| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course has a clinical focus and practical orientation; therefore, we will examine basic neuropsychopharmacology, neurotransmitter systems, drug metabolism (i.e, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion), and the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of psychotropic medications to only a limited degree. Our emphasis will be primarily on understanding the physiological actions, therapeutic effects, and potential toxicities associated with prescribed pharmacotherapies for major classes of mental disorders affecting youth, adults, and older adults. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Among adults seeking treatment for behavioral health concerns, including mental health and substance use disorders, the high prevalence of historical
trauma and associated PTSD is increasingly well-established. The results of the significant Adverse Childhood Experiences Study only emphasize further the high cost in negative health outcomes of neglecting to identify and treat the impact of childhood traumatic experiences. But what can be done to address this important co-occurring condition that otherwise poses such a threat to physical, emotional and mental health? This training will take participants through the steps of clinical treatment
sequence that includes evidence-based best practices, from engagement with understandably ambivalent clients to available, research-based group and individual treatments. Use of the most recent version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Checklist (PCL-5) for client education, diagnostic assessment, treatment planning considerations, and outcome measurement will be featured. The groupwork modalities of Seeking Safety and the Trauma Recovery & Empowerment Model (TREM/M-TREM) will be presented, as well as individual therapy approaches including Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral approaches, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy. Participants will be equipped with information, resources, and beginning skills that can lead to actionable change in the direction of improving the effectiveness of treatment for PTS/D across various service settings, from community mental health clinics, to substance use disorder treatment programs, to integrated primary care & behavioral health centers. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course provides a framework of knowledge, values, skills and experiences to promote culturally competent, ethical, spiritually-sensitive Social Work practice which takes into account diverse expressions of spirituality. In adopting a holistic perspective to guide practice, spirituality will be viewed as a vital and essential dimension of the bio-psycho-social assessment and treatment planning process. This course will explore the rationale and need to integrate assessment and interventions related to spirituality in social work in a manner that supports cultural humility, social justice and competent practice. This course will be skill-development focused with in-class activities designed to best define, integrate, and use spiritual assessment and interventions in addressing presenting client issues. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
The Evidence Informed OUD/SUD Interventions mini course is designed to introduce students to assessment, intervention, and specialized practice skills to effectively engage and treat clients experiencing addictions (e.g., alcohol, opioids, cannabis, illicit drugs) and who may also present with additional complex and comorbid mental health and physical health needs. The course will also cover Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
In this mini course, students will explore cultural issues in the assessment and treatment of Opioid Use Disorders/Substance Use Disorders. Students will examine the effect of culture on the initiation, use, and abuse of substances. Socio-cultural beliefs can shape an individual’s approach to behavior regarding substance use and abuse. A special focus will be on emerging practices that support positive outcomes for diverse cultural groups, in prevention of OUD/SUD, accessing services, engaging and completing treatment programs related to OUD/SUD. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
The criminalization of substance use disorders is perhaps one of the most urgent racial and social justice issues of social work today. Understanding the neuroscience behind substance use disorders is one of the most impactful strategies for social workers to employ when advocating for clients at interdisciplinary tables. This mini-course will provide an introduction to the neuroscience of substance use disorders with emphasis on both science and social justice. Topics covered include basics of cellular communication and neurotransmission, different types of neuroimaging techniques and the structural and functional impact of the main classes of psychoactive substances. The course will also address interdisciplinary health considerations (chronic pain, pregnancy, overdose prevention), harm reduction models, MAT, systemic racism and the carceral system. Social work students will receive most current neuroscience perspectives on the development and trajectory of chemical dependence that can be employed in practice to directly challenge stigma related to substance use disorders. Students will learn about structural and functional neurological changes that comprise the characteristic symptoms of substance use disorders and will be able to identify the genetic mechanisms that result in sustained changes in mesocortical and mesolimbic dopaminergic processing. Students will critically evaluate current approaches to diagnosing and treating substance use disorders and will discuss strategies to apply translational knowledge gained from neuroscience in practice. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course will increase students’ capacity to understand the issues faced by gender diverse people and communities, including but not limited to trans and nonbinary persons across the life span, and capacity to provide gender-affirming social work support to this group. To achieve these goals, this course will 1) offer a working definition of terms, including (but not limited to): Transgender, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Gender Expansive, Gender Diverse, Intersex, Nonbinary, Cisgender, and Accomplice; 2) examine multiple risk factors that impact trans and gender diverse people (e.g., mental health issues, economic insecurity, violence) from a strengths-based lens; 3) examine protective factors (e.g., social support, community); 3) consider how these experiences are differentially experienced across intersections of race, class, and disability status, among other facets of identity/experience; and, 4) educate students about resources for trans and gender diverse individuals and communities and where/how to access these resources. Of particular importance, the concept of gender affirmation will be introduced, including mechanisms for social, legal, and medical gender affirmation, with examination of the role of the Social Worker in each of these domains. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course will introduce and address issues of concern to interpersonal practice clients across the lifespan who identify as Transgender, Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Queer or questioning, focusing on the basic knowledge, interpersonal practice and advocacy skills it takes to become increasingly competent in providing counseling and advocacy for people who are in these marginalize, yet highly resilient, groups. From a strength-based perspective, this course will focus on basic social work knowledge and understanding of these groups, the social injustice and stigma facing these groups, but ultimately, how to engage, assess and effectively intervene with current, associated issues through therapy and advocacy. This course will also address self-exploration and ethical dilemmas for social work providers with TBLGQ people, and include real practice experiences with people from our local community. Students will be encouraged to actively engage in the course. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Latinx constitute the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. The United States Latinx population is immensely diverse, with members originating from over twenty countries. Latinx sub-populations tend to reside in different areas of the United States, have different cultural practices/norms, immigration experiences, and varying levels of economic attainment. These sources of internal variation are important, as they have implications for many social outcomes and social work practice with Latinx families. This mini course focuses on the theoretical, empirical and practice literature on Latinx families in the United States. The mini course will allow for students to become familiar with demographic trends, health disparities, acculturation and acculturative stress, and the current debates surrounding the immigrant health paradox. Additionally, this mini course will cover key methodological approaches aimed at engaging Latinx families in mental health and health care services, as well as barriers and facilitators to mental health and health care utilization. Furthermore, the course focuses on the clinical aspects of working with Latinx families, including but not limited to, culturally congruent assessment, and prevention and treatment models. Students in this course will acquire a general understanding of (1) the demographic, social and political background of Latinx families in the United States, (2) key theoretical frameworks to consider (e.g., acculturative stress) when working with Latinx families, (3) culturally congruent assessment, prevention and treatment approaches for health and well-being, and (3) acquire a general understanding of clinical aspects when working with Latinx families in the United States. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Transitional age youth, defined as the transition period from adolescence to young adulthood, represents a developmental period characterized by, among other things, increased risk taking and vulnerability for behavioral and mental health conditions. Yet the social work theoretical, empirical and practice literature remain underdeveloped, particularly for transitional age youth with behavioral health and mental health conditions. Social work practitioners and researchers alike play an essential role in ameliorating behavioral health conditions among transitional age youth. This course focuses on the state of the science when working with transitional age youth with behavioral health conditions. Students in this course will acquire a general understanding of (1) the prevalence and variations of behavioral health conditions among this overlooked and vulnerable population, (2) etiological factors associated with behavioral health conditions, (3) theoretical frameworks to inform practice with transitional age youth, and (4) best programs and practices when working with transitional age youth. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Youth living in impoverished communities experience high incidents of involvement with the juvenile justice system, high rates of school dropout, high levels of suicidal behavior, economic hardships that result in frequent moves and often unstable family support networks and lower levels of successful engagement and retention in behavioral health services (Carson, Cook & Alegria, 2010; Hogue & Dauber, 2011; Huey & Polo, 2008). In their daily lives they face violence, homelessness, incarceration, foster care, disabilities, immigration and sexual orientation and racial intolerance. Engagement and retention in treatment are major problems for mental health prevention and intervention programs. This course will present evidence based interventions designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of engagement and retention in treatment when working with high need youth, young adults and their families. We will review commonly utilized theoretical models that inform engagement and retention strategies: the Health Belief Model; Behavior Modification; Strategic and Structural Family Systems Theory; the Ecological Model and the Therapeutic Alliance. We will present promising approaches to engagement and retention which include the Strategic Structural-Systems Engagement (SSSE) model (Szapocznik’s et al.,1988) in which engagement resistance is part of the process; adjunctive family support interventions (Miller & Prinz, 2003); interventions that utilize Motivational Interviewing to address engagement (Nock & Kazdin, 2005; Grote et al. 2009); and McKay and colleagues (1996) provider engagement training to enhance the therapeutic alliance early on in treatment. Special attention will also be given to issues of diversity as it relates to building therapeutic relationships and intervening with youth and their families. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
2 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This interprofessional course is for student learners in the areas of advanced practice providers (medicine and advanced-practice nursing), dentistry, pharmacy, and social work. The course allows health professional students to gain an understanding of how each discipline contributes to the healthcare team, the importance of effective communication, and the role of team collaboration to clinical decision making.
