SW 6401 - Mental Health Practice I: Children and Adolescents

Children and adolescents often experience mental health and behavioral health challenges that can be effectively addressed through social work interventions. Students who take this class develop their skills in engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation of mental health practice with children and adolescents. Students will learn evidence-based models to address common mental health issues in children and adolescents such as depression, anxiety, trauma, self-harming behaviors, and suicidality. These evidence-based approaches include: routine outcome monitoring; the Attachment, Regulation, and Competency model; and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Students will also learn the Cultural Formulation Interview and the stance of cultural humility which improves engagement and intervention with clients. Students will refine their skills in building effective helping relationships with clients. This course is the first of a sequence of two required specialist courses taken by all students in the Mental Health Area of Focus during the specialist year of the MSW program.