Social work cumculum and psychiatric rehabilitation

Abstract

Abstract The social work curriculum, regulated by the Council on Social Work Education, is highly compatible with the demands of practice in psychiatric rehabilitation. Areas of congruence include the generalist curriculum of bachelor's programs and the foundation component of master's programs; values; the advanced practice curriculum; human behavior theory; and cultural diversity. Nevertheless, adults with severe mental illness tend to be overlooked as a “population at risk”; mental health specialization curricula encompass a broad spectrum of populations and disabilities; and clinical curricula tend to exclude interventions that are adapted to clients with serious mental illness. This paper describes two models that build on the areas of congruence and extend them. One consists of modules on specific topics that can be built into existing courses. Another approach is an elective on psychiatric rehabilitation.