Free course on compassion
Mesa Legend
MCC is partnering with The College of St. Scholastica to offer a new social work course beginning in mid-March. “The Competency of Compassion” course will focus on the role compassion plays in the social work field. “This course will provide an opportunity for students to explore their personal ideas of compassionate care, increase their understanding of how to be more fully competent in providing compassion to their clients, and what skill sets, values, and knowledge are required,” said Marcia Runnberg, social work program director at St. Scholastica.
According to Runnberg, the social work profession is needed locally now more than ever. “In the state of Arizona, child abuse and neglect, veteran needs, the undocumented migrant crisis, and persons experiencing persistent mental illness, all are affected by lack of available services and competent care,” Runnberg said. Protective agencies in Arizona are no stranger to controversy.
In 2013, Arizona’s Child Protective Services discovered that over 6 thousand allegations of child abuse went uninvestigated. And in 2014, the Phoenix VA was accused by whistleblowers within the agency that staff was covering up the wait times of veterans, many of whom died while waiting months to see a physician.
“In order to be an effective helper in a healing profession such as social work, my students need to understand that their personal calling and passion to help vulnerable populations requires highly responsible knowledge, skills, and values.” The course will consist of in class discussion, readings, blogs, films, and community speakers, along with assignments. “I believe a community learning model is one of the best ways for students to learn these competencies, I look forward to having local social workers come into our class to share their stories and ideas of how competent compassion is demonstrated in their particular client setting,” Runnberg said.
Undergraduate, Ken Garcia, is enrolled in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program at ASU. Garcia said if he were not already a student at ASU, he would be interested in the new course offered by St. Scholastica and MCC. “Absolutely, it is needed,” he said. “Compassion is one of those skills that must be applied evenly to every client who walks into a social workers life. Otherwise, a social worker cannot respond to referral needs, providing services, and accessing the needs of a client in the most effective way possible.”
There will be four class meeting times and a bi-weekly assignment over an eight week term, according to Runnberg. “Two class meetings will be held at Mesa Community College and two at the Refuge Café in Central Phoenix,” Runnberg said. The course is free to students who apply to the social work program through a full-tuition scholarship offered by St. Scholastica. “In order to be eligible for course registration, students must first make application into The College of St. Scholastica Social Work Program with the intent to begin the social work program either full or part time fall 2015,” Runnberg said.
The course begins March 20, and is limited to 15 students, so interested applicants are encouraged to apply soon. To begin the application process please visit: http://css.edu/undergraduate/extended-campus/admissions.html
Update: The registration deadline for the course has been extended. The course will now begin on April 11.
