Social
Work
Update
A Social Work Agenda in Psychopharmacology Mary
Frances
Libassi,
M.S.W.
Since 1989 the Council on Social Work Education, a nonprofit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States, has been engaged in a project to increase the knowledge and skills of social work educators and practitioners in the area of psychopharmacology. In the past decade, social workers have provided an increased share of mental health care in the United States (1). Psychotropic medications are a preyalent feature in the treatment of many clients who are served by social workers. In a survey of social work practitioners conducted as part of the council’s psychopharmacology project, nearly all respondents reported that clients in their practice were prescribed psychotropic medications. Increasing research has documented the effectiveness of such medications in allowing many peopie with mental and emotional disorders to live normal or near-normal lives (2-4). The Council on Social Work Education’s psychopharmacology project began with a survey of the 553 social work education programs in the United States to assess the degree to which pharmacological content is systematically included in the cur-
Ms. Libassi is associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford,
Connecticut Karis, D.S.W., work nary
in
H&CP’s
Update
Hospital
06117. James M. is editor for social Interdiscipli-
series.
and Community
Psychiatry
riculum at all levels (B.S.W., M.S.W., Ph.D.). The project is funded through contracts from the National Institute of Mental Health and support from several pharmaceutical companies. A detailed report of the results of the survey is included in a monograph published by the council (5). Highlights of the findings are reported below. Survey findings A total of 297 programs (5 5 1 percent) responded to the written questionnaire, a high rate of response indicating a strong interest in the issue of addressing psychopharmacology in social work education. Although no information was gathered on the nonrespondents, one can infer that these schools or programs had little or no course contact in this area. Almost half(44.4 percent) of the respondents reported that their program included course content in psychopharmacology, ranging from content in one course to content in seven courses and in the field practicum. However, course outlines and bibliographies provided by respondents suggested that, in most instances, the coverage was minimal. Many programs reported that their social work students learned about psychopharmacology in the field practicum, but most respondents acknowledged that control over the quality or quantity of this coverage was inconsistent. More than half of the programs (53.8 percent) reported that they had no course content in psychopharmacology. A majority of the respondents (68.3 percent) agreed with the survey statement that most social work students are interested in increasing their knowledge of psychopharma.
July
1992
Vol.43
No.7
cological interventions. However, despite the perception of strong student interest, only 30.9 percent of respondents felt that all students should be required to complete course content on psychopharmacology. Forty-nine percent of respondents believed the content should be elective. The remaining respondents did not believe psychopharmacology should be included in the social work curriculum at all. In summary, a recent survey on social work education indicates that, despite strong student interest, course content on psychopharmacology is not systematically and regularly included in the curricula of either academic or field work settings in most schools ofsocial work. Curriculum development In its first year, the psychopharmacology project of the Council on Social Work Education produced a monograph on curriculum development in psychopharmacology that was distributed to all schools and departments of social work (5). The monograph presents and analyzes the data from the survey described above and incorporates the ideas and recommendations of a panel of experts in psychopharmacology, including social work educators, researchers, practitioners, and consumers. The monograph delineates several important principles for curriculum development in psychopharmacology and offers three teaching modules based on those principles. The modules include annotated bibliographies, suggestions for use of the modules in actual courses, and suggestions for class activities and assignments. Social work practitioners may find the discussion of psychopharmacology and the annotated bibliographies helpful as resources in their own continuing education. The panel ofexperts, recognizing the importance of the roles and activities of social workers in psychopharmacological treatments, recommended that the information covered in the modules be considered foundation course content and therefore included in all social work education programs.
675
from participating sites. About 50 questions, more than could be answered during the broadcast, were received, an indication ofthe interest generated. A second national video conference was held in April 1992 to continue dissemination of knowledge about psychopharmacology with special emphasis on the impact of clients’ culture, ethnicity, and race on how social work practitioners use that knowledge. The broadcast included three clinical vignettes, discussion by a panel ofconsultants, and questions called in by participants from the field. A total of 1 50 sites, with an audience ofmore than 1,500 persons, received the broadcast. (VHS copies of both broadcasts are available from the Council on Social Work Education, 1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.) In the fourth year of the project, a third national broadcast focusing on
Disseminating course content The second year ofthe psychopharmacology project focused on disseminating course content to social work educators. The major medium used was a two-hour national interactive video conference presented live via satellite in April 1991. Ninety schools and programs of social work located in 40 states participated in this program. We estimate that the audience exceeded 1 ,000 social work educators, students, and practirioners. The broadcast included a onehour roundtable discussion by an expert panel on issues related to medication and social work interventions. This presentation included suggested course content on the differential use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents, adults, and elderly patients. During the second hour of the broadcast, questions were called in to the panel
Psythafrlic
Are you receiving Hospital idents
and
complete and come an APA News,
D
Please
Community
throughout
and
begin
APAjournal
training.
sent
If you’re
the Psychiatric
my
1.
