SWRK 215 — Self-Care, Burnout, and Wellness for
Helping Professions 3 cr. This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the ethical requirements and fundamental elements of self-care, wellness and burnout prevention that are crucial for success in the helping professions. It will utilize a holistic and multimodal approach which focuses both on theory and practice, as it gives students the chance to rate and evaluate their own experiences, skills, strengths and beliefs and challenge them to target areas for growth. Differences in values, experiences and perceptions from a variety of cultural, gender and religious perspectives will be examined to explore and expand student repertoires of positive coping skills to use both personally and professionally. This experiential class will explore the mind -body connection inv olved in the neuropsychology of the stress cycle as well as concrete techniques and skills for managing reactions to stressful situations. In the process, students will be introduced to principles from positive psychology, cognitive behavioral theory, mindfulness, the physiological connection between nutrition, movement and mental health, as well as skills such as reframing and boundary setting that are significant to enhancing resilience and well-being. Prerequisite(s): ENGL -100 and one of the following : BHHS-100, EDUC-100, HLTH-100, PSY-100, SWK-201 or SWK-250 Corequisite(s): none