The children and families specialization prepares students for advanced practice with children and families coping with developmental needs at different stages of the life cycle, that is, in the children, families, and social institutional domains (child welfare, schools, and community services).

Using family as the organizing concept of this cluster, goals include differential clinical intervention with a broad range of family forms and structure in varying organizational arrangements, as well as development of and consistent application of a practice philosophy regarding families and children including use of self.

Advanced practice in the child domain reflects mastery of the central concepts of child development, direct social work treatment of children, research and law related to child issues, service delivery, and social work macro roles in child and family oriented settings.

Designation of an advanced practice cluster focusing on families and children reflects the clinical significance of these two major client groups without limiting the particular theoretical practice framework.

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In the health and mental health specializations, the focus is on persons of all ages who are coping with stressful situations related to a physical and/or mental illness or disability, as well as on the support systems that are significant for those persons (families, residential care staff, etc.). While there is a particular focus on illness and disability, both functional and physical, the content of this cluster is also concerned with all who seek growth in bio psychosocial functioning through dealing with personal and environmental obstacles to fulfilling life choices and aspirations, and who desire to cope more adequately with stressful situations in their life context.

There is an emphasis also on health and mental health services which adequately responds to the needs of the physically and mentally ill as well as those with ongoing physical challenges or disabilities. Students are prepared to work in inpatient and outpatient health and mental health agency settings. This advanced clinical practice content prepares social workers for multiple roles, including conducting and /or participating in the bio-psycho-social diagnostic process as well as planning, implementation, and evaluation of practice. Social workers often function as a part of a team with professionals from other disciplines.

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This subspecialty within the Health and Mental Health cluster is designed to train students to practice in a wide variety of health settings. Through course work in methods and policy, as well as field placements in a health setting, students develop an integrated knowledge base. They learn how policy affects practice and become acquainted with the changing health care environment. The design of the courses places emphasis and delivery of health services to diverse populations, including vulnerable and oppressed groups as well as those populations considered at risk for biological, psychological, social and environmental difficulties.

Students are educated to participate in an array of clinical roles, including:

          - The Changing & Expanding Roles Of Social Workers In Health Settings
          - Case Management
          - Discharge Planning
          - Utilization Reviews
          - Program Development
          - Roles Related To Crisis Intervention 
          - Counseling
          - Education
          - Networking

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Increasingly, social workers are called upon to assume leadership and development roles and responsibilities for personnel development, program management, and agency/organizational administration.

The Leadership and Development in Social Services (LDSS) domain prepares students to perform supervisory, managerial, and/or administrative practice within a variety of agency/organizational settings.

This innovative MSW program offers an interdisciplinary approach by integrating coursework across traditional social work fields of practice with course from other disciplines such as Law, Business, and Education.

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This subspecialty program within the Families and Children cluster prepares students to practice in the nationally recognized field of school social work. School social work is defined as a specialty by a number of national and local organizations. Illinois, along with several other states, requires individuals to be certified to practice as a school social worker. In order to qualify for certification, individuals must receive their training through accredited institutions of higher learning.

Embodied within the second year clinical concentration as subspecialty of the Child and Family cluster, the school social work program prepares trainees to provide an array of clinical services to students and their families via multiple therapeutic modalities. In addition, interns develop expertise in performing a variety of diverse expanded clinical roles (e.g. consultation to teachers and school administrators, participating on multi-disciplinary teams, and coordinating various services within and outside the school system).

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