UCLA MSW Program: Winter Quarter Class Reviews

Due to the time demands of my clinical internship at a Community Mental Health Center, I decided to only take two "real" classes this past quarter. I selected a health policy class and a direct practice class, in addition to my independent study research class (2 credits each quarter) and my field internship. By front loading a heavier schedule in fall quarter, I was afforded the luxury of taking less classes during the winter and spring quarters. As an MSW student about to start looking for a job, I find it extremely beneficial to have a lighter academic schedule to free up some time to research agencies, go on interviews, etc.

Below is a brief review of the classes I took this quarter. As I always mention, the following is a synopsis of my experience of academic classes within UCLA's MSW program, and does not represent other students' opinions. 

290M Health Policy and Services: This class is designed to provide students with an introduction to topical issues about health care financing, delivery, and reform. A significant amount of time was spent deciphering major public health care programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, in addition to analyzing their relationship to issues of access, quality, and cost of care to diverse and vulnerable populations. As someone who wanted to learn more about the Affordable Health Care Act, I found this class extremely helpful in deciphering changes to our country's convoluted health care system. Additionally, a portion of each class was devoted to newspaper articles related to health care. In addition to its focus on contemporary issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the student diversity. Because the class is cross-sectioned as a public health class, about half the students were from other disciplines.

Average reading/week: 75-120 pgs
Texts: Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America, various online articles
Major Assignments: Debate summary and presentation, country summary and presentation, take-home final exam
Caveats: Class lectures from the professor ran about an hour and a half to two hours before switching over to debates or newspaper article reviews. Students might benefit if lectures were slightly more interactive.

231G Substance Abuse Intervention: Given its prevalence and severity among populations that social workers engage with, I was very much looking forward to taking a course about substance abuse and dependence. Luckily, this class did not fail to disappoint my expectations. This class was a great introductory course to the concept of substance abuse, in addition to learning how to assess and provide interventions to affected individuals. Katrina Dornig, the instructor of the class, was excellent, not only due to her broad base of knowledge about substance abuse, but her extensive experience treating individuals suffering from substance abuse disorders. I very much appreciated her insights and accounts from first-hand experiences. Additionally, I enjoyed the variation in classes, with a mix of field visits, guest lectures, in-class exercises, and video recorded mock therapy sessions. Overall, an excellent class.

Average reading/week: 100-200 pgs
Texts: Dual disorders: Counseling clients with chemical dependency and mental illness, Rethinking Substance Abuse: What the science shows, and what we shoulddo about it, Recovery options, in addition to various internet articles. 
Major Assignments: 12 Step meeting visit plus reflection, motivational interviewing mock therapy video plus reflection, midterm research paper, and in class final exam.
Caveats: The professor of the course is not the easiest grader. Some students were also surprised by questions included on the final exam. Keep in mind that the final exam review sheet is a guide, and not comprehensive. 

UCLA MSW Program: Fall Quarter Class Reviews

Apologies for the lack of posting in the last few weeks. I always tend to drop off the map after finals week. Although I attend my internship over the winter break (this depends on agency requirements, but is typical for students with weekly clients), I am finally beginning to relax and enjoy the winter holiday festivities.

For those who read my blog somewhat consistently, you know that I like to post quarter-end "reviews" of the classes I took at UCLA's MSW program. I hope this can provide a window into the curriculum experience for prospective students, and help guide first year students in their scheduling decisions for their second year. Please keep in mind that the following is a rundown of my experience of the classes I took, and does not represent other students' opinions.

231A: Advanced Theory and Methods of Direct Social Work Practice With Couples and Families
This is a continuation class in the 230 direct practice class series, with a focus on couples and family therapy. All students in the micro track are required to take this course. I want to first give a disclaimer that despite my general disappointment in the structure of the class, I did learn a ton about attachment focused therapies, largely because my teacher leans towards this orientation. Although faculty recently revamped the 10-week curriculum, it showed, unfortunately, in a negative way. There was far too much theory/material/reading packed into a short 10-week quarter. As a student, I prefer depth, not breadth, while learning about therapeutic orientations. Just to give you an idea, class topics included but were not limited to family systems theory, structural family therapy, strategic family therapy, integrative behavioral couples therapy, solution focused therapy, narrative couples therapy, interpersonal neurobiology, emotionally focused therapy, attachment focused therapy, etc. I would have liked to see a more didactic approach to learning how the theories are applicable to intervention strategies we can use with clients, and less time spent summarizing and presenting reading material in class.

