SW 555 Social Work with Trauma and Substance Use Disorders

Students in this class will learn the implications that trauma imposes on the client, especially as it relates to self-medication with substances. Students will explore such areas as: the biopsychosocial impact of interpersonal violence as well as community violence. Students will gain an understanding of the numerous manifestations of trauma on developmental stages, and how its long-term impacts are carried into adulthood and contribute to substance dependency and addiction. Students will explore therapeutic approaches that allow for healthy development of coping mechanisms and the detrimental ramifications that effect future generations as a result of negative coping such as chemical dependency.

The course focuses on the numerous types of trauma. This includes, but is not limited to: childhood trauma, adult trauma, domestic violence, military trauma, trauma related to first responders, community trauma, and trauma as it relates to social justice and oppression.

Emphasis throughout the class is also placed on such issues as: secondary trauma or vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. Students will learn to self-evaluate and develop strategies of self -care and burnout prevention. A greater understanding of both self- care and approaches to peer support will be enhanced.

Students will learn the necessity for trauma-informed approaches. They will be exposed to methods of intervention that include: individual and group insight oriented psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), child and family interventions such as attachment regulation and competency (ARC). Discussion will also focus on how these interventions lead to both client-focused healing as well as development of resiliency.