Here you will find many of the answers to your class scheduling questions!
Typically, when I am advising students, I ask them to think about what impact they wish to make with their career in the first three to five years following graduation. It can be an overwhelming exercise to plan your curriculum with the shear number of options available; however, getting the most out of your graduate education doesn’t always align with taking all of the classes you want to take during your time at the Brown School. I hope the following tips will be helpful in your planning process:
- Your brain only has so much bandwidth to integrate knowledge and skills. Therefore, it is better to focus on being able to learn rather than overloading your schedule out of fear of never having an opportunity to learn in the future. Allow some of your career learning to happen as a professional (this is how all professionals develop expertise- in their post-masters professional development).
- Think about your ideal “first” job- plan your education around preparing yourself to enter the field, not around what you hope your career will lead you in ten years.
- Try and match your curriculum to coincide with practice experience in your field placement (it helps to retain when you can practice what you are learning).
- Seek out advice and mentorship in both formal and informal ways
Trauma Treatment Electives
Complex, Suicidal, & Self-Injurious Treatment Electives
Working with individuals, families, and groups who have developed severe and life-threatening behaviors often require very specific and structured interventions designed around establishing safety and self-regulation skills as the first priority. Individuals who develop complex and often life-threatening behaviors typically meet diagnostic criteria for more than one diagnosis, intersect with extensive trauma histories, and experience significant biological vulnerabilities. The core of working with this population is to first aid in the development of awareness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal skills necessary for navigating their internal worlds and their external worlds. It is critically important to understand the effects of inter-generational parenting, abuse and neglect, and gender-based violence when working with youth or adults presenting with complex and often difficult to respond clinical presentations. If you are interested in working with this population, you might consider one or more of the following:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Social Work Practice in Suicide Risk Assessment, Intervention, & Management
- Core Concepts in Trauma Treatment for Children & Adolescents
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy
- Intervention Approaches with Women
Anxiety & Depression Treatment Electives
Working with individuals, families, and groups who experience anxiety and depression is the most common clinical presentation for any mental health provider. Depression is often identified and referred for treatment; however, anxiety disorders are under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed, and often left untreated for a significant period of time. Therefore, for generalist mental health practice in clinical settings it is important to understand the interactions between depression and anxiety but also the most effective available treatments. If you are interested in working with this population, you might consider one or more of the following electives:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Interpersonal Psychotherapy
- Brief CBT for Anxious Youth
- Exposure & Response Prevention
- Motivational Interviewing
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Mental Health Concentration Elective Course Descriptions
3-Credit Elective Courses
S30-5503: Cognitive Behavior Therapy | Fall & Spring
This course is an advanced level course designed to give students the opportunity to develop competencies in cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques through lecture, reading, and video examples. This course is organized to provide students with the maximum amount of clinical practice in a classroom setting using role-plays of simulated cases provided by the instructor, based on issues frequently encountered in mental health settings, including presenting concerns of mood, anxiety, substance abuse, and interpersonal problems
S30-7206: Dialectical Behavior Therapy | Spring
Students will gain introductory knowledge and skills of the fundamental modes of Dialectical
Behavior Therapy. Students will learn the biosocial theory of borderline personality disorder development. Students will explore the principles that drive the treatment modes and functions of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Students will explore the specific problems and corresponding skills addressed in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
S30-7206: Contemporary Family Therapy | Fall
This course will explore and challenge in greater detail significant components of family systems theory, such as gender issues, adult development, circularity, context, process, homeostasis, and triangles. It will explore different schools’ approaches for assessment and intervention with families.
S30-5505: Interpersonal Psychotherapy | Spring
This course will help students gain knowledge and basic skills in Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), an evidence-based treatment for depression. The course will include theoretical underpinnings of IPT, review of empirical literature supporting the use of IPT in specific populations, and adaptations across cultures and psychiatric disorders.
