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AlaskaX: Embracing the Whole Person in Social Work

This course will explore trauma and wellness from a holistic, systems approach, emphasizing connections, relationships, strengths-based, resilience, post-traumatic growth, and healing and wellness. Complex problems require complex solutions; there is no one size fits all approach.

Embracing the Whole Person in Social Work
6 weeks
4–6 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
Optional upgrade available

There is one session available:

After a course session ends, it will be archivedOpens in a new tab.
Starts Mar 28
Ends Jun 30

About this course

Skip About this course

This course offers knowledge, skills, and support for health professionals to become more compassionate, mindful, healthy helpers. Social workers often work with clients that are in crisis or have experienced trauma or are experiencing trauma and stress in the present.

Social work is about the relationships we have with individuals, families and communities, it is about partnership and collaboration with clients and consumers in the helping process, it's also about building on the strengths and capacities of people and communities, and instilling hope that there can be better tomorrow.

To be effective in this work it’s necessary to understand what trauma is, know the effects of trauma, and what the social work profession and other professions are doing in the area of trauma informed care and to work successfully with diverse individuals, groups, families and communities that have experienced trauma.

Learners will be provided information and insight into the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACES), which highlights the connection between how early life trauma can impact health and wellness throughout the lifespan. Social workers often come to the profession because of something traumatic they have experienced in their life which has led them to want to help other trauma survivors.

In this course learners will also explore the important concepts and experiences of well-being, strengths, resiliency, and post-traumatic growth. The material in this course may be emotional or overwhelming to read about or watch or talk about. It is important to cultivate wellness tools to be able to support ourselves through life’s challenges and combat burnout and compassion fatigue. This course is also likely to inspire you and uplift you as we learn about the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

At a glance

  • Institution: AlaskaX
  • Subject: Health & Safety
  • Level: Introductory
  • Prerequisites:

    SWK1x: Introduction to Social Work and SWK2x: Areas of Social Work Practice on edX are recommended prerequisites for this course.

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn
  • Describe the impacts of trauma and stress on the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of the individual and community.
  • Understand the benefits and challenges of implementing healing-centered and trauma-informed care practices.
  • Recognize the benefits of wellness tools to regulate the nervous system and create balance in life.
  • Apply wellness strategies and tools to your own work and life.
  • Week 1: Ways of Knowing – Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care
  • Week 2: Being Mindful, Self-Aware, and Compassionate – Healthy Helpers
  • Week 3: ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences Study) – History and Hope
  • Week 4: Relationship Between Biology and Environment Over Time
  • Week 5: Epigenetics and Social Work
  • Week 6: Strength, Resilience & Post-Traumatic Growth

This course is part of Social Work: Perspectives on Trauma and Wellness Professional Certificate Program

Learn more 
Expert instruction
2 skill-building courses
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
3 months
4 - 6 hours per week

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