Discussion 1: Evidence-Based Interventions Used in National Traumatic Events

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Discussion 1: Evidence-Based Interventions Used in National Traumatic Events

The DSM-5 task force added a section dedicated to trauma and stress. With an increased exposure to traumatic events, more individuals are exhibiting symptoms related to trauma exposure. Experiencing any of these events can result in an individual’s suffering from a trauma or stressor-related disorder.

For this Discussion, read the DSM-5 section on trauma and stressor-related disorders, in particular the articles on PTSD by Van der Kolk (2005) and Agaibi and Wilson (2005). Then search the literature for a study related to a national traumatic event and an evidence-based intervention used to treat those suffering from trauma and stressor-related issues associated with it.

· Post a brief description of the event, including a summary of how it affected the individuals involved. 

· What are some psychosocial issues that needed to be addressed following this event? Identify an intervention that was implemented to address one of the psychosocial issues. 

· Discuss the effectiveness of this intervention as stated in the article. What are some of the implications for social work in connection with traumatic events?

Support your post with specific references to the resources. Be sure to provide full APA citations for your references.

References (use 3 or more)

Agaibi, C. E., & Wilson, J. P. (2005). Trauma, PTSD, and resilience: A review of the literature. Trauma Violence Abuse, 6, 195–216.

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

“Trauma-and Stressor-Related Disorders” (pp. 265–290)

Pietrzak, R., Goldstein, M., Malley, J., Johnson, D., & Southwick, S. (2009). Subsyndromal posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with health and psychosocial difficulties in veterans of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Depression and Anxiety [serial online], 26(8), 739–744.

Rosen, G. M., Spitzer, R. L., & McHugh, P. R. (2008). Problems with the post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and its future in DSM-V. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192, 3–4.

Problems with the post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and its future in DSM-V by Rosen, G.M., Spitzer, R.L., & McHugh, P.R. in The British Journal of Psychiatry, 192/1. Copyright 2008 by the Royal Medico-Psychological Association. Reprinted by permission of the Royal College of Psychiatrists via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Van der Kolk, B. A. (2005). Developmental trauma disorder: Towards a rational diagnosis for chronically traumatized children. Retrieved from www. traumacenter.org

Van der Kolk, B.A. (2005). Developmental trauma disorder: Towards a rational diagnosis for children with complex trauma histories by Van der Kolk, B.A., in Psychiatric Annals, 35/5. Copyright 2005 by Slack Incorporated. Reprinted by permission of Slack Incorporated via the Copyright Clearance Center.

Small Group Discussion:
Presenting Policy Proposals

Policy practitioners should know that being forewarned is being forearmed. You should know how to diagnose an audience, develop a persuasive strategy, have a “tactics tool bag” for dealing with difficult or expert audiences, and know how to develop non-confrontational communication methods with audiences when necessary. In short, you need to know how to skillfully defend the creative policy proposal you are about to present and how to talk to policy makers who may not be interested in the issues you are presenting.

In this Small Group Discussion, you explore and analyze strategies and ideas for presenting policy proposals.

To Prepare: Think about strategies you can use to persuade others who might not share the same concerns about your issues or your policy proposals. Think about how you might defend your position on an issue or a policy and get them to agree with your perspective. Review Chapter 9 of your text, paying special attention to the section entitled “Combative Persuasion in Step 5 and Step 6” from pages 286-292.

Post your responses to the following question presented for your small group discussion:

· Policy advocates sometimes find themselves discussing the needs of vulnerable populations with less-than-sympathetic groups of policy makers. Vulnerable populations might include families living in poverty, individuals with histories in the criminal justice system, or groups who have recently immigrated. How might you communicate the needs of vulnerable populations to policy makers who may not share your views about the need for services?

Be sure to support your post with specific references to this week’s resources. If you are using additional articles, be sure to provide full APA-formatted citations for your references.

References (use 3 or more)

Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.

Chapter 9, “Presenting and Defending Policy Proposals in Step 5 and Step 6 of Policy Analysis” (pp. 284-326)

Jackson-Elmoore, C. (2005). Informing state policymakers: Opportunities for social workers. Social Work, 50(3), 251–261.

Wiki Part 4: Online Resources

Locating online resources for a client can be overwhelming. There is such an abundance of websites, blogs, wikis, and social networking sites that offers resources to many different populations. As a clinician, it is important for you to determine which resources are evidence-based, appropriate for the population, and easily accessible.

To prepare for your Wiki, read the Wiki Assignment Instructions document located in the resources. Then locate 5–7 online resources for those living with a mental disorder.

For this Assignment, write a 400-word wiki, being sure to use proper APA format for any citations.

