Electives (MSWEL-GS)

This course familiarizes social work students with the justice systems that govern the lives of many of our clients, specifically the child welfare, juvenile justice, and criminal justice systems - with flexibility based on the interests of the students. The intent of this course is to help social workers understand the law and legal systems in order to be more effective practitioners, clinicians and advocates. It will provide students with information on the legal rights of individuals, confidentiality, pertinent laws, and legal processes, as now more than ever, social workers are needed to help improve our justice systems. Social justice learning and growth will play a role throughout each class, and students will gain both practical and clinical skills to enhance their ability to support and to advocate for their future clients, including legal writing, forensic interviewing, assessments, advocacy, and testifying. Through role plays, group activities, case discussions, and a mock trial, students will understand the professional dynamic between lawyers and social workers, including their differing views and ethical systems, as well as how to collaborate to ensure best outcomes for clients in court.

This course helps students to develop the knowledge and skills essential to working with children in a variety of settings. Drawing on contemporary theories of child development and research, the course focuses on assessment; goal setting; the use of individual, family, and group modalities; interventive principles and techniques; advocacy; and mobilization of resources. The impact of poverty and oppression is emphasized. Special consideration is given to students' case presentations and child welfare case vignettes.

Students may engage in individual study in selected curriculum areas under special circumstances. The independent work is approved if the student furnishes evidence of mastery of the basic content in the social work area selected. The work done by the student in this course is carried out with the guidance of a member of the full-time faculty.

Students may engage in individual study in selected curriculum areas under special circumstances. The independent work is approved if the student furnishes evidence of mastery of the basic content in the social work area selected. The work done by the student in this course is carried out with the guidance of a member of the full-time faculty.

This course focuses on assessment of and intervention with substance abusers and their families. It prepares students with the skills essential to a range of social work roles and practice modalities that can be used with this population. Stereotyped attitudes toward substance abusers are discussed. Special issues related to women, youth, the homeless, and dually diagnosed mentally ill/substance abusing populations are explored. Selected social policy and service delivery issues and research findings are considered.

This course provides students with the specialized knowledge and skills needed for practice in the field of child welfare. Course content includes an overview of relevant historical, legal, developmental, research, and policy issues. Within this framework, a range of social work services to children and families is examined from a practice perspective.

This course examines the principles and techniques of couple intervention from a variety of theoretical frameworks. Intervention with traditional and nontraditional forms of couple relationships is considered in the light of the differing nature of clients' presenting problems, diversity, and the agency setting. The interventive process is examined in depth.

The works of several theorists from both the object relations and ego psychology schools are studied. Theorists such as Jacobson, Hartmann, Klein, Fairbairn, Guntrip, and Winnicott are covered.

This course considers the value base and theoretical and research underpinnings of cognitive and behavior intervention and the use and integration of these models within a biopsychosocial perspective. Practice principles and techniques that can be used in work with a variety of client problems are examined along with ethical issues.

This elective course offers students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge about traumatic events and life stressors that impact children/adolescents and their families. A bio-psycho-social perspective with emphasis on attachment and emotional regulation is used to prepare students to work with trauma in the context of their family, school, social and support systems Children’s/adolescent’s coping mechanisms and resiliency are examined, particularly related to children exposed to multiple and severe life stressors. Evidence-based models of treatment and prevention involving the child, family and community will be discussed. Trauma scenarios studied will include but are not limited to: community and family violence and neglect and stressors such as poverty, interpersonal violence, bullying, systemic and historical trauma, illness and loss.

after considering the role of societal attitudes that are crucial in understanding the prevalence of sexual abuse, the course focuses on helping students to understand the special needs of both female and male adult survivors of sexual abuse and violence. It explores the stigma attached to victims of incest and rape. It prepares students to recognize the presence and to explore the history of sexual abuse, and it equips them with the skills essential to the use of the individual, family, and group intervention with this population. Current controversies (e.g., regarding the law, the press, and sexism) are addressed.

In the U.S., a woman is battered by her partner, lover, or husband every nine seconds. Yet, clinicians and advocates are often unprepared for the unique challenges posed by working with survivors of intimate abuse. Drawing on clinical and policy traditions, this course will teach you the skills you need to address the complex practice and legal issues these clients face. You will learn how victims of domestic violence survive the trauma experience and how your clinical and advocacy work with battered women can be used to change how the legal system responds to them. The course content focuses on the needs, interests, clinical, and policy concerns of survivors of intimate abuse, batterers, children who witness domestic violence, and on communities of color.

This course is a practice elective which focuses on social work practice within secondary schools (junior and senior high schools) as well as the normative developmental tasks and concerns/problems of early, middle, and late adolescents within school settings. The course will provide an overview of a wide range of social work roles, program models, modalities, and interventive strategies within schools. Attention will be given to a variety of social work roles including, clinical practice with adolescents, parents, families, and groups; consultation and collaboration with interdisciplinary staff within schools and neighboring communities; as well as prevention, program development, and organizational/systems work within schools. Specific areas of focus will include: academic and learning problems, special education, depression and suicidality, acting-out behaviors, issues related to health and sexuality, bullying, violence prevention/intervention, and substance use/abuse.advocacy, and mediation are emphasized. The course addresses current urban issues that influence school practice such as violence, homelessness, AIDS, substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, diversity, and cross-cultural communication.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of conflict resolution with an emphasis on social work applications. Students will learn the communication skills necessary for conflict resolution processes. Topics covered will include neutrality skills, causes of conflict, intervention strategies, differential use of the conflict resolution process. Practical skills in mediation, negotiation and conciliation will be covered. Multi-party conflict resolution and application of conflict resolution skills to organizational practice will be touched on. Uses of mediation in divorce and custody cases will be reviewed.

This course will offer students an introduction to social work practice with children and their families and will acquaint students with the diversity of family composition, family rules and family roles in the 2000's. Students will learn about conventional nuclear family composition, the single-parent home, foster and adoptive homes, homes where children and parents are cross-racial dyads and triads, and homes where lesbian or gay partners are engaged in rearing a natural-born and/or an adopted child. Engaging such families from diverse racial, ethnic, economic, religious and cultural backgrounds will be a major focus in this course, in order to promote students? Current Issues in Contemporary Family Life.

This course will introduce the student to the signs and affects related to grief, loss and bereavement. Each will be defined, described, and presented in how it appears in latent or manifest form. The overall objective of this course is to help students understand acknowledged and unacknowledged grief and/or depression and the effects of significant losses in life. The process of mourning will be illustrated with case vignettes and presented with focus on the life cycle and examined in accord with particular developmental issues per age and stage of life.

The overall objective of this course is to look at attachment in infancy and early childhood in a contemporary cultural context. Various theories and relevant research are reviewed from a critical perspective. The dialectic between attachment and separation will be explored. Attachment is viewed in the context of an expanding environment with consideration of multiple caretakers, multiple social roles, and diversity of family life and parenting roles.

FORMERLY TITLED CONTEMPORARY GLBT ISSUES. This course aims to prepare students for competency in micro and macro practice with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people by providing a deeper understanding of the history and construction of sexual and gender minority identities and communities around the world. It will also examine the experience of minority stress by members of these populations, including sources of stress as well as sources of support in families and communities. Intersectionality, social and economic justice, and a global perspective will provide a framework for understanding these issues.

This course provides students with an opportunity to develop engagement, assessment and intervention skills in individual, family, and group work with urban youth (aged 11-21). TThis course provides students with an opportunity to develop engagement, assessment and intervention skills in individual, family, and group work with urban youth (aged 11-21). The course will focus on practice within a wide range of government and agency-based settings, including: prevention, school, mental health, foster care, criminal justice and residential programs. Attention will be given to the development of skills that foster interdisciplinary collaboration within and between urban systems of care. There will be a focus on understanding the ways in which racism and other forms of oppression can impact both adolescent development and social service delivery systems.

Social work clinicians play a key role in a new approach to criminal justice: therapeutic jurisprudence. Students will become familiar with traditional court approaches in a variety of cases and how the presence of the social work professional in the courtroom results in case resolutions that are more meaningful for the court, for the community and for the defendant. Participants will become familiar with court papers and presenting clinical recommendations in court. The goals of the judge, the prosecution and the defense in both the traditional and therapeutic/problem-solving courts will be discussed. The course concludes with an overview of therapeutic courts nationally and internationally.

Fundamental principles of art therapy practice will be presented through discussions and case presentations. Students learn the historical development of the profession, its distinction from other disciplines and its commonalities to social sciences. Basic pictorial analyses examine artistic processes and products. Students study the artistic expression across the developmental span. Clinical applications for populations struggling with varied psychological and physiological issues are offered. Each class includes experiential art making to demonstrate interventions.

