GRF 2nd One Health Summit 2013: Presentation by Daniel Brisson, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver

1. Sustainable Development and
Global Practice (SDGP): Educating
Professionals for the Social
Dimensions of One Health
Daniel Brisson, Graduate School of
Social Work, University of Denver
Email: daniel.brisson@du.edu

2. A Need for Educational Programming
Toward One Health
• Graduate level health and
social care professionals
need a global practice
perspective
– International work
– Practice with people from
varied cultures
– Practice in the context of
migration, natural disaster,
war

3. Contemporary Health Professional Skill-Set Includes:
• Cross-cultural practice (existing)
– Practice with varying expectations
• Professional partners with varying skill-sets (existing)
• Practice in different ecological environments
(emerging/new)
• Complexity and connectedness of local problems to global
health and One Health (emerging/new)
• Consideration of complex local assets and threats
(emerging/new)

4. The University of Denver Graduate
School of Social Work Sustainable
Development and Global Practice
Concentration (SDGP)
• Launched in the Fall of 2013
• 2 year program
• Minimum of 10 SDGP courses
• Most of the first year is focused on
core Masters of Social Work
content
• End of the first year and all of the
second year covers sustainable
development and global practice
• Includes a SDGP internship

5. Theory for Practice Courses (3 credits required)
• (Students are required to complete one of the following courses)
• SOWK XXX – Social Ecology, One Health and Resiliency: Connecting Human and
Environmental Health
• SOWK XXX – Community and Organizational Change: Theory for Practice
Methods/Skills Courses (9 credits from the following list)
(Students are required to complete the following two courses)
• SOWK XXX – Social and Environmental Impact Assessments
• SOWK XXX – Human Security: Pathways to Human Development
(Students must complete one of the following courses)
• SOWK 4765 – International Social Development
• SOWK XXX – Poverty and Community Economic Development
• SOWK 4525 – Planning & Program Development
• SOWK 4760 – Resource Development & Fundraising
• SOWK XXX – Community Trauma and Interventions
Policy and Program Advocacy: Fostering Social and Economic Justice Course (3
credits)
• SOWK XXX – Global Policies and Programs
• SOWK XXX – Immigration Policy
SDGP Curriculum

6. Recommended Electives*
• SOWK 4753 – Social Development in Latin America
• SOWK 4751 –Global Relations & Poverty in Mexico
• SOWK XXX – Social Work Response to Postwar Bosnia
• SOWK 4756 – Social Work from a Chinese Perspective
• SOWK 4757 – Social Work and Mexican Culture
• SOWK 4758 – Conservation Social Work in Kenya: Context, Empowerment,
Sustainability
• SOWK 4971 – Micro & Macro Social Work Practice in Political Conflicts: the Case of
Northern Ireland
• SOWK 4947 – Connecting Social & Environmental Sciences: Biodiversity & Human
Health in Southwest China
•
Research (6 credits required)
Two research courses will be taken in sequence. The research will be conducted in the
student’s field placement.
• SOWK 4900-Methods for Evaluating Practice and Programs for Global Practice
• SOWK 4901-Applied Practice Evaluation Research for Global Practice
Values for Practice Course (3 credits)
• SOWK XXX – Global Cultural Perspectives: Consensus and Conundrums
Professional Development Course (3 credits)
• SOWK XXX – Contemporary Global Issues

7. Conclusion
• Social care and public health educators face the task of
training professionals to work with complex social
problems in a highly interconnected global reality
• Known correlations between crime and safety,
education, the environment, equality and justice,
health, human rights, and poverty demand that we
address a comprehensive solution to social problems
• Curricula focused on sustainable development and One
Health address this demand