Illness and Family Caregiving

Catalog description

This course focuses on social work practice in medicine and the relationships between physical health, social environments, and psychosocial functioning. Student learning will be grounded in the biopsychosocial-spiritual model, and will address a number of domains, including the impact of illness on families over the life course, the impact of a diagnosis on family functioning, medical decision making, coping, health beliefs and spirituality, culture and social class. Classroom content will include conceptualization of illness challenges from the presentation/prevention of symptoms to the end of life, in addition to writing case material, building self-awareness and identifying clinical interface issues, and the compilation of a "clinician's toolbox" for direct practice on the front lines. Activities will include the unique opportunity to participate in hands-on, interdisciplinary training at the Simulation Center in the School of Nursing.