S30-7328: Social Work Practice in Assessing, Managing, & Intervening with Suicidal Behavior | Spring
Students will integrate the leading theories of suicidal behavior as it relates to social work practice. Students will identify both risk and protective factors related to suicide risk. Students will identify vulnerable populations at high-risk for suicidal behavior. Students will develop an understanding of the full-spectrum of intervention from prevention, risk assessment and management, and intervention to postvention
S65-5047: Pharmacology for Social Workers | Spring
This course is designed to introduce the social worker to key concepts in pharmacology and pharmacotherapy. Major topics will include general principles of pharmacology and pharmacokinetics, cardiovascular drugs, respiratory system drugs, psychoactive drugs, drugs of abuse, selected antimicrobial therapy, antidiabetic drugs, reproductive system drugs, special considerations in elderly populations, overthe-counter (nonprescription) medications, and herbal remedies.
S31-5147: Core Concepts in Trauma Treatment for Children & Adolescents | Fall & Spring
This course incorporates the new National Child Traumatic Stress Network core curriculum on child
trauma (CCCT). The course conveys the crucial evidence-based concepts, components, and skills designed by the NCTSN to strengthen competency in assessment, referral, and treatment. This course will introduce students to the common concepts (general theory and foundational knowledge), components (intervention and treatment elements) and skills (practitioner skills) underlying evidencebased treatment for traumatized children and adolescents.
S31-4111: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy | Spring
PCIT is an evidence-based behavioral parent training intervention which uses a two-staged approach — child directed interaction (CDI) and parent directed interaction (PDI) — to intervene with parents and children together. This course will train students in all aspects of PCIT, including skills needed to gain mastery of both CDI and PDI.
S30-5702: Applied Group Work Practice | Fall
This course builds upon the knowledge and skills offered in Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups. Systems thinking and other theoretical approaches to group work practice are discussed with an emphasis on their application to group work with a variety of oppressed and disadvantaged populations. These approaches encompass professional use of self, professional ethics and values, formulation of group goals or desired outcomes, development and implementation of evidence-based treatment intervention plans, and evaluation of outcomes. The course will increase student group work facilitation skills such as group composition, facilitating group formation, management of group conflict, etc.
1-Credit Skills Labs
S81-5080: Prolonged Exposure Therapy | Fall
Students will gain specific knowledge and skills needed assess clients for PTSD and determine if Prolonged Exposure Therapy is an appropriate treatment. Special emphasis will be placed on emotional processing theory as an explanation of the
development and maintenance of PTSD, engaging clients who present with PTSD symptoms, and determining fit of the intervention. Students will learn the Prolonged Exposure Protocol for PTSD.
S81-5049: Cognitive Processing Therapy | Spring
This course will help students gain knowledge and basic skills in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), an evidence-based treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The course will include a presentation of the theoretical underpinnings of CPT, a critical review of the empirical literature supporting the use of CPT in a variety of populations, and an overview of the treatment interventions. The course will include discussions of potential ethical issues that may arise in treatment as well as discussions about cultural diversity issues. Video case examples, opportunities to role-play and practice basic skills and techniques will be provided throughout the course.
S81-5084 Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy
This skills lab will provide an understanding of when and how to use Exposure and Response Prevention, an evidence-based exposure therapy that is useful for addressing anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The class will consider current research support for ERP. We will explore implementing ERP as in vivo exposure, imaginal exposure and interoceptive exposure. Implementation with specific diagnoses – such as OCD, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder – will be considered. 1 credit
S81-5048: Fundamentals of Motivational Interviewing | Fall & Spring
Students will gain introductory knowledge and skills of the fundamental elements of Motivational Interviewing. Students will learn how to assess and enhance motivational factors in clients. Students will explore autonomy as it applies to the behavior change process in motivational interviewing.
S81-5058: Motivational Interviewing: Beyond the Basics to Integration & Application | Spring
This skills lab is designed to bring participants’ MI skills to the next level by building on the basics and introducing advanced content. This course is fast-paced and assumes that participants have basic knowledge of MI Spirit, MI Skills, and MI Processes.
S81-5058: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy | Fall
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based behavioral treatment for depression, anxiety, substance abuse, psychosis, and numerous other psychological problems and stressors. It teaches people to accept difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories, build mindfulness skills, identify core personal values, and commit to behaviors that are consistent with those values.
