The University of Texas School of Social Work Summer 2004 Instructor: Arlene Montgomery, Ph.D., LCSW Course Number: SW N 393R1 Unique Number: 96155 Meeting Time and Place: Mon. / Wed.5:30; Room 2.112 Phone: Home: (512) 480-8086; Office: (512) 474-8317 Email: [email protected] (not to be used for turning in assignments) Office Hours: by appointment CLINICAL ASSESSMENT AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS I. Course Description This course will focus on the incidence, etiology, and assessment of dysfunctional behavior patterns with children, adolescents, adults, and families. Students will learn models of assessment to evaluate human functioning throughout the life cycle, with emphasis on vulnerable and diverse populations. Major nosological systems, such as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International Classification of Diseases, and other schemes for assessing and understanding human behavior, will be covered. This course is required of MSSW students in the Clinical concentration.II. Course Objectives By the end of the semester, students will be able to do the following. a. demonstrate familiarity with biological, psychosocial, and cultural theories on the etiology of dysfunctional behavior patterns; b. demonstrate the ability to apply multiple methods of assessment, including those developed through classificatory schemes, standardized measures, and qualitative typologies; c. describe the relationship between assessment and intervention in social work practice; d. demonstrate the ability to adapt assessment models to reflect the needs of persons of diverse social, economic, cultural or ethnic backgrounds, including understanding issues of gender, sexual orientation, and ability; e. critically evaluate different theoretical and assessment models as to their efficacy in given situations. This includes the following: i.) the adequacy of the research and knowledge; ii.) the range of applicability; iii.) the value and ethical issues; and iv.) the policy implications involved in assessment and delivery of service assessment and delivery of services. f. demonstrate an understanding of the limitations in using the classification schemes in understanding human behavior and the danger of mislabeling people, particularly those from at risk populations.III. Teaching Methods The methods include lecture, discussion, experiential exercise, group presentation, guest clinicians demonstrating clinical interviewing skills, clinical cases, and video materials. IV. Required and Optional Texts/Materials Required material: American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition Text Revision (DSM IV TR). Washington, DC:Author. Buelow, H., Hebert, S. & Buelow, S. (2000). Psychotherapist’s resource on psychiatric medications: Issues of treatment and referral (2nd ed.) Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Course packet available for purchase at Longhorn Copies, 2520 Guadalupe (476-4498).V. Course requirements: attendance, special accommodations,course assignments, and grading Attendance Students are expected to attend all classes; this is particularly important as the experiential component is critical to learning the material. Should you have to be absent, please communicate with the instructor prior to the class, if possible. One unexcused absence will be permitted; any other unexcused absences will result in deduction from the final grade. Participation in the panel presentations and role play are also required; if there is a problem with this requirement, please speak to the instructor by the second class day. Special accommodations for students with a disability In compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, the instructor is available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations with the student. Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should notify the instructor at the beginning of the semester. To insure that the most appropriate accommodations can be provided, students should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office at 471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY. Course assignments and grading There will be 7 worksheets; 7 brief in-class quizzes; a cumulative take-home mid-term and a non-cumulative final examination; and a group presentation which includes a handout for classmates (summary of important points from assigned clinical articles and from the texts); a discussion of clinical issues from the assigned video with film clips to illustrate important points from the assigned material and a 3-5 page paper addressing assessment issues for one of the role play clinical interviews. At least 85% of the mid term and final exams will be taken from the preceding worksheets, in-class quizzes, and summarized material from presentations.Panel presentation: The instructor will provide 2 copies to the class of the videos; they can also be rented at video stores. Many of the videos are also available on in the Undergraduate Library on the 3rd floor. There will be questions from the videos that would be difficult to answer correctly without watching the video. Everyone is to watch the film outside of class and be prepared to discuss the film as related to assigned material. The class will be lead in a discussion of clinical material illustrated by clips from films such as WHAT’S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, TAXI DRIVER, FATAL ATTRACTION, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, AND SYBIL using the panel presentation and role play format. Each student panel will lead a discussion of the videos as they illustrate certain technical material and material from the texts, in part, with selected film clips. The role play will be of a character or characters from the films that illustrate the assessment process of the clinical entity dictated by each particular film; the leaders will be the instructor and guest clinicians; students may volunteer to conduct the interview if they wish, but this is not required. Summaries: Each panel will summarize clinical points in material assigned to their presentation and provide the outline to fellow students as well as teach some of the major points made in the article to the class that can be illustrated by the film. The instructor will also be active in this discussion. Note: the assigned material from the DSM IV-TR should not be outlined in detail; further instructions will be provided on