Online Graduate Certificate in Trauma Responsive Care

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.

Vulnerable populations such as children, older adults, and people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by large-scale disasters. This course will address the specific psychosocial needs of vulnerable populations after a disaster and related policy implications. Best practices for crisis intervention with specific populations including children, older adults, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues, and people with substance abuse issues will be discussed. A theoretical foundation for understanding disasters, response systems, common guidelines for preparedness, and basic crisis theory will be presented.

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.