This course is aimed at developing the knowledge and skills necessary for working with individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness using recovery-oriented, evidence-based practices. It is designed for MSW students and MSW mental health practitioners. Students will become familiar with evidence-based practices, within a recovery-oriented paradigm, as a general approach to practice as well as specific evidence-based interventions to use for individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness. It is assumed that students will have a basic knowledge of serious mental illness as a pre- or co-requisite, however a review will be provided. Students will learn to examine research literature to determine the various levels of support for specific interventions and essential principles for translating research into practice. In addition, they will identify the appropriate treatment outcomes that reflect effective, quality mental health practice. Each evidence-based practice presented will also be examined for its utility with diverse groups. Providing assessment and treatment to a diverse group of individuals with a diagnosis of serious mental illness is the focus of this course and will be discussed in detail.

This practice elective is designed to help students address the special needs and problems faced by immigrant and refugee clients and communities, and to develop culturally competent knowledge, skills, and values that will improve delivery of culturally sensitive and culturally responsive services for refugees and displaced persons, both domestically and internationally. This course will examine social work practice in relation to major themes, including the refugee experience; the impact of relocation on individuals, families and communities; and the psychological ramifications of war trauma. This practice elective is designed to help students address the special needs and problems faced by immigrant and refugee clients and communities, and to develop culturally competent knowledge, skills, and values that will improve delivery of culturally sensitive and culturally responsive services for refugees and displaced persons, both domestically and internationally. This course will examine social work practice in relation to major themes, including the refugee experience; the impact of relocation on individuals, families and communities; the psychological ramifications of war trauma and torture; and the phenomenon of human trafficking. Interventions with individuals, families, and communities will be explored across cultures with particularly vulnerable populations. The course will provide an overview of such issues as loss and mourning for homeland; adaptation and coping with a new culture; cross-cultural and inter-ethnic group conflicts; resettlement and family reunification issues; and a range of world view perspectives including acculturation and assimilation, biculturalism, marginality, and traditional ethnic identities. The course will emphasize the advocacy and empowerment roles of social workers when addressing U.S. social policies towards immigrants in the wake of 9/11, and in fighting against anti-immigrant policies, sanctions, and discriminatory practices.

Course description coming soon.

This course provides an introduction to theoretical frameworks and practice of clinical social work interventions with older adults and their families. It is designed to familiarize students with the biological, psychological and social aspects of the aging process. Emphasis is placed on understanding late-life problems and mental disorders, on developing skills in diagnostic assessment, and on formulating and implementing treatment plans. Students are expected to develop proficiency with the core competencies in geriatric social work, including the provision of comprehensive assessment and intervention skills.

This course will cover the application of creative arts therapy theory and practice within a social work framework. The class will focus primarily on the field of art therapy, but will also include some exposure, through guest lecturers, to other non-verbal creative arts modalities such as: music therapy, drama therapy, and movement/dance therapy. The class is designed to include a substantial amount of hands-on artmaking and role-play to provide students with practical tools for incorporating the arts into practice with a variety of populations. The course will utilize case material from students’ field work when appropriate to illustrate how to design effective art therapy interventions. The following populations and topics will be covered as they relate to art and therapy interventions: client engagement; treatment planning; developmental stages of drawing, work with children, adolescents, adults and families; trauma; relational abuse; cultural sensitivity, and the unique counter-transference issues of non-verbal therapies.

Community organizing and community social work have historically been and continue to be an essential part of social work. Community organizing is rooted in the values of the social work profession and provides a practical framework for movements toward social and economic justice at a community level. Community organizing can be seen as one tool to redress imbalances between individual and communities experiencing oppression, and structures, institutions and people administering power over them. Essential to the success of community organizing is an understanding and ongoing practice of intersectionality, self reflection, and authentic listening - all of which will be central themes of this course. This elective will offer the student an overview of how methods of community organizing accomplish goals that are relevant to social workers, how to develop a personal narrative and practice for community work, as well as opportunities to practice the skills and strategies of community organizing in the real world. The course is divided into four sections: (1) History: Movements, Power, and Organizing; (2) Self: Personal Narrative, Reflection, & Organizing Practice; (3) Community: Social Services & Community Organizing; (4) Practice: Organizing in Action.

This course will introduce students to the foundations of clinical work with children focusing on the history and development of child therapy, including working with parents, therapy techniques and the therapeutic process. The course will heighten the student's sensitivity to the experiential world of the child.

This course will take a critical-analysis approach to considering the contributions and often excessive claims of selected theories of psychotherapy, with a focus on evidence-based theories. We will rely heavily on microanalysis of videoed clinical interviews as well as readings in the research and scholarly literature to evaluate each theory. By considering how the client’s problem, which is addressed in a video from one theoretical framework, can be approached through a multi-theoretical lens, we will work towards achieving an integrative clinical perspective.

This intensive course will critically examine selected recent developments and controversies over how depressive disorder and pathological grief are defined, diagnosed, and treated. The emphasis will be on evidence-based practice. Videos will be used wherever possible to learn and critique specific clinical approaches. We will also examine the changes to the diagnosis of mood disorders and grief disorders in DSM-5 and the upcoming DSM-5-TR, and the intense debates that swirled around these diagnostic changes. Readings will draw on both the empirical-research and conceptual-theoretical literatures. Theories to be considered tentatively include Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Evolutionary Psychological Approaches, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Behavioral Analysis, Acceptance and Commitment/Mindfulness Therapy, Brief Psychodynamic Therapy, and Complicated Grief Treatment. The format is combined lecture/seminar.

How are globalization processes affecting the lives of people in the world? The course examines the movement of people, commodities, and capital and the ways in which these processes are changing economies and cultures. The course will cover aspects of transnationalism and migration, production, distribution and consumption practices in global perspective, the formation of new identities and the construction of minorities, gender dynamics and the pursuit of human rights. We will adopt a multidisciplinary perspective to examine the relations between economy, society and culture. The focus will be on understanding the generation of inequalities (poverty, wealth, luxury, and marginalization) in globalization.

The demands and opportunities for social workers today require that they be knowledgeable about management practice and organizational issues whether in a solo practice, in a supervisory position, as a direct line service provider, or as a social entrepreneur. The interrelated aims of this course are to: 1) survey selected management and organization theories and approaches; 2) demonstrate how clinical knowledge and skills can be adapted for management and organizational practice; 3) demonstrate how social media can be effectively used to advance organizational goals; 4) demonstrate the ways that anthropological, sociological, and humanistic mind-sets and methods apply to understanding organizations; 5) introduce learners to key organizational factors such as organizational culture, mission, ethics, employee relations, financing, innovation, accountability, and fund raising. In addition to the opportunity to develop a social media project for an organization, the course offers the opportunity to engage in a hands-on class project similar to what consultants might do.

This intensive "advanced topics" course, to be given at the NYU Paris site in June 2012, will critically examine selected recent controversies over the boundary between normality and mental disorder in the areas of depression, bereavement, and sexuality, with attention to international perspectives. Readings will draw on both the empirical-research and conceptual literatures. Guest lecturers may include French theorists and clinicians. We will also consider evidence-based approaches to treatment of depression. Emphasis will be on issues that are part of the debate over how diagnosis should be revised in DSM-5. The format is combined lecture/seminar. Reading and other assignments will be provided before the first class so that students can read ahead, due to the intensive nature of the course. Assignments include a reading log and final paper due after the course is over. The course will be graded pass/fail.

In this course, students will be an active part of an ongoing research study that includes implementing interactive workshops and leading focus and discussion groups on women's health and resilience, reproductive health, domestic violence, and community economic development, among other issues. Students will be trained to work with local residents, conduct qualitative interviews, collect data, lead discussion groups using a curriculum, and fully engage with the community. Students will acquire basic knowledge and skills for conducting community evaluations and community needs assessments using community-based participatory action and collaborative ethnographic techniques. The first two weeks of the course will be classroom-based and dedicated to learning a curriculum focused on qualitative data collection in multiple forms, facilitation, and community engagement. Then the class will travel to the Philippines, where they will be grouped into teams with locals, using a participant-observer strategy to gain intimate familiarity with people in their natural environment. The final sessions will include students and community members in an analysis and goal priority setting process. Other strategies involved will be writing field notes, conducting one-on-one interviews, and qualitative data analysis.

This course examines historical and contemporary understanding of contemplative practices and potential effectiveness with social work students, clinicians, and their respective client populations. Students will explore, compare and contrast Eastern and Western worldviews to gain a better understanding of the impact of mindfulness practices. The outcomes of neurological and psychophysiological studies demonstrate the relationship of mind-body connection. These empirical findings show mindfulness based practices increase level of self-awareness, clinical attunement and level of self-care to cope with emotional exhaustion, vicarious trauma and burn out. This class includes an integration of western empirical knowledge and practice wisdom of the east (i.e., breathing exercises, meditation, body scan, and eastern meridian and Qi Gong exercises). Course only offered to 2nd year students.

