Author: Beth Sharkey, MSW

Advancing Skills in Individual and Group Supervision

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This workshop teaches new supervisors and updates those who are experienced about the range of skills involved in individual and group supervision in an array of service contexts. Supervisors are guided in structuring regularly scheduled supervisory sessions in accordance with the learning styles of supervisees and the appropriate use of individual versus group meetings. Emphasis is placed on supporting staff in self-assessment with careful attention to diversity, inclusion, and equity issues within the service context.

Learning Objectives (Supervisory Best Practices):

  1. Structure regularly scheduled supervisory sessions in accordance with the learning styles of supervisees
  2. Support supervisees in self-assessment and planning to advance their practice strengths, address challenges, and develop as professionals
  3. Teach supervisees to use an “evidence-informed” approach to empirically evaluating practice
  4. Model the behavior of striving for professional competence through ongoing education, supervision, and self-care
  5. Structure group supervision sessions focused on common practice themes and situations (e.g., ethical dilemmas)
  6. Utilize social work group facilitation skills to promote group process during group supervision

Social Work & AI: Distinguishing Between Hype, Harm & Hope

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Lauri Goldkind, Phd, MSWRegister Now
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
10 am – 11:30 am ET
1.5 CECs

Registration Fee: $38
UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors receive a 10% discount

Webinar link will be included in your confirmation email.

Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT, have captured the attention of the country as their ability to write jokes, poetry, and prose — in seconds and for free, has bedazzled anyone who works with the written word. Educators have seen that it can write realistic student papers, including citations and personal anecdotes. Professionals have seen that it can generate realistic work-related writing such as progress notes, grant proposals and organizational newsletters.

What are the implications for social workers and social work practice? In this session, social workers are invited to learn about what AI is, what it can do for practitioners and how to think about ethical practice with AI tools. We will discuss our experiences, concerns, and emerging practice applications. Participants will receive a live demonstration and have the opportunity to consider how these tools can enhance their practice.

Participants will:

  • understand the opportunities and challenges of integrating large language models into social work practice
  • gain practical skills in integrating large language models into social work practice through case studies and hands-on exercises
  • explore best practices for ensuring ethical and responsible deployment of language models in social work contexts, with a focus on transparency, informed consent, and ongoing evaluation to address ethical challenges specific to the field

Mastering the Mental Status Exam

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now for CE programs
Virtual
Thursday, November 13, 2025
9 am -12 pm (ET)
3 CECs

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be included in your confirmation email.

All clinicians need to develop skills in conducting and interpreting the Mental Status Examination. This course offers a detailed exploration of the MSE components, enabling participants to assess cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning accurately.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify & describe the key components of the MSE
  • Learn to conduct a more thorough MSE exam
  • Practice recognizing elements of the MSE in vignettes
  • Recognize the influence of cultural background and individual traits on MSE

Supervising the Ethical Clinician

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Webinar
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CECs

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

This training marries the essential elements of a successful supervisory practice with the core ethical standards of helping professions. Participants will gain tools to ensure that each clinician can grow an ethical practice that will help protect the profession, the clinician, and every client they serve. This training will give participants tools to both evaluate the ethical practice of each clinician and to strengthen any ethically weak areas, which will allow participants to anticipate and address problems before ethical violations occur.

Supervising the Diagnosing Clinician

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Virtual
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CEC

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

This training marries the essential elements of a successful supervisory practice with the foundation of the diagnostic process. Participants will gain tools to ensure that each supervised clinician can learn how to diagnose disorders and conditions that will be a treatment focus. This training will give participants tools to both evaluate and improve diagnosing tools, and how to troubleshoot and intervene as may be needed.

Superior Supervision

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Webinar
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CEC

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

We know that good supervision can be hard to find, and one major reason is that supervisors are rarely adequately trained. If you are a supervisor, or interested in becoming one, this training will help you build an ethical, engaging, effectual supervision practice.

