Class Descriptions

SW591

Independent Studies: Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective

Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
Permission of Instructor
Pathway Elective For:
Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host)
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SW600

Behavioral, Psychosocial and Ecological Aspects of Health, Mental Health and Disease

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
Foundation Essentials Required
Pathway Requirement For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Pathway Elective For:
Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective, Children, Youth, and Families
Description:
This course will survey the distribution, determinants, and biomedical, psychological and behavioral aspects of health inclusive of physical, mental and behavioral health and disease across the life span from pre-birth to death. Social, economic, environmental, structural and cultural variations in and determinants of health, disease, and quality of life will be addressed, including the influence of factors such as race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, ability, biological, genetic and epigenetic factors. Barriers to access and utilization, geopolitical influences, environmental justice, social injustice, oppression and racism, historical trends, and future directions will be reviewed. Health beliefs and models of health behavior (e.g. Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior,) and structural determinants of health (e.g. Minority Stress Theory) will be presented, including help-seeking and utilization of health services. Stress, allostatic load, coping and social support, adaptation to chronic illness, the influences of privilege, stigma and discrimination, quality of life, and death and dying will also be covered.
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SW601

Applied Assessment Skills in Integrated Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
3 Credit Hours
Prerequisites:
SW506
Pathway Requirement For:
Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host)
Pathway Elective For:
Global Social Work Practice, Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective
Description:
This course focuses on a holistic approach in promoting the development and deepening of assessment and screening skills and competencies. Conducting brief, evidence-based and evidence-informed assessments and screenings for common health, mental health, substance use and other behavioral health concerns which impact and/or compromise health and well-being will be the focus of this course. Holistic approaches which are developmentally appropriate across the life span and relevant in a variety of settings will be applied. Grounding of the assessment process in person-in-environment perspective (PIE), strengths-based approaches, the nature of the client/family and social support systems, cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs and other socio-economic resources that impact health and client well-being will be included. Examples of screenings and assessments addressed in this course include a focus on mental health problems; adjustment to illness; risky, harmful or dependent use of a variety of substances (e.g. alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription medications, etc.); cognitive impairment; harm to self or others; abuse, neglect, and domestic violence; and behaviors that compromise health among others.
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SW602

Interpersonal Practice Interventions in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Adults)

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)
Pathway Elective For:
Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective
Description:
The course will build on intervention therapy and practice from the foundation semester and promote more advanced intervention skill level of engagement, goal setting, use of evidence based and informed interventions, and the termination and evaluation phases of treatment. Particular focus will be on advanced clinical competency development regarding: 1. Engagement and rapport building, 2. Goal setting and problem solving, 3. Identifying and implementing appropriate intervention approaches, and 4. Termination and evaluation of treatment. This course focuses on skill building to provide a range of brief, evidence-based and/or evidence -informed interventions including prevention, treatment and recovery as well as longer-term treatment and support for clients as appropriate. Examples include: 1. Case conceptualization, 2. Behavioral activation, 3. Cognitive restructuring, 4. Exposure, 5. Managing ambivalence and resistance, 6. Emotion regulation and distress tolerance, and 7. Trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Core evidence-based/evidence-informed therapies will be the focus of this class including: 1. Motivational interviewing, 2. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and 3. emerging acceptance-based therapies such as Dialectical Behavioral therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Attention will be given to application of interventions with clients across diverse populations and needs, with a focus on common health and mental health conditions such as depression/anxiety, substance use, chronic pain, etc. Attention will also be given to application of interventions in a variety of integrated health, mental health, and substance abuse practice settings such as community mental health agencies, health care facilities and non-profit agencies.
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SW604

Advanced Evidence-Informed Interpersonal Practice with Families

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)
Pathway Elective For:
Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective, Children, Youth, and Families
Description:
This advanced practice course builds on content from the previous foundational course(s) and focuses on family functioning within diverse client populations. The focus of this course is on the development and utilization of family-focused skills and interventions with diverse families in the context of a variety of practice settings such as healthcare, mental health, and other community-based settings. To inform practice interventions, this course will be grounded in the integration of various current family theories (i.e. attachment theory, general systems theory, communication theory, social construction theory and developmental theory, etc) as well as an overarching neurological perspective. Broad definitions of "family" will be used, including extended families, unmarried couples, single parent families, couples across gender identity and sexual orientation spectrums, adult siblings, "fictive kin," and other inclusive definitions. The development of clinical skills for engaging, assessing, and intervening with families will be the primary focus of this course. Focused attention on primary models of family theory and practice will inform intervention techniques and skills taught in the course (i.e., Emotionally-Focused Family Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, and additional approach(s) informed by identified theories). This course will address stages of the helping process with families (i.e., engagement, assessment, planning, evaluation, intervention, and termination). During these stages, client-worker differences will be taken into account including a range of diversity dimensions such as ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, immigration status, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality and sexual orientation. Various theoretical approaches will be presented in order to help students understand family structure, communication patterns, and behavioral and coping repertoires. The family will also be studied as part of larger social systems, as having its own life cycles, and as influencing multiple generations.
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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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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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SW643

Policies Affecting Older Adults

Grading Method:
Graded
Credits:
1 Credit Hour
Prerequisites:
None
Pathway Requirement For:
Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host)
Pathway Elective For:
Policy & Political Social Work
Description:
This course will examine social policies, problems, and trends in social programs and services for older people. It will focus major attention on the strengths and limitations of existing policies and programs related to health, mental health, income maintenance, income deficiency, dependent care, housing, employment and unemployment, and institutional and residential care. This course will provide a framework for an analysis of the services provided to older people. This analysis will include the adequacy with which needs are met in various subgroups of the elderly population and across core diversity dimensions (including 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). It will also include proposals for change in policies, programs and services. Programs will be compared in terms of access to benefits and services provided to older people.
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