Average reading/week: 150-250 pgs (depending on if you do recommended reading)
Texts: Clinical Handbook of Couple Therapy, Family Therapy Concepts and Methods
Major Assignments: Group Presentation on one week of reading, Midterm Assignment Paper, Final Assignment Paper
Caveats: Both the midterm and final assignment are painfully long. Below are the "prompts" so readers can see for themselves.
231A Final Prompt 231A Midterm Promt

231F: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Theory and Methods 
Everything about this class, the instruction (Ulises Ramirez taught the class), the text, and the class content was excellent. As I mentioned above, I am a huge fan of learning one or two therapeutic interventions/approaches in depth, rather than learn several in a very broad way. The neatest part about the class is that students self-administer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions on a self-identified problem behavior. For example, students might wish to reduce procrastination, lose weight, start a hobby, etc. Once students identify a problem behavior, students complete two to three CBT interventions/homework assignments in order to achieve a specific outcome. I really enjoyed this part of the class for two reasons. 1. Students really learn how to conduct CBT interventions because they go through the motions themselves and, 2. Students experience what it's like to be on the receiving end of the interventions and can begin to relate to clients undergoing CBT. After taking the course, I feel 100% comfortable in utilizing CBT interventions in my own therapeutic practices.

Average reading/week: 75-120 pgs
Texts: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Basics & Beyond
Major Assignments: Midterm Exam, Behavioral Modification Writeup (revisions and a summary of weekly homework assignments), and Final Case Conceptualization Writeup
Caveats: Self-administering CBT interventions, otherwise known as "homework," can be tedious and downright annoying. Make sure to pick a behavior that you truly want to work on, and don't mind revisiting daily.

MGMT 285B: Managerial Interpersonal Communication
I decided to take an Anderson Business School class in order to fulfill my elective requirement (students are required to take one class outside the department of Social Welfare). While I wasn't crazy about the instructor, the class material was outstanding. While Social Welfare classes tend to have laborious weekly reading assignments, this class incorporated concise yet powerful articles from several leading business strategists and managers. A new topic was covered each week including motivation and personal development, enhancing your personal brand, clarifying purpose and maintaining poise, using narrative and storytelling, listening and empathy, establishing authentic rapport, building relationships, managing your network, and adding genuine value to others. While many b-schoolers think of the material as "soft," the topics are extremely practical and relevant to the field of social work. I highly recommend this course as a nice adjunct to the material we learn in the MSW department.

Average reading/week: 20-40 pgs
Texts: Course Pack
Major Assignments: Midterm and Final reflection paper (max of 5 pgs), Group Presentation
Caveats: The class was held from 7-10 p.m. on Monday evenings, which, if tacked onto an internship day, can make for a very, very long day.

UCLA MSW: Recruitment Materials 2011

A few weeks ago, UCLA's MSW program hosted its annual Diversity Day, a recruitment fair designed to give prospective students an opportunity to learn about the program, and to engage directly with faculty and students currently in the program. From a personal prospective, Diversity Day was incredibly influential in my decision to attend UCLA over other prestigious programs. I not only learned that student and faculty initiatives jived with my own interests, but I grasped that the UCLA MSW name and community would equip me with the right tools to achieve my long-term goals.

Due to geographical constraints, I know that several Nor-Cal and out-of-state prospective students were unable to attend. For those currently undergoing the application process, I highly recommend you read the following information packet that contains helpful hints on obtaining recommendations, tips for writing application essays, an application checklist, information about the GRE's, and several other helpful items. If interested, I've posted recruitment materials from the 2009, and 2010 Diversity Fairs. Enjoy!

UCLA MSW Diversity Fair Info Packet 2011

An Insider's Perspective: The Great and Not So Great Things About Community Mental Health

As I'm nearing the close of fall quarter in the second year of UCLA's MSW program, I wanted to take some time to reflect upon my experience interning as a Child and Family Therapist for a Community Mental Health (CMH) Center in Inglewood, CA.

From the moment I started seeing clients, my internship experience accelerated from 0 to 60 faster than I can say "self-care." Between learning agency norms, to deciphering Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) acronyms, to absorbing how to document clinical sessions (writing progress notes), to staying present in 8 hour trainings, I feel as though I'm in a constant state of playing catch-up. Someone important to me recently made an analogy that, in several ways, captures how I feel on a day-to-day basis at my internship. In describing his own experience at a new and very demanding job, he said that, "It often feels like I"m drinking from a fire hose." I too, feel as though information is gushing my way at a tremendous speed. Part of me questions how viable it is for an intern, who only works 20 hours a week, is supposed to absorb all the non-clinical information, all while trying to deliver mental health therapy sessions to a caseload of 7-10 clients?