S81-5121: Self-Care for Helping Professionals | Spring
Will provide students with knowledge of the occupational risks of the helping professions, provide opportunities to explore four domains of Self-Care, including physical, social, spiritual, and mental as means to mitigate the occupational risks.
S81-5081: Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth | Fall
Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a type of therapy that has been scientifically shown to be effective in treating anxiety disorders in youth. Despite the high prevalence rates for anxiety disorders in youth, surveys indicate that most anxious youth are not receiving this treatment. A brief 8-session version of CBT (BCBT) for anxiety disorders in 7-13 year-old youth was developed and evaluated, and found to be feasible, acceptable, and beneficial.
Mental Health Concentration Curriculum Policies
1.0 Policy Statement
Effective January 2023, the following course substitution policy outlines the eligibility criteria for course substitutions for students in the mental health concentration. Only in the rarest of situations and in consultation and approval of the mental health concentration chair will exceptions be granted for the following policies. Exceptions may be granted primarily in cases where students have demonstrated competencies in the required content vis a vis prior work experience, course content, or outside professional development or in the context of creating a course schedule that aligns with community-level practice. However, modifications to the course curriculum may impede a student’s eligibility for future clinical practice, state licensing eligibility, or leave the student ill-prepared for ASWB licensing exams. Given the disparities for minoritized professional social workers, it is important to recognize the impact that course substitutions may have on future preparedness for these exams. Course substitutions are most often approved for the theory and policy requirements. Ultimately, the concentration chair has authority to approve or deny a course substitution request based upon multiple rationales.
1.1 Background
The mental health concentration prepares future social workers to engage, assess, intervene and evaluate practice at the individual, family, and group levels and to primarily function as clinical social workers in the mental health field. “Clinical social work is a specialty practice area of social work which focuses on the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental illness, emotional, and other behavioral disturbances. Individual, group and family therapy are common treatment modalities. Social workers who provide these services are required to be licensed or certified at the clinical level in their state of practice. Clinical social workers perform services in a variety of settings including private practice, hospitals, community mental health, primary care, and agencies” (NASW, N.D.).
To this end, the mental health concentration curriculum has been through a multi-layered vetting process, is approved by the Council on Social Work Education in its current form, and thus prepares future social workers to practice at the clinical level in mental health settings or to provide mental health services in a variety of non-mental health settings.
1.2 Council on Social Work Education Educational Policy M2.1: Specialized Practice
Standard M2.1.1: The program identifies its area(s) of specialized practice, and demonstrates how it builds on generalist practice.
Mental Health Concentration
The Mental Health concentration prepares students to engage constituents in a range of evidence-based assessment and treatment methods that aim to increase the functional capacity of individuals and larger systems addressing mental illness. The concentration provides an opportunity to develop specialized skills for students interested in mental health programming, management, advocacy, and system design.
Students in the Mental Health concentration develop the core competencies for practice with individuals, couples, families and systems. Throughout the curriculum, students gain the skills necessary for developing responsive and comprehensive mental health systems at the local, regional and societal levels. Graduates are skilled in assessment and diagnosis, and are familiar with evidence-based treatments appropriate for a range of diagnostic categories and populations. Students learn the latest trends in programs and treatments, as well as coursework, which includes mental health policy and advocacy. Coursework provides the framework for developing a substantive depth of mental health social work practice.
The mental health concentration uses 35 credits to expand generalist social work practice knowledge, skills, and competencies to equip students for mental health social work practice
Theory, Problems, and Issues (3 credits): Contemporary Theories & Issues in Behavioral Health (S20-5081) builds on the content from Human Behavior (S15-5011) and Social Work Practice with Individuals, Families and Groups (S15-5038) by expanding knowledge and skills within the realm of mental health theory and practice. This course provides the theoretical and practice foundations understanding of mental health conditions layered within the cultural and contextual ways of being and navigating this world.
