PSYD 530 - Community Psychology

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This course is designed to focus on a variety of contemporary community mental health (CMH) issues in the current context of Canadian society with influx of immigrants and refugees. This course will cover the brief history, theory, research, and practice of community mental health. Students will learn about the historical context and prospect of community mental health. Theoretical, research, and clinical topics pertinent to community mental health will be covered and discussed. Additional emphasis will be devoted to identify service gaps/barriers faced by under-served populations and explore possible resolutions to meet the needs of our community. The range of topics include ecological models, strength-based approaches, wellness and recovery approaches (psychosocial rehabilitation), community organizations, the wraparound process, social justice, policy, psychoeducation, supervision and consultation. Guest speakers from different community agencies will present on topics relevant to community mental health. Additional focus of this course is to prepare students for unique roles of psychologists in community mental health and organization-based knowledge needed in such roles as consultant, administrator, researcher, director, or supervisor.