We really appreciate the opportunity to attend several graduate courses provided by the School of Social Work. The UNC School of Social Work is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation and offers a variety of outstanding seminars concerning child and adolescent development as well as the work with families.
The course Child Mental Health: Theory & Practice presents knowledge and theories from various disciplines to understand mental health and well-being in children and their families with an emphasis on gaining practice skills. In the course of the seminar we review and discuss key diagnostic, treatment, and prevention issues associated with the mental health care needs of children and their families, also based on the personal experience of the participating graduate students. It is demonstrated how diversity issues such as race/ethnicity, culture, poverty, education, sexual orientation, and geography affect children and their families, and their relevance for assessment, treatment, and case supervision and management. Furthermore we examine the American child mental health service network (including child welfare) as well as the legal framework in which children and their parents/caregivers seek treatment in the US. We highly value the active learning environment in the course and the variety of teaching methods applied by the instructor. Personally we benefit a lot from the practical experience shared by the course participants.
A great addition to the Child Mental Health course described above is the seminar Adolescent Mental Health: Theory and Practice. It covers mental health problems both in childhood and adolescence and also addresses the biological and pharmaceutical point of view. At the beginning of the seminar we read and discussed two fascinating books with contrasting approaches on the treatment of child abuse, neglect and trauma. We were especially touched by Perry’s (2006) “The boy who was raised as a dog” as the author writes about his own patients and his personal experience in a deeply impressive way. At the moment we acquire knowledge about the main mental health disorders from childhood to adolescence. Every session we also discuss current events concerning childhood and adolescence from the media. We are also looking forward to the second part of the course where we are going to cover social issues of modern adolescence in America. The high personal engagement of our instructor and the creative approaches he uses to give his students a proper understand of the topic are truly inspiring.
Another very interesting course we attend at the School of Social Work is Antisocial, Aggressive Behavior in Childhood and Early Adolescence: Theory and Practice. This course explores theories and methods related to practice with children whose behavior is disruptive, oppositional, aggressive, or otherwise antisocial. Emphasis is placed on using protective and risk factors to design ecologically, culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions. The course is designed to strengthen the understanding of the social (individual, peer, family, school, and community), economic (local, regional, and national marketplaces), and political (including the politics of hate and fear related to disability, gender, race. sexual orientation, and other issues of difference) forces that define and shape conduct problems in childhood and that, if viewed from an ecological-developmental perspective, inform practice with children and families. Very impressive for us is getting to know different intervention programs that exist in North Carolina and especially in Orange County.
In the course Families: Theory & Practice we get to know the development and role of explanatory and practice theory in family-centered social work practice and also concepts, selected theory, and research concerning family functioning and interaction. We learn a lot about family systems in the context of race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, culture and history and apply models of family functioning and interaction to frame social interventions with couples and families. Furthermore we gain awareness of the field of family life education and review specific programs focused on promoting strong families and effective parenting. In addition, major clinical and community intervention strategies for working with couples and families experiencing relationship problems or facing adversity and positive challenges are reviewed. Moreover we examine family-centered social work practice in a variety of direct practice settings, including health, mental health, schools, the U.S. military, and settings particularly focused on child welfare. The course participants practice to recognize ethical dilemmas and employ decision-making skills for ethical practice with families. We are acquiring these skills by first reading and discussing the underlying theories and then applying them in practical settings by role-playing different situations. As this is a small course, the learning experience is even more intensive and enriching. We really appreciate the personal and professional exchange with the American fellow students and the instructor. Her practical wealth of experience is a great benefit for us.
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen