SOCW-5860 : Trauma-Informed Social Work

In this course we will define and develop an applied understanding of trauma and trauma-informed care. Students will gain a theoretical and neurophysiological understanding of trauma and its effects as well as analyze different theoretical frameworks for intervening on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. We will focus on locating individual experiences in broader socio-political contexts, using self to provide clinical care for those acutely affected by trauma, and reflecting on the effect of secondary trauma as clinicians. Interwoven themes include: self-reflexivity, transference and counter-transference, non-western trauma frameworks, art and creativity, and understanding institutional/systemic trauma as it manifests in clinical practice. The course is organized as a combination of lectures, digital media, discussion, group activities, and case consult. Opportunities to integrate and apply course content to concurrent advanced field practicum are provided.