Spatial and Clinical Social Work

Students will be guided to reflect on case studies against the background of the biopsychosocial paradigm and the concepts based on it. They will be able to identify and document concepts and theoretical approaches such as salutogenesis, social support and person-in-environment in case studies. In developing a sound understanding of clinical-social treatment processes at the interface of health and social systems, interdisciplinary approaches and institutional framework conditions are taken into account. This course is the training course for the course Biopsychosoziale Phänomene und Behandlungsmodelle (Biopsychosocial Phenomena and Treatment Models).

Lecture, exercise, reflection

Final exam

The theoretical and conceptual foundations of clinical social work, such as the biopsychosocial guiding paradigm, are presented and categorized. The social dimension of health is identified as a central subject of clinical social work. To this end, reference is made to other concepts of health and illness (salutogenesis and strengths orientation, concepts of "person-in-environment" and "social support". Somatization and chronification risks, deviance, marginalization and stigmatization). The effects on opportunities for participation are discussed.

Lecture, discussion, reflection

Final exam: Schriftliche Endprüfung

The development of Clinical Social Work as a specialised Social Work is the focus of this course. The historical development, similarities and differences in the US and German-speaking countries as well as their institutionalisation will be discussed. A theoretical positioning takes place by naming the essential underlying paradigms and models (biopsychosocial paradigm, person-in-environment, WHO health definition).

Lecture, discussion, reflection

Final exam

Students gain in-depth knowledge of common qualitative research methods, with a particular focus on interviews and observation.

They develop research designs tailored to specific research questions and select appropriate methods to address the subject matter (including triangulation).

Students delve into selected qualitative data analysis methods (e.g., content analysis, grounded theory, etc.) and reinforce their understanding through corresponding exercises. The course covers the steps involved in analysis and the presentation of the collected data.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam

Students are taught knowledge of quantitative survey methods. In the first step, descriptive statistical methods for the presentation and processing of data, such as location and dispersion measures, contingency tables, are dealt with. Subsequently, students are taught the elementary methods of inferential statistics, such as correlation, significance tests, regressions and variance analyses. The main focus is on the detailed analysis of data using multivariate regressions and their correct interpretation. The basic steps of a common statistical data processing and evaluation program are taught.

The applications are mainly based on empirical studies from clinical social work. This ensures the closest possible practical relevance to clinical social work.

In addition to the distinction between cross-sectional vs. longitudinal surveys (individual case analysis), the course also looks at how qualitative and quantitative data can be combined.

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

The course deals with the lifeworld needs of marginalised people in public spaces, such as homeless people, beggars, drug users and sex workers, as well as the corresponding outreach and inpatient facilities.  The basic principles of outreach work, such as partiality, are addressed as well as the tension between standardisation and support in institutional contexts. Professional action in the context of street work is taught in an application-oriented way and the special role of social work in this context is examined critically in terms of power. Furthermore, models of participation of addressees and self-advocacy are discussed. A professionally justified positioning in public discourses for addressees of outreach social work, especially with regard to the stay of marginalised people in public space as well as the establishment of low-threshold offers is dealt with as well as communication with different actors, such as clients from politics and administration and residents.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam

An overview of socio-spatial understandings and theories of socio-spatial social work or socio-spatial "schools" is provided. In addition, an overview of spatial understandings and spatial theories in different disciplines as well as spatial concepts in their use in social work and an approach to a socio-spatial understanding of virtual, viral spaces or "media worlds" will be taught.

Lecture, discussion

Final exam

The course covers key classical and contemporary approaches to inequality research, particularly regarding material and social inequality, gender and gender constructions, intersectionality, as well as concepts of difference, distinction, and scale. These are applied to questions, situations, and phenomena in socio-spatial social work and made useful for their analysis.

In addition, theories and concepts of social inclusion, integration, participation, and social justice, as well as the Capability Approach, are examined and discussed in terms of their significance for socio-spatial social work.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam

Students gain in-depth knowledge of common qualitative research methods, with a particular focus on interviews and observation.
They develop research designs tailored to specific research questions and select appropriate methods to address the subject matter (including triangulation).

