In the course, relevant developmental and object relations theories from the early years of life are introduced, and their practical application is demonstrated through case examples. Graduates gain knowledge about children's basic needs, factors that facilitate or hinder development, and developmental impairments and disorders in childhood. Another focus is on deriving implications for counseling in the context of child and youth services.

Lecture and Discussion

Incorporation of Case Materials

Distance Learning Tasks: Preparation of Texts

Final exam: Final written exam

Distance Learning Assignments: Independent study of texts

The focus is on imparting knowledge about biopsychosocial models of health and illness (for example salutogenesis, vulnerability-stress model, resilience, capability approach) based on the situation of children of mentally ill parents. Another focus is on the needs and coping strategies of children whose parents are mentally ill, as well as central aspects of social therapeutic work with these children and their parents.

Lecture and discussion

Final exam: Final exam

Basic knowledge of attachment theory
Introduction to the assessment and support of parent-child relationships in early childhood
Differentiation of interaction patterns and their consequences for the accompanying work
Introduction to the diagnosis and treatment of early childhood regulation disorders.
Introduction to early relationship assessments (CARE Index & Strange Situation Procedure)

Theory input

Group work

Video analyses

Continuous assessment: Written exam with basic questions on the provided texts and themes and reflection on a video example

Students develop an understanding of psychosocial diagnostics as the analysis, establishment and safeguarding of developmental processes of children in their relationship with adult caregivers.

Students deal with various developmental theories that reveal the inner experiences of children and parents.

Students deal with theories that refer to relationship dynamics between children and parents.

Students deal with different behaviors of children at different ages.

Students develop these theories in the course and in self-study and can relate them to case studies from their own practice.

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Lecture, discussion, working on case material, working with texts.

Final exam: Written thesis, distance learning assignments, text study

The content of the course focuses on the professional criteria of a social diagnosis as well as the discussion and reflection of the applicability of psychosocial diagnostic instruments.

Instruments such as the personal list, network map and biographical diagnostics etc. are presented and their application and interpretation practiced using case examples.

Reflection on possible challenges in the implementation of social diagnosis in child and youth services

Development of target-oriented action steps in the clarification process

Independent application of the social diagnosis tools taught using case examples

Continuous assessment: immanent examination character

Various theoretical approaches to counseling and conversation management are utilized in relation to both direct client contact and interdisciplinary collaboration. These approaches are compared and implemented through practical forms. The focus is primarily on methods from systemic, person-centered, and psychodynamic approaches to counseling and conversation management. 

The course builds on students' prior knowledge and experiences with conversation management, developing new action strategies and reflecting on their application. Through various exercises, students gain competencies in handling complex conversation situations in multi-person settings across different contexts (such as family discussions, helper conferences, etc.).

Analysis of videotaped and transcribed conversation situations
Exercises in the form of role plays
Linking back to theoretical foundations and models

Continuous assessment: Participation in role-playing games

Design and recording of a counseling setting in group work

Written analysis of the recording

The course provides a theoretical positioning of communication and interaction in the context of the psychosocial counseling process. Students deal with different concepts of human nature and constructions of family (e.g. humanistic, depth psychology, systemic-constructivist) and reflect on their significance for counseling. There is also a focus on the basic assumptions and principles of systemic counseling (systems theory, constructivism).
Exercises are used to try out how to deal with difficult conversational situations in different settings, expand their own communication and counseling skills and, in particular, raise awareness of the importance of their own experiences in conversational situations and their own attitudes.

Lecture and discussion

Group work

Continuous assessment: term paper

distance learning assignments

In this lecture, the basics of empirical qualitative research (epistemological logic, research attitude, research principles, research ethics and standards of good scientific practice) are developed. The basic principles for developing empirical qualitative research projects are repeated. These fundamentals form the basis for the examination of empirical qualitative research methods, whereby the lecture focuses on interpretative/reconstructive evaluation methods: Starting from grounded theory as an epistemological approach to reality / empiricism, the relationship between theory and empiricism in empirical qualitative research is dealt with and concretized using selected evaluation methods (qualitative content analysis, documentary method, in-depth hermeneutics). In the course of this, the choice of a research method (appropriateness to the subject matter) is reflected upon and discussed with regard to validity claims. There is a critical examination of the strengths and weaknesses of different methods and theoretical approaches.

Lecture, discussion, group work, exercise, text study and research

Continuous assessment:

Students are taught basic knowledge of common quantitative survey methods, in particular standardised written surveys (questionnaires). They learn to distinguish between good and bad questionnaires (quality criteria) and to plan and conduct their own quantitative surveys. Furthermore, descriptive statistical methods for the presentation and processing of data, such as measures of location and dispersion, contingency tables are worked on. Subsequently, students are taught the elementary methods of inferential statistics, such as correlation and significance tests, and their correct interpretation.

Lecture and group work
Research-based learning
Evaluation of case studies in SPSS

Final exam: final exam

distance learning assignments

-The world of scientific information

-The scientific publication

-Evaluating the quality and relevance of publications

-Reading and excerpting scientific literature

-Structural features of scientific texts

-The scientific language: writing

-Citing and citation guidelines

Lecture and discussion

Group work

Work with texts

Continuous assessment: - Active participation in the classroom units and involvement in group work/exercises, reading texts and working on assignments

of assignments ("distance learning") (20%)

- Preparation of a seminar paper (80%)

The course includes the presentation and theoretical discussion of diagnostic instruments and their reflection with regard to planning and intervention.
The necessity of a well-founded and systematised risk diagnosis for the well-being and development of children and adolescents is addressed.
Basic knowledge of developmental psychology as a basis for a well-founded (risk) diagnosis and intervention planning is consolidated and further developed.
Graduates identify and assess child welfare risks on the basis of the course content and carry out their own risk management.

Lecture, individual and group work, distance learning

Final exam: distance learning

examination interview in the form of a group interview/group discussion

The course focuses on case-specific applications of selected classificatory, reconstructive and/or integrative diagnostic tools with the goal of intervention planning.

Lecture, PPP, (group) exercises, group discussions

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course deals with the particularities of communication with traumatized children and adolescents, as well as with possibilities of de-escalation in challenging situations.
In addition, conflict dynamics will be addressed, for example, how the dynamics of client (systems) can affect individuals or entire teams or (help) systems andhow to get out of such a dynamic.

Presentation, discussion, role play, group work, work on own cases.
In this course, theory transfer, self-awareness and methodology are linked with each other and in relation to the topic.

Continuous assessment: discussion, role play, group work

written reflection

writing a seminar paper

Reflective confrontations with the attitudes and images of human beings as well as discussion of definitions, principles and goals of motivational and activating interviewing are central contents of the course. Reflective discussions also take place with ambivalent feelings and attitudes on the part of the students as well as the acceptance of the inner conflict is made conscious.
In addition, knowledge is built up regarding the practical application of methods and intervention techniques as well as discussions about their possible uses.
Family processes are analyzed, systems explained and the setting of interventions that can initiate change are taught.
After a theoretical discussion of basic attitudes and basic assumptions as a basis for conducting conversations in family systems, methods for developing an appreciative and authentic attitude towards clients are presented. Subsequently, the shaping of a constructive working relationship with families is practiced using practical examples.

 

(Small) group work, role-playing, discussion and reflection on lessons learned, literature study, distance learning

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course deals with the factors influencing various forms of migration on family systems.
In the seminar, possibilities of analysis of the living environments of immmigrants with a focus on social work with families will be developed together.
Cultural and social characteristics, including family responsibilities, religion, dealing with authorities and ideas about health and illness will be considered.
The role as a social worker will be reflected upon with refence to one’s own professional experiences and competences in working with people of different origins will be expanded.

The seminar also focuses on practical examples and the reference to the current social landscape of specialized institutions on the topic.



 

Lecture, work in small groups, practice orientation by case studies

Continuous assessment: term paper

case processing

The course "Migration and Family" deals with the factors influencing different forms of migration on family systems. Specific emphasis is placed on the topics of racism, migration and the lifeworlds of people with migration and refugee experience, as well as, in a broader sense, the role of social work in this context.
The seminar deals with the topic on the basis of theoretical concepts.

Lecture, small group work, discussion of literature

Continuous assessment

Graduates receive an overview of current, relevant and subject-specific issues and research fields as inspiration for their own research work as part of their Master's thesis.

Lecture, group and individual work, external lectures

Continuous assessment

The focus of the course is the implementation of your own research project. Following the definitions of the previous semester, an already developed research idea will be designed and step by step implemented empirically.

presentations, discussions, text study, group work, e-learning

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

Planning and development of empirical qualitative research projects in the field of child and family-centered social work

Application of selected qualitative methods of data collection and data analysis as part of a student research project

Writing a research report including presentation and discussion of research results

Keynote speech
Research-based learning
Project work on a self-chosen research topic

Continuous assessment: Development of a research design

Creation of a poster on the research design

Data collection

Data analysis, theorization

Students gain insight into various fields of social pedagogical work and learn about theoretical approaches to social pedagogical work. Various social work practitioners are invited to talk about their own social pedagogical approaches and place them in the context of their respective fields of practice. In addition, students examine the basic theoretical principles of various approaches and their practical implications and learn to distinguish between these approaches in terms of content. Students explore the connections and problems of the theory-practice relationship in social work and reflect on the significance of the respective view of humanity in different approaches.

Lecture, discussions, group work

Final exam: distance learning

final exam

The consequences of growing up in poverty for the everyday family life are presented in a general overview, based on current research results. Existing support services will be critically reflected upon and examined with regard to structural barriers to well-being and participation opportunities.
In particular, questions of social exclusion are to be examined in the context of structural changes and discussed with regard to their theoretical and practical consequences for social policy and social work.

Lecture, PPP, instructional video, group work, presentations, PollEV

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course covers all topics of the legal framework of social therapeutic social work:
- Children's rights, Art 8 EHRC
- Child law (parentage, custody, adoption, contact law, custody proceedings, etc.)
- Child and youth welfare law
- Child abduction, violence protection law, home residence law, accommodation law
- Reporting obligations, data protection, confidentiality
- Liability

lecture

Final exam: final exam

Risk Assessment is a core responsibility of social work in child protection services. This course introduces tools to structure the process of risk assessment, as well as some methodological background. Participants are required to assess the risk of children and adolescents while applying these tools to case vignettes and integrating the results into the subsequent case plan. Discussions call for a personal and critical reflection of the experiences with these tools during the assessment and in making case decisions.

Lecture, discussions, group exercises

Continuous assessment: immanent examination character

The exercise imparts knowledge on theories related to the emergence and maintenance of escalation, as well as practical strategies for crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques.

Crises experienced by clients or within one's own practice are understood as unavoidable features and consequences of social work, which can be traced back to the dual mandate of the profession. Starting from an understanding of the dynamics of crises and escalations, methods for containing escalations and intervening in acute situations will be learned and practiced.

The main focus is on precise observation of interactions, reflection on emerging emotions and motivations, hypothesis formation, and awareness of potential transference phenomena. To reflect on personal experiences in the professional context, a professionally guided space for collective reflection is provided, which can be experienced in the form of a "Balint group."

Case vignettes, group work, role-playing, reflection on cases from one's own practice, Balint group.

In the group, participants work together to understand the dynamics of case examples and develop solutions. These solutions are practiced and evaluated through role-playing. Participants are encouraged to bring in cases from their professional practice.

Continuous assessment: - Participation in the course

- Working with selected texts: Developing questions related to the text.

- Reflective work on the application of developed concepts and methods.

The course provides specialized concepts for social work with families experiencing multiple problems and structural crises. It focuses on understanding the psychodynamics, (personality) traits, and interaction dynamics of high-risk families to grasp the specifics of clients' psychosocial issues and the demands on professionals. The interaction between clients and professionals is particularly emphasized, and concepts are introduced to guide effective relationship building in both outpatient and inpatient work with families. The theoretical concepts developed are practically reflected upon through exercises.



