Curtis/PPT-IC
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*COUN 672: Positive Psychotherapy in Integrated Care
(Online class)
(*Proposed prefix and course# change pending administrative approval. Current course prefix and # EDPY 693)
Instructor:
July 5th – August 2nd, 2012
Russ Curtis, PhD, LPC
210 Killian, WCU
Dept. phone: 828.227.7310
Office phone: 828.227.3283
WCU at Biltmore Park phone: 251-6642
E-mail: curtis@wcu.edu (*Best way to reach me)
4 x 1.5 hour online meetings: To be announced.
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to the theory and practice of positive psychotherapy (PPT)
and integrated health care (IC). Throughout the course, students will practice research-based positive
psychotherapy interventions and determine how they can best be used to help patients who are receiving
services in integrated health care practices live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
College of Education and Allied Professions statement:
The fundamental role of Western Carolina University is to develop a community of scholarship in which
students, faculty members, administrators and staff members learn and apply the products of learning.
The professional education program at Western Carolina University fulfills its mission by creating and
nourishing a community of learners guided by knowledge, values, and experiences. The guiding
principles of this community include: (1) the belief that the best educational decisions are made after
adequate reflection and with careful consideration of the interests, experiences, and welfare of the
persons affected by the decisions; (2) appreciation of and respect for diversity; and (3) the fostering of
the responsible use of technology.
Counseling program philosophy statement:
The Western Carolina University counseling programs are committed to the belief that individuals are
valuable, responsible, and capable. Courses are designed to reflect this philosophy.
Diversity statement:
School counseling programs must meet the diverse social, emotional, and academic needs of students in
a multicultural society. As such, multiculturalism as a broad issue is embedded in all COUN 617 course
activities. We will specifically address such diversity issues as age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
and disability.
Technology statement:
This course will require counselors-in-training to:
 Use word-processing to complete assignments
 Access appropriate resources through internet
 Send and/or receive e-mail messages as necessary for course purposes
 Retrieve notes from Blackboard
 Access iTunesU to view videos and listen to podcasts
 Access YouTube to view videos
Course Objectives:
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the different models of integrated health care practices
Curtis/PPT-IC
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2. Demonstrate knowledge of evidence-based positive psychotherapy interventions
3. Demonstrate knowledge of integrated care research
4. Demonstrate knowledge of positive psychotherapy research
5. Demonstrate knowledge of components of effective prevention programs
6. Demonstrate the ability to create educational information for clients with medical conditions
7. Practice positive psychotherapy strategies and how to utilize such strategies with IC patients
8. Demonstrate how to effectively work with patients in an integrated care setting
9. Demonstrate how to explain to medical personnel the behavioral health professional’s purpose, role,
and value in an integrated care setting.
10. Demonstrate how to effectively collaborate with medical and behavioral health professionals
11. Demonstrate an understanding of common illnesses treated in primary care practices
12. Demonstrate psycho-pharmacologic competency
Accommodations regarding students with disabilities:
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Western Carolina University is committed to providing
equal educational opportunities for students with documented disabilities. Students who require
reasonable accommodations must identify themselves as having a disability and provide current
diagnostic documentation to Disability Services. All information is confidential. Please contact
Disability Services for more information at (828) 227-2716 or 144 Killian Annex. You can also visit the
office’s website: http://www.wcu.edu/12789.asp
Course Requirements:
A. All assignments are due 8-2 by 5:00 pm. All assignments are to be typed, single-spaced, 12-point
font, Times New Roman. If not hand delivered on 8-2, all assignments should be clearly labeled with
name of assignment and your last name (e.g., PPT Summary Curtis) and emailed to curtis@wcu.edu by
5:00 pm 8-2.
B. Meetings. We will meet online every week,TBA. You are required to participate in these meetings.
Day and time of online meetings will be determined the first class. Please use the attached PDF
instructional documents to learn how to access GoToMeeting for our live class discussions.
1. Final exam. The final exam, located at the end of this syllabus, will be short answer and based upon
the readings, meetings and videos. Due 8-2, 5:00 pm.