Students delve into selected qualitative data analysis methods (e.g., content analysis, grounded theory, etc.) and reinforce their understanding through corresponding exercises. The course covers the steps involved in analysis and the presentation of the collected data.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam: Final exam

Students are taught basic knowledge of quantitative survey methods. In the first step, descriptive statistical methods for the presentation and processing of data, such as location and dispersion measures, contingency tables, are dealt with. Subsequently, students are taught the elementary methods of inferential statistics, such as correlation, significance tests and regressions. The main focus is on the detailed analysis of data using multivariate regressions and their correct interpretation. The basic steps of a common statistical data processing and evaluation program are taught. Empirical studies from socio-spatial social work are used in the applications. This ensures the closest possible practical relevance to socio-spatial social work.

Lecture, discussion

Final exam: Final exam

The focus of this course is on the application of social diagnostic instruments. Therefore, selected methods and diagnostic procedures are presented and tested by using case studies. The Students are guided to reflect on the theoretical foundation of social diagnostics. Based on this, a professional assessment of the diagnostic instruments is made, taking into account the specific conditions in the practice of Clinical Social Work. Selected methods can be: visual diagnosis, home visit, network map, genogram, 4-field matrix, biographical time bar, eco-map, mini-ICF-APP. From this, clinical-social work intervention plans can be derived. This training course is the practical part of the course Clinical-Social Diagnostics and Intervention Planning.

Lecture, Reflection, Exercice

Final exam

Based on the biopsychosocial guiding paradigm of Clinical Social Work, students are taught the multidimensional method spectrum of psychosocial diagnostics and intervention planning. The historical development of social diagnostics is taken into account. Against this background, students are enabled to understand social diagnostics with regard to the specific conditions of Clinical Social Work, to apply instruments and methods and to assess them professionally. The competence to create social diagnoses and their documentation is built up. Students can describe social diagnostics with regard to their functionality and significance for intervention planning. Knowledge about common classification systems such as ICD-10, DSM V or ICF is acquired.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflexion

Final exam

The aim of the course is the actual implementation and the testing of of reports and its preparation according to the definition of the term and the function of a report in a social therapy context. The necessary professional, personal and social competences are developed, reflected and strengthened during the course.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflexion

Final exam

The course addresses the tension between science and practice ("Kleve Compass").

The implications of the psychiatric models (real, nominal and biographical dimension) for Clinical Social Work are presented.

"Recovery" as a (postmodern) practice model, its parallels to lifeworld orientation and Social Work as an art-of-living profession will be discussed.

Psychiatry and ethics are dealt with through critical textual analyses using the example of the Placement Act.

The problem of coercion and autonomy in psychiatry, also in comparison with other EU countries, is treated.

In addition, students are taught the basics of fostering motivation, Risk Assessment and the prevention of endangerment of children's well-being in the case of mentally ill parents and suicide risk.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflection

Continuous assessment

The students are given a profound overview of types of dependency disorders and addiction development models. They get to know basic diagnostic criteria. Against the background of the biopsychosocial model and the person-in-environment approach, addictions are reflected on with regard to the extent of the disorder. Clinical-social treatment and counselling approaches are derived from this. In addition, students are taught about comorbidities and the connection between addiction and trauma. Another focus is on the acquisition of knowledge about the effects of an addictive diseases on relatives. The students acquire basic knowledge about co-dependency and working with relatives. The course also refers to current developments in addiction treatment. Different treatment paradigms are presented in which the Viennese model of addiction support is exemplarily dealt with in more detail.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercice

Final exam

The course focuses on the practical implementation of a complete quantitative research process in R with a special emphasis on explorative multivariate methods.

Based on a standardized questionnaire survey, students transfer the data into a data matrix using a coding plan, carry out a systematic plausibility check, data cleansing (including recoding) and a reasoned handling of missing values. Based on this, multiple responses are evaluated and scales are formed using reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha).