Despite feeling behind most days, working in a CMH setting is tremendously fulfilling and has validated my decision to transition from the corporate sector to the humanity sector. On the not so great days, I always remember what a privilege it is to provide services to struggling individuals. And while the business of relationships is exhausting, it certainly is worthwhile.

Because I am a big fan of lists, below is a brief list of the great, and not so great things about interning in CMH.

Not So Great:

1. The ungodly amount of paperwork
2. Frequent client cancellations
3. Shortage/lack of resources (includes offices to conduct therapy sessions, office supplies, broken bathrooms, etc.)
4. Being at the mercy of the Department of Mental Health
5. Shortage of trained translation staff

So Great:

1. Clinically fascinating cases
2. Tremendous support from other agency employees (psychiatrists, nurses, other therapists, interns, directors, coordinators, administrative staff, etc.)
3. Client diversity (culture, religion, diagnosis, family dynamics, immigration status, etc.)
4. Number of hours of supervision (5 hours/week or 25% of my time is spent in supervision!)
5. Ongoing learning opportunities (primarily through continuing education seminars and group supervision)

HIV, Substance Abuse, and LGBTQ Webinar

Armand Cachero speaking at USC

This past week, I attended a great HIV 101 presentation held by Armand Cachero, a knowledgeable Health Educator from the APAIT Health Center. It was a great opportunity to learn about a topic that is barely covered in my program's curriculum. I now feel much more prepared in the event that I work with clients from this population. 


Although there is an outspoken rivalry between the UCLA and USC MSW programs, I wanted let my readers know that they can access a very similar presentation through USC's Webinar Library. To the best of my googling search abilities, UCLA does not publish webinars of speaker events online. Fortunately, USC has several other webinars covering topics on social welfare, that are available to the public for free. Enjoy!

Are Social Workers Heroes? LA Magazine Seems to Think So

As social workers, we are living in interesting times. For decades, the perception of our profession has been off the mark. Generally speaking, the public associates our professional roles in society as inferior or low-impact. For as long as social work programs have been in existence, we have been fighting against these stereotypes. For example, how many times have you seen a social worker depicted as a "baby snatcher"? Social workers are also frequently depicted as inept, or individuals that can't earn more than $40K per year.

However, I am pleased to bring attention to a moving article in Los Angeles Magazine that is proving that stereotype wrong. UCLA Professor Dr. Jorja Leap is featured in the October issue as one of LA Mag's featured "Action Heroes." Professor Leap has primarily devoted her academic career to studying and evaluating anti-gang programs in the Los Angeles area. Her tireless work with Homeboy Industries has transformed, and will continue to transform several ex-gang members' lives and their families' lives. Keep an eye out for her book titled, Jumped In: What Gangs Taught Me about Violence, Drugs, Love and Redemption, set to be released in March 2012.

Photo Credit: Professor Jorja Leap's Book Cover

Applying and Getting into UCLA’s MSW Program: Tips to Help You Succeed

Common questions I receive from my readers include, How do I get accepted into UCLA’s MSW program? How can I stand out amongst other prospective students? Do I qualify for the program? Will the admissions committee be impressed with my application? These are all common questions that I asked myself while I went through the application process two years ago. Crafting a competitive application was extremely difficult, so I’d like to help prospective students by sharing tips and resources I gathered while I went through the same process.

This will be the first post of a three-part series. In each, I will write about different segments of the application process: recommendations, personal statements, and the resume/pertinent social work experience. Please keep in mind that the following is based solely on my experience. Should you have any questions, please make sure to clarify with UCLA faculty.

Part I: Recommendations

Securing three solid recommendations is certainly no easy task. In my opinion, taking the time to strategize will not only make the process easier, but will also increase the probability that your recommendations will capture the type of person you want the admissions committee to see.

Before you ask for recommendations, consider the following:

1. Stellar Recommendations Are a Must: This might be common sense, but acquiring exceptional recommendations are critical to your success. DO NOT ask professors, colleagues, bosses, etc. who will only give you a so-so recommendation. For example, obtaining a recommendation from a professor in a class in which you received an A is simply not enough. The professor must really know you, and be able to speak to your strengths. Don’t have three exemplary recommenders? I advise you to postpone the application process. Take the time to formulate relationships with individuals who have seen you do great work.
2. Diversify your Recommenders: Again this might seem obvious, but I urge you to diversify who you choose as your recommenders. While it might seem advantageous to obtain all your recommendations from previous professors, the admissions committee is looking to read different perspectives from a variety of individuals.
3. Diversify the Content: Similar to the above point, the content within your recommendations should vary. Each recommendation should highlight different aspects of yourself that you want the admissions committee to know. For example, a professor could speak to your research abilities while a non-profit executive could elaborate on your compassion for others.
4. Select Recommenders with Authority: The more authority and experience your recommender has, the better. Think about it. How much more impressive does it look to have a director of an agency write you a recommendation, compared to a program evaluator? When selecting a potential recommender, at a minimum, the person should have one level of superiority above you. However, this does not mean you should always select a recommender simply because of their title. It is more important that the recommender write you a quality recommendation.
5. Never Mix Personal With Business: Never ask anyone who knows you on a personal level, even if you think this person could speak to your strengths. This rule is clearly stated in the application, but desperate students always try to get away with it.
6. Give the Admissions Committee More: Because most MSW programs ask for a minimum of three recommendations, most prospective applicants only send three recommendations. Unless the admissions committee prohibits you to do so, I advise you to send an extra “letter of support” or additional recommendation to bolster your application. For example, I asked a UCLA MSW/PhD graduate whom I met during a volunteer experience to write me an informal letter to support my application. I felt this greatly enhanced my submission, primarily because I had a “stamp of approval” from a former student of the program.

Once you have narrowed down possible recommenders, make sure to take the following seriously:

1. Ask Politely: People are busy. When you ask someone to write you a recommendation, it is, in my opinion, a huge inconvenience. Therefore, it is critical that you ask kindly. Jodi Glickman writes an excellent series on How to Ask for a Reference Letter. She gives a great example of how to be courteous when doing so.
2. Make it Hard to Say No: It should be easy for your recommenders to write you a recommendation. It is in your best interest to provide this person with your resume, transcript, examples of your work (i.e. papers, assignments, contributions), in addition to your admissions essays so they can reflect your abilities in their submission. In rare cases, recommenders will request a draft. If this occurs, limit this to just bullet points so the recommender can fill in the bulk of the content.
3. Request a Meeting: MSW programs are unique in that students must have a certain skill-set that not all undergraduates possess, empathy and self-awareness are two that come to mind. Hold a meeting with your recommender to guarantee that he/she speaks to your social work skills.
4. Always Say Thank You: At a minimum, you should always say thank you for their time. In my opinion, sending a short email isn't enough. A phone call, an hand-written letter, or purchasing a small gift is much more thoughtful.

Changing the Definition of Mental Illness

For better or for worse, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is used as a core learning tool in social work programs across the country. Currently, I am taking a psychopathology class at UCLA where students are taught the basic criteria for differentiating groupings of mental disorders (i.e. thought vs. mood disorders), and how social workers might begin to formulate diagnoses for patients/clients in various practice settings.

In order to keep readers informed about the revisions to the DSM, I wanted to mention two of the more prominent changes expected to appear in the fifth version of the DSM, which is due out in 2013. Last November, the DSM task-force announced that 5 personality disorders will be removed. Ironically, narcissistic personality disorder will be among the personality disorders axed from the manual. More recently, psychiatrists have debated the inclusion of hypersexual disorder and compulsive gambling as official diagnoses.

As a social worker, I am disappointed in what little discussion there is regarding the role of culture in conceptualizing mental disorders in the DSM. Currently, cultural considerations are a mere afterthought in the manual, and any considerations to this issue are thrown in the appendix of the DSM. A mere 7 pages are devoted to the topic in the 943-page manual!

Because there is such a dire need to contextualize mental disorders with cultural considerations, I wanted to applaud Jonathan Metzl, a psychiatrist at The University of Michigan, who just released a new book called The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease. Metzl evaluated hundreds of patient records, studies, and pharmaceutical advertisements to uncover how and why schizophrenia is over-diagnosed in African American men. I believe this is a must read for every mental health professional, and a great way to start the discussion on how and why we need to expand cultural considerations in the DSM. In the following video, Metzl explains the root cause of how Schizophrenia came to be over-diagnosed in African Americans:

How Schizophrenia Became a "Black Disease"

Professor Stephen Bainbridge and Implications for UCLA Diversity

Last month, UCLA student Alexandra Wallace was blasted by the University's administration for posting a YouTube video titled Asians in the Library, where she spouted ignorant and revolting comments about the Asian community on UCLA's campus. Astoundingly, UCLA is dealing with yet another expression of insensitive and hurtful language coming from one of the University's own: Law Professor Stephen Bainbridge.