2. Personal Assessment. Complete the questions listed below and submit by 8-2, 5:00 pm.
1. Of all the practices learned in class, which practices are you most drawn to and why? How have they affected you
personally?
2. How, if at all, will this course affect your work with clients?
3. How do you see yourself integrating, if at all, any of the practices from class into your clinical practice?
3. Patient Assessment. Go to http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/register.aspx, register and
take any 5 assessments of your choosing. Then, write a 3-4 paged paper explaining how you might use
the assessments with patients when working in an IC practice.
4. PPT Activity Summary. PPT assignments will be posted each Monday by 9:00 am on Blackboard.
Complete weekly PPT assignments and write a summary (1 to 2 paragraphs for each activity) of your
experience for each. The summary of your PPT experiences (Please keep your summary in one Word
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document) will be due on 8-2 by 5:00 pm. *Beginning today, you will be required to complete a
gratitude journal and meditation. Each evening write at least 3 things you were most grateful that day.
You should complete the meditations at least 5 times per week, preferably daily. I encourage you to try
each of the “theme” meditations listed on the Tentative Schedule at least once, then choose what works
best for you. The important steps to accomplish with meditation will be to (a) sit quietly in a place
where you will not be disturbed, (b) passively disregard thoughts as they arise, and (c) attempt to sit
silently for twenty-one minutes. Objectives 2,4,7.
5. Create a one page Patient Flyer focusing on a health issue (i.e., diabetes, chronic pain, unexplained
medical symptoms, cancer, heart disease, ADHD) and the behavioral steps they can take to complement
the medical treatment of each. Include at least one PPT activity. Feel free to use/create your own
template but here is an example, Flyer template http://office.microsoft.com/enus/templates/CT010143278.aspx#ai:TC101874433|
6. Shadow your primary care physician, nurses, and billing/compliance staff for one day.
7. Create a Medication Agreement form to use with clients (There is language for a MA form in your
text, not sure the page number, but I’m sure you can also find examples online).
8. Locate one good online video pertinent to a behavioral medicine issue (i.e., diabetes, chronic pain),
and describe how you would use this when leading a group within a medical practice.
Suggested but not required:
 Create algorithms for how to handle violent and suicidal clients.
 Begin creating a list of commonly prescribed medications (psychiatric and other) listing their
primary use and SIDE EFFECTS.
 Take a class in medications (WCU nursing offers such a class).
 Take classes in health and neuropsychology (WCU psychology program offers such classes).
 Begin learning as much as you can about diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, Parkinson’s disease,
heart disease, cancer, ADHD, Asperger syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders.
Grades:
100-93
92-85
84-77
76>
A
B
C
D
Required Books:
Curtis R., & Christian, E. (Eds.). (2012). Integrated Care: Applying Theory to Practice. New York:
Routledge.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. New
York, NY: Free Press.
Recommended Reading:
Benson, H. (1975). The Relaxation Response. New York: William Morrow.
Benson, H. (1997). Timeless healing: The power and biology of belief. New York, NY: Fireside.
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Blount, A. (Ed.). (1998). Integrated primary care. The future of medical and mental health
collaboration. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY:
HarperPerennial.
Dossey, L. (1996). Prayer is good medicine. New York, NY: Harper Collins.
Enright, R. D., & North, J. (1998). Exploring forgiveness. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin
Press.
Fredrickson, B. L. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking research reveals how to embrace the hidden
strength of positive emotions, overcome negativity, and thrive. New York, NY: Crown.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living: Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress,
pain, and illness. New York, NY: Delta.
O’Donohue, W. T., Byrd, M. R., Cummings, N. A., & Henderson, D. A. (Eds.). (2005). Behavioral
integrative care. Treatments that work in the primary care setting. New York, NY: BrunnerRoutledge.
O’Hanlon, B., & Bertolino, B. (2012). The therapist’s notebook on positive psychology. New York:
Routledge.
Patterson, J., Peek, C. J., Heinrich, R. L., Bischoff, R. J., & Scherger, J. (2002). Mental health
professionals in medical settings. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford.
Pennebaker, J. W. (1990). Opening up: The healing power of expressing emotions. New York, NY:
Guilford.