Exploratory factor analyses for the identification of latent dimensions (suitability tests such as KMO/Bartlett, determination of the number of factors, rotation, interpretation of loading patterns, calculation and use of factor scores) and cluster analyses for data-driven type formation (standardization/distance measures, hierarchical procedures and/or k-means, selection of the number of clusters, cluster profiling and interpretation of content) then form the core of the content.

The factors and clusters obtained in this way are used for in-depth presentation of results and - additionally - for model-based testing of correlations (correlations, OLS regressions incl. diagnostics). Finally, students prepare a short research report that comprehensibly documents the procedure, results and limitations.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam

The course deals with the in-depth forms, methods and processes of scientific work and enables the development of research questions, the general conception of research projects and the choice of the appropriate scientific method.

Lecture, Exercice, Discussion

Final exam

The students receive an overview of evaluation methods that are suitable for qualitatively obtained data. Specifically, the grounded theory methodology is applied to a research example. In addition, the students collect data suitable for category-based analysis in their own small field research. Transcription and coding techniques are practically tested on the material and with the help of the computer-assisted analysis software MAXQDA.

Lecture, discussion, exercise

Final exam

Theories on public spaces, the security system, the standardisation of spatial regulation, displacement and marginalisation are taught. Based on this, practices of socio-spatial Social Work are critically examined and classified.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercice

Final exam

Theories from urban sociology and critical urban research are taught, including segregation, gentrification, division of cities, periphery - centre, global urban competition, global migration, entrepreneurial city, city marketing and business improvement districts. Governance strategies and democratic-political models that are relevant to socio-spatial Social Work (radical democratic models, participation, social participation) are being treated.

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

The aim of the course is to present and discuss theories and research on homelessness, as well as programmes of homeless assistance, municipal and non-profit housing and the associated socio-spatial practices.

A special focus is placed on the forms of services, facilities and programmes in homeless assistance, as well as the housing provision for vulnerable persons.

The discourse on the growing city and the associated consequences for the creation of affordable housing, especially for vulnerable people, provides the basis for the socio-political and housing policy classification.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercice

Final exam

The course gives an insight into the different forms of services and settings of Open Children's and Youth Work, like mobile youth work, youth centres and youth clubs or park supervision and the students are given an understanding of how to act professionally in different settings and how to design socio-pedagogical spaces of action. Gender-sensitive and difference-critical concepts are taught as well as concepts of leisure time pedagogy and mobile youth work / street social work, linked with methods of lifewordly social space analysis. Furthermore, working in (virtual) media worlds is discussed as well as working in and with groups or cliques and in counselling and support contexts. The discourse on youth cultures provides a basis for working with young people. Basic principles of Open Children's and Youth Worsuch like partiality and voluntariness are taught in an applied way, e.g. in relation to documentation and work with parents.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercice

Final exam

Reflective Social Space Work (Kessl, Reutlinger 2007) is in the focus of this course. Relational spatial theoretical references are revealed, such as French-language spatial theories, or theories of Spacing and Synthesis, as well as consequences for a socio-spatial practice are conveyed.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

The course deals with the in-depth forms, methods and processes of scientific work and enables the development of research questions, the general conception of research projects and the selection of the appropriate scientific method.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

The course focuses on the practical implementation of a complete quantitative research process in R with a special emphasis on explorative multivariate methods.

Based on a standardized questionnaire survey, students transfer the data into a data matrix using a coding plan, carry out a systematic plausibility check, data cleansing (including recoding) and a reasoned handling of missing values. Based on this, multiple responses are evaluated and scales are formed using reliability analyses (Cronbach's alpha).

Exploratory factor analyses for the identification of latent dimensions (suitability tests such as KMO/Bartlett, determination of the number of factors, rotation, interpretation of loading patterns, calculation and use of factor scores) and cluster analyses for data-driven type formation (standardization/distance measures, hierarchical procedures and/or k-means, selection of the number of clusters, cluster profiling and interpretation of content) then form the core of the content.

The factors and clusters obtained in this way are used for in-depth presentation of results and - additionally - for model-based testing of correlations (correlations, OLS regressions incl. diagnostics). Finally, students prepare a short research report that comprehensibly documents the procedure, results and limitations.

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

The qualitative methods of social space analysis developed in the context of Open Youth Work (needle method, district inspection, mental maps, time budgets, etc.), but also methods from classical social research (such as the BURANO method) are taught in this course in a practice-oriented way. The theoretical background, the application of individual methods for social space analysis, the development of concepts as a dynamic interaction between youth work, young people and institutions, and the further development of methods for other target groups (e.g. older people) or in other fields (e.g. urban planning) are discussed. The focus is on the specific lifeworld approach of these social space analysis methods. The students learn - by means of quantitative and qualitative methods of social space analysis - to identify and describe social spaces.

Lecture, Exercise

Final exam

Selected methods and techniques of clinical-social forms of intervention are applied and tested against the background of case studies. The theoretical foundation of the interventions is reflected upon. In particular, the focus is on the following event-related interventions: conflict counselling, stress management, mobbing counselling, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, psychosocial interventions in groups and motivational interviewing.

The course forms the exercise part of the lecture Clinical-Social Forms of Intervention.

Lecture, Reflection, Exercise

Module exam

Starting from a theory-based perspective of psychosocial interventions, the basic therapeutic directions of depth psychology, humanistic, systemic and behavioural therapy are presented. The students are taught how clinical-social forms of intervention can be derived from this and applied in the practice of Clinical Social Work. Treatment and counselling methods and techniques are taken into account.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflection

Module exam

Students work in peer groups on their individual Master's thesis and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. The focus is on the development of suitable survey instruments to carry out the scientific work. The different stages of the work are taken into account.

Reflection, Exercise

Continuous assessment

The course deals with objectives, problems and methodological aspects of evaluation. Practical examples are used to work out the design of evaluation planning and to deal with the requirements and problems of success monitoring. The different decision-making stages in the planning and implementation of an evaluation are described and conceptual and methodological alternatives are presented. Furthermore, problems in the assessment and interpretation of results are discussed

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

Students learn the basics of psychotraumatology and resilience and the basic requirements for trauma-sensitive Clinical Social Work. Furthermore, Social Work is taken into account as a relational profession.

Trauma experiences are reflected against the background of the biopsychosocial model and the person-in-environment approach. Trauma- and attachment-sensitive, clinical-social treatment and counselling approaches are derived.

Furthermore, students learn contents such as a three-phase model, traumatic pincers, biography work, resilience levels and trauma-sensitive specialised work.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise, Reflexion

Continuous assessment

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

The course builds on and deepens the knowledge imparted in the seminar Advanced Qualitative Research Methods 1.

Students learn to put group interpretations and the resulting findings into a compact written form.

Lecture, Exercise, Reflexion

Final exam

Students are supported in the process of writing their Master's thesis. The focus is on scientific writing skills for writing up one's own research results.

Reflexion, Exercise, Discussion

Continuous assessment

Students work in peer groups on their individual Master's thesis and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. The focus is on the development of suitable survey instruments to carry out the scientific work. The different stages of the work are taken into account.

Reflexion, Exercise

Continuous assessment

Introduction to triangulative socio-spatial research

Data-driven small-scale social space analyses

• Structure and use of small-scale data sets
• Structural data catalogs and indicators of social situation
• Methods for determining youth welfare needs and social burdens (ranking methods, index formation, factor analysis)
• Cartographic representation and interpretation of social spaces

Mixed methods approaches in practice

• Combination of observational studies and quantitative surveys to analyze public spaces
• Statistical methods such as chi-square tests to examine social differences
• Spatial analyses (point maps, intensity of use maps, sequence and event data analysis in R)

Vignette technique and conjoint analysis

• Development and use of vignettes in social research
• Analysis of preferences for public spaces or services
• Orthogonal and fractional designs in R
• Practical application: Design of local supply offers in the district

Network analysis and sociometry

• Investigation of relationship structures between people, groups and institutions
• Creation and evaluation of relationship matrices, sociograms and clique analyses
• Key figures such as centrality, density, bridge positions
• Application of R (igraph package) for the visualization and analysis of social networks

Measuring spatial relationships

• Concepts of spatial autocorrelation (positive and negative patterns)
• Moran's I as a statistical measure
• Introduction to spatial econometrics (spillover effects, area unit problem)
• Application in the analysis of regional inequalities

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

Students are supported in the process of writing their Master's thesis. The focus is on scientific writing skills for writing up one's own research results.

Reflexion, Exercise, Discussion

Continuous assessment

The course teaches concepts and methods of community work as well as fields and programmes in which these concepts are applied: urban renewal; urban expansion; redensification; district, neighbourhood and settlement management within the framework of developer competitions in non-profit housing; conflict and community work in municipal housing or in public space (e.g. Fair Play Team in Vienna); citizen participation processes; health promotion programmes, as well as communication processes with residents around social institutions. Programmes of institutions and the interests of different actors (residents, users of public spaces, politics, administration, business people) are analytically examined and working in interdisciplinary contexts is considered. Methods of community work, such as social space analyses, activating questioning, working with groups, moderating citizens' assemblies and large groups, methods of citizens' participation and community organising are taught in an application-oriented manner as well as the woork in and with the public with different media, from district media to mass media to social media.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

This course teaches approaches to space from the fields of planning, architecture and urban development. Methods of dealing with spatial perception are made accessible and applied in exercises. Historical references to different epochs of urban development in the Central European city are taught.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

Based on concrete problems of the practice of socio-spatial Social Work related to a phenomenon of Social Work, a professional challenge in an organisation or a concrete project, the students independently develop a project or a (public-effective) intervention depending on the problem, which they also implement independently. Depending on the problem, the result of the course can be a developed project that is presented to the (professional) public or an intervention that is implemented (with publicity effect) and then evaluated. Existing empirical data or studies, explanatory knowledge, theoretical knowledge, e.g. on specialised concepts of Social Work, as well as knowledge on professional socio-spatial action are used by the students and provide the basis for project development or intervention.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflexion, Exercise

Final exam

The focus of this course lies on social-spatial concepts with a materialist, emancipatory and gender-critical theoretical background (May 2017, Stövesand 2007). Based on these theories, spatial theoretical references are revealed, such as appropriation theories, materialist, feminist, postcolonial and phenomenological theories and consequences for a socio-spatial practice are discussed.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

Students work in peer groups on their individual Master's thesis and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. The focus is on the development of suitable survey instruments to carry out the scientific work. The different stages of the work are taken into account.

Reflexion, Exercise

Continuous assessment

The course teaches the basics of reading studies and correctly evaluating their results. Using examples from medicine, social sciences or psychology, the course participants learn to assess and understand study results. Furthermore, common medical statistics are explained and can thus be interpreted correctly. The course also offers practical help in systematically assessing the quality of studies.

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam

The course supports the independent preparation for the oral Master's exam.

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Final exam: Students prepare independently for the oral Master's exam.

The course accompanies the students in the process of writing the Master's thesis.
The current status of the master's thesis is presented, important methodological questions are clarified and the "defence of the master's thesis" is discussed.
In addition, the students receive feedback on the design, survey and evaluation methodology (arranging, presenting, analysing and interpreting the data material). The preparation of the presentation of the master's thesis within the framework of the oral diploma examination is also discussed.

Reflexion, Exercise

Continuous assessment

Through the joint reflection of individual, group-specific and professional field-relevant topics, the development of professional identity as a Clinical Social Worker is enhanced in addition to the ability to reflect. Methods of group supervision and collegial counselling are used.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise, Reflexion

Continuous assessment

Building on the case management courses of the previous semesters, conversation management, training, counselling, accompaniment, crisis intervention and networking are practised and deepened. Special consideration is given to gender and culturally sensitive intervention strategies based on a reflection of the gender and diversity discourse. This course forms the exercise part of the course "Social Therapy".

