Class Descriptions

SW605

Advanced Evidence-Informed Interpersonal Practice with Groups

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
SW506 & SW601 (concurrent enrollment in SW601 permitted if necessary)
Pathway Requirement For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Description:
This advanced practice course builds on content from previous foundational courses and focuses on the processes of group interventions with diverse client populations, across various client concerns and in a variety of practice settings such as healthcare, mental health, and other community-based settings. The focus of this course is on the development and utilization of group skills and interventions. Particular attention will be given to the recruitment and composition of group members, leadership structure of groups, phases of group development, and group processes such as decision-making, tension reduction, conflict resolution, goal setting, contracting, and evaluation. Students will learn how to assess and intervene with group problems such as scapegoating, member resistance, low morale, over-active participation, etc. They will learn to employ a variety of intra-group strategies and techniques such as programs, structured activities, exercises, etc. Interventions consistent with the achievement of social justice through group work practice will be emphasized. The course will also consider how gender, ethnicity, race, social class, sexual orientation, and different abilities will impact various aspects of group functioning such as purpose, composition, leadership, selection of intervention strategies, and group development.
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SW606

Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
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
Description:
This course is open to student learners in the health science areas including social work, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry. This course will present state-of-the-art knowledge and research of mental disorders of adults across the lifespan, as well as factors that promote mental health, and prevent mental disorders and substance related problems. Using a clinical case discussion format, this class will highlight mental health diagnoses, comorbidity, and team collaboration across health professions. Social determinants of health/mental health will be used as an organizing framework for discussing the impact of factors associated with health and mental health across diverse cultures, groups and populations. Classification systems of adult mental functioning and mental disorders will be presented, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9/10). Ethical considerations regarding the development and application of classifications will be explored in addition to critically analyzing both the strengths and limitations of these classification systems with diverse populations. Competencies related to teamwork and collaboration, values and ethics, and communication will be addressed.
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SW607

Advanced Interventions with Substance Abuse Disorders

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
Pathway Elective For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Description:
This course is a practice-focused course on chemical dependency and other addictive behaviors. Course content and instructional methodologies enable students to develop knowledge and assessment and intervention practice skills using a framework grounded in both theoretical and science-based prevention and intervention approaches. The course focuses on development and direct application of prevention, assessment and intervention skills with clients related to chemical dependency and other addictive behaviors.
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SW610

Orientation Seminar for the Community Scholars Program

Grading Method:
S/U
Credits:
1 Credit Hour
Prerequisites:
None
Description:
This seminar will provide an orientation to community-based practice and the Community Scholars Program. It will examine core concepts, practice methods, curricular competencies and course content, including Community Scholars as a special program for building capacity and creating change at the community level. We will use mini-lectures, discussions, field trips, and media to discuss the issues covered in this seminar. This seminar is designed to introduce students to key concepts and the history of Detroit to support the learning happening during field placements and within the classroom.
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SW611

An Afrocentric Approach to Practice w/ African Amer/Black Indiv., Families & Communities

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
Pathway Elective For:
Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Description:
This course will apply African-centered values and principles in historical and contemporary context to the implementation of traditional methods in practice with African American individuals, families and communities. The course is bounded by a strengths and resilience framework in which students will 1) obtain an overview of the African worldview and the history, culture, and contributions to world civilization of African-descended people; 2) become familiar with literature that exemplifies the integration of the Afrocentric perspective in practice with African American families; and 3) utilize the case study method to apply knowledge gained. The course will be offered in a seminar format in which students have an active role in structuring their own learning, building on content delivered by guest lecturers and utilizing relevant reading materials, experiential activities and electronic media.
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SW612