Weil, A. (1995). Spontaneous healing: How to discover and enhance your body’s natural ability to
maintain and heal itself. New York, NY: Knopf.
Helpful Websites: (these were all active as of 6-15-12 but you may need to paste them into your
browser)
http://www.icarenc.org/ -- general information about integrated care, screening tools, and educational
opportunities.
http://www.mahec.net/ic -- video demonstrating integrated care.
http://ipsyc.com/downloads.php -- informative podcasts created by an integrated care behavioral health
specialist.
http://www.eur.nl/fsw/research/happiness -- world database of happiness research.
http://www.psych.uiuc.edu/~ediener -- Ed Diener is a leading researcher of life satisfaction.
http://www.cob.vt.edu/market/isqols -- research about quality of life.
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/Simonton/homepage.html -- research about expertise.
Terms Commonly used in Integrated Care:
Algorithm – a decision-tree diagram that details treatment options based upon clients’ needs and
concerns.
Biopsychosocial care – a term often used to describe the importance of addressing all areas of clients’
lives when assessing and determining treatment options.
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Carve-outs – when medical care is managed/insured differently than mental health care. It is not
uncommon for insurance companies to contract with other insurers to handle their clients’ mental
health or substance abuse needs.
Collaborative Care – a term frequently used interchangeably with integrated care but tends to refer to
everything from referral to mental health counselors to more dynamic co-located integrated care
agencies.
Commorbidity – the existence of physical and mental health issues within the same individual.
Integrated Care – the seamless and dynamic interaction of PCPs and BHPs working within one agency
providing both counseling and traditional medical care.
Integrative Care – the use of alternative and complementary strategies (i.e., massage therapy, Tai Chi,
yoga, acupuncture) in treating clients with medical issues. These services are often provided by
people without medical or counseling backgrounds.
Population-based care – the act of identifying at-risk groups of patients (i.e., patients with diabetes, heart
disease, depression) and devising comprehensive strategies to meet their needs.
Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) – the cost of an intervention to produce one year of perfect health.
Vertical integration – used interchangeably with targeted care to mean integrated services specific to one
population (i.e., treating clients who experience depression).
Non-vertical integration – use interchangeably with non-targeted care to mean integrated care services
being offered to a wide population of clients regardless of issues.
Warm-handoff – when a PCP calls a BHP into the examination room, or vice versa, to offer services to
clients within the same visit.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF COURSE CONTENT
Date
7-5
Chapter
Curtis &
Christian
1
Chapter
Seligman
Assignments
1
Complete 5 assessments of choice:
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/register.asp
x
Watch:
-- (Great introduction to Integrated Care)
(Turn up volume) WCU IC intern discusses her
experience (It is much faster to copy this link and paste
into your browser)
7-10
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2
Gratitude journal
Mountain Meditation
PPT assignments
Watch:
-- #3 (Great research on happiness)
-- #4 (Example of IC health system)
Curtis/PPT-IC
7-12
2
3
Gratitude journal
Mountain Meditation
PPT assignments
Watch:
-- #5 (Dan Gilbert presents cool research on happiness)
7-17
3
4
-- (Characteristics of good IC providers)
Gratitude journal
Lake Meditation
PPT assignments
Watch:
(Csikszentmihalyi on creativity and Flow)
(Example of brief assessment and treatment planning)
7-19
4
5
Gratitude journal
Lake meditation
PPT assignments
Watch:
Interview with Eric Christian, Integrated care coordinator
7-24
5
6
Gratitude journal
Loving-kindness meditation
PPT assignments
7-26
7-31
6
7
8
Watch:
-- (Great interview with Ronald Siegel about happiness)
Gratitude journal
Loving-kindness meditation (iTunesU)
PPT assignments
Watch:
(Science of optimism)
Gratitude journal
Mountain meditation
PPT assignments
6
Curtis/PPT-IC
8-2
8-2
16
Watch:
(Personal transformation)
Gratitude journal
Loving-kindness meditation
PPT assignments
All assignments and final exam due by 5:00 pm, can be
emailed to curtis@wcu.edu
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