ELIMINATING STIGMATIZATION IN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: Afrocentric Mental Health in A World Class Primary Health Care Setting with a commitment to African Americans
UNST 421, Section 532CRN # 65518
SPRING 2009
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Harold E. Briggs, Professor
UCB 400 (SOCIAL WORK, 6th & HALL): 725-5026(cell number available from instructor to be secured and used as needed).
OFFICE HOURS: BY ARRANGEMENT
EMAIL: ;
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: AFRICAN AMERICANCOMMISSION ON MENTAL HEALTH and OHSU's AVEL GORDLY CENTER FOR HEALING
CONTACT: Acting Director DANETTE BURCHILL snd Senator AVEL GORDLY
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This capstone offers PSU students training and experience in learning an Afrocentric approach to accesses mental health and primary health care. Course participants will learn about cultural, social, and political taboos regarding mental illness and mental health treatment among African Americans, and will work with community agencies on a stigma reduction campaign. Through this experience PSU students will learn about the structural and systemic obstacles that African Americans encounter in publicly and privately funded mental health settings. The students will learn the importance of culturally centered community education to reducing stigma among African Americans. They will participate in writing grants to foundations to fund the sustainability of funding and enhancement of a model system of Afrocentric mental health care and racially competent services within a primary health care system with community linkages to communiy providers and county managed human service systems and supports.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1) Students will be able to communicate problem based learning effectively in a cross- cultural setting
(UNST Goals: Communication, Variety of Human Experiences)
2) Students will present their ideas effectively in writing and class discussion
(UNST Goals: Communication, Critical Thinking)
3) Students will assess stigma related issues that affect African American populations and develop constructive approaches to working with cultural difference (UNST Goals: Variety of Human Experiences, Critical Thinking)
4. Students will understand their advocay roles and responsibilities to issues that affect African American populations (UNST Goal: Social and Ethical Responsibility)
5. Students will design and implement a personal mental health management and balanced nutrition and physical fitness program for Spring term (SSW Goal: Problem Solving, Self-care and Self Awareness).
INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSIBILITY:
The instructor will develop course materials and stimulate reflection to help students meet personal learning goals as well as course objectives. The instructor will communicate with the Avel Gordly Center adminsitration to ensure an optimal learning experience for students. The instructor will develop a system of assessment that will ensure students’ accountability to each other, the university, and the community partner for meeting course objectives.
COMMUNITY PARTNER’S RESPONSIBILITY:
The Avel Gordly Center adminsitration and staff will provide a meaningful opportunity for students to meet UNST goals and course objectives. AGC will co-ordinate, monitor, and assist students to facilitate a productive skill development experience. AGC will support the skill development experience through contact with the African American leadership, the African American communities, African American mental health professionals, and grant making experts and resources and provide a fair and thorough assessment of each student’s participation in the stigma reduction campaign currently underway.
STUDENTS’ RESPONSIBILITY:
Students will complete all course assignments and actively engage in classroom discussions. Students will abide by the volunteer policies of the Avel Gordly Center and maintain contact with the instructor through weekly notes on their classroom and community based learning sessions. Students are required to maintain communication through email, weekly classroom attendance, and through telephone contact. In the event of illness or emergency students are responsible for rescheduling their skill development time and obtaining the necessary information shared in class.
Students shall inform instructor and community partner immediately of any circumstances that may affect their completion of the responsibilities associated with the class. If these circumstances are not discussed in a timely manner the student assumes the responsibility for full completion of all assignments at the specified date.
Students who request accommodation because of a disability may register with the disabilities office at PSU and relay the proper authorization from the office to the instructor.
ASSIGNMENTS:
-Course reading materials
-Attendance and participation in classroom activities (4 pts. Lost per absence or tardy after second occurrence)
-Participation in skill development, including weekly skill development notes (2-3 hours/week)
-participation in stigma reduction assignments
-Participation in grant making campaign for funding stigma reduction efforts
-Participation in community based activities aimed at community education on mental health care.
-design and test of personal health promotion project
ASSIGNED READINGS:
Briggs, H.E., & Rzepnicki, T.L (2004). Using Evidence In Social Work Practice: Behavioral Perspectives
Reynolds, Trinder, L. Evidence based practice: A Critical Appraisal.
-Weekly Independent Electronic Database Search of Articles on Stigma Reduction with African Americans
GRADING:
-Participation in ebp/pbl skilldevelopment in-class exercises (40 pts.)
-Completion of Stigma Reduction Assignments
-Group Project—Foundation Grant to fund Stigma Reduction Campaign
-Completion and Write Up of Personal Health Promotion Project
-Class participation (Loss of 4 pts. after second absence or tardy)
-Reading and Reflections Journal
To compute your grade review the assignments you have turned in and ask for feedback on your participation in the class.
