Social Construction in Assessment and Treatment

Course overview

This course is the second part of our series Culture and Social Determinants of Health: Psychological and Social Implications. Part 1, Socioeconomic Position: Understanding Psychological and Social Implications provides the information necessary for a clinician to develop a basic knowledge base about focuses on introducing the reader to the concept of social determinants of health (SDH) broadly, as well as more specifically considering some of the impacts of particular SDH in the United States and in California. Part 2, Dimensions of Diversity: Social Construction in Assessment and Treatment, focuses on the importance of adapting therapeutic interventions to integrate and account for SDH. In this course, social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors are provided guidelines for integrating this information into the ways they engage with clients in assessment and intervention. Concepts and practice questions for assessment of specific SDH are provided with an aim of this course is for clinicians to incorporate this valuable information into their practices and to gain a pathway to approaching topics that might previously have been uncomfortable for them or outside of their awareness as necessary aspects of assessment information. Integration of SDH into treatment is examined in the context of existing treatment modalities commonly in use in mental health care, including Solution Focused Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, Interpersonal Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Mindfulness, and Play Therapy. Clinical vignettes help illustrate the concepts and sample dialogues give the reader a sense of practical application of the ideas presented in each section. Finally, lengthier vignettes are presented with questions for thought and deeper engagement. While these are companion courses, participants do not need to take Part 1 as a requirement for part 2. To learn about our unlimited plans please visit ce4less.com