Mental Health and Mental Disorders of Children and Youth

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
Pathway Elective For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Children, Youth, and Families
Description:
This course is open to student learners in the health science areas including social work, nursing, pharmacy, and dentistry. This course will present state-of-the-art knowledge and research of mental disorders of children and youth, as well as factors that promote mental health, and prevent mental disorders and substance related problems. Using a clinical case discussion format, this class will highlight mental health diagnoses, comorbidity, and team collaboration across health professions. Social determinants of health/mental health will be used as an organizing framework for discussing the impact of factors associated with health and mental health across diverse cultures, groups and populations. Classification systems of child and youth functioning and disorders will be presented, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5), Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood: DC: 0-5, and the Individuals with Disability Education Act (IDEA). Students will be taught to critically understand both the strengths and limitations of these classification systems and how to use these systems in practice. Competencies related to teamwork and collaboration, values and ethics, and communication will be addressed.
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SW614

Social Work with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) Individuals and Communities

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
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
Description:
This course will introduce a variety issues facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) clients and communities at the micro, meso, and macro levels. This course will build on basic skills and knowledge of interpersonal practice, policy advocacy, and community organizing to focus on how to best serve LGBTQIA2S+. Issues which are of greater concern, or for which services and in some cases, knowledge, are lacking for these populations will be covered, including: history of the LGB/T movement, identity versus behavior, the process of coming out, social stigma, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, experiences of discrimination and victimization (both interpersonal and systemic), healthcare (including mental health), sexuality and relationships, family development and parenting, lack of inclusion in research and evidence based practice, community organizing, impact of policies, and ways to work towards resistance and resilience. This course will closely focus on different skills needed for working with these specific issues, in addition to basic knowledge of these individuals across the life span and communities.
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SW616

Spirituality in Social Work Practice

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
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
Description:
This course provides a framework of knowledge, values, skills, and experiences for culturally competent, ethical, and spiritually-sensitive social work practice. This course is focused on providing specialized understanding of spiritual diversity in social work practice along with application of that understanding to people of diverse religious and nonreligious spiritual perspectives and traditions and its relevance to practice, policy and research. This course will promote exploration of values, knowledge and skills to ethically and effectively provide services to clients that take into account diverse expressions of spirituality. The roles of religion and spirituality in supporting or impeding individual strengths and social justice will be considered. The relationship between spirituality concepts pertaining to gender, ethnicity, culture, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious and spiritual beliefs, ability, social class, and age as well as spirituality across the life cycle will be addressed.
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SW617

Death, Loss and Grief

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
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, Children, Youth, and Families
Description:
This course will address the theoretical framework of human loss and grief from a culturally and philosophically diverse perspective. Students will be provided with information about why and how humans grieve and how grieving is affected by type of loss, socioeconomic and cultural factors, individual personality and family functioning. Attention will be focused on life span development and the meaning of death and loss at different ages. Various types of loss will be discussed from an individual, family, and socio/cultural/ecological perspective. The importance of understanding trauma and its relationship to grief and loss will also be addressed. Coping and resiliency in loss will be explored, emphasizing the diversity of human response and focusing on the significance of social groups in integrating loss. The formation and practice of rituals, and diversity in religious and spiritual experience as a component of coping with loss will be discussed.
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SW618

Research-informed Practices to Prevent Substance Abuse in Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
None
Pathway Elective For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Children, Youth, and Families
Description:
Substance abuse represents a major public health concern facing America’s youth. Although all adolescents are directly or indirectly impacted by substance abuse, racial and ethnic minority youth are disproportionately impacted. Social workers play a key role in health promotion and disease prevention, including prevention, intervention and rehabilitation of substance abuse among racial and ethnic minority adolescents in urban settings. This course will draw from multiple disciplines, including social work, epidemiology, public health, psychology, policy and couple and family therapy, to introduce students to theory and knowledge on substance abuse to inform social work practice with racial and ethnic minority adolescents in urban settings. This course will be guided by models, and the theoretical frameworks which inform them, that have been shown to be efficacious or effective in prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation of substance abuse in adolescents. Therefore, students will be introduced to research-informed substance abuse practices among racial and ethnic minority urban adolescents. For the purposes of this course, substance abuse will include both licit and illicit substances. Students will be asked to demonstrate the ways in which to apply research-informed theory and knowledge in practice settings with racial and ethnic minority urban adolescents.
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