ATTENDANCE:
"90% of life is just showing up" (Woody Allen)
Participation is more than showing up. Each class will involve small group discussion of key issues in the reading material. The instructor will respond to issues that emerge from the discussion. Each student will have vital insights to contribute to an engaging class. Students who miss all or part of meetings will miss information that is essential to the course (and their grade). Please be prepared to participate in each class session for the entire meeting.
Reflections on Skill Development Journal;
Tutor notes on webct are an essential means of monitoring and documenting your work with the children as well as providing feedback. They must be completed on a weekly basis in the following format which meets the requirements of thee AWC grant as well as the educational purposes of this class. Students cannot complete this class unless the notes are done in a timely fashion. The following format will be used:
Date:
Student's Name:
Reflection for Week of
PROJECTED COURSE SCHEDULE
4/2/09Introduction and Orientation: Creating The Rhythm and Blues Village
Celebrating African Values through Building Healthy Realtionships
Open Mick and Affirmation: Why It Makes Good Sense To Focus on African American Mental Health and Personal HealthCare Plans
4/9/09ORIENTATION FROM AVEL GORDLY CENTER AT PSU
Activities: Learn 1st of 5 step approach to Evidence Based Practice
READ: Introduction and Chapter 1 and 5 in Briggs and Rzpenicki
Due: Practice COPES QUESTIONS
A reflective journal note about your personal health belief model and practices and how can science be beneficial to your health promotion
4/16/09What Can I Learn From A Capstone on Science and Stigma Reduction and African American Communities?
Activities: Review AGC Goals; Discuss Student Experiences of
Community/Service/Diversity in Social Services
Rehearse COPES question development for my personal health management and for stima reduction projects
READ: “Cultural Competence and Mental Health Disparities by Briggs et al, (2009)” and Chapter 1 and 2 in Reynolds and Trinder
Chapter 2 and 3 in Briggs and Rzepnicki
DUE: My Vision of a Culturally Competent System of Care for African Americns with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Related Disorders
Output from first electronic search of COPES question
4/23/09What Are U.S. Policies and Attitudes Towards Mental Health Disorders?
Activities: Discuss Reaction to “Behavioral Interventions for Severe and Persistent Mental Disorders” in Briggs and Rzpenicki, Chapter 13, pp. 210-230.
Rehearse Step 2 of 5 Step EBP process
READ: Chapter 6, 7, & 13 in Briggs and Rzpenicki
DUE: Articles on Effective Outreach Approaches with African Americans with Mental Health related issues.
4/30/09Designing Logic Model for Change
Activities: Create a logic model for changing attitudes and practices of African Americans in utlilizing primary health care and mental healthcare services.
Practice Step 2 of 5 step process
READ: Wasserman's Getting To Outcomes (see on file at Library).
Chapter 4 in Briggs & Rzpenicki
5/7/09What Issues Do African Americans Face In The United States?
Activities: Tutor Update; Read and comment on the U.S. Congress Apology to African Americans;
Discuss Briggs and Paulson's Racism in Mattain and Thyer's (l996) Finding Solutions To Social Problems, American Psychological Association.
Learn Step 3 of EBP process
READ: Chapter 15 in Briggs and Rzpeknicki, “The Evidence Based
Practitioner: Assessing The Cultural Responsiveness of Research
Read remainder of Reynolds and Trinder next four weeks
5/14/09How Can I Support AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES?
Discuss Chapter 16, Informed Consent and Practice Evaluation
READ: Chapter 19
Activities: Work on Group Projects
Rehearse Step 3 of EBP Process
5/21/09Where am I in my focus on projects involving Reducing Stigmitization?
How Can I Help Presenters of Community Education?
Activities: Discuss A Legend to the Presentation on The Brain and Mental Health and Mental Illness
Learn Step 4 of EBP Processing
READ: Dr. Knight Richardson Powerpoint
DUE: My Ideas on How To Illustrate This for Common Understanding
based on options I adapted from electronic literature
5/28/09Personalized Consultation and Technical Assistance from Instructor
Practice Step 4 and Learn Step 5 with Community Partner
6/4/09NO CLASS
6/11/09LAST CLASS –Implement Step 5 of EBP Process: What I have Learned from The Class To Assist The Community and My Self: Testimonial and Presentation To Community at Community Breakfast Meeting of the African American Alliance at 7:30 am.(Meet at 7:00am for dress rehearsal onsite)
Informed opinion on Stigma Reduction and African and American Communities (one page)
Key Topic or Theme:
Summary (one paragraph):
Key quote:
Why I chose this quote:
Personal response to the material (agreement/disagreement/insights):
Questions I want to explore:
CULTURAL ORIENTATION SUMMARY FORMAT
(ONE PAGE)
Name:Date:
Title:
Summary (5-6 Most Important Issues Addressed)
Key Quote:
Why I chose this quote:
Personal Response to the Reading (agreement/disagreement/insights):
Questions or issues I want to explore further: