Ehomeworker

Week 5: Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Cultural Idioms of Illness Anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) have a devastating impact on an individual’s ability to live, work, and conduct relationships. These disorders are often harder to identify than other conditions. Difficulty in diagnosis is compounded by the fact that expressions of…

Discussion: Applying Differential Diagnosis to Neurodevelopmental Disorders Social work clinicians keep a wide focus on several potential syndromes, analyzing patterns of symptoms, risks, and environmental factors. Narrowing down from that wider focus happens naturally as they match the individual symptoms, behaviors, and risk factors against criteria A–E and other baseline information in the DSM-5.  …

Week 4: Putting It All Together: Differential Diagnosis and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Clinicians often have to employ multiple skills simultaneously while engaging with clients. Not least among them are reflective listening, information gathering and sensitive questioning, recording key responses, observing for signs of syndromes, and identifying the chief complaints. This week you address the complex process…

Welcome to SOCW 2001 – Introduction to Social Work, a comprehensive 5-credit course that lays the foundation for your journey into the field of social work. As you embark on this educational adventure, gaining insights into the core principles and practices of social work, we stand ready to support your academic success. If you’re seeking…

Discussion: Assessing Suicide Risk As a social worker, you will likely at some point have a client with a positive suicide risk assessment. Many individuals with suicidal ideation also have a plan, and that plan may be imminent. Even when the risk is not urgent at a given moment, current research shows that most suicides…

Assignment: Conducting a Diagnostic Interview With a Mental Status Exam   Before moving through diagnostic decision making, a social worker needs to conduct an interview that builds on a biopsychosocial assessment. New parts are added that clarify the timing, nature, and sequence of symptoms in the diagnostic interview. The Mental Status Exam (MSE) is a…

Week 2: Impact of the DSM-5: Organization, Development, Strengths, and Limitations Social work advocates for the biopsychosocial model of mental health and illness. Therefore, when making a diagnosis a social worker should always consider biological factors such as genetics, psychological factors such as personality and strengths, and social factors such as culture and environment.  …

Week 1: The Risks and Benefits of Diagnosis Understanding the definitions and conceptualizations of various psychopathologies is imperative when practicing as a social worker. As part of a multidisciplinary team, a social worker needs to be able to recognize patterns of illness and discuss a client’s diagnosis. Social workers in clinical settings also need to…