 

- Lecture

- Analysis using case materials

- Group and pair work

- Discussions

Final exam: final exam

Based on the legal work mandate, the course deals with the topic of coercive contexts and the effects on the direct professional actions of professionals. Highly escalated conflicts, strained helper systems. "Hard-to-reach" clients, follow-up family work and structural framework conditions pose a challenge for professional action between help and control. The course teaches specific conversation techniques, such as cooperative and solution-oriented conversation and the development of a professional self-image in the context of coercion. Terms such as "double mandate" and "triple mandate" are discussed.

Theoretical input and discussion based on specific questions

Development of different options for action and reflection on one's own attitude through case vignettes

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The exercises build on the contents of the lecture with the same name. By means of case studies and video sequences, theoretical approaches, technical terms and methods should be better understood and a transfer into practice should take place.

Case studies and video analysis in individual and group work

Continuous assessment: final exam

The focus of this course is the concrete support in the preparation of the master thesis, starting with the submission up to the concrete implementation of the empirical surveys.
Students continue to work on their individual master's thesis in peer groups and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. Topics such as creating internal logic and argumentation stringency and overcoming writer's block are considered.
In addition to the exchange and discussion in peer groups, graduate students are expected to give a presentation on the current status of their master's thesis during the semester; depending on the wishes of the group, topics can also be focused on. The different stages of development of the work will be taken into account.

Discussions, coaching

Continuous assessment: participation

The course continues to build up the basic knowledge of attachment theory and the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment of early childhood regulation disorders.
In addition, the development and differentiation of dyadic behavioral strategies in the toddler age is addressed. Parent-child interactions are observed and analyzed.

Lecture, discussion, videos

Final exam: final exam

The lecture deals with central basic concepts of ethics. For example, the difference between moral judgment and an ethical argument is discussed in order to be able to deal with the specifics of professional ethics in social work. In the course of this, central reference documents (such as leading professional and profession-specific position papers) are dealt with, critically discussed and dealt with in particular with regard to selected fields of practice in child- and family-centered social work. Ethical conflicts and dilemmas from the fields of child- and family-centered social work practice are used for in-depth study.

Keynote speeches, discussion, literature work

Final exam: exam

Basics on Psychotraumatology
Trauma vs. adverse developmental factors
Trauma disorders
Transgenerational transmission of trauma
Traumatherapeutic methods
"trauma therapy" vs. "psychotherapy"
Basics of trauma pedagogy
"Education" vs. "therapy" - the possibility of corrective experiences
Approaches in trauma pedagogy

lecture and discussion

Final exam: final exam

Consolidation of contents presented in "Theorieansätze zur Traumapädagogik"

practical exercise

Continuous assessment: Immanent examination character

The course focuses on the practical application of theoretical models and methods acquired during the course.
Reference is made to the necessity of mentalisation and reflection skills for the diagnostic case understanding of complex family systems.
Children and adolescents are considered in their development from the prenatal period to adolescence.
Exercises are given in initial diagnostic interviews, in forming a diagnostic working alliance and in hypothesis formation. This is also based on concrete case studies from counselling practice.

 

Theoretical inputs, presentations, group work, reflection on own childhood experiences, case presentations from practice, role plays and self-study.

Continuous assessment: Immanent examination character

Foster children grow up in a socialisation field that is shaped by two families: the family of origin and the foster family. They form a family-of-origin foster family figuration. In this process, challenges and problems can arise that both adults and children have to cope with. For this, social services can be useful. In this course, the topics of social pedagogical family work are dealt using the example of foster families. This includes the support of the family of origin, the clarification of perspectives, the return or permanent home in the foster family.
Central to this course is also the social pedagogical view of people in families and their resources, which can be made accessible to them through professional social work.

