Complex Trauma and Recovery

Catalog description

This online asynchronous course is an elective and designed to provide a framework for practice with individuals, families, organizations, and communities who are coping with trauma. The coursework presented will enhance the skills and knowledge base of all students and will be particularly useful to students interested in working with survivors of trauma. Trauma is surrounded by a complex set of issues that will be addressed, including treatment choices, sociocultural forces that shape care provision and coping, multicultural perspectives on trauma, psychosocial challenges and secondary stressors or vicarious trauma connected with this type of work. Social work skills vital to this work will be examined including psychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, supportive care, psychoeducation, cognitive behavioral and psychosocial interventions, advocacy, program development, and prevention/community organizing. Values and ethics in practice will be discussed as they relate to the role of social workers in a rapidly changing environment in which awareness of the short- and long-term effects of trauma is increasing. Students will become familiar with a range of theoretical perspectives on trauma and resilience that can help facilitate recovery. The course will include content on different approaches to trauma treatment, with an emphasis on developing proficiency in skills related to self-care, resource-building, stabilization, safety, and the development of the therapeutic relationship. Content on different strengths-based, client-centered therapeutic approaches and trauma-informed care with specific populations and content on single incident traumas will be included. Prerequisites: foundation courses.