Multicultural Knowledge of Mental Health Practices
Online Certificate Program
Department of Educational Psychology
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
The
Multicultural Knowledge of Mental Health Practices certificate is 15 credit
program designed to provide basic knowledge of and guidelines for practice with
diverse groups. It is geared towards students who are currently in graduate
programs or at the post-master’s level, and are interested in additional
training in this area. This program is designed for students and current professionals in education, social work,
psychology, business, as well as mental health practitioners who are working
with diverse populations. The
certificate program will fulfill continuing education requirements through
coursework for licensure or recertification. The certificate program is pending
approval by the Board of Regents, expected Fall 2009.
COUNS 704 may be taken as an
elective for graduate students in any program, as the first course in the
certificate program, or for any non-degree students interested in the subject
matter.
Core Certificate Requirements
Course Descriptions
Admissions Requirements
Completion Requirements
Participating Faculty
Core certificate requirements:
All
certificate students are required to complete COUNS 704 and 705 (for 6 credits),
and three population-specific courses (for 9 credits). Students may not transfer credits into the
certificate program. Online modules are designated in each course and students
will be able to proceed through the modules at their own pace. Students will
interact with the instructor through email, virtual office hours, or by posting
questions in a D2L discussion site. Successful completion of each module will
be demonstrated by 80% correct responses on each module exam. All modules must be successfully completed by
the end of the academic semester (i.e., 15 week semester).
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Course descriptions:
Core courses
COUNS 704:
Multicultural Guidelines: Overview and Ethics. (3 credits)
This
course is designed to introduce you to basic concepts in multicultural
psychology and how they interact to shape the individual. Concepts such as
oppression, power and privilege, social class, ethnic identity development,
gender role socialization, discrimination, microaggressions,
acculturation/assimilation, racism, ageism, ableism, and their manifestations
are presented. Particular attention is given to how many of these factors
influence worldview, contribute to marginalization, as well as to disparities
in education, work and health.
COUNS 705:
Multicultural Practice: Awareness and knowledge of others. (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide the student with
an understanding and knowledge related to mental health practices of
individuals from diverse cultural groups.
Modules in the course will cover information related to ethical
multicultural practice, understanding the client/patient within his/her
cultural context, understanding culturally appropriate diagnosis and
assessment, and understanding culturally appropriate interventions.
Population-specific courses (3 credits each)
COUNS
740: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines: Working with Latinos
This
course is designed to familiarize you with essential information about the
Hispanic/Latino population in the United States consisting of
demographic, historical, sociopolitical, and geographic contexts that are
critical to understanding the population as well as the diversity within.
Specific concepts and frames of reference such as identity, acculturation,
language, family values, religion and spirituality, traditional beliefs about
health and illness, gender role socialization, and social class are discussed.
Attention will be give to contemporary issues facing Latinos, including a
discussion of factors that influence help seeking and receiving care.
COUNS 741: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines:
Working with LGBT populations
This
course is designed to provide essential multicultural mental health information
as it pertains to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) population
in the United States.
Course modules will address areas related to demographics, historical factors,
and sociopolitical issues for LGBT communities and their influence on mental
health. Specific concepts such as LGBT identity, intersection of multiple identities,
cultural values, health issues, and social class are discussed. Attention will
be given to influential contemporary issues and practice considerations.
COUNS
742: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines: Working with Asian Americans
This course is designed to provide
the student with an understanding and knowledge related to mental health
practices of individuals of Asian descent living in the United States. Modules in the course will cover information
related to demographic, historical, and sociopolitical factors for Asian
Americans and their influence on mental health treatment. Topics will include educational and
population factors, acculturation, language, sociopolitical history, cultural
values, health care orientation and treatment.
COUNS
743: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines: Working with African Americans
This
course is designed to provide essential multicultural mental health information
as it pertains to African Americans in the United States. Course modules will
address areas related to demographics, historical factors, and sociopolitical
issues for African Americans and their influence on mental health. Specific
concepts such as identity, acculturation, cultural values, religion and
spirituality, traditional health beliefs, gender role socialization, and social
class are discussed. Attention will be given to influential contemporary issues
and practice considerations.
COUNS
744: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines: Work with First Nations
This
course is designed to familiarize you with essential, and largely, Pan-cultural
information about the mental health issues facing the First Nations populations
in North America. First Nations populations include those also
generally referred to as American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native American
Indians. Demographic, historical,
sociopolitical, and inter- and intra-ethnic contexts critical to understanding
the First Nations will be addressed.
Specific knowledge constructs such as identity formation, acculturation,
enculturation, language, family and community values, religion and
spirituality, traditional beliefs about health and illness, gender role
socialization, and social class are emphasized. Attention will be given to
contemporary issues facing the First Nations that influence service delivery
and the receipt of care. Culturally relevant interventions are presented.
COUNS
745: Multicultural Mental Health Guidelines: Working with Men
This
course will provide an overview of: (a) recent advances made in understanding
how the traditionally socialized male gender role affects the lives of men, and
(b) therapeutic techniques based on such advances which allow counselors to
work with such men from a gender role sensitive perspective. An integral aspect
of this course will be the extensive use of demonstrations and role-plays aimed
at increasing the student’s ability to interact with and be therapeutically
efficient with male clients from diverse backgrounds.
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Admissions requirements:
Students
will be admitted on a continuous basis.
Post-master’s students will submit a transcript and letter of
intent. Students currently in a graduate
program will submit a transcript, letter of intent and must demonstrate a
minimum of 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students
are sought from a wide variety of disciplines, and thus, there is no specific
background required for the program.
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Completion requirements:
Contingent upon satisfactory
completion of program requirements (15 credits), the Program Coordinator and
the Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology will give final approval
of the Certificate in Multicultural Knowledge of Mental Health Practices.
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Participating faculty:
Leah M. Arndt, Ph.D.
Patricia Arredondo, Ed.D.
Thomas W. Baskin, Ph.D.
Nadya A. Fouad, Ph.D.
Anthony A. Hains, Ph.D.
Shannon Chavez-Korell, Ph.D.
Azara L. Santiago-Rivera, Ph.D.
Marty Sapp, Ed.D.
Stephen R. Wester, Ph.D.
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