Continuing Education

Sacred Space: When Gender-Affirming Care Changes Us, Too

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Sarah Gilbert, LCSWRegister Now for CE programs
Friday, May 16, 2025
9 am – 12 pm
3 CECs*

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

This experiential workshop explores the profound reciprocal transformation that occurs in the practice of gender-affirming therapy. Mental health providers working with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) clients are not merely witnesses to their clients’ journeys and supporting them through transition, but are themselves changed through the process of creating and holding therapeutic space. Participants will examine both the challenges of vicarious trauma and the growth opportunities of vicarious resilience, developing concrete strategies for sustainable practice while honoring the sacred nature of this work.

Through multimedia presentations, reflective exercises, case discussions, and collaborative learning, participants will gain deeper understanding of their own experiences while building practical skills for integration and resilience. This workshop uniquely balances honoring the transformative impact of gender-affirming care with developing sustainable clinical practices in the current challenging sociopolitical environment.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will identify at least three ways in which their work with transgender and gender diverse clients has impacted their professional identity and clinical practice.
  • Participants will demonstrate two concrete strategies for managing vicarious trauma while maintaining therapeutic presence in gender-affirming care.
  • Participants will develop a personalized sustainability plan that includes specific boundary-setting practices, self-care rituals, and/or professional support mechanisms.

Social Work, Sports, and Society

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Qur-an Webb, MSW
Register Now for CE programsWednesday, May 14, 2025
Live Webinar
2 pm – 4 pm
2 CECs

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

This webinar explores the dynamic intersection of social work, sports, and societal issues, focusing on how athletics can serve as a platform for addressing social challenges. Participants will examine the mental health needs of athletes, the impact of race and gender in sports, and the crucial role of social work in supporting athletes, coaches, and officials.

Topics include mental health awareness and resilience-building and relationships within athletics. The training will also look into race while preparing participants to foster positive societal change through the lens of sports and social work.

Learning Objectives:
• Explore the role of social work in athletics and the fundamentals of mental health in sports
• Discussing the importance of fostering healthy relationships amongst the spectators, athletes’ coaches, and officials
• Explore diversity, inclusion, and strengthening self-worth and integrity in individual and team dynamics
• Develop strategies for managing goals, their impact on motivation, maintaining focus and achieving long-term success

Mastering the Mental Status Exam

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now for CE programs
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
In-person at the UConn Hartford Campus
9:30 am – 4 pm
5.5 CECs

Registration Fee: $125
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

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

Ethical Strains in a Politically Charged Climate

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now for CE programs
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Live Webinar
9 am – 12 pm
3 CECs

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

Clinicians are faced with significant strains on the ethical boundaries of the clinical relationship in this politically charged climate. Exhausted and pressured, clinicians need support and tools to navigate these unique stressors on clinical practice. This training explores how different ethical principles clash under the unique pressures we face today, and offers the tools we need to address them effectively. Through case studies and interactive discussions, attendees will learn to balance advocacy with ethical boundaries while protecting the therapeutic alliance.

Learning Objectives:
1. Explore the specific ethical principles at risk of clashing.
2. Gain methods on how to build a healthy clinical relationship.
3. Gather tools to avoid ethical pitfalls in the therapeutic alliance.
4. Connect the concept of cultural humility with professional integrity.

Building a Private Practice

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister now for CE programs
Live Webinar
Tuesdays, April 29, May 6, and May 13, 2025
9 am – 12 pm
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.

Supervising in 2025: A Practicum and Continuing Ed Collaboration

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Register Now for CE programs

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

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Virtual
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
3 CECs – Provides 3 hours of content on cultural competency
Presenters: Patricia Wilcox, LCSW and Aminah Ali, LMSW

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

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.

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

Unmasking Gang Culture: Understanding & Addressing Gang Behavior

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Welcome 2 Reality
Thursday, November 20, 2025Register Now for CE programs
Live Webinar
6 pm – 8 pm
2 CECs – this program provides at least 1 hour of content on cultural competency

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

Racial Justice and Implicit Bias: Fostering Authentic Engagement

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Provides 2 hours of content on cultural competence.

Qur-an Webb, MSW and colleagues from Welcome 2 RealityRegister Now for CE programs

Thursday, September 18, 2025
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
2 CECs
Webinar

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

The webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

This webinar will examine implicit bias, the differences between equality and equity, and how to recognize equitable practices. Participants will learn to talk about race constructively within their workplace, with colleague organizations, and with their clients by having conversations about racial justice work to help foster authentic engagement. The training will enable participants to apply what they know about racial justice and equity to build a further understanding and agreement. Participants will learn which facilitation tools to use when faced with hot button issues and how to lead conversations about race with presence, grace, and authority.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss how biases and discriminatory practices effects clients and their families
  • Explore strategies to help improve our work with the children and families we serve
  • Explore next steps for applying concepts and strategies to advance racial equity

Children and Grief: A Developmental Perspective

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Ruth Pearlman, LCSW, LICSW, MEd
Register Now for CE programs nowWednesdays, October 8 and 15, 2025
10 am – 12 pm
4 CECs – participants must attend both sessions to earn CECs

Registration Fee: $100
10% discount for UConn SSW Alumni and Current SSW Field Instructors

Webinar link will be emailed when your registration is complete.

In response to feedback from participants in her previous trainings, instructor Ruth Pearlman has expanded this webinar to 2 parts. 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. A child’s response to loss is dependent on many factors including age, emotional development, relationship, and social supports. Ms. Pearlman will explore children’s concepts of death and non-death losses applying Piaget’s Cognitive Theory to understand how
children conceptualize loss at each stage of development.

Day 1 will focus on lecture with ample opportunity to ask questions and interact with the instructor and other participants.  Day 2 will focus on the application of the content provided on the first day.

In this webinar, we will:

  • identify a spectrum of non-death losses in childhood
  • review Piaget’s Cognitive Theory and apply it to children’s understanding of loss
  • 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

Supervising the Ethical Clinician

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Jennifer Berton, PhD, LICSW, CADC-IIRegister Now
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Webinar
9 am – 12 pm
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.