Students will integrate contemporary practice models to develop a collaborative approach focused on client strengths, sensitive to cultural and gender diversity, and centered in interpersonal, situational, organizational, and social change. Students will acquire knowledge and skills to mobilize client groups toward social change, reshape organizations to empower rather than oppress clientele, to create opportunity structures through societal resource expansion, and to fashion a just and responsive community environment. 3 credits This course provides a comprehensive overview of the provision of mental health services in the United States as they are provided in mental health settings and in other health and human service settings. The course addresses definitions of mental health and mental illness, the effect of mental illness on diverse client systems, utilization and critical evaluation of the DSM IV, and the strengths model of case management in working with persons with severe and persistent mental illness. Mental health policy, the impact of managed care in mental health services, and advances in mental health research will be examined.
Registration is restricted to concentration year students.
The class will review the entire field of child welfare policy and practice, focusing on assessment and decision-making in child welfare from a strengths perspective and empowering families to provide nurturing and safe environments for their children. Registration is restricted to concentration year students. For each approach students will practice relevant assessment and intervention skills, screen for consistency with social work values and ethics, assess fit with an empowerment orientation, and evaluate sensitivity to cultural diversity. In doing this, issues related to human development, generally, and specific concerns and problems of the later years, including social policies as they affect the aged, will be examined. This course is designed to provide students with a social theoretical perspective on the aging process which will aid them in understanding and analyzing social policies and treatment programs for aging persons.