SWK 6111 / SWK 8111 Psychosocial Pathology

Abstract

COURSE DESCRIPTION ¶Psychosocial pathology, is a required course for second year advance clinical practice with individual and families majors, it introduces students to content on the assessment and classification of human behavior that often requires social work intervention. This course expands the knowledge learned in Foundations of Social Work Practice and Human Behavior in the Social Environment. ¶It is a continuation of the human behavior sequence which includes HBSE I&II with a focus on “normative” development and this course, with a focus on the distinctions between what is commonly thought to be abnormal and that which is clinically understood as abnormal. This course examines signs, symptoms and complexity of mental health diagnostic categories. Students learn to examine mental health concerns of diverse social, racial, ethnic and social class groups with special emphasis on those who have historically been devalued and oppressed. ¶The initial identification of individuals, whose symptoms and level of functioning indicate that they have a psychologically and/or sociologically based disorder, is often a social work function. Therefore, social workers need to understand how to use the DSM 5 and the ICD 10. The under-pinning of use of these manuals is accurately assessing the behavior and competency functioning of clients to expedite referrals, provide concurrent treatment and provide information to other involved mental health disciplines.