As detailed in The Daily Bruin, Bainbridge's blog (which is endorsed by the American Bar Association) contained a "xenophobic" blog post that called a FedEx customer service representative a "moron with an impenetrable accent." Bainbridge pretentiously added, "What third world shithole do they have him penned up in?" Bainbridge has since removed the post, apologized, and called his words "offending passages." Ironically, Bainbridge is known as a pro-immigration conservative.

Bainbridge's language is both shocking and disrespectful, and raises concerns about how diversity is talked about and understood on college campuses. As many journalists and students have pointed out, UCLA might be statistically diverse, but it is clear that social exchanges between various groups is far from integrated. As Frank Shyong of the Daily Bruin so eloquently states, "We have effectively amalgamated different groups of people within a square mile, but diversity is more than the numerical presence of variety. A functional conception of diversity implies a meaningful cultural exchange that we sorely lack."

Wallace's video and Bainbridge's post are painful reminders that UCLA is far from where it needs to be in regards to ethnic and cultural integration. While I don't have any grand solutions to this systemic problem, I do believe students attending the Luskin School of Public Affairs can serve as an example to the rest of the UCLA community. Between lectures, student-run caucuses, and developing relationships with faculty and peers, there is tremendous opportunity to model what true integration can look like.

Photo Source

The UCLA 2nd Year MSW Internship: Social Work Interview Questions and Other Resources

I am currently going through the dreaded second year internship interview process. While the first year internship is assigned, students go through a formal interviewing process for their second year. The UCLA MSW program limits its students to elect 2 agencies to interview with. For those interested, a list of possible placement agencies can be found HERE.

Preparing for interviews is definitely stressful, but having a solid list of interview questions from which to practice from is a great way to clam the nerves. Below is a compilation from various sources around the web, which I felt were particularly helpful in my interview prep:

Questions/interview prompts compiled from UCLA Faculty:

1. Please tell me about a particularly difficult case in which you felt challenged by.
2. Please tell me about a case/client, in which things did not go your way. How did you rectify the situation?
3. How do you visualize yourself as a social work professional after you graduate?
4. What are you looking for in a supervisor?
5. (Micro students) What theoretical orientation are you inclined to?
6. How do you typically handle countertransference?

Links to other helpful resources:

1. A Social Work World
2. The Social Work Career Center

3. Student Handout_Smith College


4. University of Texas Interview Questions

Food For Thought: An Extremist Perspective on Social Work Education

The National Association of Scholars produced an article titled, The Scandal of Social Work Education, which concludes that social work programs and affiliated organizations are “ideologically loaded” and are guilty of imposing "indoctrination to a scandalous extent." NAS supports these claims by evaluating ten social work programs (including UCLA), in addition to providing three case studies that demonstrate the supposed "politicization" of social work education.

While the article grossly overgeneralizes how universities approach social work education, I do feel the author begets the novice social work to consider his/her ideological, political, and religious viewpoints, and how they might interfere or clash with a profession that endorses leftist ideals. The article also heightens core aspects of the social work profession.

The Scandal of Social Work Education

UCLA MSW Program: Recruitment Materials

Each year, the Diversity Caucus at UCLA's MSW program holds "Diversity Day," an on-campus event for prospective students. It's a really unique event that goes beyond just receiving general information about the program. It's a great opportunity to speak with faculty, staff, and current students about how UCLA is different, while also gaining advice for how to increase your chances of acceptance.

In a previous post, I wrote about how helpful the event was in guiding me through the application process. Program staff gives you a packet of information with all kinds of tips, recommendations and helpful hints about the application process. Since I know it's geographical challenging for all those applying to UCLA's program to attend the event, I thought I'd post the most recent Diversity Day Recruitment Materials packet (apologies for being a few months late!). Hope you find it as helpful as I did.

UCLA MSW_Recruitment Materials_2010

UCLA MSW Program: A $50 Million Gift

UCLA alumnus, Meyer and Renee Luskin, announced that they are donating $100 million to UCLA, half of which is going directly to The School of Public Affairs. Because of this generous donation, the school will be renamed The Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs (officially on March 18, 2011). According to the LA Times, this is the second largest donation in UCLA's history (David Geffen holds the top spot at $200 million for the Geffen Medical School).