Social Policy (3 credits): Behavioral Health Policies & Services (S48-5012) builds on the generalist content from Social Welfare Policies and Services (S15-5040) to provide in-depth understanding of key mental health policies affecting social work practice in mental health, the health and well-being of individuals and communities, and the intersectionality of mental health and inequities based on a multitude of factors.
Practice Methods (9 credits): A combination of 3 courses provide the framework for mental health social work practice methods. Students chose between three tracks (1) clinical social work; (2) clinical social work in substance use disorder treatment; or (3) child behavioral health.
Pedagogical Ideas and Precepts
Coursework in the mental health concentration balances an emphasis on theory and practice. Students are exposed to a wide range of theories of emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal health with an emphasis on the evidence-based process, assessment, treatment planning, and interventions that reflect effective resolution of emotional, behavioral and interpersonal difficulties. The common pedagogical approaches seen across the mental health curriculum often use a “teach-show-practice” model- helping to ensure that students receive a balance between theory/knowledge and practice. The mental health concentration expands the generalist practice through exposure to diagnostic interviewing, selecting evidence-based interventions for specific behavioral health issues, clinical case-management, and specific treatment protocols and programs along with evaluation methods. Additional methods utilized within the mental health concentration include practice-based learning, problem-based learning, community-engaged learning, and facilitated simulations, to name a few of the core approaches.
1.3 Curriculum Tracks and Course Substitution Policies. Each curriculum track prepares students to practice in various specialized fields in mental health. All tracks prepare students to practice clinical social work, which means preparing for clinical licensure within the state or province in which the student practices as a future professional social worker. Licensing standards set the scope of practice, which it regulates through multiple bodies empowered by the state legislature to monitor licensing standards and individuals practicing social work within the state of practice.
Clinical Social Work Practice
Theory: S20-5081-Contemporary Theories & Issues in Behavioral Health
Policy: S48-5012– Behavioral Health Policies & Services
Practice Methods:
- S30-5810: Principles and Practices of Differential Diagnosis
- S30-5805: Principles of Clinical Interventions in Behavioral Health
- S30-9453: Principles, Practice, & Services Substance Use Disorder Treatment
1.3.1 Mental Health Course Substitutions for Clinical Social Work. Practice in the mental health field requires demonstrated competencies in the engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation of individuals, families, and groups experiencing or at-risk of developing a mental health condition. Clinical social workers provide a wide range of social work duties; however, core mental health competencies include (1) assessing for the presence of mental health conditions (i.e., differential diagnosis), (2) intervening with individuals experiencing mental health conditions; and (3) engaging, assessing, linking, and intervening with individuals experiencing substance use disorders. The following courses are not eligible for course substitutions in the mental health concentration:
- Principles and Practices of Differential Diagnosis. State licensing exams and educational requirements for licensing by state licensing boards require this course content and is a core competency in mental health treatment and intervention. This course is not eligible for course substitution.
- Principles, Practices, & Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. With more than 20 million Americans diagnosed with a SUD and more than 70,000 American dying from drug overdoses each year, it is vital that all social workers in the mental health field are adequately prepared to identify, assess, link, and intervene with individuals experiencing substance misuse or disorders. This course is not eligible for course substitution.
1.3.2 Rationale for Course Substitutions When Appropriate for Clinical Social Work Track
- Community Focused Behavioral Health: If a student wishes to explore community level interventions to promote mental wellbeing or impact mental/behavioral health at the community level, course substitutions from other concentrations may be considered on a case by case basis. Sometimes, these students find D-SED to be the concentration that best fits their desired curriculum with a course substitution from the mental health concentration curriculum. However, pre/co-reqs need to be met and will not be waived. Students wishing to substitute any course in the mental health curriculum may put themselves at a disadvantage for later clinical licensing exams and job preparedness. These students typically do not wish to seek a clinical license to practice clinical social work at the individual, family, or group level.
