Author: Beth Sharkey, MSW

Client Affect Management: Helpful Tools for Success

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Donald deGraffenried, LCSW
Friday, July 19, 2024 – in-personRegister Now for CE programs
9 am – 4:30 pm
6 CECs

Registration Fee: $150
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and current SSW Field Instructors

Client Affect Management involves working with your client to learn and practice specific relaxation skills that help with stress management and contribute to an increase in resiliency and coping. The goal is to help the client with a reduction of anxiety, an increase in self-esteem and an increased ability to be proactive in the management of personal distress.

Using an Ericksonian perspective, this seminar will draw from his successful techniques of introducing “state change” into the client’s perspective. The program is designed to provide clinicians with training and practice with proven Affect Management tools. These tools are structured to reduce client distress, increase positive states and engage a solution building process. Techniques include One Stone, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Healing Light Visualization, An Enhanced Safe Place and Heart Math.

These tools are appropriate for all age levels and will have direct application for practitioners working in community mental health, nonprofit agencies and private practice settings.

At the conclusion of this seminar, participants will:

  • learn a one-minute relaxation tool and be able to teach it to clients
  • be able to describe the core elements of positive affirmations
  • learn Seven Basic Principle’s for success with clients
  • have an opportunity to practice Affect Management tools
  • be able to identify which tool(s) to use and when to use them in their practice with clients

Children and Grief: A Developmental Perspective

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Ruth Pearlman, LCSW, LICSW, MEd
Register Now for CE programs nowWed, June 5, 2024
10 am – 12 pm
2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Even before COVID children were grieving losses that were not largely recognized or understood. COVID has magnified the grief experience of children on multiple levels.
This webinar will explore children’s concepts of death and non-death losses from a developmental perspective. We will apply Piaget’s Cognitive Theory to understand how
children conceptualize loss at each stage of development.

In this webinar, we will:

  • review Piaget’s Cognitive Theory and apply it to children’s understanding of loss
  • identify a spectrum of non-death losses in childhood
  • examine the role of magical thinking in children’s developmental understanding of loss
  • identify modern grief terminology
  • specifically examine the loss and grief trajectory in the lives of children in foster/alternative care

Building a Private Practice – Live Virtual

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister now for CE programs
Live Webinar
Tues, July 9, 16, and 23
10 am – 12 pm
6 CECs – participants must attend all 3 sessions to earn CECs

Registration Fee: $150
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 Thursday webinars. Participants must attend all 3 sessions to earn CECs.

PART I 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.

PART II 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.

PART III 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.

Coming Home: Readjustment Reactions following Military Service and Deployment

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Register for CE programs now

This webinar provides 2 hours of content on working with veterans.

Christopher Morse, LICSW, MVF-ASW 

Saturday, June 8, 2024
10 am – 12 pm
2 CEC

$40 – UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors
$50 – All Others

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

While not all service members experience mental health issues, many will experience difficulties returning to the civilian world. Participants will learn about common readjustment issues faced by military and veteran populations. We will also examine the effects of trauma on readapting to life after deployment. In response to the many requests of participants who attended his trainings on Understanding Military Culture, Christopher Morse, LICSW developed this program to shed light on another important aspect of working with veterans and active military personnel.

This webinar will:

  • examine common readjustment reactions following military service and deployment to combat theaters
  • explore the effects of trauma on readjustment following combat service
  • introduce the use of common military cultural artifacts and concepts in translating therapeutic concepts into principles common to military service

Building a Private Practice – In-Person

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Register Now for CE programsJennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-II
Monday, June 10, 2024
In-person
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
5 CECs

Fee: $125
UConn SSW Alumni and Current Field Instructors receive a 10% discount

Classroom location, directions and parking details will be included in your email confirmation

Do you have a private practice or are you interested in opening one? Are you utilizing all the available tools to protect and build your practice? This seminar will give you everything you need to build a solid, practice that adheres to HIPAA regulations, ethical principles, and scope of practice restrictions to effectively help the clients you serve.

We will explore the necessary paperwork to use with clients, as well as steps you need to take to protect your practice. This seminar will also provide a plethora of ideas about how to grow your business to its full potential. If you have a private practice, or wish to build one, you need this training to make sure the practice you build is at its clinical best.

This seminar will enable you to:

  • gather materials to set up your practice correctly and efficiently
  • learn how to effectively build a solid client base
  • explore all the vital tools you need to protect your practice
  • examine the potential ways to grow your business

One Stone Meditation for Our Clients and Ourselves

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Donald deGraffenried, LCSW
In-personRegister Now for CE programs
Friday, June 21, 2024
9 am – 12 pm
3 CECs

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

Classroom location, directions and parking details will be included in your email confirmation

This three-hour in person training will explore the teachings of Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Participants will learn about his history with mindfulness, his advocacy for peace and social justice, and his connection to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Trainer Donald deGraffenried, LCSW will explain the origin of the “One Stone Meditation” and demonstrate how to use this powerful, yet simple experience of mindfulness with clients or for yourself.

This is a gentle introduction to the process of mindfulness and enhancing the greater ability to be fully in the moment. It has wide application for use with clients, especially in the management of stress and anxiety. Participants will also have the option via a practicum to enhance/strengthen their experience by using bilateral tapping which comes out of the work of Francine Shapiro, Ph.D. and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

In this interactive and experiential seminar, participants will:

• practice the “One Stone Meditation”
• develop the meditative experience
• have the opportunity to practice and strengthen their experience by using bi lateral taping

Compassionate Care: Elderly Protection and Advocacy

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Qur-an Webb, MSW
Thursday, August 22, 2024Register Now for CE programs
Live Webinar
2 pm – 4 pm
2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

This training addresses a critical concern in today’s society by focusing on the protection of the elderly from abuse and neglect. Participants will examine the various forms of mistreatment that older individuals may face and explore strategies for prevention, detection, and intervention. The webinar will emphasize the importance of creating safe environments and nurturing a culture of respect and dignity for the elderly. In this interactive training, participants will learn skills to identify signs of abuse and neglect, report incidents appropriately, and work collaboratively with relevant authorities. This training aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to champion the rights and well-being of the elderly and foster a society that values and safeguards its senior members.

Participants in this webinar will:

  • become familiar with mandatory reporting procedures and increase their knowledge of elders’ rights to self-determination
  • examine the role of staff when working with the elderly population to better understand their unique needs and challenges
  • learn about available resources and effective strategies tailored to address the specific needs of the elderly population

Unmasking Gang Culture: Understanding and Addressing Gang Behavior

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Anthony Gay and Marcus Stallworth
Tuesday, June 4, 2024Register Now for CE programs
Live Webinar
6 pm – 8 pm
2 CECs

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

In this training we will look at the psychological and social factors that contribute to gangs and their historical roots and evolution in America to gain an understanding of the socio-economic factors that fuel their existence. We will examine the alarming intersection between gangs and Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST), shedding light on the complex dynamics that perpetuate exploitation. We will analyze the pervasive influence of media on gang culture, from its portrayal in movies to the role of music in shaping perceptions and recruitment. Finally, we will explore effective strategies and solutions aimed at addressing gangs, encompassing community-based interventions, law enforcement approaches, and preventative measures to create safer societies.

Participants in this webinar will:

  • understand the historical roots and evolution of gangs and the socio-economic factors that impact their existence
  • explore the psychological and social factors that contribute to the formation of gangs
  • examine the intersection between gangs and Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST)
  • explore a range of strategies aimed at addressing gang-related issues

Writing Letters for Gender-Affirming Healthcare

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Sarah A. Gilbert, LCSW

Sat, April 20, 2024Register Now for CE programs
Live Webinar
10 am – 12 pm
2 CECs – this program provides 2 hours of content on cultural competence

Registration Fee: $50
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

If you have some experience in working with trans, non-binary clients, yet you feel unsure about how to go about writing the required mental health assessment letter for your clients to access gender-affirming care, this training is for you!

Clients seeking access to gender-affirming healthcare (including cross-hormone treatment and various surgical procedures) are typically required to get referral letters from mental health professionals. Unfortunately, far too often, these individuals struggle with finding providers who feel comfortable writing these letters, which causes barriers and delays in accessing affirming and life-saving treatment.

Far too often, members of this community experience harmful gatekeeping in accessing the affirming and life-saving services they need as a result. In this 2 hour live interactive webinar, you will be given the information you need to be able to provide a referral letter for gender-affirming healthcare, which will leave you feeling confident in providing this valuable service for your clients.

In our time together, you will:

  • understand the harms that gatekeeping creates for trans/non-binary clients experience in accessing gender-affirming treatment, and the ways in which we can avoid replicating this in our own practices
  • learn about the WPATH Standards of care and understand how to navigate using the SOC in conjunction with insurance policies, physician’s requirements to help write letters that will be successful in getting approvals for gender-affirming healthcare.
  • receive up to date information about specific guidelines for clients with Husky/CT Medicaid insurance in accessing gender-affirming healthcare.
  • learn tips for advocacy with insurance companies in navigating denials for gender-affirming surgeries.

We will also have ample time for Q&A, to address your specific questions about how to apply this knowledge to your practice.

Supervising in 2024: A Field and Continuing Ed Collaboration

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Supervising in 2024: Who are our Supervisees and How Can We Use a Social Justice, Anti-Racist, Whole-Person Approach to Facilitate their Growth?

Patricia Wilcox, LCSW and Aminah Ali, LMSW
3 CECs

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

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Multicultural workforces are the norm in social service and educational agencies. Though such diversity is positive in many ways, it can also create challenges for staff. Differences in culture and language may cause tension among employees, discomfort among groups or strained relations between employees, interns, and supervisors. Managers and supervisors must be aware of their own biases and assumptions and develop the skills to conduct difficult conversations with their supervisees. Together the two can create meaningful organizational change. In addition, our clients’ lives may be highly impacted by racism and inter-generational trauma. Supervisors can facilitate more effective programs by supporting supervisees to bring these issues into the discussions they have with clients.

This webinar focuses on trauma-informed supervision through a social justice and anti-racist lens, an approach to supervision that begins with the personal and extends to the professional. Personal histories, identities, characteristics, and psychological experiences of supervisors, as well as structural and environmental conditions of the organization, are aspects of supervision. This perspective promotes the role of the supervisor as a leader in establishing a culture within their team that is responsive to and inclusive of the cultures and unique experiences of clients and colleagues. Supervisors are encouraged to remain vigilant in their commitment to social justice and an anti-racist approach by leading their teams and organizations in achieving truly inclusive diversity.

Participants will be able to:

  • Find how to improve their interactions with supervisees by identifying the positionalities and unique experiences of supervisor and supervisee.
  • Appraise and discuss implicit bias and how it impacts the supervisory relationship and work with clients.
  • Implement 3 strategies for addressing power differentials and improve trust between supervisor and supervisee.
  • Explore dilemmas in supervising the whole person while maintaining agency mandates.
  • Develop a plan to increase their team’s ability to have difficult conversations around social justice.
  • Discuss with supervisees the applications of racism and inter-generational trauma-informed perspectives and prepare a plan to utilize this knowledge within their practice.