Your wiki should focus on F40.00 Agoraphobia mental disorder. Include the following (in the form of URLs, physical locations, and contact information) in your entry:

· Agencies, organizations, and non-profits that offer information and resources to individuals living with F40.00 Agoraphobia

· Workshops, conferences, and suggested readings pertaining to F40.00 Agoraphobia

· Experts in the field and their locations

· Studies that offer more insight into interventions for F40.00 Agoraphobia

References (use 3 or more)

CPA 4 LIFE SPAN (BW)

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  1. Review the term “lateralization.” Compare lateralization in infancy and early childhood with that of late adults. Hint: go to cognitive development in late adulthood.
  2. The brain is often described as plastic. Why?
  3. According to Dynamic Systems Theory, perception and action are linked. What does this mean? Provide an example.
  4. A researcher is interested in an infant’s understanding of numbers. She places two dancing balls within the infant’s line of sight, covers them, and then removes the cover to expose the two dancing balls again. After this procedure is repeated several times the infant loses interest and looks away. The researcher has timed the “looking” behavior. The researcher then removes the cover and there appear three dancing balls or one instead of two. The infant suddenly becomes interested again and looks longer. The process of more or less looking time is called ____________ and ___________ respectively.

Discussion 1: Substance Abuse and Comorbidity

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Discussion 1: Substance Abuse and Comorbidity

Unfortunately, individuals living with a co-occurring mental disorder are more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol. One population that has struggled with substance abuse and comorbidity is veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their returning to society after witnessing traumatic events and not always having the appropriate resources or treatment has contributed to substance abuse-related disorders. Understanding the prevalence of comorbidity of substance abuse and addiction with certain mental health diagnoses is important for clinical practice.

For this Discussion, review the Levy Family video. Then read the articles on your reading list for this week, including Jake’s case. Finally, identify the presenting problem for Jake Levy.

· Post a clinical diagnosis of Jake using the DSM-5 criteria, ICD-10-CM and the information presented in the Levy Family video and case. 

· Describe how you arrived at this diagnosis and what behaviors and/or symptoms met the criteria for this diagnosis. 

· Be sure to use the inputs from Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention. 

· Analyze your diagnosis and the comorbidity of substance use and other disorders that exist in this case study. What would be your first area of focus in treating Jake?

References (use 3 or more)

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

· “Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders” (pp. 481–590)

Muthén, B. (2006). Should substance use disorders be considered as categorical or dimensional? Addiction, 101, 6–16.

Nash, D., Wilkinson, J., Paradis, B., Kelley, S., Naseem, A., & Grant, K. (2011). Trauma and substance use disorders in rural and urban veterans. The Journal of Rural Health, 27(2), 151–158.

Nunes, E. V., & Rounsaville, B. J. (2006). Comorbidity of substance use with depression and other mental disorders: From Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) to DSM-V. Addiction, 101, 86–96.

Plummer, S.-B., Makris, S., Brocksen S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].

· “The Levy Family”

Room, R. (2006). Taking account of cultural and societal influences on substance use diagnoses and criteria. Addiction, 101, 31–39.

Sheidow, A. J., McCart, M., Zajac, K., & Davis, M. (2012). Prevalence and impact of substance use among emerging adults with serious mental health conditions. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(3), 235–243. doi:10.2975/35.3

Discussion 2:
Policy Implementation Challenges

When a policy is launched, its success is dependent on a variety of stakeholders. As the politics of decision makers, executives, staff, clients, and social workers begin to influence the implementation process, their beliefs—and subsequent actions—determine the fate of the policy.

Often a social worker must step out of the comfort of his or her social service world and may find himself or herself making difficult decisions about ethical issues and/or may find himself or herself involved in implementing policies that he or she feels is against his or her social work values. How does a social worker handle the intricacies and challenges of policy implementation on both a personal and professional level?

In this Discussion, you explore policy implementation and the challenges faced by social workers during policy implementation.

· Post your thoughts on whether social workers might try to undermine the implementation of specific policies. What ethical issues might they confront? Discuss how social workers can implement policies that they feel may be against their social work values. Discuss a specific policy’s impact that you would try to mitigate in the implementation phase. Provide an experience you have had with a policy you had difficulty implementing or a policy you are aware of that you would have serious qualms about implementing.

References (use 3 or more)

Jansson, B. S. (2018). Becoming an effective policy advocate: From policy practice to social justice (8th ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning Series.

Chapter 13, “Troubleshooting the Implementation of Policies in Task 7” (pp. 460-487)

Lane, S. R., & Humphreys, N. A. (2011). Social workers in politics: A national survey of social work candidates and elected officials. Journal of Policy Practice, 10(3), 225–244. doi:10.1080/15588742.2011.582809.