I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! I’ve updated MyHeritage with the content for this week. Please bring your copy of the DSM to class, as we will be using them.

Unit Introduction and What You Will Learn

Week four is a synchronous class week, with class on Saturday (09/20/25). Students are asked to read Segal et al. (2019), a chapter that provides a discussion regarding diagnostic interviews and considerations for different settings, client expectations, and clinician approach. I also ask students to watch a video by Kinter (2020), who provides a broad overview of the DMS. There are forums for students to share about how they engage in the diagnostic process and other materials related to the DSM, and ask questions they might have. During class, we will spend time demonstrating and discussing how to use the DSM for diagnostic interviews, as well as an opportunity to respond to the questions posed in the forums in an AMA format. The agenda for the in-class session includes:

• General content in diagnoses
• Using the DSM
• AMA - DMS-5-TR Edition

The learning objectives this week include:

• Reflect on the structure, purpose, and challenges of the clinical diagnostic interview process across different practice settings.
• Explore the organization and diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5-TR through guided media and independent resource discovery.
• Identify and describe diagnostic features and symptom patterns of specific mental health conditions using DSM-based sources.
• Identify key elements of diagnosis, including symptom types, duration, frequency, intensity, and cultural/contextual considerations.
• Practice locating diagnostic criteria in the DSM.
• Evaluate how screening tools and assessment measures can support clinical judgment and diagnosis.

Unit Assignments

Content

• Read Segal et al. (2019) Basics and Beyond in Clinical and Diagnostic Interviewing
• Watch Kinter (2020) Introduction to the DSM-5

Weekly Online Discussion Forums

The expectation is that each of your replies will be substantive and provide meaningful perspectives, contributing to the forum’s conversation and scholarship. They can be related to the prompts or building on conversations shared by peers. There are three forums for this week, and you are expected to make at least three replies across any of the forums. These forums include the following:

• The forum, thoughts and findings about the diagnostic process, asks students to consider the reading provided this week and share some of their thoughts.
• In an effort to expose students to an overview of the DSM’s content, Findings Looking into the Content of the DSM provides a place to engage with various resources and reflect on that engagement.
• I thought that taking the format of an AMA - The DMS Edition, might be an interesting way to spend a portion of our class this week.

Unit Resources

You don’t have any reading from the textbook this week (which also means no reading quiz). I have two sources (and some more in the forums) for you to review this week. First, Segal et al. (2019) provide a clear description of a diagnostic interview. It is a book chapter, so it is a bit longer, but it is valuable and adds to the information offered in your textbook. There are some excellent discussions about emerging and new clinicians that could be helpful. During class, we will talk about screening tools, and you can find DSM-5-TR Online Assessment Measures with links to these.

I would like you to watch Kinter (2020). I went down the rabbit hole as I was preparing, looking for a good overview for you to watch. I like the presentation that Klinter offers. It’s broad, but with some interesting specifics for different areas of diagnosis. In one of the forums, I shared some other potential sources for students to look at. His video is only 30 minutes long and covers most of the areas of the DSM. I will say that it is the DSM-5, not the DSM-5-TR, so even some of the changes he talks about have changed again since (consider substance use disorders), but it provides some good considerations. See Introduction to the DSM-5.

All of the presentations for this class can be found at https://presentations.jacobrcampbell.com. This week’s slides are Fall 2025 SOWK 581 Week 04 - Understanding and Using the DSM-5.

The Lecture Videos tab in the MyHeritage course is where you will be able to find class recordings. The video this week is at [Fall 2025 SOWK 581 Week 04]().

To-Do List

• Attend class on Saturday and bring your copy of the DSM with you
• Read Segal et al. (2019) and watch Kinter (2020)
• Make at least three replies across any of the three forums