Culture and the Social and Psychological Implications of Socioeconomic Position Part 2: Social Construction in Assessment and Treatment E251B

Course Summary

Practice Level: Intermediate

Social determinants of health (SDH), including the social, economic, cultural, and environmental conditions in which people live, can significantly influence mental health, access to care, engagement in treatment, and treatment outcomes. For behavioral health clinicians, understanding these influences is an important component of providing culturally responsive, person-centered care. Building on Part 1 of this series, Culture and Social Determinants of Health, which introduced the broader concept of SDH and examined the impact of specific social determinants in the United States, Part 2, Social Construction in Assessment and Treatment, focuses on applying this knowledge to clinical assessment and intervention. The purpose of this course is to prepare social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors to recognize and integrate social determinants of health into their interactions with clients and their approaches to treatment. This integration is particularly relevant to clinical practice because attention to clients’ social and cultural contexts can strengthen therapeutic engagement and may help address factors associated with treatment retention and premature termination.

Grounded in the principles of cultural competence and cultural humility, this course provides clinicians with practical guidance for incorporating SDH into assessment, treatment planning, and therapeutic intervention. Participants will explore questions and assessment considerations related to specific social determinants, including why these areas are clinically relevant and how they can be discussed in ways that support both clients and clinicians. The course also examines how SDH can be incorporated into commonly used mental health treatment approaches, including Solution-Focused Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Interpersonal Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and Play Therapy. Clinical vignettes, sample dialogues, intervention examples, and reflective questions illustrate how these concepts can be applied in practice. Upon completion of the course, clinicians will be better prepared to identify the influence of social determinants on clients’ experiences, approach potentially sensitive areas of assessment with greater awareness and confidence, and adapt established therapeutic interventions to reflect the cultural and social contexts that shape clients’ lives.

Course Format

This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe ways to apply cultural humility to client assessment. 
2. Explain ways to assess for effects of social determinants of health in clients. 
3. Recognize ways to integrate and target concerns associated with social and environmental effects on health using established treatment interventions. 
4. Identify specific interventions for working with clients on social determinants of health in treatment.

Course Syllabus

• Introduction 
• Assessment  
  • Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility 
  • Possible Questions for Expanding Assessment 
• Engagement in Treatment 
  • Treatment Engagement Considerations 
  • Trauma-Informed Care 
• Established Treatment Modalities 
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy 
  • Solution Focused Therapy  
  • Interpersonal Therapy 
  • Motivational Interviewing 
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy 
  • Mindfulness 
  • Play Therapy 
• Vignettes 
• Conclusion 
• References 

Author

Jessie Timmons, LCSW

Jessie Timmons, LCSW, is a seasoned therapist and teacher of social work, as well as a practiced advocate for cultural humility and inclusive advocacy. She is a former faculty member of Temple University’s School of Social Work and is a current board member, having served two years as the board president, for the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work (PSCSW). Her teaching and professional development have focused on ethical practice and in particular on making inclusiveness and affirmative advocacy an integral part of the ethical practice of social work and social work education.

Accreditation Approval Statements

CE4Less.com is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CE4Less.com maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/08/2024–08/08/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 5 cultural competence continuing education credits.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0355.

Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0835.

We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.