This course is designed to introduce students to social work practice in healthcare settings from a biopsychosocial perspective. The primary objective of this class is for students to gain the knowledge and clinical skills necessary to intervene effectively in medical settings and to work with clients experiencing serious health problems. Individual classes will address skill development across central practice themes including: the subjective experience of and reactions to living with illness, social work values and ethical dilemmas in health care, and communicating with patients and families living with serious illness. The course also examines differences in the social work role across settings including: inpatient, outpatient clinics, and home hospice and introduces students to the emerging sub-specialties in medical social work (i.e., transplant, oncology, palliative care). Students will gain a deeper understanding of the shifting role of social work in the interdisciplinary world of health care practice and will become knowledgeable of the roles and underlying theoretical models used by behavioral health providers working in integrated health settings (using the medical homes model). The impact of structural factors (i.e. racism, sexism, ableism etc.) on patient's experience with the healthcare system will be addressed as we examine how cultural beliefs around health, healing and illness impact the clinical relationship and the service delivery system.