Comunity Psychology and Approaches to Team Intervention

Code:

P819

Acronym:

PCAIE

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2015/2016 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Integrated Master Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIPSI	11	Official Curricular Structure	4	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

• 
  

  To acquire knowledge about the historical and conceptual framework of Community Psychology (definitions, paradigms, guiding constructs and perspectives), namely the relevance of the Systemic Contextualistic approaches to development.

  
  


• 
  

  To obtain proficiency in concepts of the critical theory and cultural psychology, namely sense of community, active participation and guided participation within cultural activities. To know the implications and applications of these concepts to issues of citizenship and empowerment.

  
  


• 
  

  To obtain proficiency in innovative methods and strategies which reflect such conceptual metaphors and that cut across the borders of subject matters or disciplines.

  
  


• 
  

  To acquire knowledge about models and projects of community intervention at different levels: epidemiology; mental health; primary, secondary and tertiary prevention; school desegregation; the transdisciplinary dimension in intervention practices.

  
  


• 
  

  To develop competencies to assess and intervene by encompassing the different levels of community analyses (from the behavioral to the socio-environmental) while accounting for aspects such as: ecology and sense of community; diversity and equality in opportunities; risk – vulnerability and resilience; Practices at the individual and at the community levels.

  
  


• 
  

  To develop competencies in order to promote inter-professional cooperation aiming to develop integrated service delivery, and transdisciplinary collaboration between academic knowledge and services.

  
  


• 
  

  To be able to plan a project of integrated services for a community, encompassing preventive actions and intervention aiming to promote competencies in school aged children from that community.

  
  


• 
  

  To obtain proficiency in transdisciplinary multilevel action-research procedures, aiming to promote ecological and socio-political validity through conceptual and/or methodological integration of different disciplines.

  
  


• 
  

  To obtain proficiency in community research methods and in the development of community intervention programs

  
  

 

 

 

 

 

Learning outcomes and competences

In the end of the course the student must show:

(a) knowledge on the theoretical constructs which guide Community Psychology practice;

(b) knowledge on the main models and approaches to team work in Community Intervention;

(c) understanding on the relevance of inserting Community Intervention practices in an inclusive approach to multicultural diversity, in line with multi, inter or transdisciplinary approaches;

(d) proficiency in conceptual and empirical aspects of transdisciplinary action-research and of community intervention, namely: definitions and concepts, methodological challenges, strategies to be implemented and results from projects;

(e) understanding about the concepts of culture and cultural competence in the scope of pluridisciplinary cooperation;

(f) ability to organize a multilevel community intervention project, involving the development of evidence based practices, encompassing strategies for pluridisciplinary inter-service partnership, and a community-based approach, aiming to promote the cultural competence in the community;

(g) competence in planning and implementing participatory approaches to problem solving and of  engaging community members in co-learning processes;

(h) knowledge on methods to capture characteristics of the community at different levels, from micro, individual to macro, contextual;

(i) knowledge on startegies to support the sustainability of interventions;

(j) capacity to evaluate results, measurement plans and improvement in competences;

(k) philosophies, knowledge and competence to approach problems using a conceptual framework and methods which integrate different disciplines, aiming to develop research within a transdisciplinary action research perspective.                                                                                                                  

Working method

Presencial

Program

 

• Contexualistic approaches to the person-in-context: the ecology of human development as an apprenticeship that occurs through processes of guided participation and co-construction in the context of cultural activities. Contributions of the critical theory and of the cultural psychology.
• Systems theory perspective and community psychology: epistemological changes and its effects on research and intervention methods that cut across the borders of different disciplines.
• Assessment-intervention: the different levels of analyses in a community (from behavioral to environmental-social): The ecology and sense of community; diversity and intervention to promote equal opportunities for all; the notion of developmental risk.
• Developmental vulnerability and resilience; integrating individual and community practices. 
• Sense of community and active participation – concepts, implications and applications: cid«tazenship and empowerment at community level 
• Intervention models in community psychology: epidemiology; mental health and community; primary, secondary and tertiary prevention; school desegregation. The transdisciplinary dimension in intervention practices. 
• Preventive programs and promotion of competences in communities with infants and pre-school aged children; the relevance of Early Intervention within a preventive, community focused perspective. 
• Transdisciplinary, multi-level action-research aiming to promote ecological and psycho-political validity: conceptually and/or methodologically integrated collaboration among disciplines. 
• Organizational analyses of an institution/project for individuals with disabilities/Health problems/disadvantaged. 
• Methods for elaboration of projects of integrated services for a community. 
• Sharing psychology with professionals from social and health sciences: competencies to promote interprofessional collaboration as “best practice” to develop integrated services, transdisciplinary collaboration and active exchange between academia and services 
• Community research methods: assessment-intervention measures and development of community projects. Development and organization of an intervention project. Analyses of community intervention projects: main lines and attempts of integrating services in Portugal and other countries. Current practices and future perspectives.

 

Mandatory literature

McCall, R. B., Green, B. L., Strauss, M. S., & Groark, C. J. ; Issues in community-based research and program evaluation., W. Damon (Series Ed.), I. E. Sigel, & K. A. Renninger (Vol. Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Child psychology in practice (5th ed., pp. 955-998), 1998
Kessel, F. S., Rosenfield, P. L., & Anderson, N. B. ; Expanding the boundaries of health and social sciences: Case studies in interdisciplinary innovation. , Kessel, F. S., Rosenfield, P. L., & Anderson, N. B. (Eds.). , 2003
Pellmar, T. C., & Eisenberg, I. ; Bridging disciplines in the brain, behavioral, and clinical sciences, Pellmar, T. C., & Eisenberg, I. (Eds.), 2000
Blades, M., & , Spencer, C.; Children and their environments: Learning, using, and designing spaces., Blades, M., & , Spencer, C. (Eds.), 2006
Nelson. G., & Prilleltensky, I. ; Community psychology: In pursuit of liberation and well-being., Nelson. G., & Prilleltensky, I. (Eds.), 2005
Weissberg, R. P., & Greenberg, M. T. ; School and community competence-enhancement and prevention programs., W. Damon (Series Ed.), I. E. Sigel, & K. A. Renninger (Vol. Eds.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Child psychology in practice (5th ed., pp. 877-954). , 1998

Teaching methods and learning activities

    1. Expository; 2. Tutorial; 3. Experiential

keywords

Health sciences > Ethics in health sciences
Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Prova oral	35,00
Trabalho de campo	40,00
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

Mandatory. Students must attend. at least 75% of the planned classes. A minimum classification of 10 is required in each of the evaluation components.        

Calculation formula of final grade

25% - written summary;  

Evaluation:

 

I. Field work - group work (3 students): Organizational analysis, within a community perspective, on the quality of treatment in a disadvanteged population. (40%)

II. Planning of a project of integrated childhood services in a community - oral presentation in the classroom. (35%)

III.  Written summary of a scientific paper - individual work (25%)

Final evaluation weighing:

40% oral presentation of field work: organizational analysis;
35%- oral presentation of the project of integrated childhood services in a community;
25% - written summary; 

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students with the worker student statute (WS, AAC ...) - all students will have to  complete the assignments for evaluation.

Classification improvement

Reformulation of the individual written work, relating to 25% of the final evaluation.

Observations

Written work must bedelivered to the teacher in the last class of the semester.