Advanced Social Policy- Mental Health

Catalog description

Advanced Social Policy courses examine social problems from the perspective of their impact on individuals, families and communities, focusing on at-risk populations in the context of an urban environment. The course builds on the policy content offered in MSWPF-GS 2003 and links policy to practice and research skills that have been developed. Emphasis is placed on the link between social and economic justice and issues relating to diversity. This course focuses on mental health policies examining the historical context for the delivery of mental health services in the United States, the current policy landscape as it relates to health care reform and the role of funding in shaping services. Adopting a social determinants approach to health and mental health, the course will focus on issues of diversity, inequality, social and economic justice. The first part of the course is an examination of the policy making cycle, inclusive of social problem definition, policy formulation, implementation and critical analysis of policy. A detailed section on evaluation of policies as they affect societal structures, communities, agencies, clients and practitioners is then discussed. Finally, a major section of the course presents strategies for practitioners to influence policies and promote change at the client level, the agency level, the community level and the broader society.