Class Descriptions

Social Work Practice in Mental Health

SW698

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	SW 521
Faculty Approval Date:	09/03/2014

Course Description

This course teaches practice models and methods of intervention for effective social work practice in mental health care, including the promotion of mental health, the prevention of mental illnesses, and the delivery of psychosocial treatment and rehabilitation services. A major focus is on enabling individuals with mental health problems to increase their functioning in the least restrictive environments, with the least amount of ongoing professional intervention, so these individuals maximize their success and satisfaction. This course has a specific emphasis on services to individuals who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness, substance abuse, and/or who are recovering from the effects of severe traumatic events. Interventions relevant to these conditions help individuals develop/restore their skills and empower them to modify their environments so as to improve their interactions with their environments. Culturally competent and gender-specific interventions are a major emphasis of the course, as are special mental health issues for groups who have been subject to oppression. Special attention will be devoted to evidence-based treatments for mental health problems.

Objectives

Students who complete this course will be able to:

1. Assess the risks and strengths of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and/or communities for the purposes of promoting mental health, early intervention, treatment, and continuing service, with an emphasis on problems faced by people who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness, substance abuse, and/or who are recovering from the effects of severe traumatic events. (Practice Behaviors 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS)
2. Plan or plan and conduct culturally competent, gender-specific individual, family, group, organizational, and community-based capacity building and preventive interventions. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS)
3. Identify and demonstrate understanding of the many components of the mental health system as team member, advocate, broker, community organizer, and program planner, in order to interact productively with the many components of the mental health system. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS)
4. Build partnerships with key neighborhood and self-help organizations and institutions for the purpose of mental health promotion and disease prevention. (Practice Behaviors 10.a.IP, 10.a.CO, 10.a.SPE, 10.a.MHS)
5. Incorporate social work values and ethical standards of practice in mental health. (Practice behaviors 2.CO, 2.IP, 2.MHS, 2.SPE)
6. Plan and engage in advocacy at both micro and macro levels to help individuals overcome oppression, discrimination, and other barriers to access and quality of mental health services. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS, 10.d.IP, 10.d.CO, 10.d.SPE, 10.d.MHS)
7. Intervene to assist persons with mental health disorders. (Practice Behaviors 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS)
8. Describe common psychopharmacological and evidence-based psychosocial interventions for mental health disorders. (Practice Behaviors 10.b.IP, 10.b.CO, 10.b.SPE, 10.b.MHS, 10.c.IP, 10.c.CO, 10.c.SPE, 10.c.MHS)

Design

The course will include lectures, discussion, simulations, small group exercises, individual and group projects, guest speakers, and written assignments.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice, and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate social injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self knowledge and self awareness to facilitate PODS learning.