Health & Wellness Pathway

This course provides an overview of the frameworks that inform social work practice in health and wellness. The broad concept of health is examined for its understanding and meaning in communities and cultures along with the historical and conceptual bases of public health. There is a focus on understanding racism in health and the impact of health inequities for historically marginalized and oppressed communities. There is a focus on health equity, the social determinants of health, prevention, wellness and complementary and alternative practices with an emphasis on social workers roles as change agents working toward solutions and promoting equity.

This course will help you build your skills and strategies to enhance wellness for individuals, organizations and communities. You will explore differences and beliefs related to health and wellness in both their internal/personal experience and in social work practice. Course topics include soul- and nature-based human development models, Eastern and Indigenous medicine models, and traditional or evidence-based wellness frameworks. You will create a wellness promotion plan to address gaps found in data for private, public, tribal health systems and community health and in organizational and public policies. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary knowledge and skills, professional ethics and values and the role of social workers as change agents in creating solutions for public health issues at micro, mezzo and macro levels.

This course provides an overview of the knowledge, skills and theory of integrated health care social work practice, where physical and behavioral health services are most often provided in a primary care medical environment. You will learn the roles/functions of the behavioral health professional as a member of the collaborative care team. Incorporating knowledge of evidence-based practice models of care and behavior change theory, you will increase your practice abilities to effectively work at an advanced level of skill as an integrated care behavioral health provider. You will learn strategies and skills in patient engagement, motivational enhancement and advocacy through case studies and group activities; cultural competency and effective care planning in an integrated health care environment will be emphasized.

Substance use is one of America’s most pressing social problems. Social workers increasingly find themselves attempting to help individuals and families resolve substance use problems, as well as directly or indirectly related issues. This course will introduce you to current and emerging substance use treatment approaches so you can conduct your practice from an informed perspective.

This course teaches skills for implementing mind–body techniques, models for wellness assessments, and evidence-based mind–body strategies for intervention in client and community problems. An evidence-based approach creates a foundation for understanding the mind–body connection that influences an individual’s and community’s physical, emotional and social well-being. You will learn about the most efficacious methods for mind–body social work practice.

This course will facilitate your exploration of your own perceptions, biases and belief systems about disability. A values perspective encourages students to reflect on their personal, professional, cultural and political perceptions of the epistemology of the notion of disability. This course explores the social construction of concepts of ableism and identity and engages in historical analysis of disability (both domestically and internationally). You will learn definitions of disability, become familiar with legislation/policies that impact persons with disability (PWD), learn about the spectrum of disability and use critical theoretical perspectives. You will engage in critical dialogue around the representation of PWD in our culture. Using a person-in-environment perspective, you also will examine the Social Work Code of Ethics as it relates to PWD and explore various facets of self-determination, independent living, relationships and sexuality, and the role of family, power and privilege in the lives of persons with disabilities.

The purpose of the Health and Wellness Clinic is to improve the health of people with mental illness and addictions by increasing access to primary care services; improving prevention, early identification and intervention of physical diseases, including chronic illness; and integrating physical and behavioral health care services. Interns offer behavioral health provider services for adults with serious mental illness and chronic physical disease, such as diabetes and chronic pain.

Berkley Palliative Care and Hospice provides comfort and dignity to patients through their end-of-life journey. Berkley concentrates on patient- and family-centered goals with a focus on the medical, mental and spiritual needs of patients and families. Interns assess new patients, develop care goals and plans, make bereavement calls and assist with grief support group facilitation.

Brent’s Place provides safe and clean housing and improves the quality of life for children and families living with cancer and other immunocompromising conditions. Interns work with a wide variety of client populations under the health care umbrella and learn program management and development, informal use of clinical skills to create a supportive environment for families, volunteer management and more.

The Integrated Care Team uses an integrated model of patient care that combines mental and physical health in a family medicine clinic. Behavioral health provider interns meet patients during their medical visits. They also provide clinical interventions to patients who are in mild to acute emotional distress and need complex social work interventions and case management.

Salud is a comprehensive primary health care system that provides affordable, quality, integrated health care services to more than 70,000 patients each year, improving community health and lowering health care costs. Interns apply clinical skills through the implementation of evidence-based mental health screenings; consult with medical providers to determine the course of treatment; schedule therapy appointments for individuals, couples and families; and facilitate shared medical appointments for obstetrics and diabetes care.