Description: This course will prepare MSW students for trauma-informed evidence-based practice by enhancing students' empathic understanding of trauma from the child's perspective and how trauma influences the child's life. The course focus is on the impact of trauma on the child and family provides a foundation for assessment, crisis intervention, and intervention. The curriculum is based on twelve guiding core concepts developed about trauma and utilizes a problem-based learning approach, in which in-depth case studies about the impact of trauma are presented so that students experience "real" cases as they actually unfold in practice. The cases focus on children and adolescents, aged 18 months to 17 years, from a variety of ethnic and racial groups representing urban, suburban and rural environments and illustrate a number of different trauma types, including interpersonal trauma such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and witness to both stranger and domestic violence. The Problem-Based Learning approach used in this course involves students in active, collaborative, team-oriented self-directed learning.

This course integrates up-to-date research, practice, and policy knowledge on individuals transitioning to adulthood from historically marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth, racial and ethnic minority youth, immigrant and refugee youth). The course will include class sessions on both research and evidence-based practice approaches to work effectively with youth in transition to improve their overall health and well being, while also discussing the policy landscape related to current issues facing these young people. Specific topics that will be addressed include a) understanding and critiquing theories of young adult development, b) strategies for engaging young adults in mental health and social services, c) social work practice approaches with specific populations of youth and young adults including those in out-of-home care, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and immigrant and refugee youth, and d) the impact of various social policies on young adult access to and use of services, and overall development.

This course introduces students to the history and current status of homelessness in the U.S. and abroad focusing on research, practice and policy implications. The course will address the following topics: 1) history and causes of the homeless ‘epidemic’; 2) the homeless ‘industry’ as understood through the lens of organizational and institutional theories; 3) the rise of Housing First as paradigm shift and the systems changes that have ensued; 3) specific populations including homeless families, youths, and the chronic homeless; 4) best practices in outreach and engagement with homeless persons; 5) homeless policies and drivers of change (legal, advocacy, research); 6) research on homelessness and homeless services in the U.S. and other countries.

As the profession of social work expands globally, its role in health and social welfare can be informed by the contributions of anthropology. Medical anthropology in particular highlights the importance of cultural, social and structural factors in health and illness. The field embraces micro-perspectives relevant to social work practice (patient explanatory models, structural competence, bio-cultural and intersectional identities in gender, race, sexuality). It also includes structural critiques relevant to global health and social policy (social suffering, bio-power, structural violence and capabilities theory). This course will introduce students to anthropological perspectives and their application to global problems such as human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, mass violence and mental disorders. Emphasis will be placed on the synergy between global social work and medical anthropology.

This elective course is intended to provide social work graduate students with specialized knowledge to deliver informed, culturally competent, and ethical clinical social work services to current U.S. military service members and Veterans. This course will help student intervene to meet the mental health and psychosocial needs of this growing population. The course utilizes research data, case examples, and Veteran first-hand accounts such as documentary film and fiction, to illustrate the range of experiences and psychosocial reactions to war-zone deployment, homecoming, and military sexual trauma. Emphasis is given primarily to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, but the course also attends to diverse populations and Veterans from other war eras and peacetime. Focus is paid to the role military culture can play as protective and risk factors, and to the clinical implications of service members’ concerns about stigma. The course highlights ethics and ethical dilemmas of providing social work within the military sector.

There are more the 2 million people incarcerated today in the United States, and there are over 7 million people under the surveillance mechanisms of parole, probation, and other forms of community supervision. Women are the fastest growing prison population, and over 2 million children have a parent in prison. Some have aptly titled the constellation of problems associated with this period “mass incarceration,” a period which has also greatly exacerbated the challenges facing social workers in their pursuit of social justice. This course provides a critical historical analysis of the criminal justice system in the United States. It examines the implications of varying criminal justice and social policies such as the Rockefeller Drug Laws, 3-Strike Legislation, and Mandatory Minimums and their legacy vis a vis the current state of incarceration, as well as the phenomenon of “recidivism.” The course is intended to facilitate a more informed/holistic practice for MSW students working directly or indirectly within the varying intersections of criminal justice and social work practice and, by extension, advocacy and policy.

A high percentage of clients in outpatient treatment and a higher percentage of patients of inpatient hospitals report histories of trauma including neglect, abuse and/or attachment failure. In addition to being diagnosed with PTSD, this client population often presents as affectively dysregulated, chronically depressed, exhibiting symptoms of bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder or personality disorders. This course will help the students understand the symptoms, issues and neurological basis of traumatization and how to work with patients in an effective way. This course will introduce students to a wide variety of modalities to trauma treatment and interventions including safely exploring trauma- related somatic activation, mindfulness for symptom reduction, emotional processing, body- oriented therapy, cognitive behavior therapy (including cognitive restructuring), and art and creative therapies.

A key premise of the course is that leadership requires helping communities and organizations make the adaptations needed to thrive and survive in rapidly changing contexts. Effective management must be deployed to preserve successful institutional behaviors whereas leadership is needed to ensure that practices no longer serving organizational or community interests are discarded and that new innovations are pursued to generate greater impact. However, such adaptive work can be extremely challenging when longstanding practices are hardwired into the DNA of organizations through years and even decades of practice. In this context, the work of leadership is about accompanying people through the realities and losses of necessary change while opening them up to the promise of the future. The course will introduce students to a set of tools and strategies for effectively bringing about that change within organizations and communities, without getting sidelined in the process.

This course is a global learning experience taught at NYU that is part of Half of the students participating in the course will be NYU students, and the other half will be German social work students enrolled at HSRM an ongoing collaboration between NYU Silver and RheinMain University of Applied Science (HSRM), Wiesbaden, Germany. Half of the students participating in the course will be NYU Silver students, and the other half will be German social work students enrolled at HSRM. The course uses a cross-national and cross-cultural approach to examine the patterns of migration and immigration to the USA and Germany, the experiences of migrants, and how migration is differentially understood in these two countries. Fraser's Status Model of Recognition will be introduced as a theoretical framework for understanding migration discourses. Students will also learn how to use the research method of Photovoice to learn how views and narratives about the self and the other are constructed in social contexts. Students will reflect on the way meaning and constructions of difference, which are implicit in migration discourse, are connected to one's local biographical experiences and standpoint. The course will include several excursions to important New York City sites having to do with immigration.​

Advocacy and the pursuit of social justice have long been core values of the social work profession. The NASW's Code of Ethics stipulates that social workers challenge social injustice as one of its six Ethical Principles. Advocacy, as a set of actions taken to achieve social justice for individuals, communities or systems, is a professional mandate and the cornerstone upon which social work is built. This course seeks to prepare students to engage in advocacy practice oriented towards social justice. Students will receive an overview of the historical roots of advocacy in the social work profession and the role of structural racism, oppression, and marginalization in contemporary social injustices. Students will also learn how to apply Hoefer's (2016) Unified Model of Advocacy Practice in their work with clients or communities.

This elective course will be taught at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. The course takes a cross-cultural and cross-national approach to mental health, mental health services, and policy in the United Kingdom and the United States. Informed by the social determinants of health framework, the course will focus on how mental health relates to issues of social and economic justice. The first part of the course will compare and contrast the approach to social welfare in these two countries with a particular focus on the differing health care systems. Differences and similarities with regard to government role, funding and role of social workers will be explored. The second part of the course will present understandings of mental health within the global context, the social determinants of mental health, and mental health reform in the UK and the US. We will focus on the promotion of integrated health care and mental health recovery in the two countries and their influence on practice and policy. The course will conclude with a discussion of social inclusion, comparing its meaning in US and the UK, and presenting innovative developments in the field aimed at including people with lived experience of mental illnesses in all aspects of society.

This course examines a broad range of theories and contemporary issues in aging that relate to social work practice with older adults and their families. Domains of inquiry include biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives of aging and older adults. There is a critical examination of the social constructions of old age, social work values and ethics, and social work practice within an aging society at the individual, community, and institutional level. Specific consideration is given to heterogeneity of the older adult and aging population in the areas of age, gender, race and ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religious, physical or mental disability, and national origin. Additionally, the diversity of experiences, activities, roles, and responsibilities of older adults are evaluated as they related to aging theories and issues such as productive aging, intergenerational relationships, and cultural norms. Social and economic justice, evidence-based practice, and capacity building are highlighted throughout the course. Students will participate in community/applied learning projects as an integral part of this course. Professional communication skills will be practiced. Throughout the course, we will discuss how to apply the tenants of evidence-based practice and prevention to the theories and issues that impact aging.

This course focuses on preparation for working with those who have chronic and life-limiting illnesses as well as their families and support systems. Students will examine the nature of what it means to live with or care for someone with a chronic or life-limiting illness; learn about major theories of chronic illness experience and caregiving; and acquire understanding about the impact of multiple illness and disease trajectories on clinical practice. They will gain confidence and skills in assessment and intervention across a variety of conditions and settings, and in critically analyzing their own experience with illness and suffering as it relates to what feeds and informs their work.

This course will focus on clients who have been affected by a wide scope of traumatic events, ranging from interpersonal violence and sexual abuse to single event individual, family, group and community traumas such as school and workplace violence to national and international disasters. Students will learn evidenced-based practice models of trauma as will as issues related to secondary and shared trauma experienced by service providers.​

The Advanced Diversity, Racism, Oppression, and Privilege for Social Work Practice elective aims to shift the clinical focus away from dominant mental health paradigms and toward a multicultural praxis base that is inclusive and reflective of the diversity of valued health and well-being outcomes across cultures, peoples and communities. The curriculum is informed by a multi-disciplinary foundation of critical theories, an understanding of the significance of intersectionality and identity in context, integration of systems and strengths perspectives, and active anti-oppressive practice. Opportunities to integrate learning into practice will include case presentations, practice reflections, and peer collaboration.

This course provides an overview and critical perspectives on digital practices for social justice advocacy, and hands-on experience with a variety of modes, methods, and applications. The course itself is designed with principles of digital pedagogies so that students have the opportunity to learn by using many of the tools now available that have potential for advocacy practice. The emphasis is social justice advocacy, community support and development, group building, communication, and client support. The course is informed by a critical perspective on digital platforms, which means that both the affordances and constraints of the platforms will be under observation. In addition two learning to recognize fake news and conspiracy mongering sites, student teams will be assigned to investigate the auspices and business models of the platforms we use and consult.

Social work profession and practice have presented a significant progress in China in the last decade. China has adopted social work as a means of sustaining economic development and actualizing a “harmonious society.” Given that social work practice skills (clinical and community) have been used in a different context, the focus of the course is to learn the different practice models, approaches and perspectives in China, and investigate how local practice can help promote human well-being and social development. It is expected that students would be able to develop a critical and analytical understanding of cross-cultural practice.

This course aims to provide a basic understanding of the complexity of research on emotions since Darwin's seminal work, and to provide practical and clinical knowledge and experience in two prevalent and different therapy techniques that focus on emotions. Theory, study and experience of emotions will first be examined generally and then through the clinical and theoretical underpinnings of Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy (AEDP) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). The course will provide an overview of these therapy techniques specifically concentrating on the way they view and utilize emotions in the work with clients. In class we will ask and try to answer: What are emotions? Are there basic and universal emotions? Why and how are emotions wired into our mind and body? What is the connection between emotions and attachment? What happens when we don't allow our emotions to be felt? What are pathologies that are connected with emotion suppression and regulation/dysregulation, and how do DBT and AEDP suggest to treat them? This class will also have an experiential component allowing students to practice skills teaching and watching videos of real sessions utilizing these techniques.

This three-credit elective examines the Human-Animal Bond (HAB) and its importance to client and community health. HAB is a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals and the environment. Veterinary Social Work is an area of social work practice that attends to the human needs that arise in the intersection of veterinary medicine and social work. Current issues in Veterinary Social Work will be discussed, including HAB in disaster relief, homelessness, and domestic violence, animal-assisted therapy, and grief counseling for pet Loss. Attention will be given to the importance of advocacy and promoting change in existing policies to incorporate the human-animal bond.

This course introduces students to theories, assessments and interventions specific to working with athletes on and off the playing field. The course examines the roles and functions of sport clinical social workers with athletes in areas of mental health and well- being, advocacy, and interdisciplinary consultation through the lens of intersectionality and anti-oppression perspectives. Diversity and social justice issues such as racism, sexism, ableism, classism, exploitation, and equity are explored. Students will examine current research and best practices including biopsychosocial factors, risks, and barriers that athletes face for overall mental health and well-being. Case examples, group discussion, interactive role play, and lecture methods are utilized to enhance student learning.

This course facilitates students' acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to effectively use 12 common trauma-informed practice elements in interventions for and the treatment of traumatized children and their families. The course conceptualizes a trajectory of intervention that considers the impact of trauma, intervention objectives, and the practice elements needed to facilitate the intervention objectives. This course is taught using an inquiry-based learning (IBL) pedagogy to enhance students' engagement and learning using full-length cases to exemplify a range of different clients a clinician might encounter. The course uses discussion and active participation in examining the cases.

This elective will focus on the micro, meso, and macro issues in the New York City School System. School social workers bear witness and address multi disparities that students in our system experience, including, but not limited to, housing and food insecurity, rise in suicidal ideation, violence with the NYPD, interactions with ICE and family member deportations, poverty, and daily trauma. Schools are closely linked and required to partner with many other systems in our city, including hospitals, mental health organizations, NYPD, and ACS. This course will first address the challenges we see within the school system and the partnership with school social workers and then address the systemic changes we can make in the required outside partnerships, including, but not limited to, mental health resources, NYPD, and ACS. Finally, this class will closely address the segregation and racism in the NYC School System and strategies to create systemic change.

This course is an introductory survey of the principles and practice of social ethics. Students will first learn the foundations of ethical theory (normative ethics and some metaethics). The bulk of the class will be spent in applying these theoretical frameworks to a range of social problems - affirmative action, abortion, substance use, and migration, among others - using cases and current news articles. Students will disseminate these applications through an ethics blog, and learn to participate in the marketplace of ideas in a reasoned way.

This practice elective is focused on the development of expertise in social work practice and interventions within school settings. The focus is on developing knowledge, values, and skills applicable to social work practice within schools (elementary, junior high, and high schools) addressing the needs of diverse populations. The course provides an overview of a wide range of social work roles, evidenced-based program models, modalities, and interventive strategies for practice in school settings including, public and charter schools, school-based health clinics, agency-school collaborations, and/or after-school programs. Attention will be given to anti-oppressive and culturally responsive clinical practice with students, parents, families, and groups; advocacy, consultation, and collaboration with interdisciplinary staff within schools and neighboring communities; crisis intervention and prevention, program development, and organizational/systems work within schools.

This course examines a broad range of theories and contemporary issues, including COVID-19, that relate to social work practice across various populations. Domains of inquiry include biological, psychological, economic, and sociological perspectives to identity, health, and development. There is a critical examination of the social constructions of age, social work values and ethics, and social work practice at the individual, community, and institutional levels. Specific consideration is given to heterogeneity of the populations in the areas of age, gender, race and ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religious, physical or mental disability, and national origin. Additionally, the diversity of experiences, activities, roles, and responsibilities of clients as they relate to cultural and institutional norms. Social and economic justice, evidence-based practice, and capacity building are highlighted throughout the seminar. Students will participate in community/applied learning projects as an integral part of this course. Professional communication skills will be practiced. Throughout the course, we will discuss how to apply the tenets of evidence-based practice to the theories and issues that develop. Discussion of relevant theories and evidence of COVID-19 will be a theme throughout the semester. This course aims to have students critically integrate academic concepts into their paid summer internship experience. Prerequisites: 1) It is expected that students would have already identified a paid internship, preferably in their substantive area of interest, before registering for the course. 2) Students must receive approval by their academic advisor prior to registering for the course.

According to the United Nations, the global number of forcibly displaced people worldwide surpassed 100 million, breaking all previous records. This number continues to increase due to ongoing political unrest, violence, and climate crisis. Despite the increase in global displacement numbers, it is vital to acknowledge the heightened xenophobia and racism experienced by immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers across the globe. It is equally important to consider how political discourse on who is deserving of resettlement is shaped by legacies of colonialism, racism, and imperialism. This course will explore global migration through an intersectional human rights framework that allows students to critically examine forced displacement through holistic anti-oppressive and anti-racist perspectives. In doing so, we will cover a wide range of issues facing displaced populations including refugees, asylum seekers, undocumented minors, and stateless people. Students will also learn about how responses from policymakers including governments, UN agencies, and NGOs shape and impact the lives of displaced people.

All social work activity, organizations, and initiatives require resources to carry out their aims. This course provides an overview of resource mobilization and the world of philanthropy and fundraising and places such in the context of leadership for the field. Thinking and acting strategically and reflectively as leaders, and then aligning and mobilizing resources to advance social work aims is a core theme of the course, which will include: 1) a conceptual examination of the notions of "resources" and "philanthropy", 2) a consideration of the interplay between leadership and resource mobilization, and 3) a specific focus on philanthropic strategies, tactics and skills.

This course aims to provide students an opportunity to learn, compare, and discuss anti-oppressive global policy and practice with an immersive/service learning component beginning in Washington Square before traveling to the United Kingdom.

The purpose of this Seminar is to prepare international students for professional development, Field education in the MSW Program, and social work practice in the United States. The Seminar will meet five times and will be taught online. The sessions will focus on an integrative approach to social work practice in the United States, Field education and agency practice, communication skills, and professional development skills. Students will participate in reflective and interactive exercises and discussions on readings that will help them develop an understanding of agency social work practice in the United States. Seminar instructors will guide their discussions through a diversity, equity, inclusion lens and also will promote discussions around anti-racist practice.

This course will focus on expanding our understanding of the many aspects of bereavement using a developmental, cultural and a situational perspective. Highlighted in this course will be the issues and concerns of the disenfranchised, the adolescent and those bereaved due to suicide, homicide or intentional human acts. Through lecture, discussion and role-play we will explore various counseling techniques with a focus on bereavement groups. Finally, we will explore how the social worker’s loss history can affect the nature of the work with a bereaved individual or a group.

This course will be an introduction to the assessment and diagnosis of psychological trauma, with an emphasis on its physiology. It will provide an overview of the history of psychology's understanding of traumatic experience and how that has shifted over time. Dissociative disorders, as traumatic sequelae, will be discussed. New diagnostic categories of Complex PTSD and DESNOS, Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified, will be explained. Then, an in-depth exploration will highlight cutting edge research into current treatment modalities, including body-oriented psychotherapies and EMDR. Vivid clinical case material will be presented and films will be used to illustrate phase-oriented treatment of trauma.

This mini-course will review diagnostic categories and symptoms of the major mental illnesses. Appropriate medications for particular conditions will be described along with potential side effects. Clinical issues around social work with clients on medication, such as taking or not taking meds, will be discussed. Issues that arise in collaborative work with interdisciplinary teams will be described.

This course will introduce a cohesive perspective from which to consider immediate, emerging, and long-term community engagement and clinical practice in the aftermath of disaster. Considering collective and individual impact, as well as resourcefulness, as disasters evolve, discussion will include dimensions of distress, trauma, loss, and traumatic loss, within a cultural frame. Providing a global and historical context, the class will consider a variety of disasters, and the social realities of inequity and violation often accompanying them. Cumulative police shootings/choking within a context of race, no indictments, collective grief, and community protest; the Sydney, Australia hostage situation accompanied by #illridewithyou hashtag in solidarity; the recent Philippine typhoon, so soon after last year’s typhoon devastation as many still mourn and recover; the epidemic of Ebola in West Africa, as here in the city diaspora families mourn for loved ones and experience others’ animosity and suspicion, and as health workers plead for respect, and the city community grapples with fear; unaccompanied children from Central America fleeing violence and violation; the context of humanitarian catastrophe across the Middle East; the continuing impact of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shooting, and the context of other school and community shootings; the unprecedented devastation of Superstorm Sandy, with long-extended regional and local impact, still; the East Harlem building explosion and collapse; and the Boston marathon bombing, are only some. In addition, the Japan earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power plant disaster, amid uncertainty and worry; the Haiti earthquake, with attendant health and infrastructure problems; the Gulf Coast region hurricanes of Katrina and Rita, amidst issues of race and class; the Indian Ocean region tsunami in the context of civil war; and the aftermath of September 11, 2001, framed by a context of bias, also offer context and will be viewed within a long-term perspective. The course will identify the diversity of social work roles and practice with individuals, groups, and communities having distinctly unique situations, and will look at the significant roles of community, support networks, and cultural foundations. The inevitable impact on clinicians of providing community engagement and clinical practice across the long-term continuum of unfolding disaster, along with their own resourcefulness and resilience, will be addressed, highlighting the importance of reflective self-care for student and social worker, on-going support, continued learning, and active social engagement.

The Interpersonal matrix is at the heart of clinical work and human development. This mini course will review Interpersonal theory perspectives from Sullivan, Bowlby and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) research to provide a basic framework for understanding human relations. In addition to the theoretical perspective, a practical integrative skills methodology incorporating Interpersonal/Cognitive Behavioral principals will be reviewed and applied to case examples. This course offers a practical skills approach for students to utilize in clinical settings.

This course examines the challenges and opportunities of social work practice in educational settings. It addresses roles and functions of social workers within a complex ecological system of home/school/community. Development of assessment, engagement, and intervention skills in crisis intervention, consultation, group work, advocacy, and mediation are emphasized. The course addresses current urban issues that influence school practice such as violence, homelessness, AIDS, substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, diversity, and cross-cultural communication.

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the principles and theory of cognitive behavioral therapy. A primary goal of this course is to demonstrate specific therapeutic techniques and interventions in order to provide the student with a firm grounding in the clinical application of the theory.

This intensive class will explore eating disorders as a metaphor for relationship. The etiology, assessment, types of eating disorders, signs and symptoms, co-morbidity, and differential treatment and levels of care will all be addressed. Lecture, video and case vignettes will be used to illustrate course content.

This 10-hour course will address current neuroscience and psychopharmacological research in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as well as the significant contributions of psychosocial research and intervention. The latter will include, but not be limited to, the following: group and individual psychotherapy, need-adapted treatment, psycho education, multiple family groups, cognitive-behavioral approaches, case management, therapeutic communities, etc.

Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder are considered among the most difficult to treat in psychotherapy. They frequently engage in high risk behaviors such as suicidality and self injury which result in risk management challenges. In addition, these patients' unstable affects and relationships jeopardize social and occupational functioning and therapeutic alliances. This course introduces students to theoretical perspectives and treatment interventions of DBT, an empirically validated psychotherapy designed by Marsha Linehan, PhD, for the treatment of individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. The course utilizes case material to illustrate key issues in assessment, diagnosis, engagement and treatment planning.

Recent studies show that women's use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs not only differs from that of men, but varies over their life cycle. In order to provide appropriate treatment, it is critical that the nature of substances used and abused by women be examined in light of women's lifespan - from adolescence to late life.

This one credit intensive explores both clinical and social policy considerations with respect to understanding and working with predominantly Spanish speaking families in the United States. Content will include elements of social inequity; family and kinship organization and dynamics; cultural elements of health and illness; diversity of language and communication styles, and advocacy. Methods of instruction include lecture, discussion, and role play. This course is taught in Spanish; a level of "fair fluency" is sufficient.

Positive psychology is the study of what constitutes and contributes to personal happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of well being; the identification and enhancement of individual strengths and positive emotions such as optimism, creativity, courage, and gratitude; and the methods of applying this knowledge in order to strengthen what is positive in individuals and in institutions. The course will describe the history, philosophy, major tenets, and empirical base of positive psychology, and the interventions and measures that have been designed to foster and monitor positive development.

This course will provide an overview of the various dynamics that group leaders should consider when leading short- or long-term groups with children, adolescents, or parents of children and adolescents. These elements include: the agency and community setting, the needs of the group members, the purpose of the group, the diverse composition of the group members, and the content and structure of the group. The objective of this course, which will include lecture, discussion, role play, and case vignettes, will be to explore in detail the dynamics of group work with children and adolescents and parents of children and adolescents to assure that students are fully prepared in the future to lead groups with these three populations. Special attention will be given to preparing students to lead groups that address specific issues and challenges such as abused children, acting-out adolescents, as well as parents of hospitalized children and adolescents.

This course focuses on Emotionally Disturbed Youth in the Justice system. It reviews the size/scope of emotionally disturbed youth in the system. It explores the reasons for this including system failures, it examines pathways of youth into criminal justice. It reviews the need for assessment and treatment and explores community based service options for these youth.

Meditation, Yoga, Metaphors, Gestalt exercises-Can these facilitate behavior change? What do they have in common with behavior therapy? Students attending Latest Developments in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will learn ACT techniques, theory, and the mechanisms of change that may be (in part) responsible for the benefits of other practices, like yoga and meditation for our clients. Differences, similarities, and challenges to integration will be touched on as ACT and other “Third Wave” therapies are put in the context of traditional behavior therapies and cognitive therapies.

This course will focus on learning to use the basic concepts of Gestalt Therapy, an evidence-based humanistic psychotherapy that intensely focuses on the client's experience of living in the world. Gestalt therapy theory, with its holistic, relational, and existential approach to working with clients at the interface of the person and environment, provides a multidimensional frame for clinical social work practice. Much of this course will be experiential, with a great deal of time spent on enhancing students' ability to track their clients' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in order to deepen their clinical work. Case examples will also be discussed utilizing Gestalt therapy's strength-based approach to working with all populations

This mini-elective will provide an overview of the impact of various forms of trauma on children, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Attachment problems, and how these experiences and difficulties inform treatment interventions and course. Students will learn the importance of entering the child's world at their own level through play, and how play techniques and interventions open the door to processing trauma and healing in a way that traditional talk therapies cannot. The use of symbolism and metaphor will be emphasized in the exploration of various interventions. Care of the therapist in this work will also be discussed.

This class is an experiential and theoretical step and study into mindfulness practice, emotional regulation and the subcortical, implicit inner world of relational neuroscience. Students will develop an understanding of the neuropsychological mindfulness framework and ways to incorporate this into social work practice. This includes an expanded understanding of right -brain to right -brain engagement—and developing a relational perspective. Class discussion, lecture, video and case presentation, along with practice of mindfulness meditation will be incorporated to demonstrate these principles help students develop an appreciation of a mindful approach.

This course provides a basic understanding of learning disabilities as well as deficits in attention. Students will gain knowledge regarding behavioral and academic symptoms and differential diagnoses regarding behavior and underlying learning issues. In addition to identification of the problems, the course will address interventions including referral, advocacy, and family support. A case seminar format will be used to discuss actual cases.

This one-credit intensive will function as a primer for social workers on how to begin and sustain discussions about sexual health and sexuality with their clients, treating sex as a quality of life issue, whose understanding is essential for diverse practice. The course will provide a basic understanding of clinical sexuality issues and will provide students with the skills to do a basic sexual health assessment. There will be a special focus on often pathologized and underserved groups, including: transgender/gender non-conforming/non-binary identities; queer and non-straight identities; consensual non-monogamy/polyamory relationship structures; and kink/BDSM-oriented individuals.

This course will cover the application of creative arts therapy theory and practice within a social work framework. The class will focus primarily on the field of art therapy, but will also include some exposure, through guest lecturers, to other non-verbal creative arts modalities such as: music therapy, drama therapy, and movement/dance therapy. The class is designed to include a substantial amount of hands-on art-making and role-play to provide students with practical tools for incorporating the arts into practice with a variety of populations. The course will utilize case material from students’ field work when appropriate to illustrate how to design effective art therapy interventions. The following populations and topics will be covered as they relate to art and therapy interventions: client engagement; treatment planning; developmental stages of drawing, work with children, adolescents, adults and families; trauma; relational abuse; cultural sensitivity, and the unique counter-transference issues of non-verbal therapies.

This one credit elective course will introduce students to the importance of emotional regulation in achieving family security and resilience. Students will learn how to work with couples as well as families with children and learn ways to intervene in dysregulated or unproductive reactions. Students will also learn ways to recognize cognitive mechanisms related to emotional dysregulation, and ways to help families achieve stability.

This course focuses on the understanding and application of the theoretical principles and evidence base of public and community health nursing practice and culturally competent care. In this course, the unique health needs of women, civilian and veterans, in underserved communities and how associated factors with living in poverty-impacted underserved communities impact health. The focus of community health is on protecting and enhancing the health of communities and diverse populations, including those at risk and those challenged by health disparities, developmental needs, mental health concerns, and clients living with poverty. Emphasis is placed on health promotion and education, health care policy and ethics/social justice.

This course will provide an overview of the most significant anxiety disorders. Special focus will be given to Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The first part of the class will be a review of the diagnosis and sequelae of each disorder as well as the cognitive and biological drivers related to each diagnostics category. The psycho-physiology portion of the course will emphasize the use of this information to enhance client psycho-education, normalization and clinical actions. Treatment approach will be primarily from a cognitive behavioral point of view. Students will be exposed to standard cognitive techniques, relaxation training, biofeedback and exposure techniques used in treatment. A basic review of psychopharmacology will be provided. We will review components of Panic Disorder treatment including exposure, psycho-education, specific cognitive reframing, hyperventilation syndrome and somatic interventions. Students will be exposed to special nuances related to treating OCD. PTSD treatment will include an introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Discussion will include real world use of these interventions. Student will learn the specific application of techniques including EMDR, biofeedback and some hands on learning of relaxation techniques.

This course will focus on clients who have been affected by a wide scope of traumatic events, ranging from interpersonal violence and sexual abuse to single event individual, family, group and community traumas such as school and workplace violence to national and international disasters. Students will learn evidenced-based practice models of trauma as will as issues related to secondary and shared trauma experienced by service providers.

This one-credit elective will provide students with an introductory understanding of diverse theoretical and cultural perspectives on couples' relationships, core clinical skill sets pertinent to couples therapy, and special treatment issues.

This one credit intensive elective will offer an introduction to Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT), an evidence-based approach to couple treatment. This model emphasizes the importance of attachment, and the relationship distress that results from threats to safety, security and closeness by focusing on the emotions each one in the couple is experiencing. Through lecture, slides, video tapes and experiential exercises, students will become familiar with the nine steps of EFT as well as the specific skills and interventions used in this model.

This course provides students with an overview of assessment and referral in the Psychiatric Emergency Room. Students will become acquainted with the role of the social worker and how the social worker interfaces and interacts with other professional staff. Students will also learn the basics of the biopsychosocial assessment models that are used and how psychiatric evalations are conducted.

This course will provide basic knowledge and skills for grant writing for non-profit organizations, and will assist students who are interested in working in leadership roles in non-profit organizations. The course will also help students apply for grants for projects as direct practitioners.

This One-Credit Intensive will focus on best practices for working with transgender populations in agency settings. Approached from a developmental perspective, focus will be given to transgender youth populations(childhood to adolescence through early adulthood) and the effects on identity formation. Class discussions will cover basic language and vocabulary and concepts of heteronormativity and homophobia and cisnormativity and transphobia. Special attention will be paid to the intersectionality of race and class, policy and practice, and the interaction between family rejection and trans youth homelessness through a traumalens. We will examine the pathologizing effects of our clinical community and the debate surrounding the DSM-5 and how diagnosis affects access to care. Gender affirming best practices for working with transgender clients from a de-stigmatized, clinical viewpoint will presented. Classes will be interactive and involve a combination of lectures, videos, small group discussions and activities, and guest speakers.

Throughout the world, millions of children grow up with parents who are dependent on or abuse alcohol and other licit as well as illicit substances. Such children are found in every socioeconomic, ethnic,religious, and racial group, and in every setting ranging from preschools to community agencies to universities to mental health facilities.Numerous research studies show that that these children are at greater risk for various problems, which vary depending on a number of factors,including the age of the child. Because these children exhibit not only problematic behaviors but also strengths or resilience, careful individual assessment is warranted. This course will examine the nature of substance use, abuse and addiction and its impact on the family, particularly young and adolescent children within an international perspective. Assessment,treatment, policy and research issues in the U.S. and in Israel will be explored. A visit to a local agency and presentations from guest lecturers dealing with this population in Israel will be included.

This mini-course will focus on the relevant and interesting aspects of contemporary neuroscience research for social workers, particularly social and affective neuroscience, epigenetics and the transgenerational transmission of trauma and resilience, developmental traumatology and psychobiology, and psychoneuroimmunology (brain-immune interface), stress circuitry in the brain, etc. We will study the effects of childhood trauma and maltreatment (physical, sexual and emotional abuse; neglect; social isolation; peer verbal abuse and bullying; witnessing domestic violence, etc.) on the central nervous system and person and its implications for social relationships. We will study the neuroscience of primary subcortical emotional systems (e.g., fear, rage, lust, play, care, seeking, separation distress, etc.), attachment, neuroplasticity, memory systems, dreams, the relationship between brain and mind, anxiety, a possible complex neuroscience of the self, empathy/embodied simulation and mirror neuron systems, the effects of psychotherapy on the MindBrain and models of therapeutic action. Brief mention will be made of neuropsychopharmacology and psychopharmacology, somatic psychiatric treatments (e.g., rTMS, ECT, vagal nerve and deep brain stimulation, etc.), and neuroimaging techniques (sMRI, fMRI, DTI, MEG, PET, SPECT, high density EEG, etc.). At the start of the course we will review relevant neuroanatomy and genetic/epigenetic processes. Time permitting we will look at the neuroscience findings in a diversity of DSM disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, addictions, etc.

Micro-aggressions are everyday occurrences, which reflect a person’s internalized stereotypes and prejudices. These verbal and/or nonverbal interactions are often unconscious and unintentional, and are difficult to recognize because they are subtle and appear innocuous. Good well-meaning people frequently commit micro-aggressions. Social workers often bear witness to clients’experience of micro-aggressions that leave them feeling inferior, dismissed or devalued. But, what happens when practitioners are the ones committing the micro-aggressions? This course will focus on the self-of-the-practitioner and how their personal experiences and/or lack thereof may unconsciously inform the professional treatment of clients. While there are several types of micro-aggressions, this course will focus on micro-aggressions committed as a result of race and class. Through the use of videos, questionnaires/scales and experiential exercises, students will be provided with a safe venue in which they are encouraged to examine their own beliefs (in terms of race and class) and how they may manifest as micro-aggressions in the therapeutic relationships and/or treatment. The class will also examine the consequences of microaggressions on clients and how to engage in conversations with clients around these issues.

