Psy. 490 Spring 2015
Maria Hess PhD, MFT
Office Hours: Stevenson 3083.
Tuesdays 11 – 1 and Thursdays 12 – 1:00 Please sign up on my office door.
Contact Information: SSU: 664-2413. Private office: 824 – 9902.
Email: maria.hess@sonoma.edu
Community Mental Health
There is something in the human condition that eternally yearns for a greater
sense of connectedness, yearns to reach out and deeply touch others, throwing
off the pain and loneliness of separation to experience unity with others. In all
times and all places people have consciously reached out to feel their
connectedness with a larger whole. This is the experience of community.
~ McLaughlin and Davidson.
Course Description
Community mental health offers alternatives to hospitalization for the mentally
ill, provides support and recovery services to underserved populations, provides
court affiliated forensic alternatives to incarceration, and incarceration follow-up
in our counties, cities and states. Some of the most effective treatment strategies
for many of the problems people encounter in life are found in this systems
oriented, psychological model of dis-ease prevention, rehabilitation, and
treatment.
Ideally the community mental health model tends to be holistic in scope
focusing more on the client’s strengths than their diagnoses. It encourages
intrapersonal awareness with interpersonal connections, interventions and followup. Individual, couples, or family counseling, substance abuse rehabilitation, ongoing biopsychosocial education, strong cultural awareness, and continued
feedback and support, all of these are core concepts of this branch of
psychology.
This experience will provide students with a comprehensive overview of
mental health in our personal, local, and global communities. Utilizing a studentcentered, service-learning approach we will explore some of the historical and
contemporary issues of community life in general, and issues of mental health
more directly.
As we develop community ourselves, we will dialogue, debate, watch
pertinent videos, go to community mental health agencies, create and participate
in a community partnership with one of two agencies, read seminal writing, have
guest speakers, and learn to get curious and ask meaningful questions about the
topics at hand.
This seminar is taught as a learning community, everyone contributes to the
identification, exploration and explication of the course topics. We will spend
some time developing the interest topics of the group and how best to present
them to the whole.
Course Objectives
By the semesters end students will
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Familiarize themselves with community mental health services.
Have had an experience of service learning engaging in meaningful work
in the community and integrating the experience with their
clinical/psychological understanding.
Be introduced to community mental health practices such as; charting and
note taking, crisis intervention, triage and referral, elder and child abuse
reporting, individual and family interviewing skills, utilizing supervision,
confronting or terminating a client, self care, etc.
Network with community mental health professionals.
Strengthen his or her cultural and personal awareness.
Have an understanding of compassionate service and its individual, local,
global, and transpersonal influence.
Classroom Environment:
An open, intentional environment is necessary for the development and
practice of individual and group communication skills. Mutual respect is one way
to nurture a contained and trusting place for learning and growth. If we all work
together towards respecting the parameters of the course, our experience will be
enriched.
It is important to be aware of one’s behavior in a learning community.
 During check-ins please do not read, draw, check any electronic devices,
sleep, or chat with your neighbor. Think about how you want others to
listen to you!
 Laptop and cell phone use is prohibited during class except when
engaged in specific digital group assignments.
 Please turn off your cell phones and have them put away.
 You are welcome to bring drinks, but eating is not appreciated during
class.
Access for Students with Disabilities
Students who have disabilities and require classroom accommodations should
meet with me (within the first 2 weeks of class) during my office hours to make
these arrangements. Please bring an accommodation authorization from the
Disability Resource Center with you.
Academic Integrity
It is the responsibility of each student to be apprised of the requirements of the
psychology department and university regarding academic honesty. The
parameters are outlined in your student handbook and online at
http://www.Sonoma.edu/psychology/AcademicHonestyPolicy.html.
Requirements
Attendance and Participation
The success of a seminar course is the students’ and teacher’s on-going
commitment to being prepared for the classroom experience. Participation is
representative of that commitment.
Attendance is mandatory as missed material is difficult to recapture. You
are allowed one absence after which you will be docked 3 points for each
thereafter.
Required Reading
Our reading list will be decided each week by the student who is doing the
in-class presentation and by the teacher. It will be up to you (or me) to send us
the web link, or give hard copies of whatever you want us to read. You may also
include Youtube or TED talks into this assignment, but it must be relevant not just
“filler” for information. Your references have to be more than just video clips, but
can support a sound, well-researched piece that adds depth or strength to
whatever you are presenting. We will develop a working bibliography.
Reaction Papers
Two reaction papers are due over the semester (dates indicated on the
syllabus). These papers are to address your thoughts, concerns, feelings, and
questions that come up as a result of exploring course content, especially your
community engagement projects. I am interested in your thoughtful consideration
of the materials, including your experiences (positive and negative) and how you
relate (or not) these ideas and actions to your life, locally, nationally, spiritually,
and universally.
Please cite the course material, and other relevant sources, to punctuate your
own awareness and understanding. These papers are: 2 - 3 pages in length, with
APA referencing style. (10 points ea.)
In-class Presentations
Please choose a topic to research and present to the group at large. You
may create a DVD, bring in a guest speaker, or give a lecture or PowerPoint
presentation. The point of this project is to bring forth your own sense of curiosity
and interest regarding any aspect of community mental health. The material must
have some research base, and I encourage you to choose a topic that has
personal meaning and connection to the material, so you can bring your passion
and interest to it. Include in your presentation why your topic has meaning for you
and why you chose it.
Students will sign up for these projects the second week of class. The entire
class as well as the instructor will grade these projects and the student will be
given the averaged grade. These presentations are to be 45 minutes long and
allow for questions and discussion (40 points).
If you need adjunctive media technology it is up to you to reserve your
equipment and to become familiar with its use prior to the time you will be
using it.
Community Projects
We will be working in conjunction with wonderful Sonoma County programs;
Social Advocates for Youth (www.SAYSC.org) and Restorative Resources
(www.restorativeresources.org). Each student will commit to a project/program
with the sponsoring agency. Who does a project where and with who will be
decided between the agency, the student and the teacher. Projects will be
suggested, and students have the freedom to create their own ideas and projects
that can be accomplished with permission of the volunteer coordinator.
Each student’s commitment will vary depending on the project they take on
and the agency needs. Our class will develop guidelines for these projects and if
done with intention and rigor, each student will have an opportunity to experience
making a contribution to our community’s mental health system. (40 points)
Field Trips
Instead of having guest speakers we are traveling out into the community to
see agency sites and participate in community projects. We will make trips to
SAY main office, SAY Tamayo Village, Cook Middle School, and Restorative
Resources during our class time.
These are very important trips to help each student get acquainted with a site
for their project and for the agencies to meet all of us. These visits are
mandatory; you will not be allowed to participate in a project if you do not make
the field trip to the site first.
Grading
Reaction Papers
20 pts.
In-class Presentations 40 pts.
Community Project 40 pts.
Total points = 100
Class Schedule
All reading and video screening is to be completed by the date indicated.
Jan 22 Introductions. Developing a learning community.
29 Sign up for Presentations.
Feb 5 We travel to SAY Tamayo Village,
1700 Yulupa, Santa Rosa (2 – 4:30)
12 We travel to SAY Main Office
3400 Airway Dr. Santa Rosa (2 – 4:00)
19 We travel to Cook Middle School
2480 Sebastopol Rd. Santa Rosa (3:00 – 4:00)
26 We travel to Restorative Resources
2934 Mc Bride Santa Rosa
Mar.5 Presentations
12 Presentations Reaction paper
19 Spring Break
26 Presentations
Apr. 2 Presentations
9 Presentations
16 Presentations
23 Presentations
30 Presentations Reaction paper
May 6 Presentations
13 Final meeting @ 2 – 3:50.