Diagnosis & Assessment in Clinical Practice

Catalog description

This course is designed to assist in the development of skills related to the diagnosis and assessment of psychopathology. Issues related to the etiology of psychopathology and the historical construction and development of diagnostic categories will be assessed. Special emphasis will be placed on the exploration, understanding and critical analysis of the nature and diagnosis of psychopathology and the integration of the DSM-IV-TR into clinical social work practice. While students will develop skills in the ethical use of the DSM-IV-TR in their practice, they will at the same time critically analyze the nature of clinical diagnosis as it relates to issues of gender, culture, age, sexual orientation, political power and socioeconomic status. Ethical issues to the integration of the DSM-IV-TR will be explored and the relationship between psychiatry and social work will be analyzed. Students will be challenged develop solutions to the paradigmatic and ethical dilemmas associated with the use.