SW 622A - Advanced Practice I: Community Mental Health: Individuals and Families

Units: 4
This is the first of two advanced practice courses required of students in the community mental health concentration. It imparts knowledge and skills for providing culturally responsive services to individuals and families, particularly minority and underserved populations in urban environments.

Prerequisites: M.S.W. major.
Possible Instructional Methods: Hybrid.
Grading: A-F grading only.
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Analyze and apply conceptual frameworks, including psychological theories, treatment models and ecological systems, strengths, consumer empowerment, and wellness and recovery perspectives to support mental health practice with individuals and families (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Analyze and apply research knowledge on evidence-based interventions to support your provision of mental health services to individuals and families (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Evaluate the mental health needs of diverse clients and apply appropriate interventions to support wellness and recovery (PLOs: Diversity; Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Develop mutually agreed upon treatment and evaluation plans in collaboration with the client based on a comprehensive and culturally sensitive assessment of the strengths, resources and cultural beliefs and values of the client and client’s family and community (PLO: Diversity).
Understand the importance of culturally competent interventions when serving diverse families and groups, including exploring the role diversity should have when planning best-practices for those affected by mental illness (PLO: Diversity).
Understand and apply family systems theory and group evidence-based practices, including brief strategic family therapy and cognitive behavioral treatment (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Understand the unique mental health needs of special populations, including children in out-of home placement, individuals with dual diagnoses, and those who have experienced trauma, homelessness, and victimization, and apply appropriate interventions for the prevention and resolution of these problems (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Understand the unique mental health needs of diverse families, including immigrant families, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender families, and multi-generational extended families and apply appropriate interventions with these populations (PLO: Critical Thinking/Applying Theory to Practice).
Understand the effects of stigma, discrimination, and oppression of persons with serious mental illnesses and advocate for removal of barriers to wellness and recovery (PLO: Advocacy).
Exercise “professional use of self” to engage and collaborate effectively in direct practice, including understanding one’s own personal values and biases and recognizing their impact on clients and address oppression and discrimination to promote the client’s well being (PLO: Professional Use of Self).
Understand, articulate, and integrate principles, values, and ethics of the social work profession into advanced mental health practice with individuals and families, targeting ethnic-specific and urban underserved populations (PLO: Values and Ethics).