ASSIGNMENT 1: Modes of Cultural Adaptation and Social Work Practice

How do you adapt to a new society? Is it a matter of completely adapting to the cultural practices of the new society at the expense of your own culture? Or do you remain steadfast in your personal culture to the detriment of your social experience in that new society? Maybe, you attempt to find a balance by developing a bicultural identity that respects both your personal culture and that of your new society. What might be the impact for clients and the new society with each of these options? How do you, as a social worker, help your clients with the cultural adaptation process without losing their personal cultural identity and without disrespecting the culture of the new society?

For this assignment, consider the role that cultural adaptation plays in the development of bicultural identity. Then, think about how family systems, peer groups, communities, organizations, and institutions influence the development of different modes of cultural adaptation (traditional, marginal, assimilation, and bicultural) and why these influences might be important to social work practice.

Assignment(2- to 4-page, APA-formatted paper):

Your paper should include:

o   An explanation of the role cultural adaptation has in the development of bicultural identity

o   An explanation of how family, peer groups, communities, organizations, and institutions influence the development of different modes of cultural adaptation (traditional, marginal, assimilation, and bicultural)

o   An explanation of why these influences of cultural adaptation might be important to social work practice

Reference (use 3 or more)

Robbins, S. P., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. R. (2012). Contemporary human behavior theory: A critical perspective for social work (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Allyn & Bacon.

Dominelli, L., & Hackett, S. (2012). Internationalising social work theory and practice. International Social Work, 55(2), 151–153.

Bernal, G., Jiminez-Chafey, M. I., & Domenech Rodriguez, M. M. (2009). Cultural adaptation of treatments: A resource for considering culture in evidence-based practice. Professional Psychology: Research And Practice, 40(4), 361–368.

ASSIGNMENT 2: Antipsychotic Medications and the Treatment of Psychotic Disorders

Imagine that you have been seeing a client for a year. Initially, treatment was tailored to address a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. Over the course of your counseling sessions, your client has begun to develop psychotic symptoms. She becomes mildly psychotic during a session and explains that the voices are telling her that she is wasting her time and she will never be well. Your client is surprised to have heard these voices, but is cognizant of the fact that they are coming from within her, rather than some external, supranatural source. She understands that they are psychotic symptoms.

Often, counselors encounter ethical and clinical dilemmas in deciding the best course of treatment for their clients. Considering the possibility that a client might wish to avoid going on antipsychotic medication, could you support this choice? Does the client’s awareness and understanding of the voices mean no further action is required on the part of the counselor? Since there appears to be no immediate danger to herself or others, could the counselor disregard the symptoms?

The Application Assignment contains a creative component, in which you integrate DSM-5 sourced and other scholarly material to create a case presentation. As hallucinations and delusions can vary from those that were seemingly borne of logic to the truly bizarre, this is an opportunity to fully engage your most imaginative thoughts.

For this Assignment, review the Learning Resources. Reflect on the development of drugs to treat psychosis over time. Consider the side effects of antipsychotics and their interactions with neurotransmitter function. Explore the ethical concerns and challenges of treating psychotic disorders. Develop a presentation of a client who would benefit from antipsychotic medications.

In a 3- to 5-page, APA-formatted paper, include the following based on the concepts in the treatment of psychotic disorders:

o   An overview of the major developments in the treatment of psychosis including major drug classes 

o   An explanation of three severe side effects of antipsychotic medications and potential alternative treatments 

o   An explanation of the neurotransmitters involved with and affected by these medications 

o   An explanation of the ethical concerns related to the treatment of psychotic disorders and how you would address them 

o   An explanation of the challenges mental health professionals face in treating psychotic disorders and how you would address them 

Then, based on what you know about the treatment of psychotic disorders provide an original and hypothetical case study illustrating a client that would benefit from antipsychotic medications and a brief explanation of an appropriate treatment plan.

References (use 3 or more)

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012f). Psychotic disorder case study: Harry [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Lichtblau, L. (2011). Psychopharmacology demystified. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar, Cengage Learning.

Preston, J. D., O’Neal, J. H., & Talaga, M. C. (2017). Handbook of clinical psychopharmacology for therapists (8th ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.

Lieberman, J. A., Stroup, T. S., McEvoy, J. P., Swartz, M. S., Rosenheck, R. A., Perkins, D. O., … Hsiao, J. K. (2005). Effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenia. New England Journal of Medicine, 353(12), 1209–1223.