.
The UMBC campus also offers the same social work program; students can transfer to UMBC if desired.
Program breadth and transfer pathways:
Montgomery College to four-year institutions, especially Shady Grove, is presented as a strong pathway for staying in the county.
An AA degree is presented as “halfway to a bachelor's degree.”
Four-year Maryland schools must admit anyone with a completed AA degree and a GPA of at least (i.e.,
). This makes transfer feasible with correct coursework and advising.
Core curriculum and concentrations:
For social work, core courses include: Intro to Social Work, Human Behavior, Policy, and a chosen minor (options include Psychology, Sociology, History, Political Science).
Internship (field placement) in the senior year places students in social work agencies (e.g., homeless shelters, schools, hospitals, correctional facilities, public defender’s office, child welfare).
Licensure and advanced education:
After completing a degree, graduates can become licensed at the bachelor’s level: LBSW (Licensed Bachelor’s Social Worker) and LMSW (Licensed Master’s Social Worker); a clinical license is also available.
Graduates can apply to graduate programs (e.g., MSW) and may pursue advanced standing at the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB), which allows earning an MSW in one year instead of two after completing an advanced standing pathway.
Advanced standing description: reduces MSW duration from two years to one year for eligible students.
Internships and field placement details:
Field placement hours count toward degree requirements and graduation but do not count toward licensure hours (licensure requires supervised practice hours beyond the degree).
Campus options and application process:
The program is available at both Shady Grove and UMBC campuses; when applying, students choose a campus after acceptance via the common application.
The speaker emphasizes flexibility and fit when choosing between campuses.
Events and engagement opportunities:
Upcoming events in October and November, with involvement from current students and Maryland licensing board representatives to discuss licensing requirements at bachelor’s, master’s, and clinical levels.
Student support and advising:
Staff are available to meet with prospective students virtually, review unofficial transcripts, and advise on transfer coursework and program fit.
Students can join mailing lists to receive updates about the program and events.
Mentoring and experiential learning:
The “Social Work in Action” program is an experiential learning opportunity with applications currently closed, reopening in January.
The program provides campus visits and firsthand exposure to internships and the social work field for prospective students.
Q&A highlights: common questions addressed by the presenter
Whether the program is strictly at Shady Grove or also at UMBC: same program at both campuses; students can choose later.
The transfer process and the role of the AA degree in facilitating transfer and admission to four-year programs.
Distance considerations and campus choices (Shady Grove vs UMBC) based on commute and on-campus living preferences.
The practical steps to contacting the presenter for further guidance and to sign up for programs or events.
What counts toward graduation vs licensure:
Field hours count toward degree completion and graduation requirements.
Licensure hours are a separate requirement; clinical licensure requires supervision hours beyond basic degree hours.
Meeting logistics and follow-up:
The presenter offered to collect information cards and follow up by email; encouraged students to email with questions or transcripts.
Bulletin boards were used to provide information; additional flyers available for events and program details.
Pathways, credentials, and licensure in Maryland social work
Degrees and licensure levels:
LBSW: Licensed Bachelor’s Social Worker.
LMSW: Licensed Master’s Social Worker.
Clinical license: for clinical practice; requires supervised practice hours beyond degree completion.
Master’s degree and advanced standing:
MSW programs exist (e.g., at UMB) with an option for advanced standing that allows completing the MSW in one year instead of two after earning an MSW-eligible bachelor’s degree.
Internship hours and licensing hours:
Field placement hours count toward degree requirements but do not count toward licensure hours; licensure requires separate supervised practice hours.
Transfer considerations:
An AA degree plus a 2.0+ GPA generally satisfies transfer requirements to Maryland four-year institutions.
Employment pathways after graduation:
Degree completion enables licensure at the bachelor’s or master’s level, and licensure enables practice in various settings (schools, hospitals, social service agencies, etc.).
Locations and program consistency:
The same social work curriculum is offered at Shady Grove and UMBC campuses; you can select campus after applying via the common application.
Events, advising, and ongoing engagement
Upcoming events:
Two events planned for October and November featuring current students and licensing board representatives.
Advising and transfer support:
Staff-assisted transfer planning includes transcript review and guidance on how courses transfer between Montgomery College and partner four-year institutions.
Networking and career development:
Individuals are encouraged to engage with advisors to understand licensure pathways and the practicalities of field placements and internships.
Self-assessment inventory: attitudes, beliefs, and ethics in helping professions
Purpose and format:
Self-assessment is an ongoing process for helping professionals.
The inventory helps identify beliefs, values, and attitudes related to helping interactions.
It is not a traditional multiple-choice test; it asks respondents to indicate their viewpoints by selecting letters that reflect their stance, with blank lines provided for personal responses.
The inventory is designed to stimulate thoughtful discussion and can be revisited in different settings.
In-class activity approach:
Students are expected to generate their own responses to selected questions, not simply pick from a fixed set.
The instructor will pull questions (e.g., 24 questions) and discuss a subset (e.g., at least 15 responses per student).
Key themes and topics addressed by the inventory:
Self-disclosure with clients: when and whether self-disclosure is essential for establishing rapport.
Bartering in the client-helper relationship: whether services should be exchanged for personal favors and when this would be inappropriate.
Value judgments: how personal values influence professional decisions and whether to impose personal beliefs during counseling.
Religious counseling: how religion and belief systems influence counseling and whether non-secular approaches should be avoided or integrated.
Boundaries and relationships: differentiating between professional boundaries and personal relationships; potential biases if a helper becomes too personal with clients.
Mandated reporting and ethics: duties to report issues (e.g., abuse or risk) and how this shapes the client-therapist relationship.
Cultural competence: importance of knowledge and skills for working with culturally diverse groups; how to acquire them through education and ongoing learning.
Termination of life and ethics: complex ethical questions about end-of-life decisions and how they affect the helper.
Clinical psychology vs. licensed roles: distinctions between clinical psychologists, licensed psychologists, and social workers in different practice settings (schools vs. hospitals).
In loco parentis concept: teachers or caregivers' responsibility to protect students in their care and the duty to report concerns.
Handling cases beyond competence: how to respond when a client requires more expertise than a helper can safely provide ( supervisor consultation, escalation procedures).
Example scenarios discussed in the inventory activity:
A question about whether a helper should stay strictly objective or allow some personal connection.
A scenario about handling a client from a different cultural background and ensuring culturally appropriate responses.
Debates on whether professional warmth and empathic engagement should ever resemble friendship within the helper-client dynamic.
Practical outcomes from the inventory discussion:
Emphasizes lifelong learning and adaptability in practice (e.g., remaining open to new theories and techniques).
Highlights the need for continuous supervision, ethical reflection, and addressing gaps in knowledge through training.
Encourages students to articulate their own attributes of an effective helper and how those attributes translate into practice.
Key terms and definitions (glossary of concepts mentioned)
LBSW: Licensed Bachelor’s Social Worker
LMSW: Licensed Master’s Social Worker
MSW: Master of Social Work
Advanced standing: A pathway to complete an MSW in one year after earning an appropriate bachelor’s degree; reduces typical MSW duration from two years to one year.
Clinical license: Licensure for clinical practice, requiring supervision hours and demonstrated competencies beyond general licensing.
en loco parentis: A Latin term meaning “in the care of the parent”; used to describe the responsibility of teachers or caregivers to attend to a child’s safety and well-being in their care; often tied to mandatory reporting requirements.
AA degree: Associate of Arts degree; described as halfway to a bachelor’s degree in the presentation.
USG: Universities at Shady Grove; a hub where nine Maryland public universities offer programs.
UMB: University of Maryland Baltimore; partner institution offering MSW and advanced standing options.
Field placement / internship: Hands-on, supervised practice experiences required during social work education; hours count toward degree credits but may not transfer to licensure hours.
Social Work in Action: An experiential-learning program connected to the social work department with applications typically opening in January.
Bartering (in context): Negotiating services in return for another service, which can raise ethical concerns in professional-client encounters.
Cultural competence: The knowledge, awareness, and skills required to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Mandated reporting: Legal obligation for professionals to report suspected abuse or neglect or other harms to appropriate authorities.
Professional boundaries: The ethical and professional limits that separate a helper’s professional role from personal relationships.
Open to learning: A portable attribute highlighting the importance of being receptive to new information, cultures, and approaches in practice.
Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance
The transfer pathway from community colleges to four-year programs mirrors broader educational pipelines designed to improve access and mobility in higher education.
The emphasis on field placements and supervision reflects core social work education standards emphasizing practice-based learning and accountability.
Licensure structures (LBSW, LMSW, clinical) map to differentiated scopes of practice and career trajectories in social work, social services, and mental health settings.
Advanced standing demonstrates how educational credentials can streamline career advancement and education, aligning with workforce demands for clinical proficiency.
Ethical discussions (self-disclosure, boundaries, cultural humility, value judgments) align with the profession’s emphasis on client-centered care, nonjudgmental stance, and culturally responsive practice.
The inventory discussion reinforces the idea that effective helping requires ongoing reflection, supervision, and a willingness to adapt to diverse client needs and changing social contexts.
Practical implications for exam preparation
Be able to explain the transfer pathway from a community college to four-year institutions, including GPA and degree requirements, and the role of AA degrees.
Understand the sequence of social work credentials (LBSW → LMSW → clinical license) and how advanced standing can shorten MSW timelines.
Describe the differences between field placements (hours toward degree) and licensure requirements (supervised hours toward licensure).
Articulate ethical considerations in counseling, including boundaries, self-disclosure, cultural competence, and handling situations beyond one’s competence with supervisor involvement.
Recognize terms like en loco parentis, bartering, value judgments, and cultural competence, and apply them to case scenarios.
Be prepared to discuss the benefits and limitations of experiential learning opportunities (e.g., Social Work in Action) and the role of campus-based programs in professional development.
Memorize key numbers and facts that may appear in exam prompts: 9 Maryland four-year partner schools at USG, programs, GPA minimum for transfer, field hours counting toward degree but not licensure, MSW duration with advanced standing (1 year vs 2 years).
Understand the practical steps a student should take to engage with program offices (e.g., emailing advisors, reviewing unofficial transcripts, exploring transfer options) and how to navigate campus resources.