This gift could not come at a more pressing time. Governor Jerry Brown recently announced budget cuts of $500 million in funding for UC campuses. Tuition is increasing for students across the board (8% for MSW students for the 2011-2012 academic year), and the Restructuring Steering Committee is looking for ways to trim fat in any way they can.

According to Chancellor Block, the money will be used to fund an endowment, build a new conference building for the Luskin Center, support research, and develop new programs in urban planning and social justice.

What does this mean, specifically for students in the MSW program? I'm not quite sure. What I do know is that in order for the program to continue to attract talent, in addition to compete with USC, tuition costs must remain affordable and competitive.

UCLA MSW Program: Pre-Licensure Coursework

Last year, UCLA MSW students felt one consequence of California's budget crisis in a big way; tuition costs nearly doubled, increasing tuition to nearly $18,000 and $30,000 for California residents and non-residents respectfully. As expected, students became outraged and demanded faculty to find ways to mitigate enormous fee hikes.

This past fall, MSW faculty announced a few ways they were going to offset professional fee increases, including the decision to offer pre-licensure courses for students planning to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs). The following is a list of the five required pre-licensure exams (UCLA will provide condensed versions of each class that will still qualify students to sit for licensing exams):

1. Child Abuse Assessment and Reporting (seven hours)
2. Human Sexuality (ten hours)
3. Substance Abuse Dependency (fifteen hours)
4. Spousal/Partner Abuse Assessment, Detection and Intervention (fifteen hours)
5. Aging and Long-Term Care (ten hours)

Although faculty and administration have just started moving in the right direction, I do believe this promise is a great first step in appeasing valid concerns and frustrations over tuition hikes. Pre-licensure courses are extremely practical for micro students, as it will help students save time and money.

Unfortunately, field faculty recently informed one of my classmates that the pre-licensure classes will not be available to 1st year MSW students, the reason being twofold: (1) Faculty wants to ensure that 2nd year MSW students will have a spot in the class. (2) Topics covered in the pre-licensure courses are more advanced than the 1st year curriculum.

To be frank, I feel it is unfortunate that 1st year students are not allowed to participate in the pre-licensure courses. It's inevitable that some students will not be able to complete all five courses (scheduling conflicts always seem to get in the way!). It would be nice to have the opportunity to make up for a missed class. Graduates will then be forced to pay for and find the time to take one of these courses later.

Dare I ask what faculty has in mind to appease macro students?

UCLA MSW Program: Curriculum Reinvention

Faculty at UCLA conducted a major overhaul of the MSW curriculum. My cohort, the class of 2012, are the guinea pigs to the reinvented curriculum. Since I was not a student in the program last year, I have no basis for comparison, however I did want to give a quick rundown of each class, in addition to the structure of the program in the first quarter.

Weekly Schedule
M: Field Placement (8-5)
T: 240A (9-12), 280A (2-5)
W: Field Placement (8-5)
Th: 230A (9-12), 201A (2-5)
F: Field Modules (8 total)

201A: Human Behavior in the Social Environment
While this is considered a much more "fluffy" part of the curriculum, this discussion-oriented class is difficult because you are forced to process your biases and feelings towards individuals/groups. The point of the class is gain self-awareness (in my opinion you are screwed if you lack this coming into the program), or at least heighten it. The first hour and half of class is devoted to speakers, and the second half to class discussion. A different theme is covered each week, with topics ranging from religion/spirituality, gender/sex/sexual orientation, community responses to oppression, able-ism and ageism. I ended up loving this class, not only because it was a break from the other more theory-based classes we had, but the group dynamic and professor were seriously awesome. If you have the opportunity to take a class from Professor Jorja Leap, do not hesitate.

Average reading/week: 50-60 pgs
Texts: Racism in the United States: Implications for the helping professions; course pack reading 
Major Assignments: Self Assessment Term Paper (12-15 pgs); Ethnographic Term Paper (12-15 pgs)
Caveats: Due to limited discussion time, our class was not able to process all topics covered.
Additionally, readings were not always relevant to class discussions.


230A: Micro Social Work (Individuals, Families and Groups)
I found this class particular useful, both for my internship at Harbor UCLA Medical Center and for the major and career path I intend to take (micro, mental health). The first two phases of the "Helping Process," and its constituent parts are covered, with Phase I including Exploration, Assessment and Planning, and Phase II including Implementation and Goal Attainment. For students who want to become clinicians, this class is particularly helpful in providing a skeleton or a basic structure to one-on-one therapy. We only skimmed over Evidenced-Based Practices, as this will be more of the focus in next quarter's class (230B).

