Lisa Borneman, DSW
& Sharyn DeZelar, PhD
What happens when the most widely used diagnostic tool in mental health clashes with the foundational values of social work?
In this episode, St. Catherine University professors Dr. Sharyn DeZelar and Dr. Lisa Borneman take a critical look at how the DSM-5 shapes assessment, treatment and reimbursement, as well as what happens when it doesn’t align with the realities or values of the profession.
DeZelar and Borneman discuss how the DSM’s medical model can unintentionally perpetuate bias and colonized ways of thinking, pathologizing normal responses to trauma and systemic oppression. Together, they invite listeners to explore decolonizing approaches to assessment that center on collaboration, context and human story, including the Power Threat Meaning Framework. This model reframes “what’s wrong” as “what happened” and “how we’ve survived.”
Lisa Borneman, DSW, MSW, LICSW, is an assistant professor in the Master of Social Work Program at St. Catherine University. Her practice and teaching focus on youth mental health, trauma and clinical supervision, blending person-centered, narrative and creative therapeutic approaches.
Sharyn DeZelar, PhD, MSW, LICSW, is associate professor and MSW program director at St. Catherine University. Her research and teaching explore disability, family systems and the decolonization of mental health and social work education.
Show Notes
Cite this podcast – Sobota, P. (Host). (2025, November 18). Post-DSM: Social Work Values and Decolonizing Assessment (No. 342)[Audio podcast episode]. In inSocialWork. University at Buffalo School of Social Work.