- Principles of Clinical Interventions in Behavioral Health. Students may submit a course substitution for PCIBH only in the event that they wish to pursue competencies in engagement, assessment, and intervention with a specific population and or alternative level if intervention. Practice methods courses generally meeting eligibility for a course substitution are pulled from other approved concentration level practice methods courses. Mental Health elective courses are not eligible for a course substitution, except in rare cases in which students have demonstrated competencies in PCIBH through prior coursework, job experience, or other means of preparation. Students who elect to substitute this course may put themselves at a disadvantage when studying for the clinical licensing exam and/or preparedness for clinically focused positions upon graduation.
1.3.3 Clinical Social Work in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Theory: S20-5081-Contemporary Theories & Issues in Behavioral Health
Policy: S40-6101- Substance Use Policy
Practice Methods:
- S30-5810: Principles and Practices of Differential Diagnosis
- S30-5811: Harm Reduction Community Practice
- S30-9453: Principles, Practice, & Services Substance Use Disorder Treatment
*Foundation and concentration practicum plus 1 elective practicum credit at approved substance abuse disorder setting
1.3.4 Mental Health Courses Course Substitutions on SUD Track. The SUD track prepares clinical social workers to work within the field of mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment. Thus, future professional social workers need to be prepared to address both mental health and substance use disorders at the individual, family, and group levels of intervention. Community level practices are also of importance and several courses are designed to address SUD at the community and policy levels. The following courses are not eligible for course substitutions:
- Principles and Practices of Differential Diagnosis. State licensing exams and educational requirements for licensing by state licensing boards require this course content and is a core competency in mental health treatment and intervention. This course is not eligible for course substitution.
- Principles, Practices, & Services in Substance Use Disorder Treatment. With more than 20 million Americans diagnosed with a SUD and more than 70,000 American dying from drug overdosed each year, it is vital that all social workers in the mental health field are adequately prepared to identify, assess, link, and intervene with individuals experiencing substance misuse or disorders. This course is not eligible for course substitution.
1.3.5 Rationale for Course Substitutions on SUD Track. In some cases, students may wish to pursue preparation as a community-level interventionist. Thus, several course substitutions may be appropriate given the level of intervention in which the student wishes to engage constituencies.
- Community Focused Behavioral Health: If a student wishes to explore community level interventions to promote mental wellbeing or impact mental/behavioral health at the community level, course substitutions from other concentrations may be considered on a case by case basis. Sometimes, these students find D-SED to be the concentration that best fits their desired curriculum with a course substitution from the mental health concentration curriculum. However, pre/co-reqs need to be met and will not be waived. Students wishing to substitute any course in the mental health curriculum may put themselves at a disadvantage for later clinical licensing exams and job preparedness. These students typically do not wish to seek a clinical license to practice clinical social work at the individual, family, or group level.
- Principles of Clinical Interventions in Behavioral Health. Students may submit a course substitution for PCIBH only in the event that they wish to pursue competencies in engagement, assessment, and intervention with a specific population and or alternative level if intervention. Practice methods courses generally meeting eligibility for a course substitution are pulled from other approved concentration level practice methods courses. Mental Health elective courses are not eligible for a course substitution, except in rare cases in which students have demonstrated competencies in PCIBH through prior coursework, job experience, or other means of preparation. Students who elect to substitute this course may put themselves at a disadvantage when studying for the clinical licensing exam and/or preparedness for clinically focused positions upon graduation.
1.3.6 Clinical Social Work in Child Behavioral Health. The Child Behavioral Health track prepares social workers to engage children and youth experiencing or at-risk of developing a mental health condition at the individual, family, and group levels of intervention. Core competencies in clinical practice with children and youth include engaging children and youth, assessing children and youth for mental health conditions, and intervening and evaluating interventions at the individual, family, and group levels.
Theory: S20-1011- Theory and Empirical Practice with Children, Youth, and Families
Policy: S48-5012– Behavioral Health Policies & Services
Practice Methods:
- S30-5810: Principles and Practices in Differential Diagnosis
- S30-7201: Social Work Practice Across Systems Serving Children, Youth and Families
- S30-7206: Contemporary Family Therapy
1.3.7 Course Substitutions for Child Behavioral Health Track. No standard practice methods course substitutions are automatically eligible for the Child Behavioral Health concentration except in consultation with the mental health concentration chair.