Description: This elective course provides an overview of the essential concepts and specific social work skills that are integral to the practice of Integrated Behavioral health. The course prepares social work interns to become effective "behavioral health specialists." The course focuses on preparation for key social work competencies needed for social work practice in Integrated Behavioral Health including Functional Assessment, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Primary Care, Cultural Competence, Relaxation Training/Mindfulness, Psychoeducation, Psychotropic Medications, Alcohol and Drug screening, Case Management and interdisciplinary practice in primary care and school settings.

This mini course will examine the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of trauma with an emphasis on physical abuse and child sexual abuse. We will identify trauma symptomatology and review the psychological and physiological impact of trauma along a continuum with acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociative disorders. Students will learn about current research on trauma as well as those theoretical frameworks, which inform treatment. Trauma treatment, specifically EMDR, somatic therapies and other interventions, will be reviewed. The use of lecture, case material, class discussion, video and group exercises will be incorporated to illustrate course material.

All social workers will inevitably work with clients and families facing acute, serious or life-limiting illnesses. The needs of these clients and families across the life span are well-served by social workers trained in generalist palliative care. This course will provide an introduction to palliative care, its core principles and models of service delivery. It will focus on the role of social work on the inter-professional team, especially as a voice for social justice, advocating for culturally congruent patient-centered care and respect for patient and family self-determination when faced with ethical challenges. Basic precepts of adequate pain management, advance care planning and bio-psychosocial spiritual approaches across the illness trajectory will also be discussed.

Internet-based technologies and social networking tools have created a sea change in the practice of social advocacy, community organizing, and social work practice. This one-credit elective course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the processes and techniques of digital practices applicable to all forms of social work practice. The course requires some basic familiarity with the Internet and computers, but no programming is required. The course is designed as a social media classroom. As such, students play an active role in building course resources.

S​ince its inception, the social work profession has provided front line services to the criminal justice field, becoming instrumental in forensic policy and practice. During this class, students will learn the philosophies of forensic social work and discover the diversity of social work practice opportunities within the forensic field. Students will be introduced to social work with a mandated client population; including work with victims of crime and offenders. Characteristics of specialized offender populations will also be discussed, from perpetrators of sexual crime, to extreme violence, domestic violence, and beyond. An understanding of the intersection and overlap between mental health and criminal behavior will be developed and students will become familiar with the evidence based social work techniques currently used in the forensic social work field.

This course will offer an in depth look at sex trafficking around the world, in the United States, and in New York City. The course will focus on the root causes of exploitation, the role of survivor leadership, effective prevention, successful advocacy, and legal and non-legal remedies. This course is designed to help social work students gain a better understanding of contemporary human trafficking, modern day slavery, and related aspects of sexual exploitation, with a focus on sex trafficking and remedies within the United States. Students will learn about the scope of the issue, important terminology in this field, and various types of human trafficking. Through survivor testimony, students will also learn about the physical and psychological trauma experienced by victims of human trafficking. The role of government, the media, and culture in defining and addressing sex trafficking will also be examined.

This course focuses on how to include parents in clinical work with a child or young adolescent in order to accomplish constructive change. Concurrent Parent-Child Work is different from family therapy since it involves working separately with the child and parents, and the focus of the work is on the child or young adolescent. Students will learn techniques for forming and maintaining multiple therapeutic alliances. They will also learn to assess resistances to working with parents and to develop the empathic and interpersonal skills necessary for dealing with challenges such as guilt, shame, anxiety, and feelings of failure. This course also aims to strengthen students' confidence for work with parents at each stage of a child’s treatment. Students will learn about parenthood as a developmental phase, and that at each stage of a child’s development there are corresponding parental tasks for progressive development to take place with both. Detailed clinical material will be used to illustrate clinical techniques and the concepts behind them.

This one-credit elective course is intended for social work graduate students with little or no experience with U.S. military service members, veterans, and military culture. It provides an introductory, culturally competent overview of military social work (social work in the military and veteran sectors). The course reviews essential components of the U.S. military structure, organization, current demographics, and culture. Included is a discussion of social work's history with this population and a range of contemporary military and veteran resources. Social work graduate students are introduced to pertinent military social work topics such as deployment to the warzone, combat PTSD, military sexual trauma (MST), traumatic brain injury (TBI), family and transition issues, suicide prevention, and barriers to care and the challenges of engagement. Attention is paid to the identification of social workers' biases about military/veterans as an essential component of ethical military social work practice. The course relies upon academic literature, video, case presentations, and class discussion.

The purpose of this course is to provide a learning environment for students to investigate the needs of API communities in the US, and to explore ways to provide evidence-based culturally appropriate social work services to API populations. The course will be grounded in biopsychosocial theory, family systems theory, and critical race theory. API communities in the US consist of over 56 ethnic groups who speak 100 different languages. It will be impossible to address each group, and therefore the class will focus on issues that are common to first- and later- generation APIs across different nationalities. The issues include 1) acculturation and intergenerational conflicts; 2) immigration and racial trauma; and 3) low mental health service utilization. Students will be encouraged to deepen their understanding of specific topics and specific groups through their final assignment. This course will also introduce students to social work practitioners, administrators, and community leaders who provide social services in the API communities in the greater New York area.

This one-credit intensive (OCI) course examines the Human-Animal Bond and its importance to client and community health. The human-animal bond is a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals and the environment.

This one credit elective will introduce students to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These disorders are highly heritable, manifested since infancy, and continue throughout the life cycle. The main clinical signs are abnormalities of social relatedness and communications, and stereotypic behaviors. Additional symptoms including language abnormalities, cognitive deficits, neurological, and behavioral abnormalities are common. Students will learn how the brain develops social skills and communication; the role of genetic mutations as a cause of ASD; the core and associated symptoms of ASD; pharmacological treatments including emerging translational therapies; and the roles of the social worker in the treatment of ASD individuals and their families.

This one-credit elective will introduce students to Accelerated Experiential Dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP). AEDP is a model of psychotherapy that focuses on healing-oriented techniques and aims to achieve a transformation in client behavior by exploring the in-depth processing of difficult emotional and relational experiences, actively helped by an engaged therapist. This innovative model has roots in and resonances with many disciplines including interpersonal neurobiology, attachment theory, emotion theory and affective neuroscience, body-focused approaches, and transformational studies. Evidence demonstrates AEDP to be effective with Depressive Disorders, trauma, and creating secure attachment. This course will enable students to have an understanding of the theoretical foundations of AEDP and to gain competence in its strategies of intervention. Classes will consist of lecture and discussion, viewing videotaped sessions of clinical work, and practice of interventions in small groups.

Section 6.04 of the NASW Code of Ethics states that social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure all people have access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs. It also states that social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for social justice. This one-credit elective serves as introduction to political social work and offers an overview on the role of social workers in the political sphere. Taught by one of the very few social workers currently serving in the New York State Legislature, the course will cover multiple aspects of the political process including running for office, crafting legislation, and utilizing public policy for social change.

In this one-credit intensive course, students will fill their therapeutic toolbox with concrete coping skills for helping clients manage symptoms of stress and anxiety. Biological, psychological and social/environmental techniques are drawn from some of the most effective evidenced-based treatments including CBT, DBT, EMDR, mindfulness, positive psychology and motivational interviewing, all demonstrated and practiced in class. In addition, an overview of the latest neurobiological findings about stress and anxiety will lay a foundation for understanding why the techniques work and how to prevent stress and anxiety accumulating in the future. Applications to clinician self-care and burn-out prevention will be explored.

This is the first half of a two-part sequence of one-credit electives that focuses on the impact of institutional racism in the United States, and social and economic injustices on people of color in health and human services, as well as how structural racism can be undone. Using principles taught in the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond workshop, the course examines the history of racism in the United States and current manifestations in health and human services delivery systems with an emphasis on the mental health system and implications for direct social work practice. A generation after the Civil Rights Movement and the election of an African American President, racism continues to be the nation's most intractable social problem, and the gap between Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics has increased. A systems perspective reveals persistent disproportional outcomes on all measures of quality of life in the United States. From wealth accumulation to health care, incarceration rates to employment and unemployment, immigration policy to the opposition of ethnic studies, dramatic ethnic and racial disparities continue to vex the nation. Social workers interface with clients of color in virtually all practice settings, and they have the highest visibility among clinical disciplines in the mental health system. Therefore, an understanding of the dynamics of race and racism is an essential requirement if we are to "do no harm" and engage clients in effective therapeutic alliances. The course introduces students to the many dimensions of race and racism that influence service outcomes, and implications for direct practice in agency-based settings with clients of color. Note that students must take both courses in this two-course sequence.