Goleman D: Social workers leading role in psychotherapy. Times, Apr 30, 1985, p C2,
2.
Hogarty Family training,
free
below. Also indicate whether you’d like which entitles you to the American Journal Residents’
complimentary
GE, Anderson psychoeducation, and medication
vault into a New York C9
CM, Reiss DJ: social skills in schizophre-
nia: the long and short out. Psychopharmacology 23:12-13, 1987 3, Johnson NC: The biological bases of psychopathology, in Adult Psychopathology. Edited by Turner F. New York, Free Press, 1984 4.
Silver LB, Brunstetter RW: Attention deficit disorder in adolescents. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 37:608-613, 1986
5.
Libassi MF: Psychopharmacology cia! Work Education. Alexandria, Council
on Social
Work
in SoVa,
Education,
subscription? of charge
not receiving
mail the form member,
with
Reskllets
is the only
of residency
medications is planned.
References
your free H&CP
Psychiatry
the period
use ofpsychotropic elderly patients
your
information ofPsychiatry,
to psychiatric free
res-
subscription,
about
how to bePsychiatric
Newsletter.
subscription
to
Telephone
Name
H&CP.
D
Please send me information
about
APA
Facility
membership.
Street
Mail to :
676
H&CP Circulation Department American Psychiatric Association 1400 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005
July
name
address
City
1992
Vol.
State
Name
of residency
Name
of training
43
program
Zip
Year of training
director
No.
7
Hospital
and
Community
Psychiatry
1990
Work
Update
A Social Work Agenda in Psychopharmacology Mary
Frances
Libassi,
M.S.W.
Since 1989 the Council on Social Work Education, a nonprofit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in the United States, has been engaged in a project to increase the knowledge and skills of social work educators and practitioners in the area of psychopharmacology. In the past decade, social workers have provided an increased share of mental health care in the United States (1). Psychotropic medications are a preyalent feature in the treatment of many clients who are served by social workers. In a survey of social work practitioners conducted as part of the council’s psychopharmacology project, nearly all respondents reported that clients in their practice were prescribed psychotropic medications. Increasing research has documented the effectiveness of such medications in allowing many peopie with mental and emotional disorders to live normal or near-normal lives (2-4). The Council on Social Work Education’s psychopharmacology project began with a survey of the 553 social work education programs in the United States to assess the degree to which pharmacological content is systematically included in the cur-
Ms. Libassi is associate professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut, 1798 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford,
Connecticut Karis, D.S.W., work nary
in
H&CP’s
Update
Hospital
06117. James M. is editor for social Interdiscipli-
series.
and Community
Psychiatry
riculum at all levels (B.S.W., M.S.W., Ph.D.). The project is funded through contracts from the National Institute of Mental Health and support from several pharmaceutical companies. A detailed report of the results of the survey is included in a monograph published by the council (5). Highlights of the findings are reported below. Survey findings A total of 297 programs (5 5 1 percent) responded to the written questionnaire, a high rate of response indicating a strong interest in the issue of addressing psychopharmacology in social work education. Although no information was gathered on the nonrespondents, one can infer that these schools or programs had little or no course contact in this area. Almost half(44.4 percent) of the respondents reported that their program included course content in psychopharmacology, ranging from content in one course to content in seven courses and in the field practicum. However, course outlines and bibliographies provided by respondents suggested that, in most instances, the coverage was minimal. Many programs reported that their social work students learned about psychopharmacology in the field practicum, but most respondents acknowledged that control over the quality or quantity of this coverage was inconsistent. More than half of the programs (53.8 percent) reported that they had no course content in psychopharmacology. A majority of the respondents (68.3 percent) agreed with the survey statement that most social work students are interested in increasing their knowledge of psychopharma.