Lecture, Exercise, Reflexion

Continuous assessment

Innovative methodological concepts are adapted to the clinical-social needs. Using task markers (CSW task markers), sociotherapeutic tasks (social therapeutic intervention tasks) are reflected and end states (CSW goals) are discussed (Pauls, 2013). In person- and environment-oriented tasks, sociotherapeutic counselling concepts are taught and applied. According to a multi-level model (Pauls, Stockmann, Reicherts, 2013) of counselling competences, interventions are learned and practised, such as social-therapeutic-systemic forms of intervention, solution focused brief therapy, resource activation. This course forms the basis for social therapeutic case management.

Lecture, Discussion, Reflexion

Final exam

Students work in peer groups on their individual Master's thesis and receive relevant and process-oriented support to advance the progress of the thesis. The focus is on the development of suitable survey instruments to carry out the scientific work. The different stages of the work are taken into account.

Reflexion, Exercise

Continuous assessment: Continuous assessment

The course supports the independent preparation for the oral Master's exam.

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Final exam: Students prepare independently for the oral Master's exam.

The course focuses on the design of institutional spaces of Social Work and how these spatial designs and normative regimes affect the addressees as well as the professionals in the institutions, i.g. in forms of appropriation and resistant practices. The relation between inside and outside and the transitions between them are also taken into account. Fundamental theories such as that of the total institution will be taught.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

The course accompanies the students in the process of writing the Master's thesis. The current status of the master's thesis is presented, important methodological questions are clarified and the "defence of the master's thesis" is discussed. In addition, the students receive feedback on the design, survey and evaluation methodology (arranging, presenting, analysing and interpreting the data material). The preparation of the presentation of the master's thesis within the framework of the oral diploma examination is also discussed.

Reflexion, Exercise

Continuous assessment

Technical terms of the social sector, construction features (1st and 2nd social network as well as universal social transfer services) and development patterns of the Austrian welfare state - especially since membership in the EU - are taught. In real terms, overviews and in-depth perspectives are offered with regard to the transformation processes of the welfare state on the basis of selected example cases (e.g. unemployment and labour market policy, poverty and social exclusion with reference to guaranteed minimum income, gender and welfare state as well as intersectionality perspectives; changes in the area of the welfare mix - Social Economy and Social Work) with reference to the effects of a New Public Management strategy in the sense of the general state.

Lecture, Discussion, Exercise

Final exam

The course introduces central questions of urban economics and works with a conceptual, predominantly diagrammatic approach. The focus is on economic explanations of why cities develop, how spatial urban structures are formed and how political interventions influence housing and urban development. The underlying textbook is explicitly model-oriented; the exercises develop numerical examples based on these models.

Firstly, the economic causes of urban development are dealt with, in particular economies of scale, agglomeration effects, transportation costs and retail agglomeration. Secondly, the basic urban economic model of the spatial urban structure is developed: Commuting costs, residential location choice, housing production, land rents, building heights, apartment sizes, population density and differences between cities. Thirdly, extensions of this model are discussed, such as cities with different income groups, traffic via freeways, employment outside the center, long-lived housing stock and urbanization in developing countries. Fourth, urban growth, urban sprawl and spatial planning instruments such as development levies, urban growth boundaries, height restrictions and zoning are analyzed. Fifth, the course is dedicated to housing policy interventions, in particular rent regulation, housing subsidies and economic explanations of homelessness.

Lecture, discussion, worksheets

Final exam

The course deals with objectives, problems and methodological aspects of evaluation. Practical examples are used to work out the design of evaluation planning and to deal with the requirements and problems of success monitoring. The different decision-making stages in the planning and implementation of an evaluation are described and conceptual and methodological alternatives are presented. Furthermore, problems in the assessment and interpretation of results are discussed

Lecture, Discussion

Final exam