Summer 2023 Seated and Hybrid Electives

This course is organized primarily as a seminar that will highlight motivational interviewing approaches to help clients build commitment and reach a decision to change behavior. This course provides a forum for case presentation and discussion with an emphasis on discussing cases from students' field placements or practice settings. Theories of behavioral change will be discussed, and the transtheoretical model of intentional behavior change will be highlighted as an integrative framework for understanding the process of behavior change.

Motivational interviewing is an evidence-based practice for addictive behaviors, but applications have been extended to behavioral change in general, including social work, mental health, health promotion, general medical care, corrections, and community and organizational settings. In addition, the course will discuss motivational interviewing's application to practice with “mandated” clients.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course is designed to provide the student with an overview of social work practice in public schools. Students will examine the history of school social work, state and federal education laws, educational issues and policies, conceptual frameworks (such as the ecological approach), and service delivery models. Evidence-based programs, interventions and practices will be highlighted, in particular those that optimize the student's potential for growth and learning. The course is intended to develop the student's awareness and understanding of the unique role that the school social worker has and how it impacts the lives of children, families, school staff and communities.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This is a skill focused course on how to assess and respond to adults with psychiatric emergencies where there is a risk of lethality (suicidal/homicidal/self-harm). It will include identification of high risk factors and how to conduct lethality assessments for individuals, including those who are diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness and/or under the influence of substances. Participants will learn the levels of lethality; how to use lethality assessment tools and rating scales; how to complete documentation of services which reflect clinical assessments in accordance with the most current evidence and best practices; how to create an intervention plan for identified lethality, and when it is appropriate in professional social work practice to break confidentiality based on a current lethality assessment.

In this interprofessional course, students work alongside students from other health professions at community-based clinics and other settings working toward racial equity in the delivery of basic health care services. Students may be working with students from other university schools or departments to conduct assessments, provide psychosocial information, coordinate services and advocate for the community. Students will use social work skills learned in classroom and field education, including a trauma-informed and human rights lens, to assess the macro forces that impact health and health care in economically challenged neighborhoods.

This program will provide in-depth training in evidence based treatments for youth experiencing depression, suicidal ideation/urges, anxiety and trauma. Whether your young client is struggling with depression, suicidal urges, anxiety or the effects of trauma, these youth friendly tools will help your client learn essential skills to manage and build a healthy life. 

Through the use of structured therapeutic activities, client handouts and worksheets attendees will learn how to implement a variety of interventions with youth such as: CBT case conceptualization; mindfulness practices; non-judgmental self-awareness & mood monitoring; behavioral activation; cognitive processing & restructuring; imagino & and in-vivo exposure therapy; distress tolerance; social skills training; prolonged exposure; trauma narrative; suicide risk assessment and safety planning; behavioral chain analysis, how to quell Autonomic Nervous System arousal; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as Positive Psychology interventions such as “what went well today”, gratitude & self-compassion and many more.

This training will provide a valuable set of clinical tools to complement traditional CBT interventions and enhance your clinical competency with youth.