This is the second half of a two-part sequence of one-credit electives that focuses on the impact of institutional racism in the United States, and social and economic injustices on people of color in health and human services, as well as how structural racism can be undone. Using principles taught in the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond workshop, the course examines the history of racism in the United States and current manifestations in health and human services delivery systems with an emphasis on the mental health system and implications for direct social work practice. Note that students must take both courses in this two-course sequence.

This course introduces students to knowledge and skills necessary to address the psychosocialspiritual needs across various practice settings of persons with cancer and their loved ones. The course begins by providing a defining framework on cancer and its myths, and the meaning of cancer to patients and families. The role of the oncology clinical social worker, interdisciplinary care, ethnic and cultural dynamics, and treatment phases will be explored utilizing the biopsychosocialspiritual model. Trajectories of illness and care from diagnosis through to bereavement or long term survivorship are considered. Students will learn how to apply clinical skills such as psycho-social assessments, counseling, leading family meetings, setting goals of care and making treatment decisions across the cancer continuum, focused on issues directly affecting individuals, couples, and families. Theoretical models and assessment approaches and the research that supports them are studied. Policy and ethical concerns are examined, including matters related to access to care. Sustaining self-care while meeting the demands of oncology focused work will be explored.

Ageism is alive and well. A growing and consistent body of research has documented how ageism and other forms of prejudice and oppression undermine health, educational and employment opportunities, as well as compromises health care delivery across systems of care. Only until recently has evidence begun to support theories for interventions and at key developmental life stages and across the ecological framework. The objectives of this course are to a) incorporate theories and supporting evidence on prejudice and discrimination broadly, with an emphasis on ageism; b) identify psychological, social, organizational, legal, cultural, and developmental theories on how to overcome ageism, inclusive of Standpoint Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Social Justice perspectives; c) propose real-world interventions to overcome ageism. Pedagogical approaches include lectures, discussions, and experiential learning opportunities. Professional communication skills will be practiced. Throughout the course, we will discuss how to apply the tenants of evidence-based practice to the theories and issues that impact aging.

This course explores the process of LGBTQ acculturation in the United States, particularly from the 1970s through the present day. The class will pay special attention to the roles religion and public mourning have played in delimiting the boundaries of sexual and gender minority acculturation. The course will consider how prominent LGBTQ activists used religion and public memorialization to bolster their arguments for social inclusion and how religion has shaped the parameters of social acceptance in the United States. We will also examine how prominent deaths, public mourning, and religion have influenced other movements for equity among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States.

This one-credit elective will introduce students to a comprehensive, non-reductionistic model of psychotic disorders (schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder): From DNA to Neighborhood. We will review the most recent genetic, epigenetic (chemical processes controlling gene expression which are also regulated by social and psychological experiences) and neurobiological findings as well as their relationship to chronic stress, trauma, and adverse social experiences. We will concentrate on sociocultural and psychosocial factors identified in research to be involved in the initiation, course, and outcomes of psychotic disorders. Our course will also concentrate on the many evidence-based psychosocial therapies for these disorders, e.g., psychodynamic supportive therapy, CBTp, psychoeducation, Open Dialogue, Compassion Mind Therapy, Avatar Therapy for Voices, Voice Hearers Network, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Care management and ACT, PROS Programs and Milieu Therapies, Multiple Family Therapy Groups, Pre-Therapy, etc. We will also review all FDA approved medications for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as the use of off-label medications.

Social workers often play a crucial role in supporting and educating children facing serious illness in a variety of settings, including hospitals, schools, community organizations and social services. Optimizing communication using age appropriate language is crucial in supporting short-term coping and long-term mental health and developmental outcomes. Employing cultural humility is critical in understanding individual and family needs with regards to language, medical literacy and information sharing norms. Family systems theory and psychosocial development theory are used to guide assessment of communication needs. The crisis intervention model, play therapy, resiliency and coping model and bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment models are drawn upon to best understand individual and family needs at various points throughout the illness trajectory. The objectives of this course are a) to incorporate theories and supporting evidence regarding children’s needs across the developmental spectrum and throughout the disease process b) to identify relevant psychological, social, organizational, cultural and developmental perspectives related to communication with children about serious illness from diagnosis and into bereavement, c) to introduce assessment and intervention tools for engaging with this population. Pedagogical tools will include PowerPoint lectures, in-depth class discussions and experiential learning opportunities such as role play and case discussions. Clinical and professional communication skills will be practiced and evidenced based practices will be emphasized.

Grieving a companion animal can elicit profound, extended, and complicated reactions when invalidated by lack of community support, social rituals, and practitioner focus. The under treatment of pet loss as a significant mental health challenge can result in a protracted complicated grief as trauma can be a more common component. The goals of this course are a) to raise awareness of animal companion loss and its emotional impact on family, individual and community, b) to incorporate mental health assessment protocols which include attention to animal family members and their significance within the family structure across all socio-economic and racial populations, c) to apply trauma and attachment theory to better understand the unique factors of mourning companion animals, d) to modify evidenced-based interventions in treatment planning to help heal animal companion bereavement and e) to identify roles for social workers in mediating such reactions and creating opportunities for healing within their practices and communities. Pedagogical approaches include lectures, discussions, case studies and interactive learning assignments.

Caring service is at the heart of Social Work's mission, but attending to the suffering of others without a plan to address its impact leaves us at risk for increased stress and vicarious trauma. Over time, this can compromise our sense of purpose, the quality of our work, and the overall health of our body, mind, and spirit. This course uses didactic material and experiential exercises to explore these dynamics and teach new ways of navigating. Students will learn to identify the impact of trauma exposure and will emerge with substantive techniques and strategies to build into their everyday practice, creating more sustainable and fulfilling careers and lives.

This one-credit intensive (OCI) course examines mental health in the perinatal period, from conception through the first year after delivery. It identifies biological, psychological, social, and systematic determinants of perinatal emotional distress. It elucidates the prevalence and symptomatology of common perinatal psychiatric disorders, including perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), postpartum psychosis, and bipolar disorder in the perinatal period. It then provides an overview of evidence-based methods for screening and treating these conditions. Next, the course investigates barriers to mental health care in the perinatal period, and considers populations affected most by such obstacles. It addresses racial disparities in maternal mental health care, as well as in maternal health care more generally. In addition, the course emphasizes the impact of perinatal mental health on infant mental health, child development, and family systems. Lastly, it addresses and evaluates policies related to perinatal mental health.

Until recently, most Americans equated the end of a long career with the beginning of retirement. No more. Now, we want to stay in the game—or better yet, change it. We want to leave a mark, make a difference, and (in most cases) continue to earn a living. As we age, we are also wired to connect with younger generations both to share what we know, learnand forge links to the future. In this class, we'll explore what it takes to live all life's stages using our talents and experience to find meaning and benefit our community.

This course is designed to equip social workers with the knowledge and skills needed to develop an understanding of the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how AI can be used to proactively assess and address mental health in children and adolescents, with a strong emphasis on the collaboration between social workers and families. Participants will debunk myths and fears about the use of AI, explore the potential of AI in early assessment, and learn how AI tools can be applied to improve mental health health outcomes. Ethical consideration of the use of AI when working with youth and families will be explored.

Social work practice requires a thorough grounding in the NASW Code of Ethics, and one fourth of the ASWB Masters exam focuses on this content.This two-hour workshop reviews principles of the Code of Ethics related to direct practice, including confidentiality, informed consent, duty to warn, duty to protect, dual relationships, and responsibility to colleagues and issues related to professional development and use of self. Sample questions related to this content area and the rationale for their answers are discussed to illustrate how material is formulated into exam questions. A general framework for understanding the exam's questions and suggestions for reviewing the three other content areas will be covered.

Taught by Associate Professor Judith Siegel, this online course strengthens skills in assessing individuals, with an emphasis on application of the DSM-5 in understanding mental disorders. The course considers the historical perspective of diagnosis and the development as well as the use and limitations of the DSM and ICD. The diagnostic criteria for most of the major mental disorders from childhood through late adulthood are studied from a biopsychosocial perspective that includes neurobiology research. Implications for clinical interventions and specific treatment approaches are considered.This is an asynchronous course that students take on an individualized basis. Each of the fourteen lessons contains notes, video lectures, and videos of clients. It also contains links to most of the assigned readings from required books and journal articles.