In this webinar, participants will:

  • explore the common mistakes supervisors make
  • examine effective theoretical orientations and models of supervision
  • explore the core components of the supervisory relationships and the needed tools

Making Sense of the DSM 5 – Webinar

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister for CE programs now
Virtual
Thurs, November 6, 2025
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CECs

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

The 5th edition of the DSM brings with it some of the most significant changes between editions. In addition to changes in the disorders themselves and how they are grouped, the diagnostic system has been revamped. Are you prepared to incorporate the changes into your practice and to diagnose your clients accurately? This training shows you how to use the DSM5 to enhance your assessment skills.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the major philosophical changes to the diagnosis process in the DSM 5
  • Learn the categorical and disorder changes and additions introduced in the DSM 5
  • Examine the assessment tools published with the DSM 5
  • Practice diagnosis using the DSM 5 through numerous clinical vignettes

Adolescent Addiction

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-II
Wednesday, December 10, 2025Register for CE programs now
Webinar
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CECs

Registration Fee: $75
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Historically mislabeled as a difficult population, this webinar will explore the characteristics of adolescent addiction, the recovery pitfalls, and effective treatment interventions that will engage your young clients.

Adolescent Addiction is a distinct problem, with biopsychosocial elements unique to this age group, which indicates there are unique treatment implications. This training explores the unique elements of adolescent addiction and discusses the best ways to both prevent and treat it. While the majority of the training addresses substance use, other addictions – gambling, sex, internet, fitness – will be included.

Adolescent Addiction is often guided by cultural, political, and social forces. Adolescents my be judged for wanting attention, submitting to peer pressure, or making “stupid” choices, depending on the culture in which the teen is a member. The degree that the addiction is accepted is often based on these influences. This training includes a discussion of these influences, not only in understanding how teen addiction develops, but also how recovery can be sabotaged or supported by these influences.

Participants will:

  • learn the differences between the adult and adolescent brain
  • explore the principles of addiction and how it affects the adolescent brain
  • review updated assessment tools for this population

The Clinical Interview

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now for CE programs now
Thursday, October 23, 2025
Virtual
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
3 CECs

Registration Fee: $75
UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors receive a 10% discount

Webinar link will be included in your confirmation email.

Trainings on assessment and diagnosis typically focus on client symptoms and psychopathology. This training has the actual clinical interview at its focus, exploring how to gather the information you need from each client. Participants will learn how to prepare, what skills are needed, and where to focus each section of the interview.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify the primary goal(s) of the clinical interview
  • Gather useful listening and verbal skills that support rapport
  • Explore how to direct and redirect clients and the path of the interview
  • Learn strategies to manage common scenarios that challenge the interview

Building a Private Practice

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister now for CE programs
Live Webinar
Wednesdays, Nov 5, 12, and 19, 2025
9 am – 12 pm (ET)
9 CECs – participants must attend all 3 sessions to earn CECs

Registration Fee: $225
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Welcome to the Building a Private Practice Series. This training is not only for people who are thinking about starting a practice, but also for those who have an existing practice. It’s never too late to make some adjustments to your practice that will help it grow more effectively. This training relates to direct practice as it aims to help the clinician build a practice that will benefit the clients it serves and ensure their practice adheres to the strictest of ethical principles. Participants will learn how to build a private practice that meet the needs of the clients they serve and strengthens both the client’s treatment experience and the profession as a whole.

This training is split into 3 consecutive Tuesday webinars. Participants must attend all 3 sessions to earn CECs.

DAY 1 covers the top mistakes people make in private practice, and begins to layout the framework for building a better one. We will explore the nuts and bolts of who, why,  where, and when to open a private practice. Then we will dive into how to set up your practice with your own policies and procedures.

DAY 2 begins with ironing out all the financial aspects of your private practice, including how to set a fee schedule, how and why to work with insurances, how and why to work with private pay options, bank accounts, insurances, and taxes. We will then lay out all the clinical paperwork you need to safeguard your practice the right way.

DAY 3 begins with a discussion of how to market your business, where you should focus and what you should ignore. We then round out the series by exploring how to develop your practice, how to effectively close your practice, and how to troubleshoot your practice when it isn’t growing as you would like it to grow.