Lecture, materials for in-depth self-study, group work

Final exam: exam

The course deals with the question of the application of extensive socio-pedagogical work with families in the context of measures of full education. In order to further develop the practice, it is necessary to deal with and develop forms of family networking as well as considerations of experiential or action-oriented work with families and their children in the context of out-of-home placement processes.
The focus of this pedagogical focus is on the characteristics of planning, implementation, documentation and reflection of family pedagogical intervention projects (incl. self-experience parts), which are completed in the form of project exercises or applications. Optionally, a combination with the project considerations from the exercises on pedagogical-social therapeutic work with children and families in the outpatient sector can be achieved.

Theoretical knowledge transfer (lecture, PP), group work and discussions

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The focus of this course is the concrete support in the preparation of the master thesis, starting with the submission up to the concrete implementation of the empirical surveys.
Students continue to work on their individual master's thesis in peer groups and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. Topics such as creating internal logic and argumentation stringency and overcoming writer's block are considered.
In addition to the exchange and discussion in peer groups, graduates are expected to give a presentation on the current status of their Master's thesis during the semester; depending on the wishes of the group, topic-specific focal points can also be set. The different stages of development of the work will be taken into account.
 

Conversations, coaching

Continuous assessment: participation

There is independent preparation for the Master's examination

Independent preparation, literature research

Final exam: Oral Master's examination

Child- and family-centered social work includes, besides the work and direct contact with children and adolescents, also the work with their caregivers and substitute caregivers.
Within the framework of the course, competences are built up in all areas of parent education and in the didactic and methodical transfer of developmental psychological knowledge to the reference persons of the adolescents, as well as to the extended support system in schools and educational institutions. This leads to empowerment of the persons acting there and is thus to be regarded as an essential task of social work professionals.
Another focal point is the activity as a lecturer in parent education and the creation of parent education articles. The focus of this course is on adolescents, and guest lectures are given.
 

- Lecture

- Preparation and presentation of a parent education lecture in group work (Based on conducive elements of parent education, parent lectures on different educational topics are prepared and presented in group work).

Continuous assessment: Exam in Groups

Contents of the course are specific topics and problems of child (adolescent) development and their particular challenges for parents and guardians. Selected approaches and models of counselling parents in this context are taught.

Lecture, discussion

Continuous assessment: immanent performance review

The course offers an overview of the educational and prevention-specific state of discussion on the topic of "prevention approaches and attachment theories in the family context".
Important elements in the work with parents, as well as concepts of parental education are addressed in order to be able to make a well-founded case-specific selection in practice.
A methodical socio-spatial knowledge of how to programmatically support families in educational, care and upbringing processes is also generated.

Lecture

Final exam: final exam

Current discourse: "Psychodynamic aspects in the context of medically assisted reproduction and surrogacy"

Potential parents increasingly require medical support in order to fulfill their desire to have children. To ensure that the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) does not put a strain on parent-child relationships a priori, a conscious approach to the emotional dimension and openness regarding the child's particular history of origin is required. If others are biologically involved in the fulfillment of the desire to have children, it is essential to deal with multiple parenthood. As the application of ART relates to the child as a third party, the best interests and rights of the child are important. In the context of counseling, social work opens up spaces for reflection in order to address and integrate desired and undesired feelings and identifies violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Theoretical input, individual and group work, literature and film reflection, case studies from practice, self-study.

Continuous assessment: Compulsory attendance (20% absence tolerated = 2.5 units of 45 minutes each). Grading is based on active participation (willingness to self-reflect, contribution of own case studies, discussion of specialist articles), the topic-related input in the course and the written answers to questions at the end of the course.

Based on the definition of the term and the function of an expert opinion, this course aims at strengthening, reflecting and developing competences (professional, personal and social competences) for the preparation of expert opinions and professional reports.
Detailed contents of the course are:
- Structure and general standards for a scientifically sound preparation of expert reports and expert opinions
- Case vignettes - Processing of these on the basis of the course contents
- Formal requirements for a court-appointed and certified, as well as ad hoc expert activity
- Further case vignettes in the course and distance learning





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Lecture, discussion, working groups, distance learning

Continuous assessment: final work in groups