Students will be able to:

• Apply evidence-based family therapy and health behavior theories and interventions with the Biological, Psychological, Social, and Spiritual (BPSS) framework with individuals, couples, families, and groups in healthcare systems.
• Demonstrate integration of BPSS framework into (a) direct care (i.e., assessment, diagnoses, treatment/intervention, monitoring/ follow-up); (b) treatment team collaboration; (c) development/ coordination of a comprehensive treatment plan; (d) clinical documentation and provision of resources with awareness of research and culturally informed practice for common diseases and conditions.
• Explain the multi-directional influences between family/ support systems and healthcare systems.
• Link the impacts of family systems and behaviors to disease management and recovery process in discussions with the medical/ healthcare team.
• Demonstrate knowledge of systemic theoretical approaches applied to BPSS and relational issues to treat patients and family/support systems.
• Utilize tools to orient and advance understanding of healthcare culture (e.g., medical vocabulary texts, medical vs. behavioral health team member stereotypes, structural map of healthcare team and organization) and collaborative practices.
• Understand normative and cultural standards of care protocols that reflect family/support systems involved in treatment-based needs of the healthcare team and population trends. e.g., end-of-life discussions; advanced directives; significant prescriptions for ADHD; eating disorders; multiple family members with multiple chronic conditions/disease states.
• Apply medical family therapy in tertiary environments and palliative care and provide a preliminary sense of comfort and authentic presence relating to dying and grieving persons.
• Discuss how race, culture, religion, and spirituality are interconnected and need to be understood to inform a therapist's responses to meet the needs of those grieving and dying. 
• Assist in creating an overall understanding of the intricacy of ongoing interpersonal interactions in the lives of adult trauma survivors (including peer, romantic, therapeutic, and parent relationships)
• Assess current trauma treatment modalities and investigate interventions that most effectively address specific symptom presentation while understanding the role of culture and culture-related trauma on treatment outcomes.
• Demonstrate adherence to ethical practice when engaged in therapeutic and consulting services with individuals, couples, families/ social supports, secondary supports, healthcare teams, community partners, and others directly involved in helping patients, families, and organizations.
• Demonstrate an understanding of medical terminology, varying associated diseases and symptoms related to specific substance categories. E.g., stimulants (e.g., cocaine), depressants (e.g., alcohol), opium-related painkillers (e.g., heroin), hallucinogens (e.g., LSD)