Summer 2024 Online Electives

This undergraduate course will provide a foundational understanding of human biology with emphasis on the biological bases of behaviors and issues of concern to social workers. This course is designed to meet the human biology prerequisites for Master of Social Work students, and will cover the basics of human biology, including anatomical systems and structures, development from conception through aging and death, genetics, evolution, and biological and environmental interactions. The focus of the course is not only on biology but also on the critical analysis of the interplay between human biology and social issues. Discussions will cover the biological bases of phenomena, including addictions, mental illness, sexuality and aggression. Emphasis throughout the course also will be placed on biological processes related to trauma and stress.

Course Introduction - In this video, Elaine Hammond provides a summary of what the course covers.

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 aimed at developing the knowledge and skills necessary for working with individuals who have a diagnosis of serious mental illness using recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices. Students will learn to examine research literature to determine the various levels of support for specific interventions and essential principles for translating research into practice. In addition, they will identify the appropriate treatment outcomes that reflect effective, quality, mental health practice. Each evidence-based practice presented will also be examined for its utility with diverse groups.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course will provide an introduction of theoretical frameworks of trauma throughout the life span. An overview of types of trauma and the impacts of trauma on the individual, family and community will be examined. Information on treatment methods, clinical applications and evidence-based practices used to address and treat trauma will be provided.

This course is approved for CEUs.

Solution-focused practice has been widely used in the counseling, medical, education and business fields. This hybrid course will present the origin, principles, theory, research and application of solution-focused work through both online course material and classroom instruction. Students will develop the knowledge base to use this intervention approach in multiple settings. The differential application of solution-focused techniques based on assessment, treatment plans and ethical practice guidelines will be explored. A major emphasis will be placed on skill development and implementation. Participants will be expected to engage (both in class and online) in case discussions, experiential exercises, role plays and simulations that integrate theory with practice.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course provides a general introduction to the fields of abnormal psychology and clinical psychiatry.  Specifically, this course will acquaint students with the epidemiology, classification and etiology of the major forms of mental illness. It is the primary aim of this course to develop the student’s diagnostic skills in clinical settings. To that end, didactic emphasis will be placed not only on the study of psychopathological symptoms and behaviors, per se, but also on their manifestations in everyday life. Specific attention is paid to the ethical and social work value-related problems associated with diagnosing and labeling clients with a psychiatric disorder, and issues of race, ethnicity, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disabilities or illness, age and national origin as they influence the manifestations of behaviors that may be diagnosed as mental illness or affect the presentation of mental illness. Case studies and videos will be used to ensure that students have an effective working knowledge of: the biological and psychosocial bases of the major mental disorders; the behavioral symptomatology that characterizes them; and their classification according to the American Psychiatric Association system of classification of mental illness and the World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases. This course also addresses the role of social workers as advocates for people with mental disorders and as environmental change agents.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course will provide a dual focus on alcohol and other drug problems and the family, examining: the impact of alcohol and other drug problems on families, and assessment and intervention strategies appropriate for these family systems and their individual family members, including children and adults.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course will explore a variety of issues of concern to gay and lesbian communities and provide a foundation for social workers interested in working with lesbian, gay and bisexual people and with same-sex couples

This course provides a general introduction to the assessment and treatment of behavior problems of childhood and adolescence. The course will review classification and etiology of major mental health disorders within the contexts of normal and abnormal mental and emotional development of children and adolescents, and family, peer group, school and community. The ethical considerations related to the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with behavior disorders will be examined. The impact of trauma, family factors, culture and oppression on the development, naming and treatment of behavior disorders will be highlighted. Strategies employed to treat children, adolescents and their families will also be addressed.

This course is approved for CEUs.

This course will offer an in-depth exploration of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and essential concepts in trauma psychotherapies. Designed for students seeking to deepen their understanding beyond general brief counseling models, the course provides an examination of trauma-focused interventions, modalities, and delves specifically into the application of EMDR therapy in clinical practice. Individual clinician readiness, interest, and therapeutic fit will be explored.

This course is approved for CEUs.

Part 1 is a two-day training that will cover the Theoretical & Therapeutic Foundations of CBT as well as Evidence-Based CBT interventions for youth “internalizing” disorders including depression, suicide prevention, various anxiety disorders and trauma/PTSD. The Theoretical & Therapeutic Foundations component will include topics such as how to formulate a CBT Case Conceptualization, the art of Socratic Questioning and Cognitive Restructuring with youth, how to involve parents in the child’s treatment, and how to integrate more recent “Third Wave” CBT therapies such as DBT, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Positive Psychology and Polyvagal Theory & Therapy into an integrated treatment approach. Methods to involve parents in the youth’s treatment will be addressed. Attendees will have the opportunity for skill building through didactic instruction and various immersive learning opportunities such as role play and small group application of treatment skills.

This course is approved for CEUs.

Part 2 is a two-day training that will cover diagnosis specific, Evidence-Based CBT approaches for various “externalizing” child & adolescent disorders including Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Substance Use Disorders. The emphasis will be on teaching highly practical interventions clinicians can readily apply in their clinical practice with youth. Methods to involve parents in the youth’s treatment will be addressed. Attendees will have the opportunity for skill building through didactic instruction and various immersive learning opportunities such as role play and small group application of treatment skills.

This course is approved for CEUs.