Class Descriptions

Interpersonal Practice Interventions in Integrated Health, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse (Children, Youth, Transitional Youth, and Families)

SW603

Credits:	3
Prerequisites:	Foundation Essentials Required

Pathway Associations

Community Change
Global
Interpersonal Practice	Requirement (Host)
Mgmt & Leadership
Policy & Political
Program Evaluation
Older Adults
Children & Families	Elective

Course Description

This course will build on intervention approaches introduced in the essential courses and will promote more advanced engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation skills in work with children, youth, transitional age youth, and families. Special attention will be given to issues of diversity as it relates to building therapeutic relationships and intervening with children, youth, transitional age youth, and their families.

This course focuses on advanced skill building regarding core practice interventions (e.g. engagement, contracting, problem-solving, emotional regulation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, etc.) using specific brief, evidence-based and/or evidence-informed interventions including prevention, treatment and recovery as well as longer-term treatment and support for these children and youth as appropriate. Examples of practice interventions may include: behavioral/cognitive interventions, motivational interventions; resiliency based interventions, brief treatments for mental health and substance use problems, crisis intervention, parent management interventions, and group interventions. Intervention strategies will be analyzed in the context of delivering trauma-informed culturally responsive interventions.

Objectives

1. Demonstrate engagement strategies that are relevant to the practice setting (EPAS 1,6)
2. Utilize evidence-informed assessment procedures to identify appropriate intervention strategies
3. Develop person-centered treatment goals, objectives, and interventions. (EPAS 1, 7, 8)
4. Implement evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies (e.g. cognitive behavioral interventions, parent management training) that are compatible with child/adolescent and family or caretaker goals, needs, circumstances, culture, and values. (EPAS 1, 8, 2)
5. Develop trauma-informed intervention skills in working with children, adolescents and their families that are grounded in practice and research informed for effectiveness. (EPAS 1, 2, 3, 4, 8)
6. Monitor and evaluate interventions with regard to: effectiveness, sensitivity to diversity factors; impact of child/adolescent' and families' social identities on their experience of power and privilege; and appropriateness of the intervention to specific child/adolescent needs resulting from conditions (EPAS 1, 2, 8, 9)

Design

Class format will include lecture, discussion, case analysis, and peer-reviewed skill practice. Reflection and recorded assignments to evaluate students' ability to integrate knowledge into practice will be utilized.

Intensive Focus on Privilege, Oppression, Diversity and Social Justice (PODS)

This course integrates PODS content and skills with a special emphasis on the identification of theories, practice and/or policies that promote social justice, illuminate injustices and are consistent with scientific and professional knowledge. Through the use of a variety of instructional methods, this course will support students developing a vision of social justice, learn to recognize and reduce mechanisms that support oppression and injustice, work toward social justice processes, apply intersectionality and intercultural frameworks and strengthen critical consciousness, self-knowledge and self-awareness to facilitate PODS learning.

Actively practice to enhance social justice:
Adapt social justice vision for interpersonal practice utilizing person-centered and recovery-oriented practice methods. Intervention strategies used and skills developed will address cultural sensitivity and promote cultural humility.

Critical Contextual Thinking:
Students during the engagement, assessment, intervention and evaluation phases of work, how privilege, oppression, diversity and social justice impacts the processes in each phase of interpersonal practice based on the social and personal identities of themselves and clients. Selection of interventions and processes of change in work with children, youth, transitional age youth and families with complex needs will be analyzed using a social justice lens, especially as it relates to the pathways to care (e.g. access, resources) for this population.

Conflict, Dialogue and Community:
Students will utilize case consultation and review of potential strategies to develop an ability to critically dissect the advantages and disadvantages of practice methods and strategies relevant to the social and personal identities that are impacted by social justice goals. Develop strategies to engage in interprofessional teams with conflicting roles, responsibilities and ideas.

Critical Awareness, use of self, and strengthening strategies for resilience and generativity:
Personal reflection and personal evaluation of growth and areas to enhance relevant to the professional role in the prevention, intervention and termination processes.