SCP-600 Family Counseling, Collaboration and Engagement: This course is designed to provide students with knowledge and understanding of individual development within a systemic context, specifically the family. This course will cover the changing nature of the family life cycle with consideration of the increasing ethnic, racial and cultural diversity in the United States. The definition of family system will be examined with a move toward diverse and inclusive definitions of family. The course will study the impact of individual and intersecting identities on family systems, composition, and functioning (race, gender, economic status, disability status, etc.) with an emphasis on developing competencies that are culturally responsive. Current research, resources, best practices, and strategies for engaging and collaborating with families in educational settings will guide much of this course. Issues such as alcohol and drug use, violence, migration, poverty, chronic illness and disability, and physical and sexual abuse will be addressed in the context of family systems. The foundations and theories of Family Counseling and Therapy will be studied with techniques and interventions covered and practiced. The educational policies that include families and family engagement will be presented. Ethical and legal issues will also be covered.