| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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 |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | Social workers and other service providers will gain an understanding what human trafficking is and how they can help victims of human trafficking that they encounter in their field of practice, with a particular emphasis on healthcare settings. We will explore the root causes of human trafficking, and our role in perpetuating and combating the underlying causes. We will take a critical perspective on what it means to help a victim of trafficking, as well-intentioned interventions can unwittingly cause the individual's arrest or deportation. Further, we will examine guiding principles for successful engagement with this population, including trauma-informed care, cultural awareness, and harm reduction. Finally, we will hear about local resources that providers can use if they suspect a client is a victim of human trafficking. In this course you will have the opportunity to develop an idea to solve this real world human rights problem. Teams are organizationally the functioning unit of the course. Students will work collaboratively across disciplines to create tools to increase identification of victims in health care settings. Class sessions will focus heavily on prototyping potential solutions and collaboratively generating ideas and next steps. Students will also be expected to spend significant time outside of class working in teams to reach out to relevant stakeholders, conduct research, draft documents, and otherwise work toward the creation of the intervention. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This advanced action-based learning course will focus on direct practice and implementation of the cognitive-behavioral treatment with children and youth with anxiety disorders. 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 with children and youth with anxiety disorders will also be provided. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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) |
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| Credits: | 3 |
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| 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 |
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| Credits: | 3 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | Understanding the implications of early 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 cognitive, emotional and behavioral 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) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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 |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | ACT is an evidence-informed approach that utilizes acceptance, mindfulness strategies and commitment to engage clients in behavioral change strategies. This approach has been established as effective in treating clients with a variety of clinical diagnoses. This course will explore foundational ACT concepts as they apply to clinical assessment and clinical interventions with clients including self-acceptance, cognitive defusion, being present, self as context, values clarification and committed action. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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 |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This mini course will provide an overview of social work practice in higher education settings and will cover micro, mezzo, and macro practice. Content will include how social work values, concepts and interventions are able to be applied in campus based settings. Course participants will explore the various opportunities to practice social work competencies using the interdisciplinary approach within the post-secondary education culture. Special attention will be given to the ways social workers are uniquely trained to respond to emergent issues and populations on college campuses including students in recovery, first generation college students, under-represented students, sexual misconduct policy and response and implementation of diversity equity and inclusion initiatives. This interactive course will use lecture, guest speakers/panelists, and group discussion to explore the roles social workers may hold on college campuses and how they adhere to social work values and ethics while also translating their skills to this unique setting. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This mini-course will acquaint students with the basic and advanced facts about HIV/AIDS and sensitize students to the multitude of public health, social policy and social service delivery issues that AIDS presents, and provide US and global perspectives to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. Students will be sensitized to the special challenges AIDS presents for social work practice. Students will be presented with an approach to evidence based practice, and will review the state of HIV related evidence based prevention practice from national and global perspectives. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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 |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| 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) |
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| Credits: | 3 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | The seminar examines health disparities and inequities as reflected in: higher incidence or prevalence of disease (e.g., earlier onset or more aggressive progression), premature or excessive mortality from specific conditions, higher global burden of disease (e.g., disability adjusted life years), poorer health behaviors and clinical outcomes, and worse outcomes on validated self-reported measures (e.g., daily functioning or conditions-specific symptoms). The seminar aims to develop a rigorous critical analysis of health disparities and inequities and the potentials and limitations of different approaches to addressing them (e.g., behavioral strategies, community change, and policy interventions). Weekly seminar activities focus on discussion, critique and analysis (theory, content and methods) of readings and media on racial and ethnic health disparities/inequities. Readings and media include a variety of disciplinary and professional frameworks and perspectives (e.g., epidemiology, sociology, urban planning). |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 3 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | Everyone has a sexuality, and so social workers need to be prepared to support clients and communities across a variety of sexual identities, experiences, and behaviors. This course integrates a basic introduction into the spectrum of human sexuality along with foundational pieces supporting the theory and practice of social work. By viewing many facets of sexuality from a social work perspective, students will be prepared to assume serve individuals, groups, and communities regarding various issues connected to human sexuality. We will focus definitions surrounding sexuality, the ethics of sexuality and social work, ways to integrate sexuality information into different types of social work practice, and conversations on how complex feelings around controversial topics may impact both practitioners and their clients. Much of this class will include a more in-depth view on communities often marginalized around sexuality, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, older adults, people with disabilities/impairments, youth, people of color, those who have experiences sexual abuse, those who participate in kink/BDSM practices, and those who chose to be consensually non-monogamous. No previous sexuality education experience required, but an open mind and willingness to engage in the grey areas outside of binaries is strongly encouraged. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This mini-class offers students an overview of the field of couple therapy. This course will teach students indications for working with couples in a variety of clinical settings. An array of evidence-based models are introduced. There is a major focus on the John Gottman method given this model is based on research findings and integral to the field of couple treatment. The course reviews other evidence-based models (CBT, behavioral, emotion focused therapy, etc) relevant to working with specific clinical situations (i.e. depression, substance use disorders, medical illness, trauma). Theories will be taught and critiqued. Evidence-based models will be emphasized and models that do not have a research base will be assessed in terms of their efficacy and appropriateness. This five-week class has a goal of teaching students about the field of couple therapy including discussing indications and contraindications, the essential facets of completing an evaluation and basic treatment techniques (handling of conflict, communication skills training, improving connection, addressing sexual problems, handling the aftermath of infidelity). State of the art, evidence-based practice will be emphasized as related to different settings (i.e. psychiatric, medical, community, substance abuse, geriatric, etc). The course will address barriers that affect client’s access to care (insurance, health care constraints, other access problems). Poverty, unemployment, illness negatively impact family functioning and seriously erode relationships. Ethnicity, gender, race, class will be addressed as important factors in the models and case presentations. The foremost clinical models will be reviewed with an emphasis on evaluation. The class content will include non-traditional couples, samesex and transgender couples, interracial/inter-ethnic couples. There will be an emphasis on 2 life-cycle and case vignettes and clinical presentations will reflect the life-span. Interviewing techniques will be practiced in some role plays. Lectures, video-tapes, guest speakers will be integrated throughout the mini-class. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | Students will learn about comprehensive assessment and evidence based interventions with pre-school children (ages 3-5). This course aims to increase developmentally relevant and effective practice with preschool children and their families. A particular lens will be assessment and intervention in the context of school, however, assessment and intervention strategies within other settings will also be discussed. Special attention will be paid to the needs of preschool children most likely to be under-served by, or expelled from, preschool (e.g. children with behavior problems, children of color, children impacted by trauma, and children with developmental delays.) |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Welfare of Children & Families (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This course provides an experiential opportunity for students to explore an array of animal assisted therapeutic activities specifically designed to further a wide range of therapeutic goals with children, adolescents, families and adult clients. Like play therapy and art therapy, animal assisted interventions, when integrated with evidence-based methods including (but not limited to) CBT and mindfulness, trauma recovery, family systems, cultural-relational and psychodynamic approaches, offer opportunities for people to work through a variety of issues and insecurities related to attachment, trauma, self-esteem and identity concerns, dysregulation, behavioral difficulties, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and family and relational problems. With selected animals as therapy partners, the therapeutic team helps people of all ages and positions foster new alliances, understand more fully existing problems and build practical life-skills to enhance confidence, effectiveness and joy. Presently, animal assisted therapy is gaining acclaim in the field of mental health intervention and there is a growing body of evidence supporting its efficacy to be explored. This course specifically teaches the theoretical foundations, standards, ethics, evidence, certifications, integration of methods, case examples, evaluation and practical skills involved in partnering with a variety of animals – dogs, cats, goats, pigs, horses and chickens (yes, chickens!)- to provide engaging and effective interventions. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Welfare of Children & Families (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This course was designed to increase the knowledge base and competency level of social workers who plan to work with (or are interested in) military service members, veterans, and their families. This will be accomplished by introducing students to basic military background and structure, the common problem-areas experienced by this community, and the diverse subgroups that exist within this unique population. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate improved cultural competency in the areas of the military, veteran and family populations. Students will also be able to identify specific evidence-based interventions for engaging this population in a community-based or clinical setting. The practice area of this course will be identified as Interpersonal Practice and Mental Health. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | The Language Translation and Interpretation is a one-credit mini-course that aims to prepare students to identify, address, and evaluate the language translation and interpretation needs of individuals, families, and communities whose native language is not English. The course will focus on strategies and evidence-based practices for engaging with individuals, families, and communities with or without the aid of an interpreter. Examples of topic issues include gender, class, race/ethnicity, and how these factors influence translation and interpretation in social work practice. The course is recommended for both monolingual and multilingual students working with populations in the U.S.A. and/or other countries. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Community Change, Global Social Work Practice (Host), Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | SW 515, Advanced Standing, or an exemption from SW 515 |
| Course Description: | This course will teach social work students to achieve positive client outcomes through interdisciplinary teamwork and interprofessional communication while utilizing social work values, methods, and skills at a multi-disciplinary student-run health clinic that includes student-practitioners from schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacology, dentistry, and social work. The course will help students understand the roles and responsibilities of each discipline on the healthcare team, the importance of effective communication, and the role of team collaboration in clinical decision making. Students will also learn about how the unique lens of social work adds tremendous value to other members of the interdisciplinary team. Students will participate at the student-run health clinic in Pinckney, MI a minimum of 3 times during the term, with individual on-site supervision and group supervision meetings with the course instructor throughout the term. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This course introduces students to the world of dementia care for older adults and family caregivers. Demographic data regarding increased incidence of dementia in all ethnic/racial and socioeconomic groups will frame examination of intervention research with individuals with dementia and family caregivers. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host) |
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| Credits: | 1 |
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| Prerequisites: | None |
| Course Description: | This course will address how depression & anxiety in late life compromise the quality of life in older adults. The students will be assisted to deepen their understanding of the thought process of those with depression and anxiety. They will learn how MBCT could help improve the disorder and see MBCT as a viable non-pharmacology intervention. The scientific evidence in the effectiveness of mindfulness interventions for mental health issues, and specifically MBCT for prevention of relapse of depression and anxiety will be discussed. The step-by step components of 8 sessions of MBCT wil be discussed and students will have opportunities to practice the skills. They will learn the differences in approaches between MBCT and CBT. Adaptation made to accommodate working with older population will be discussed in detail. The results of pre-post outcome data and qualitative evaluation of the MBCT groups the instructor led with local older adults will be shared. The roles that a MBCT therapist plays and the training needed will be discussed. |
| Pathway Elective For: | Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse, Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host) |
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University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 South University Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106