Sessional - Faculty (SOCW 4540)

DUTIES

The School of Social Work and Human Service (Faculty of Education and Social Work) at Thompson Rivers University invites applications for one sessional lecturer to teach two sections of SOCW 4540 Decolonizing Social Work Practice ne Secwepemcul'ecw at the Kamloops campus. This course is delivered in-person at the Kamloops campus on Mondays from 17:30 and 20:20 and Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:20 between September 8th and December 23rd.

SOCW 4540 Calendar Description
Students examine social workers' roles and responsibilities in working with Indigenous people. The concept and process of decolonization is introduced and connected to contemporary stories, community social work program initiatives, and practices of Indigenous people. This course utilizes a gendered Indigenous perspective and explores strategies for reconciliation, building relationships, and practices within the social work profession.

Educational Objectives/Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate a beginning understanding of the concept and process of decolonization as it relates to contemporary social work practice with Indigenous people.
2. Identify social workers' roles in colonization, including the destruction of cultures, languages and economies, along with mainstream assumptions associated with social work practice;
3. Demonstrate an awareness of holistic social work practice within diverse Indigenous cultures, community contexts and languages, including their expression in arts, music and healing methods;
4. Analyze Indigenous initiatives for their decolonizing potential such as land, economic, culture, art, language restoration and their relationship to social work practice;
5. Apply an Indigenous perspective to understanding the concept of gender in cultures and languages and how this relates to a decolonization approach to social work practice.
6. Describe the similarities and differences in the roles, responsibilities and issues between Indigenous and non-Indigenous social workers who utilize a decolonizing approach; and
7. Demonstrate an understanding of community traditional-based (language and culture) healing and identify strategies that can be used for reconciliation.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A doctoral degree in a relevant discipline with a graduate credential is social work is preferred. The minimum academic qualification is a graduate credential in social work.
• Self-identification and lived experience as an Indigenous person is required; knowledge and kindship ties from within Secwepemcul'ecw is preferred.
• Successful teaching experience in post-secondary institutions is preferred.
• A minimum of five years of related social work practice experience with Indigenous peoples is required.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• An ability to demonstrate experience integrating Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods (TRC CA 62) is required.
• Proven skills in building student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy, and mutual respect (TRC CA 63) are required.
• Teaching excellence, including developing culturally appropriate curricula (TRC CA 10) is required.
• Candidates must provide evidence of their ability to commit to creating time and space for relationships based on respect as human beings, supporting and embracing differences with kindness, love, and respect (NIMMIWG, 15.7).