UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS DARTMOUTH
College of Nursing/ College of Arts and Sciences
Fall 2007
NUR 298/PSY 298
An Experiential Look at Mental Illness
Credits: 1 Credit (Credit/No Credit) (3 hours per week)
Total of 45 hours per Compeer Credit
Placement in Curriculum:
Sophomore Status
Faculty:
John K. Conboy, Psy.D. (x8442)
Christine Frizzell, Ed.D. (x8649)
Sharon A. Sousa, Ed.D., APRN,BC (x8249)
Pre-requisites:
Students must complete and pass an application for a criminal background check (CORI)
Students must possess a valid driver’s license or other government ID. (You do not need access to a vehicle to participate.)
Co-requisite:
None
Course Description:
An Experiential Look at Mental Illness is a team taught course designed to familiarize you with the day-to-day issues confronting people suffering from major mental illness. The course is designed to fill the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth requirements for 1 credit of Experiential Learning and is offered in conjuntion with the local chapter of Compeer. Compeer is a nationally recognized organization that matches trained, sensitive volunteer friends to adults, adolescents and children with mental illness. The relationships do not have any purpose except to offer friendship. You will not be in a psychotherapy relationship, social service relationship, nursing relationship or other professional helping relationship. Your only task is to offer normalizing friendship to persons who probably have limited experience with friendship.
You will spend several hours in training and attend several classes with other volunteers. You will be required to keep a weekly E-journal in which you will document your experiences as a Compeer volunteer. The course is graded “Credit” or “No Credit”. You must possess a valid driver’s license and you must pass a Criminal Offense Record Investigation (CORI) before final acceptance into the course.
Student Compeer volunteers are assigned, generally in pairs, to programs that serve adults or adolescents with mental illness. You will visit your assigned program for about 3 hours a week and engage in recreational and social activities. You may elect to spend your time in a wide variety of recreational activities, as long as they are appropriate to the needs of both partners. There are obvious specific limits to the choice of activity. Alcohol or drug use and sexual or romantic relationships are prohibited. Activities that exacerbate your friends" mental health problems or place them at risk for possible deterioration are also prohibited. After at least one semesters experience with Compeer, student volunteers may be matched in a one-to-one relationship with a person of the same gender.
Your Compeer friends will have serious mental illnesses. The most likely diagnosis of participants will be schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or major depression. Compeer partners may have a variety of serious problems that could make the volunteer experience difficult. They may have social or personal hygiene problems and they may have trouble maintaining a friendship relationship. Most will be unemployed and have a long history of involvement with mental health and social service agencies. In short, friendship with a Compeer partner will be personally challenging and very different from friendships on a college campus. Volunteers must be prepared for this special challenge and respectful of the vulnerabilities of the Compeer partner.
The Compeer director and the faculty members will conduct training concerning major mental illness, the problems of the seriously mentally ill and the Compeer relationship. They will also conduct the monthly discussion group. If you have questions or concerns at other times, you are encouraged to contact the director or the faculty members as outlined on the syllabus.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the completion of the course, the student will:
1. Describe the common serious problems of the people with major mental illness.
2. Identify the social service agencies most prominent in working with this population.
3. Develop personal skills in working with this population.
4. Develop a personal friendship relationship with an individual suffering from mental illness.
SUPERVISION:
The Compeer Coordinator and faculty members will offer training and supervision. Attendance at regular classes and training is required. Students are encouraged to contact the director or faculty if questions or issues arise.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
1. Documented visits with your assigned Compeer friend for at least 40%
3 hours per week.
2. At least 50% attendance at class meetings. 20%
3. Weekly E-mail journal postings 40%
4. A letter to the editor (any local paper or the campus paper) on the topic of mental illness, stigma, or Compeer. Copy also submitted to instructors.
CLASS SCHEDULE:
Training I - Wednesday, January 31, 2007 5-8 pm Dion, room 105
Training II - Wednday, February 7, 2007 5-8 pm Dion room 105
Discussion -Wednesday, March 7, 2007 5-8 pm
Discussion - Wednesday, May 2, 2007 5-8 pm.
Placements will be arranged to fit student's individual schedule. Day, evening, and weekend slots are available.
Last Updated On: 2/8/08
