Advanced Topics in Social Work

This course teaches evidence based method of intervention for treatment of borderline personality disorder, severe emotion regulation problems and the multiply-disordered suicidal patient. This course teaches the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental illness and relapse prevention. Dialectical Behavior Therapy will demonstrate specific delivery of concepts and skills to strategically effect change in behaviors that create barriers to mental and physical health while teaching, practicing and coaching healthy methods to create a life worth living. Interventions targeting specific behaviors help individuals learn or relearn skills that impact their environment, sense of self, relationships and ability to radically accept reality. This model is used in many cultures throughout the world and will present research from Latin America, Europe and Australia. It addresses and validates gender-specific approach to understanding oppression, privilege and social justice concerns with a particular identification on invalidating experiences, stigma, opportunity, mental health and physical health disparities. Personal examples of such will be explored. All segments are substantiated by sources other than the author’s research and found to be sound and useful to a wide range of problems, populations and diagnoses. Dialectical Behavior Therapy is an American Psychiatry Association approved and recommended treatment for borderline personality disorder and is cited in many publications as the recognized treatment to date.