Continuing Education Course Catalog

A strengths-based approach to supervising child welfare workers sets the tone for a supportive work environment that values and builds on the competencies of staff, enhances problem-solving skills, promotes resilience and prevents burn-out. The strengths-based supervision approach supports the implementation of family-centered practice, modeling and reinforcing the same principles caseworkers use with families to explore family strengths and resources. This approach to supervision creates a supportive environment that nurtures the resilience of both workers and by extension, the families they support. The course equips child welfare supervisors with the knowledge, skills, and tools to implement a strengths-based approach to supervision. Participants will learn how to apply strengths-based principles to support, develop, and empower their staff while promoting positive outcomes for children and families.

This 13-week course presents advanced knowledge and skills essential to providing effective school social work interventions. Students will learn to identify, select, and apply evidence-based prevention and intervention methods for use with individuals, groups, families, school personnel, and communities to enhance student learning, development, and school success. You will practice skills that advance social justice and educational access, trauma-informed practice models, positive behavior supports for school-wide programs and individuals, crisis prevention, planning and intervention, and behavior intervention planning; mediation, conflict resolution, and collaborative problem-solving methods. Specific interventions to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, emotional impairments and other disabilities covered under the Individuals with Disability Education Act will be incorporated. Ways to promote family engagement and collaboration will be explored. Skills to enhance collaboration and consultation between teachers, families, and other school personnel will be addressed. School social worker intervention methodologies will include ways to promote human rights and educational access, fostering school climates that are inviting, supportive, and inclusive of diversity. You will acquire the skills needed to effectively practice as a school social worker to enhance student learning and achievement.

Content in this course includes multi-tiered practice methodologies that promote socio-emotional and academic success. Interdisciplinary approaches designed to strengthen individuals, groups, and families within larger social contexts such as the school and community will be presented. Methods that increase student and family access to education and educational resources will be explored. School-wide interventions such as the implementation of positive behavioral supports, restorative practices, family engagement, inter-group dialogue, positive conflict resolution skills, and coordination and collaboration with youth-serving agencies in the community will be discussed. Effective classroom-wide, small group, and individual interventions will be practiced.

Note: This semester course, in conjunction with School Social Work Interventions (SW626), is intended to help professionals meet the Michigan school social worker requirements. Participants will be enrolled in this course alongside MSW degree seeking students. Participants who successfully complete both school social work courses will meet the required academic competencies for practice as a social worker in Michigan. Participants will need to earn a B or higher score on all required assignments, attend all live course sessions, and view all required recorded content. These courses also award continuing education hours to participants who meet the course requirements.

Participants will learn how to build a private practice rooted in the core values of social work while mastering essential entrepreneurial and marketing skills. Whether you are just starting out or looking to grow your practice, this course will provide actionable strategies to lay a strong foundation, attract ideal clients, and create a thriving business that aligns with your professional ethics.

The course begins by exploring how the NASW core values—service, integrity, and social justice—inform the ethical and sustainable development of a private practice. Participants will then dive into proven marketing strategies, including how to effectively communicate their unique value to clients and establish robust referral networks. Finally, the webinar will focus on balancing entrepreneurship with the client-centered, values-driven approach that defines social work.

By the end of this webinar, attendees will have a clear roadmap for building a successful private practice that honors their values, supports their clients, and achieves financial sustainability. This course is perfect for clinicians who are ready to merge their social work expertise with sound business practices to create a practice they love.

This course challenges learners to explore their personal values, beliefs and judgements related to issues of sexuality. Interpersonal practice tools will be offered to assist clients in holding personal beliefs and values and remaining present to client's sexual self, needs, beliefs. Lecture and discussion will examine how implicit bias can limit services and harm clients, particular limits to sexually diverse populations. Sexual health will be considered as a social justice issue.

This course has been developed to meet the Michigan implicit bias training requirements for health professionals.

Mental health professionals are often taught a wide variety of clinical skills while in training and experience an array of situations in which they are able to apply and adapt their skillsets depending on what is needed for their clients. One area that has a profound need for these clinical skills are transgender & nonbinary individuals who are seeking medical interventions to alleviate gender-related distress. These clients in particular may come to therapy for short-term or long-term services, and face significant barriers to accessing hormonal or surgical interventions due to outdated beliefs, biases, and misinformation about what is necessary to approve them for care. Furthermore, therapists have historically not been provided necessary information to tailor their assessment skills to advocate for clients to access transition-related medical care, or face their own outdated beliefs & biases about providing support to these clients.