Average reading/week: 40-50 pgs
Texts: Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills; course pack reading
Major Assignments: Midterm and Final Vignette Case Study
Caveats: While we practiced therapy role-plays with each other in class, I wish we were required to submit them on videos each week. I elected to do this as an extra-credit assignment, and found it extremely useful to see myself on camera.

240A: Macro Social Work (Organizations, Communities, and Policy Settings)
This class provides students with an overview of the core concepts related to macro social work, by connecting the dots between policies and the populations we work with. All four sections are required to carry out one macro group project, with my section investigating barriers to receiving mental health care among the elderly population in the San Fernando Valley. The macro project is an overwhelming focus of the class, as students are required to go out into the field and collect data (hold focus groups, distribute surveys, etc.). My group ventured out to Pacoima and Van Nuys to speak with agencies and their older adult clients, in order to understand barriers to receiving care. This project continues through the next quarter, and the final project is presented to the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health.

Average reading/week: 30-50 pgs
Texts: Social Work Macro Practice; course pack reading
Major Assignments: Policy Brief, Macro Project Report and Presentation
Caveats: I felt the macro project took up way too much of our class time. I also felt it lacked structure and direction.

280A: Knowledge Acquisition, Evidence-based Practice and Research in Social Welfare
As someone with extensive research background (I worked in market research for 3 years), I found this class relatively easy. My cohort only attended the class for the first five weeks of the quarter, and will finish the other five classes at the beginning of spring quarter. While it was nice to have a free afternoon the second-half of the quarter, I would have preferred to continue taking the class through the end of the term. The course primarily covers evidence-based practice (EBP), in addition to basic survey and experimental design.

Average reading/week: 30-60 pgs
Texts: Practitioner's Guide to Using Research for Evidence-based Practice
Major Assignments: Evidence-based Practice Term Paper (10-15 pgs)
Caveats: Discontinuity of the 10 week class

Photo Credit: GettyImages

UCLA MSW Program: Social Justice Research Proposals

While UCLA MSW students are not required to conduct an original research project, The School of Public Affairs now encourages it through a program called Capstone. Graduate students from Public Policy, Social Welfare and Urban Planning now have the opportunity to apply for a $3,000 grant to pursue a dissertation on a topic related to social justice. If chosen, 5-8 students awarded the grant will not be required to take the second year research class. This opportunity is particularly beneficial to students who want to pursue a doctorate.

A detailed description of the fellowship can be found on UCLA's website.

UCLA MSW Program: Diversity Day

Interested in applying to the UCLA MSW Program? Then I highly recommend attending Diversity Day, an on-campus information session that allows prospective students to talk with faculty, gain insight into student life on campus, and learn about an absurd number of student initiatives and causes. I have commented previously on how much I benefited from attending this event last November; I received tips on how to improve my application, learned what makes the UCLA program unique, and was able to step foot on campus for the first time, and envision myself in the program.

The flyer below contains details for the event:

Shockingly Unshocking: Observing Electroconvulsive Thearpy (ECT)

Last week I did something that I never thought I would do; I watched a doctor administer ECT to a patient suffering from Bipolar Affective Disorder. ECT is often administered to patients who are treatment-resistant to other, more traditional forms of treatment such as medication.

The patient receiving ECT was resistant to a variety of MAOI med cocktails and other anti-psychotic drugs. Because his delusions (increasingly present in his manic state) were becoming unmanageable, the medical team decided ECT would be the most effective therapy in controlling the patient's delusions. I was present for patient's 14th session.

Prior to observing ECT, I was extremely anxious about witnessing a violent seizure, largely because of preconceived notions I gained from watching this scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest:

The reality of the procedure could not have been more different from this scene. The tongue plate inserted into the patient's mouth (to prevent the patient from clenching their teeth or severing their tongue) was the only similarity.

In the operating room, every detail is controlled, with the procedure lasting only five minutes. The patient is put under an anesthetic and remains unconscious for the duration of the procedure. Once unconscious, the patient is administered medication to enter a fully paralyzed state (with the exception of the feet), and then administered a seizure-inducing medication. Two electrodes are placed on the patient's temples, to which the doctor is able to administer the electroshock waves to the patient's brain.

Successful ECT elicits a 15-30 second grand mal seizure. Researchers are still unable to determine why ECT is effective at treating individuals with severe mental illness, but its benefits have been widely documented.

What was surprising about the ECT session, was how little the patient moved throughout the procedure. If it weren't for his toes wiggling back and forth, or the EEG spitting out a brainwave scan, I probably would not have noticed the patient received ECT at all. 

