Trauma and Social Work Practice: Theory, Assessment and Intervention.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online or face-to-face). 3 credits. Prerequisites: SLWK 693 and 694 , or SLWK 695 , or SLWK 612 , each with minimum grade of C. Enrollment is restricted to students who have completed the first year of the Master of Social Work degree, students in the mental health certificate, or by permission of the program director. The course surveys the history of the development of trauma theory, as well as the neurobiology of trauma. The concept of resilience and its mechanisms will also be explored. Students will consider various forms of trauma, with particular emphasis on developmental and complex trauma and their long-term effects. Trauma diagnosis and comorbidity will be considered, including posttraumatic stress disorder, complex PTSD, and dissociative disorders. Social work’s strengths-based perspective will be heavily emphasized throughout. Treatment modalities, including mindfulness-based interventions, EMDR, prolonged exposure therapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, internal family systems therapy and narrative therapy. The critical importance of the therapeutic relationship in trauma treatment will be emphasized throughout the course, as will the importance of culturally competent practice.