This training workshop is designed to educate mental health professionals about the history and present-day applications of gender-affirming healthcare in the United States, as well as empower professionals to apply existing assessment and report-writing skills to contexts with gender-diverse populations (namely, transgender & nonbinary populations). Participants will be come familiar with clinical considerations when writing letters of support for clients accessing gender-affirming hormones or surgery, applying the diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria to a client, and recognizing the overlapping symptom manifestation of Gender Dysphoria with other mental health diagnoses. Participants will participate in a workshop and engage with the provided material to become familiar with their role as mental health professionals to support gender-diverse populations by following and applying up-to-date standards for letters of support, based on the most updated version of the WPATH Standards of Care. This workshop is intended for practitioners who have a foundational and functional understanding of common experiences & identities within the LGBTQIA2S+ community, particularly those of transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-expansive individuals.

Understanding and supporting athletes and their overall health and welfare has been a prominent specialty service area that social workers have formally and informally navigated for decades. And today, the need for sports social workers with advanced training has never been more requested across sport settings (youth, collegiate, professional, and geriatric). Research currently suggests that: (1) athletes engage in sport across the lifespan to foster a greater sense of belonging and social connection; (2) athlete mental health needs are increasing and licensed, mental health providers are needed to meet this growing demand; and (3) athletes are using their platform to address social injustices and bring awareness to longstanding disparities across our country. As established agents of change, social workers uphold the profession's mission and core values, while having an expansive scope of practice to improve outcomes for individuals, communities, and the larger society.

In addition to the live schedule, program includes 30 hours of recorded lectures:

- Overview: History of Sport Social Work
- Impact of Current Culture on Adolescent Mental Health
- Adjustment/Transition into College Athletics
- Integrated Health in Sports Settings
- Adolescent Mental Health & Wellness
- Sports & Body Image: Identifying Risks and Recommendations for Clinical Intervention
- Subclinical Eating Disorders
- Body Image and Perfectionism
- Grief and Loss Support
- Psychopharmacology and Navigating USADA & WADA, Drug Testing
- Multidisciplinary Eating Disorders Team
- Impact of Sport Specialization on Development and Injury
- Parent-Coach-Player Dynamics
- Safe Sport
- Conflict Resolution and Mediation
- Bullying and Harassment Prevention
- Understanding Racial Diversity and Social Justice in Sports
- Team Building and Leadership Development
- Injury: Loss of Identity
- Ensuring Healthy Development for Youth through Sport and Recreation
- Behavior Activation
- Intro to Sport Psychology
- Sport Psychology: Basic Skills, Preparatory Skills, Performance Skills
- ADHD vs. Anxiety: Neuropsychology and Attentional Interference in Athletics
- Sleep and Sport
- Differences Between Coaching and Support
- Performance Anxiety
- LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Sports
- Athletes Connected: Developing Community-Based Programming
- Everybody Gets an Opportunity: Ability
- Critical Research Perspectives for Contemporary Sport Culture
- Post Concussion Care
- Transitioning Out of Sport
- Sports in Older Adults: Once an Athlete, Always an Athlete
- Navigating the Media's Response to an Athlete's Game
- Macro Social Work Practice in Collegiate Sport

Understanding and supporting athletes and their overall health and welfare has been a prominent specialty service area that social workers have formally and informally navigated for decades. And today, the need for sports social workers with advanced training has never been more requested across sport settings (youth, collegiate, professional, and geriatric). Research currently suggests that: (1) athletes engage in sport across the lifespan to foster a greater sense of belonging and social connection; (2) athlete mental health needs are increasing and licensed, mental health providers are needed to meet this growing demand; and (3) athletes are using their platform to address social injustices and bring awareness to longstanding disparities across our country. As established agents of change, social workers uphold the profession's mission and core values, while having an expansive scope of practice to improve outcomes for individuals, communities, and the larger society.

Sport social workers play multiple roles in the lives of collegiate and professional athletes by addressing various aspects of their well-being, with a particular emphasis on providing mental health and high performance services, leading organizations as sport administrators, and helping consult on brand management and social justice initiatives. These professionals recognize the unique challenges faced by athletes within the competitive sports environment and strive to create a supportive atmosphere. By prioritizing mental health and high performance goals, these social workers contribute to the holistic development of athletes, fostering not only their physical skills but also their mental resilience and well-being, ultimately promoting a healthier and more sustainable athletic culture. Participants in this track will:
- Develop a functional working knowledge of the roles that sport social workers play across all levels of social work practice;
- Promote healthy relationships, encourage help-seeking behaviors, and establish and implement strategies for mental health programming that aligns with the mission and structure of an organization;
- Understand the role sport plays in athletes' identities across the lifespan, embracing the "Once an Athlete, Always an Athlete" approach; and
- Apply evidence-informed practices in clinical settings, research and social justice advocacy.