Active participation in interprofessional groups which focus on clinical case discussions and team-based decision making is a focus.The course promotes health professional students gaining an understanding of how each discipline contributes to the healthcare team and the importance of effective communication and team collaboration to clinical decision making. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of the cognitive-behavioral treatment for depression. Several case examples will be utilized and students will engage in role-play and detailed class discussion focused on these techniques. Emphasis will be given to practical application of therapy techniques and troubleshooting difficult and challenging clinical cases. The course will also include strategies for enhancing adherence to behavioral homework exercises. An overview of empirically established cultural adaptations of CBT for depression will also be provided. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Motivational interviewing is a goal-directed, client-centered counseling approach for eliciting behavioral change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence. Utilizing the Professional Training Videotape Series developed by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, this is a series of skill-sharing sessions will provide a basic introduction to Motivational Interviewing. This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of motivational interviewing techniques. Utilizing numerous materials including video examples from this five-week series of 3-hour instruction and skill-building sessions will introduce motivational Interviewing. Using the video material and supplemental handouts, along with lecture, role-playing practice and group discussion, this course will lay a foundation for participants to begin to develop their clinical skills in helping people accomplish change in areas of difficult behavior. Emphasis will be given to practical application of therapy techniques and troubleshooting difficult and challenging clinical circumstances across a variety of practice settings and populations. An overview of cultural considerations in motivational interviewing will also be provided. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
SW 617 recommended, not required |
| Course Description: |
This course is designed to deepen knowledge and skills in grief counseling to work effectively with a diverse range of bereaved individuals. Theoretical underpinnings of grief and loss counseling and contexts in which counseling may occur will be explored. Developing specific grief assessment and intervention clinical skills applicable to a range of diverse clients across the lifespan with different types of loss will be the focus of the course. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective |
| Credits: |
3 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course will provide an opportunity to understand the unique developmental needs of infants and young children (0 to 5) and their caregivers. It will examine theories and techniques for observing and understanding infants and young children and their caregivers' behavior and interactions. This course will emphasize evidence-based tools for observation of interactions that address diverse groups of infants and young children in their primary environments (e.g., family and alternative caregiving contexts). Special attention will be given to diversity issues related to understanding the nature of interactions and developing anti-racist practice skills. The course will be divided into classroom and community-based learning opportunities. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Welfare of Children & Families (Host) |
| Credits: |
3 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course examines families as a primary context for understanding health and health-related behaviors. Major topics include: 1) substantive and ethical overview of families and health, 2) historical perspectives on the family, 3) demographic trends in family structure, 4) family diversity with respect to social class, race/ethnicity and culture, and sexual orientation and their implications for understanding health phenomena and family models and theories, 5) families as the context for socialization to health beliefs and practices, 6) the provision of family-based care, 7) health profiles of family members and family roles, and 8) family-based skills, programs, and practice concepts. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Suicide risk assessment, risk formulation, and treatment are consistently difficult in practice and greater attention to this public health issue and prevention efforts are needed, especially so, by social workers who provide the majority of mental health services in the U.S. This one-credit course is designed for MSW students who are focused on interpersonal practice and will cover the following topics: the critical issue of suicide (prevalence), suicide-risk assessment (risk and protective factors, warning signs, components of the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale scale), formulating suicide risk (determining a level of suicide risk for subsequent alignment with appropriate action), and prevention approaches including evidence-informed interventions (including multi-level prevention at the universal, institutional, and individual levels). Students will have the opportunity to apply knowledge and practice skills with use of case vignettes, roleplays, and simulations.
