Advanced Practice With Groups and Families Teaching Module
This teaching module, with teaching notes, includes assigned readings, a DVD titled “Older Adult Caretaker Challenges,” and guided discussion questions. Students will explore family systems theory in work with mentally ill clients and will develop an understanding of the needs of older adults caring for a mentally ill adult child, learning the importance of social support in the lives of older adults who care for their mentally ill adult children. The module explores the idea of planning for the eventual loss of the older adult caregiver and seeing the mentally ill dependent adult as having a meaningful role in supporting an older adult relative in the provision of assistance with daily tasks. Readings are related to group work intervention, estate planning, and the necessity of planning for continued care and case management of adult children with mental illness who have supported their mothers in later life. Pretests and posttests for knowledge of advanced practice with groups and families are offered.
Competencies Addressed in This Module:
- Understanding the unique mental health needs of people in transition between life stages.
- Development of interventions based on the stages of the late-family and intergenerational roles and interactions.