Classroom Course » Working with Immigrants and their Families:Psycho-social & Therapeutic Issues

The goal of this course is to provide clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and other health care, mental health/human service professionals in-depth understanding of the psycho-social variables related to immigration and their impact on the mental health and cultural adjustment of immigrants, their families and children. This course also outlines the issues related to immigration experiences, generational issues in immigrant families, common pitfalls, and errors in working with immigrants, their families, and children.It highlights some effective strategies in providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy, clinical intervention, and case management service to this population. It also discusses how to use interpreters appropriately and effectively.

1.  Summarize and apply culturally sensitive interviewing techniques in working with both adults and children in the immigrant family system.
2.   Recognize the common pitfalls and errors in working with immigrant clients and family systems.
3.   Utilize the knowledge of the factors affecting the acculturation of immigrant adults and children in developing appropriate service plans for them.
4.   Develop and apply strategies in working with families balancing respect for their cultural traditions and the assimilation to their host society.
5.   Identify current and potential problems that might disrupt the stability and undermine the integrity of the immigrant families such as cultural and linguistic differences between different generations that manifest themselves in role conflicts, role reversals, power struggles and communication problems.
6.   Utilize culturally appropriate skills in assisting immigrant clients and family to overcome institutional and psychological barriers in assessing appropriate health care and mental health services.
7.   Practice strategies to engage immigrants and their families effectively and appropriately in the provision of health, mental health, and case management services.

Social workers, case managers, and other mental health/behavioral professionals, substance abuse counselors, other health care professionals and,  educators.