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Class Descriptions

The class descriptions displayed below are for the past Fall 2022 term and may not reflect the current curriculum. Click here to view current class descriptions.

Independent Studies: Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective SW591

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

Behavioral, Psychosocial and Ecological Aspects of Health, Mental Health and Disease SW600

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course 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.
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, Welfare of Children & Families

Applied Assessment Skills in Integrated Health, Mental Health and Substance Abuse SW601

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course 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.
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

Interpersonal Practice Interventions in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Adults) SW602

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course 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.
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

Advanced Evidence-Informed Interpersonal Practice with Families SW604

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course 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. Bowen Family Systems Theory, Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy and addition 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.
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, Welfare of Children & Families

Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood SW606

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course 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.
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

Social Work Practice with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) Individuals and Communities SW614

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course 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.
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

Spirituality in Social Work Practice SW616

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course 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.
Pathway Elective For: Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective

Death, Loss and Grief SW617

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course 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.
Pathway Elective For: Global Social Work Practice, 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

Policies Affecting Older Adults SW643

Credits: 1
Prerequisites: None
Course 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..
Pathway Requirement For: Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective
Pathway Elective For: Policy & Political Social Work (Host)

Frameworks for Understanding Social Impact Organizations SW662

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials required
Course Description: This course will provide an overview of traditional and contemporary organizational theories and strategic frameworks relevant to understanding social impact organizations. A wide range of topics will be covered including but not limited to: organizational survival and adaptation to environmental changes, power asymmetry/dynamics between service providers and clients, staff and client diversity and inclusion, and informal strategies that providers develop to legitimize their practices while satisfying multiple stakeholders’ expectations. Using multiple theories and perspectives, students will develop a conceptual framework for recognizing how various environmental-, organizational-, and individual-level attributes shape social impact organizational behaviors and service provider’s practices. The framework will help students to reflect on organizational experiences and critically analyze institutionalized assumptions and beliefs that reside within social impact organizations. Using the conceptual basis acquired from this course, students will be asked to analyze a social impact organization and recommend strategies to improve organizational functioning.
Pathway Requirement For: Management & Leadership (Host)
Pathway Elective For: Community Change, Global Social Work Practice, Policy & Political Social Work, Program Evaluation and Applied Research, Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective, Welfare of Children & Families

Adulthood and Aging SW690

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course Description: This course focuses on bio-psycho-social development and changes in mid- and late-adulthood. It will cover six major areas. (a) Demographic trends globally and in the United States, (b) Major theoretical perspectives including the life course and life-span perspectives. (c) Biological and cognitive changes in the second half of life. (d) Common chronic conditions and their treatment in older adults. (e) Psychological and social development in mid- and late-adulthood. (f) Definitions and determinants of positive and healthy aging. Special attention will be paid to diversity and social justice issues, including similarities and differences in the experience of aging related to an individual's position in society (e.g., class, race/ethnicity, immigration status, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity), and institutional and social factors that marginalize some segments of the older population.
Pathway Requirement For: Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host)
Pathway Elective For: Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse

Interpersonal Practice Methods in Aging SW694

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: Foundation Essentials Required
Course Description: This methods course focuses on intervention with older people at the micro level. This content will be integrated with intervention strategies directed toward aging adults, including evidence-based interventions and practices. Major areas to be discussed are: coping with age related changes, caregiving demands, legal and financial planning, elder abuse, sexuality and intimacy, and loss and grief. This course will also address the diverse dimensions including: ability, age, class, color, culture, ethnicity, family structure, gender, marital status, national origin, race, religion or spirituality, and sexual orientation. The IP intervention will focus on intake, screening, initial evaluation, treatment and termination issues involved in working with older clients and their families. Such skills as reaching out, engaging reluctant or impaired elders, and successful termination of intervention will be covered. Various psychiatric disorders more typically diagnosed among the elderly will be discussed and intervention strategies identified.
Pathway Requirement For: Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective (Host)
Pathway Elective For: Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse

Psychopharmacology SW700

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

Ethical Dilemmas in Health SW705

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: From a beginning in efforts to protect human rights in biomedical research, the field of health-related ethics, sometimes called “bioethics” has grown rapidly. It now encompasses such major areas as equity of access to, and delivery of, health care services, and the impact of the rapid proliferation of technologies (e.g. genetic and advanced diagnostic testing, prenatal, mind-altering and life-prolonging treatments) on how human life is defined, and on health care decisions and quality of life. While many of these issues, and the dilemmas they create, focus on the rights and burdens of individuals and families, ethical dilemmas in health have increasingly far-reaching implications for communities and societies. These dilemmas pose challenges to social workers and other social service and health care practitioners, administrators, policy makers and social and health scientists. Issues that have traditionally been private concerns are increasingly played out in the public arena, with passionate constituencies and extensive, and often inflammatory, media attention. The key roles and importance of well-trained and practiced social workers and other health care providers, administrators, planners and policy makers, in assuring equitable treatment and protecting individuals, communities and societies, provide the central rationale for this course. Course participants will review and use ethics frameworks and codes from a variety of health-related disciplines for decision-making, both generally and as applied to specific dilemmas, using a case-study approach. Participants will discuss conflicts between professional ethics codes and federal, state and local laws, regulations and codes(e.g. penal, mental health).
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

Services and Supports to Transgender Clients and Communities SW707

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

Religion, Spirituality, Mental Health and Social Work SW708

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: The course will explore the influence of religion and spirituality on mental health. Topics covered will include research on spirituality and religion and their interface, as well as the demographic correlates (e.g., age, gender, race) of religious participation. With regards to mental health, the course will examine several issues including: 1) religion and its relation to psychological well being, depression, and anxiety disorders such as OCD, 2) religious coping strategies, 3) the use of clergy for mental health problems, and 4) religion and substance abuse.The use of religion and religious frameworks in interpersonal practice including palliative care will also be examined.
Pathway Elective For: Global Social Work Practice, Interpersonal Practice in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective

Counseling and Advocacy with LGBTQIA2S+ Adults SW709

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

Grief Counseling Principles and Practice SW717

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

Family Violence Prevention and Intervention SW728

Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: This course introduces the fundamental knowledge and concepts for working with victims of all types of family violence. Students will learn about the factors that contribute to child abuse, teen dating violence, intimate partner violence, and elder abuse; the long term consequences family violence, and common treatment approaches. Interconnections between the forms of violence will be explored. Most family violence organizations work on multiple levels, such as macro, mezzo, and micro levels, and they frequently come into contact with a variety of fields of service, primarily the legal, health and mental health, housing, public assistance, and child welfare systems. Therefore, models of inter-system and interprofessional coordination will be presented. Federal and state policies related to family violence will be explored, and opportunities for advocacy will be highlighted.
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, Welfare of Children & Families (Host)

Suicide Assessment and Prevention SW732

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

Policy & Political Social Work Simulation Lab SW742

Credits: 1
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: In this course, students will participate in a simulation in which they will take on the role of policymakers, policy advocates, and community stakeholders. Students will be assigned a role, will research their character, and will engage with the other participants as that character throughout the duration of the simulation. Students will engage with each other in person as well as utilize an online platform to develop coalitions and attempt to sway those with differing positions to their side. Simulation topics vary by semester. The class may be taken multiple times for credit as long as a different topic is selected.
Pathway Elective For: Policy & Political Social Work (Host), Social Work Practice with Older Adults and Families from a Lifespan Perspective

Attachment Theory in Clinical Practice through the Lifespan SW746

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

Families and Dementia SW791

Credits: 1
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)

MBCBT with Older Adults SW793

Credits: 1
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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