{"id":93396,"date":"2024-04-03T11:52:43","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T15:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/?page_id=93396"},"modified":"2026-04-22T09:09:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:09:24","slug":"specialization-behavioral-health","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/ssw\/programs\/specialization-behavioral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Specialization: Behavioral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Contact<\/h3>\n

Please contact the specialization coordinator for more information about a specialization area. Contact information can be found on the School of Social Work website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Behavioral Health specialization combines theory and skill development to enable MSW graduates to promote behavioral health in multiple domains. It addresses co-occurring problematic substance use with attention to the current opioid overdose crisis, trauma, and stigma, with a focus on communities experiencing disproportionately lower access to services. Students learn to advance racial and health equity by examining how racism is enacted in behavioral health settings through both policies and practice.<\/p>\n

The specialization will prepare students to be active members of interdisciplinary teams that provide social work leadership in behavioral health systems to address health inequities and the needs of specific individuals, families, and communities. Program graduates enter the workforce understanding the unique role that social work plays in enhancing prevention and intervention strategies with racial\/ethnic and economically diverse populations who are facing multiple challenges in an ever-changing practice environment. The specialization also emphasizes a broad definition of behavioral health, including physical, emotional, psychological, environmental, and other social dimensions\u2014not just the absence of injury or disease. It also reinforces core social work values, including racial, social, and economic justice, human dignity, and working in partnership with individuals and communities.<\/p>\n

Requirements for CRC Students<\/h3>
<\/p>\n
    \n
  • 1 advanced practicum placement in behavioral health setting<\/li>\n
  • 3 electives from the following:\n
      \n
    • SSW CP 762 Advanced Group Work<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 795 Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 798 Psychodynamic Therapy with Adults<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 799 Brief Treatment<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 803 Adult Trauma<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 806 Theory and Practice with LGBTQ Populations<\/li>\n
    • SSW CP 809 Substance Use Disorder<\/li>\n
    • SSW HB 723 Assessment and Diagnosis \u2013 Adults<\/li>\n
    • SSW HB 727 Assessment and Diagnosis \u2013 Children and Adolescents<\/li>\n
    • SSW WP 705 Mental Health Policy<\/li>\n
    • SSW WP 711 Substance Use Policy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

      Requirements for Hybrid and Online Students<\/h3>
      <\/p>\n
        \n
      • 1 advanced practicum placement in a behavioral health setting<\/li>\n
      • 2 required courses:\n
          \n
        • SSW WP 705 Mental Health Policy<\/li>\n
        • SSW HB 723 Assessment and Diagnosis in Adults or <\/strong>SSW\u00a0HB 727 Assessment and Diagnosis in Children and Adolescents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • 1 elective from the following options:\n
            \n
          • SSW CP 795 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<\/li>\n
          • SSW CP 803 Adult Trauma<\/li>\n
          • SSW CP 809 Substance Use Disorders<\/li>\n
          • SSW CP 762 Advanced Group Work<\/li>\n
          • SSW MP 786 Health Equity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

            Any required courses not available at your campus will be taken through the BUSSW Online Program. Please be aware of the tuition differential rate for online program courses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Contact Please contact the specialization coordinator for more information about a specialization area. Contact information can be found on the School of Social Work website. The Behavioral Health specialization combines theory and skill development to enable MSW graduates to promote behavioral health in multiple domains. It addresses co-occurring problematic substance use with attention to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17439,"featured_media":0,"parent":274,"menu_order":12,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93396"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17439"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93396"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93396\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":101108,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93396\/revisions\/101108"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}