Online Graduate Certificate in Mental Health

This course will provide crucial information for assessing and reacting to various crises involving suicide, homicide, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, sexual abuse, bereavement/grief, substance use, natural disasters, wars, emergency response in the community and in schools, and terrorism. Practical applications and policy implications for various crisis situations will be presented. The crisis task model will be used to process crisis situations, understand crucial information about a crisis, clinical considerations, and practical experiences on every crisis topic. Safety issues, self-care, and wellness will also be examined.

This course is designed to prepare students for working with individuals who are experiencing persistent and severe mental distress. Students will learn how to navigate and diagnose individuals using the most current DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and understand factors related to diagnostic features, differential diagnosis, and comorbidity. Applying the social work systems perspective and biopsychosocial assessment framework, students will gain an understanding of mental well-being and illness in the context of antiracist practices. This course emphasizes the importance of promoting mental health equity with all individuals regardless of intersecting identities such as culture, class, race, ethnicity, religion, ability, and sexual orientation.

This course provides an overview of mental health assessment and diagnostic tools, including the Diagnostic Statistical Manual, and touches on treatment strategies and techniques. Students will examine the relationship between the biological, psychological, social, environmental, and cultural influences that impact mental health from an ecological context. The course emphasizes variations in the assessment process and access to treatment for populations at social and economic risk. In addition, students analyze the political and social implications of mental health in relation to social work values and ethics.