Faculty Contact Information:
Dr Scott E Borrelli, EdD, ABPP, FICPP, MP
Collegiate Professor, The University of Maryland | |
Consultation:
| Please contact me via the Class Cafe on WebTycho or via university e-mail: sborrell@faculty.ed.umuc.edu. We will also arrange phone consultations during the course upon request. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
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American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Preston,J., O'Neal, J., and Talaga, M. (2004) 4th Ed. Handbook of Clinical Psychopharmacology for Therapists. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Preston,J., and Johnson,J. (2004) 5th ed. Clinical Psychopharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple. Miami, FL: Medmaster. | |
Supplementary Readings:
| All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students’ research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the Counseling Webboard at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/graduate/webboards/
The American Journal of Psychiatry
Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Journal of Essential Psychopharmacology
The Physician's Desk Reference (PDR). Medical Economics, Inc. annual publication. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisite: 21 hours of graduate psychology courses and permission of the Counseling Program Director. An elective, this course is designed for non-medical psychotherapists and counselors. Students will be presented an overview of the current therapeutic use of psychotropic drugs. A brief history of psychopharmacology, and overview of neuroanatomy, a survey of current research on neurotransmitters, and a review of pharmacological terminology will be given. Specific drugs to be considered include the narcotic analgesics, the sedative hypnotics, stimulants, neuroleptics and atypical antipsychotics, anxiolytics, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers, including lithium. As this course replaces PSYC 575, students may receive credit for only one of the following: PSYC 775 or PSYC 575. | |
Course Goals:
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This course is designed to enable students to become an effective practitioner, having a knowledge of drug use and misuse, skills in identifying and assessing problems presented by the client and the ability to formulate treatment strategy appropriate to the client's needs and concerns, competence in knowledge of legal and ethical issues of counseling, and a knowledge of sources of information about psychopharmacologic interventions. (At present the course is an elective in the counseling degree program.) | |
Course Objectives:
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At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe the major classes of psychoactive medications.
2. Provide a rationale for prescribing specific classes of medications used for depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the indications and contraindications of using each of the classes of psychotropic medications.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the counselor’s responsibility in working with psychiatrists and physicians.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and ethical issues of counselors vis-a-vis their role in the client's medications.
6. Be able to describe how psychotropic medications interact with other medications and substances.
7. Be able to discuss the dangers of iatrogenic conditions and abuse of medications.
8. Be able to identify symptoms of adverse side effects of medications.
9. Be able to identify the proper use of psychotropic medications in at-risk populations such as children, the elderly and those who are in institutions.
10. Be able to describe the benefits and dangers associated with complementary and alternative substances, such as herbal remedies, for the treatment of mental disorders. | |
Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90 - 100%
B 80 – 89%
C 70 – 79%
F 69% and Below
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade "F" is used to designate academic failure. "FN" is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog, available in your local Education Center or online at http://www.ed.umuc.edu/general_info/publications/catalogs. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
1. Participate in classroom discussions
2. Complete weekly assignments based on readings and research
3. Write graduate level papers and/or analyze case studies
4. Visually present prepared material
5. Complete two written examinations
6. Complete Field Experience
Case studies as examples and for analysis will be used throughout the course to demonstrate the best uses of psychotropic medications, and to describe ways that the professional counselor can collaborate knowledgeably with prescribers such as general family doctors, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. | |
Description of Course Requirements:
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Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the onsite classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an eight-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most twelve-week graduate distance education courses require at least ten hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
Participate in classroom discussions:
You are expected to participate several times weekly, and to be prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner.
Complete weekly assignments:
Weekly assignments will be based on readings from the course texts, journals and from your own literature searches. These should be composed carefully and posted before the end of each week for class discussion.
Write graduate level papers or case studies:
You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Resubmission of coursework from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment. APA style is mandatory for all graduate counseling course work. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level work.
Visually present prepared material:
You are required to present your research in a professional manner. In an online class, this means creating a visual/textual presentation for your instructor and classmates.
Complete one or more written examination(s):
The examination process in this class will assist you in developing the writing and critical thinking skills necessary for successfully passing the comprehensive exam required of all graduate students. The questions used in this course will either be taken directly from past comprehensive exams or written as though to be included on a comprehensive exam.
Complete field experience:
Each student will identify at least two experiences outside of the course (i.e., "in the field") as an opportunity to learn more about the application of the course material. This requirement may be completed through a variety of activities, including interviews of prescribers, a review of online resources in psychopharmacology for counselors, etc. | |
Course Schedule:
This DE course runs for 12 weeks: September 4 - December 3, 2006, plus a one week term break.
The following topics will be covered during the course. Additional schedule details will be available at least one week before the course begins.
Part One: The Basics of Psychopharmacology
- Introduction
- Integrated Models
- Neurobiology
- Pharmacology
- Ethical & Professional Considerations
Part Two: Clinical Syndromes: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Implications
- Preliminary Diagnostic Considerations
- Depressive Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
- Borderline Personality Disorders
- Substance Related Disorders
- Other Disorders (Tourette’s; Eating Disorders; ADHD; Sleep Disorders; Obesity; Aggression; Chronic Pain)
Part Three: Medications and Pharmacologic Treatment
- Antidepressant Medications
- Mood Stabilizers
- Antianxiety Medications
- Antipsychotic Medications
- Over-the-Counter Medications (non-prescription)
- Red Flags: When to Reevaluate
- Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacotherapy in Special Populations (pregnancy; geriatrics)
- Psychotropic Drug Interactions
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Academic Policies:
Note: Any written assignment in this course may be submitted to TurnItIn.Com. This statement constitutes prior notice.
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
Dr. Scott Borrelli is a collegiate professor who has been teaching for the University of Maryland for 13 years. He was also assistant professor of psychology with Boston University, both on the Boston campus and in the Europe Division. Dr. Borrelli is a licensed (USA) and Chartered (UK) psychologist, board certified in clinical psychology (ABPP), counseling psychology (ABPP), psychopharmacology (FICPP), medical psychology, and clinical hypnotherapy. He is also a consultant-practitioner of EMDR, and Chief Editor of the European EMDR journal (www.emdr-practitioner.net).
Dr Borrelli has special interests in integrative, energy, and health psychologies, and treatments for PTSD and other stress conditions. He lives in Spain, and is originally from Boston, USA. | |