Learning Objectives:
1. Differentiate between suicide risk factors, protective factors, and warning signs.
2. Facilitate suicide risk assessment using evidence-informed screening and assessment tools.
3. Formulate a case conceptualization to determine suicide risk level.
3. Develop an intervention plan based upon suicide assessment and case conceptualization.
4. Explain and implement evidence-informed suicide prevention strategies. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective, Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
DBT is an empirically supported treatment for individuals with severe emotionally regulation problems. Part of the treatment consists of teaching individuals specific skill sets in mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation and crisis management.
This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder and other psychiatric and psychological problems. This course will cover dialectical behavioral therapy approaches to address suicidal thoughts and actions, self-harm, emotion dysregulation, behavioral dysregulation, cognitive dysregulation, and self-dysregulation. Emphasis will be given to practical application of therapy techniques and troubleshooting difficult and challenging clinical circumstances. An overview of cultural considerations for dialectical behavioral therapy will also be provided.Students will learn an overview of these skills and strategies to integrate these skills into their clinical practice in a variety of individual and group therapy settings. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course will examine practice theory and techniques relevant to social work in a rural setting. There are many definitions of what might be considered a rural community. For the purposes of this course, we will define communities as rural that have a population size of 2,500 to 20,000 with no major metropolitan area within hour of the community. Rural communities are often plagued with similar problems as vast metropolitan areas such as high poverty rates, inadequate housing, and inadequate access to health care. However, the scarcity of resources and professionals including medical providers, socio-economic underdevelopment, and physical distance from services and lack of public transportation are frequently identified as compounding factors of living in a rural community. The impact of differences in the key diversity dimensions such as ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender (including gender identity and gender expression) marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, sex, and sexual orientation will be examined, within the context of practicing in a rural community. This course will also emphasize issues of ethical practice as defined by the social work code of ethics within a rural community. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
| Credits: |
3 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Through a team-based, experiential, and interdisciplinary learning model, small groups of U-M graduate and professional students work with faculty to explore and offer solutions to emerging, complex problems. This course is offered through the Law School’s Problem Solving Initiative and the topics vary by semester. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Policy & Political Social Work (Host), Program Evaluation and Applied Research |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This one credit course will focus on the use of an experiential and adventure practice approach (theories, models, tools and techniques) for therapeutic purposes with individuals, groups and families.
Students are expected to come with a foundational understanding of clinical work (in particular, some knowledge of clinical group facilitation), and experiential learning.
Theoretical models of clinical experiential and adventure practice will be offered and discussed in tandem with clinical social work theories and models of practice. Evidence-based literature will be reviewed that promote nature-based, experiential and adventure interventions that build on strengths and resources of individuals and their families, and that integrate components of other evidence-based practices into the experiential and adventure methodologies.
Inclusive and accessible practices will be discussed and demonstrated, especially due to the outdoor and natural setting involved and the physicality of many of the tools used in the approach. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Understanding the implications of childhood relationships on adult functioning can provide a powerful framework for creating goals and intervention in adult psychotherapy. Using attachment theory as the foundation, this course will address relationship-based intervention with adults. Students will learn the role of attachment in the development and maintenance of strategies that adults use to manage needs for autonomy and connection, in social, family and romantic relationships. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective, Welfare of Children & Families |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
This course is designed to increase students awareness, knowledge, and understanding of issues related to diversity and social justice, including race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, ability status, and the intersections between these social identity groups. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of dialogue as a method for peacefully resolving conflict that may emerge due to cultural misunderstandings or oppressive dynamics, as well as skills for effectively engaging in dialogue. The topics of this course include social identity development; difference and dominance and the nature of social oppression; our personal and interpersonal connections to power, privilege, and oppression; understanding and resolving conflicts or resistance; the process of dialogue and coalition building across differences; and its applications in multicultural social work settings. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Community Change (Host), Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse |
| Credits: |
1 |
| Prerequisites: |
None |
| Course Description: |
Evidence suggests that women face unique leadership challenges. Marginalization based on gender, family and work priorities, and societal expectations create a system that hinders the maximization of leadership potential. In addition, women bring diverse capabilities and hold unique characteristics in the work world today. Community benefit organizations must leverage this diversity of leadership to improve decision making, tap into diverse points of view, and inspire social change. This course will examine the social, structural and personal dynamics that differentially impact women and men as leaders. It will prepare all students to identify and harness the specific needs and capabilities of women. It will provide the knowledge and skills to succeed and contribute added value in their roles as leaders at any level. |
| Pathway Elective For: |
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Management & Leadership (Host) |