July
1992
Vol.43
No.7
cological interventions. However, despite the perception of strong student interest, only 30.9 percent of respondents felt that all students should be required to complete course content on psychopharmacology. Forty-nine percent of respondents believed the content should be elective. The remaining respondents did not believe psychopharmacology should be included in the social work curriculum at all. In summary, a recent survey on social work education indicates that, despite strong student interest, course content on psychopharmacology is not systematically and regularly included in the curricula of either academic or field work settings in most schools ofsocial work. Curriculum development In its first year, the psychopharmacology project of the Council on Social Work Education produced a monograph on curriculum development in psychopharmacology that was distributed to all schools and departments of social work (5). The monograph presents and analyzes the data from the survey described above and incorporates the ideas and recommendations of a panel of experts in psychopharmacology, including social work educators, researchers, practitioners, and consumers. The monograph delineates several important principles for curriculum development in psychopharmacology and offers three teaching modules based on those principles. The modules include annotated bibliographies, suggestions for use of the modules in actual courses, and suggestions for class activities and assignments. Social work practitioners may find the discussion of psychopharmacology and the annotated bibliographies helpful as resources in their own continuing education. The panel ofexperts, recognizing the importance of the roles and activities of social workers in psychopharmacological treatments, recommended that the information covered in the modules be considered foundation course content and therefore included in all social work education programs.
675
from participating sites. About 50 questions, more than could be answered during the broadcast, were received, an indication ofthe interest generated. A second national video conference was held in April 1992 to continue dissemination of knowledge about psychopharmacology with special emphasis on the impact of clients’ culture, ethnicity, and race on how social work practitioners use that knowledge. The broadcast included three clinical vignettes, discussion by a panel ofconsultants, and questions called in by participants from the field. A total of 1 50 sites, with an audience ofmore than 1,500 persons, received the broadcast. (VHS copies of both broadcasts are available from the Council on Social Work Education, 1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.) In the fourth year of the project, a third national broadcast focusing on
Disseminating course content The second year ofthe psychopharmacology project focused on disseminating course content to social work educators. The major medium used was a two-hour national interactive video conference presented live via satellite in April 1991. Ninety schools and programs of social work located in 40 states participated in this program. We estimate that the audience exceeded 1 ,000 social work educators, students, and practirioners. The broadcast included a onehour roundtable discussion by an expert panel on issues related to medication and social work interventions. This presentation included suggested course content on the differential use of psychotropic medications in children and adolescents, adults, and elderly patients. During the second hour of the broadcast, questions were called in to the panel
Psythafrlic
Are you receiving Hospital idents
and
complete and come an APA News,
D
Please
Community
throughout
and
begin
APAjournal
training.
sent
If you’re
the Psychiatric
my
1.
Goleman D: Social workers leading role in psychotherapy. Times, Apr 30, 1985, p C2,
2.
Hogarty Family training,
free
below. Also indicate whether you’d like which entitles you to the American Journal Residents’
complimentary
GE, Anderson psychoeducation, and medication
vault into a New York C9
CM, Reiss DJ: social skills in schizophre-
nia: the long and short out. Psychopharmacology 23:12-13, 1987 3, Johnson NC: The biological bases of psychopathology, in Adult Psychopathology. Edited by Turner F. New York, Free Press, 1984 4.
Silver LB, Brunstetter RW: Attention deficit disorder in adolescents. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 37:608-613, 1986
5.
Libassi MF: Psychopharmacology cia! Work Education. Alexandria, Council
on Social
Work
in SoVa,
Education,
subscription? of charge
not receiving
mail the form member,
with
Reskllets
is the only
of residency
medications is planned.
References
your free H&CP
Psychiatry
the period
use ofpsychotropic elderly patients
your
information ofPsychiatry,
to psychiatric free
res-
subscription,
about
how to bePsychiatric
Newsletter.
subscription
to
Telephone
Name
H&CP.
D
Please send me information
about
APA
Facility
membership.
Street
Mail to :
676
H&CP Circulation Department American Psychiatric Association 1400 K Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20005
July
name
address
City
1992
Vol.
State
Name
of residency
Name
of training
43
program
Zip
Year of training
director
No.
7
Hospital
and
Community
Psychiatry
1990
