Class Descriptions

Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Mood Disorders

SW731

Credits:	1
Prerequisites:	None

Pathway Associations

Community Change
Global
Interpersonal Practice	Elective (Host)
Mgmt & Leadership
Policy & Political
Program Evaluation
Older Adults
Children & Families

Course Description

This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of interpersonal psychotherapy for mood disorders. The focus of this course is on the concepts, theory, principles and practice to the assessment and interpersonal psychotherapy of adults and adolescents with mood disorders in a variety of practice settings. The course content reflects advanced material of current relevance for effective and evidence-based clinical social work practice. Specifically, this mini-course will provide updated training in the Interpersonal Psychotherapy treatment of mood disorders. This course will review diagnostic criteria and assessment, but will mainly focus on clinical skills and will be an interactive seminar type class.

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

● Assess and apply diagnostic criteria for persons with mood disorders.
● Understand the impact of various diversity dimensions (e.g. gender, race, culture) during the assessment, diagnosis and intervention phases of the work.
● Develop and implement evidence-based, brief interpersonal psychotherapy interventions targeting mood disorders.
● Incorporate social work values and ethical principles in planning and implementing interpersonal psychotherapy with adults.
● Understand the strengths and limitations related to the current evidence on cultural adaptations of interpersonal psychotherapy.

Design

Class format will include presentation of didactic information, case studies and vignettes,
small group work, videotapes, role plays and interactive discussions in a seminar format..

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

This course will support students’ developing a vision of social justice, learning to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice in practice. Students will work toward strengthening critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.