This course examines psychopathology and mental disorders from an ecological perspective. Emphasis is placed on understanding bio-psychosocial influences on the incidence, course, and treatment of the most prevalent mental disorders and the effect of these on diverse populations. The course emphasizes the acquisition of diagnostic skills as they relate to comprehensive social work assessment and interventions. Ethical issues, collaboration with families, knowledge of basic psychopharmacology treatment and the roles social workers play in mental health settings.

The International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) of the latest revision, is used as an organizing framework for reviewing mental disorders—discussion of strengths and weaknesses of this system, the role of social workers in psychiatric diagnosis, the relationship of diagnosis to social work assessment, practice, legal, cultural and ethical issues.

The course focuses on the acquisition of diagnostic skills as they relate to comprehensive social work assessment of adults, adolescents, and children. Knowledge of psychotropic drugs and the roles social workers as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team is presented