Courses
CAST-301. Introduction To Child Advocacy Studies. 3 Hours.
This course provides a survey of the emerging field of Child Advocacy Studies, which researches and seeks remedies for the maltreatment of children and youth, including specific acts of violence and neglect, in the context of the pernicious effects of racism, poverty, sexism, and heterosexism, including the unique problems faced by immigrant and displaced children. The course examines the various economic, political, social and cultural circumstances that may contribute to the abuse and maltreatment of children and youth. It also teaches students about the strategies and tactics used by various local governmental and nongovernmental agencies, courts and medical establishments to address these problems.
CAST-302. Psychosocial Advocacy For Developmental Maladjustment. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to provide the student with a survey of the various psychosocial, developmental, and public health difficulties that are faced by children and adolescents with specific focus on prevention and intervention strategies that are being employed by mental health and social service professionals at both community and societal levels. This course will also introduce the student to the ways that prevention/intervention strategies are developed, employed, and evaluated.
Prerequisite: CAST-301 with a minimum grade of C.
CAST-303. Child Advocacy Studies: Assessment And Evaluation. 3 Hours.
This is the third required course of the Child Advocacy Studies minor. It focuses on a combination of knowledge and skills necessary to providing direct service to children. The course begins with an examination of the mezzo- and macro-level systems and institutions that provide services for children and youth in the United States. The skills portion of the course supports students in gaining a beginning level of mastery in interviewing, assessment, and evaluation pertinent to serving children and youth who become identified as potential victims of abuse and neglect. The age-focus in this course includes early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence.
Prerequisite: CAST-301 with a minimum grade of C and CAST-302 with a minimum grade of C.
CAST-304. CAST Internship Seminar. 3 Hours.
The focus of the CAST seminar course is to increase the student's sense of confidence in practicing as beginning level practitioners. This goal is achieved by building the student's awareness of her/his own strengths and limitations as a worker, along with the integration of knowledge, values and skills used in the generalist approach to practice with children, adolescents, and their families. Utilizing a collaborative supervision model, this experiential course supports students in achieving further mastery in the knowledge and skills obtained throughout the CAST coursework.
Prerequisite: CAST-301 with a minimum grade of C and CAST-302 with a minimum grade of C and CAST-303 with a minimum grade of C.
CAST-324. Black Girlhood Studies. 3 Hours.
This course examines the complexities of Black girlhood, particularly from the perspectives of Black girls and women. From an examination of adultification to early hypersexualization, this course offers a critical analysis of the various aspects and dynamics Black girlhood, and how concepts of race/ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and ability specifically impact Black girls. This course spans a wide range of topics, from schooling experiences and representation of Black girlhood in popular culture, to the ways in which Black girls exert radical and humanizing agency -- as artists, scholars, activists, and more, reframing dominant narratives about themselves and their communities.
Prerequisite: (100 - 399 or 100A - 399Z).