Clinical Practice in Mental Health

Catalog description

The purpose of this course is (1) to present the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (“DSM”) as a knowledge base for enhancing social workers’ understanding of individual biopsychosocial function and (2) to expand social workers’ ability to use the DSM-5 to work with at-risk populations across different settings and with various mental health professionals. Ethical dilemmas inherent in categorizing and labeling will be highlighted, along with concerns in using a homogenous system of diagnostic classes. Prerequisites: Students must have been admitted to the MSW program, completed all MSW foundation curriculum requirements, and be in good standing in the MSW program.