The reason I felt it was important to document this experience is twofold.  

1. Misconceptions about ECT are rampant. So many of us cringe when we hear someone suggest ECT, often because we automatically think of the media's portrayal of what ECT used to be.  
2. If administered correctly, ECT can be one of the most painless and effective intervention methods for patients suffering from extremely debilitating illnesses.

 

Many of us are are biased towards ECT because we too often associate the therapy with violent and negative outcomes. I hope this post elicits a more positive perception of an intervention that has been misconstrued for decades.

UCLA MSW Field Module: Homeboy Industries

Ever wonder what it's like to survive a gang war? Or how to live through 29 years at a federal prison? How about how to start your life over at 46 years old, without money, a family, or the slightest prospect of a job?

This past Friday, I was fortunate enough to receive insights into these questions by attending my first field module of the year. As part of the first year curriculum at the UCLA MSW program, students attend eight field modules in order to learn about different agencies serving a variety of populations across Los Angeles.

To gain exposure to a criminal justice setting, a segment of our class attended Homeboy Industries, an incredible organization that helps ex-gang members become contributing members of society. What's so incredible about this organization? Here are just a few reasons:

• Ex-gang members are hired to run all of their small businesses including a bakery, catering business, gift shop, and silkscreen business
• All nine of the programs, case management, therapy, education, employment, Homeboy press, legal assistance, twelve step meetings, solar panel installation/training program, and tattoo removal are free, so long as members take a vow to stay out of the gang life
• Regardless of jail history, Homeboy Industries opens its doors to anyone who needs their services
• The headquarters are situated at an $8.5 million facility in a gang-neutral part of downtown, allowing members a chance to geographically separate from their old lifestyle
• The facility runs free tours!

Vance, our tour guide, started us off in the Homeboy Industries bakery. Not only is the cafe worth a five-star rating on Yelp, but it has some really unique menu items (I recommend getting Angela's Potion -- spinach infused mint green tea with limeaid).

Our tour continued through the gift shop, various conference rooms, past the tattoo-removal clinic and upstairs through the offices. I was thoroughly impressed with the availability as well as the comprehensiveness of all the services being provided. Did I mention it's all free?

By far, the best part of the tour was listening to Vance's personal story. Thrown into juvenile hall as a teenager for attempted murder of his step-father (a retaliation to a domestic violence incident involving his mother), Vance recounted the horrific details of the next 29 years of his life. He also recounted the survival tactics he learned while serving his sentence at Folsom State Prison in Sacramento, California. The facility is notorious for being "the end of the line" for many inmates, since such a large percentage are killed while serving their sentences.

While Vance spent a generous hour delving into his personal story, I wanted to share just a few of his anecdotes that surprised me:

1. Inmates attempt to kill other inmates if they come in with a rape or child abuse conviction 
2. If one inmate snitches on another, the guilty inmate becomes a murder target
3. Inmates learn Sign Language and Swahili, in order to understand the guards as well as communicate with each other, respectively
4. In order to survive, inmates must keep their boots on when showering, never interact with other races, and never sleep during the day

Despite the tremendous odds, and with the help of Homeboy Industries, Vance now leads a vibrant and successful life.

Below are a few photos from the tour. Enjoy!

Vance (Tour Guide)

Angela's Potion

The Cafe

T-shirts in the gift shop

Tattoo removal clinic

Second floor offices

Life collage from ex-gang member

Memorial for an individual killed in gang warfare

Transitioning from the Corporate to the Humanity Sector

Next Thursday will be my last official day working for Corporate America.  It will also be my last official day receiving a paycheck for a while, but nevertheless, I am ecstatic. 

When I was only toying with the idea of going back to school, it was a simple phrase my manager used to say that gave me the kick in the butt I needed to apply for a Master's in Social Work. 

"We're not saving lives people!" she would remark, after a particularly stressful conference call or meeting. "We're just selling movies!" She was right, and I couldn't ignore it any longer. 

Others might think I'm nuts to leave a stable job in the entertainment industry, go back to grad school, and probably earn less money than I do now. But for me (and yes, I am about to use a double negative), obtaining my Master's in Social Work is something I can't not do.

Next Thursday is the day I finally cross over from the Corporate to the Humanity Sector... the day where I finally stop striving for work-life balance, and start creating work-life alignment. What does this mean? For me, it means going home at the end of the day knowing that I tried to make someone's life just a little bit easier.

Photo Credit: Escape From Corporate