In addition to the live schedule, program includes 26 hours of recorded lectures:

- Overview: History of Sport Social Work
- Adjustment/Transition into College Athletics
- Integrated Health in Sports Settings
- Sports & Body Image: Identifying Risks and Recommendations for Clinical Intervention
- Subclinical Eating Disorders
- Body Image and Perfectionism
- Grief and Loss Support
- Psychopharmacology and Navigating USADA & WADA, Drug testing
- Multidisciplinary Eating Disorders Team
- Parent-Coach-Player Dynamics
- Safe Sport
- Conflict Resolution and Mediation
- Understanding Racial Diversity and Social Justice in Sports
- Injury: Loss of Identity
- Behavior Activation
- Intro to Sport Psychology
- Sport Psychology: Basic Skills, Preparatory Skills, Performance Skills
- ADHD vs. Anxiety: Neuropsychology and Attentional Interference in Athletics
- Sleep and Sport
- Performance Anxiety
- LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Sports
- Athletes Connected: Developing Community-Based Programming
- Everybody Gets an Opportunity: Ability
- Critical Research Perspectives for Contemporary Sport Culture
- Post Concussion Care
- Transitioning Out of Sport
- Sports in Older Adults: Once an Athlete, Always an Athlete
- Navigating the Media's Response to an Athlete's Game
- Macro Social Work Practice in Collegiate Sport

Understanding and supporting athletes and their overall health and welfare has been a prominent specialty service area that social workers have formally and informally navigated for decades. And today, the need for sports social workers with advanced training has never been more requested across sport settings (youth, collegiate, professional, and geriatric). Research currently suggests that: (1) athletes engage in sport across the lifespan to foster a greater sense of belonging and social connection; (2) athlete mental health needs are increasing and licensed, mental health providers are needed to meet this growing demand; and (3) athletes are using their platform to address social injustices and bring awareness to longstanding disparities across our country. As established agents of change, social workers uphold the profession's mission and core values, while having an expansive scope of practice to improve outcomes for individuals, communities, and the larger society.

Sport social workers play a crucial role in the holistic development of youth athletes. These dedicated professionals provide a supportive and empathetic environment for young athletes, helping them navigate the challenges that come with intense training, competition, and personal growth. Sport social workers collaborate with athletes, coaches, and families to address the unique psychological aspects of sports participation, fostering resilience, coping skills, and emotional well-being. They work to create a safe space where youth athletes can openly discuss their concerns, pressures, and aspirations. Participants will learn:
- Ethical and logistical needs in working with youth and adolescent populations; enhanced understanding of the Safe Sport program, how to address bullying and harassment, as well as current adolescent culture of the impact social media has on our youth in sports.
- Promote healthy relationships between caregivers, coaches and athletes through enhanced communication, problem solving, and conflict management.
- Encourage help-seeking behaviors for both mental health needs and mental performance needs that are different from collegiate, professional and adult athletes.
- Establish and implement strategies for mental health programming that aligns with the mission and structure of an organization, keeping in mind DEI and LGBTQ+ needs.
- Continued knowledge and education on how eating disorders, substance use, and grief are unique to athlete populations, increasing awareness in signs and symptoms among youth athletes.

In addition to the live schedule, program includes 26 hours of recorded lectures:

- Overview: History of Sport Social Work
- Impact of Current Culture on Adolescent Mental Health
- Integrated Health in Sports Settings
- Adolescent Mental Health & Wellness
- Sports & Body Image: Identifying Risks and Recommendations for Clinical Intervention
- Subclinical Eating Disorders
- Body Image and Perfectionism
- Grief and Loss Support
- Psychopharmacology and Navigating USADA & WADA, Drug testing
- Impact of Sport Specialization on development and injury
- Parent-Coach-Player Dynamics
- Safe Sport
- Conflict Resolution and Mediation
- Bullying and Harassment Prevention
- Understanding Racial Diversity and Social Justice in Sports
- Team Building and Leadership Development
- Injury: Loss of Identity
- Ensuring Healthy Development for Youth through Sport and Recreation
- Behavior Activation
- Intro to Sport Psychology
- Sport Psychology: Basic Skills, Preparatory Skills, Performance Skills
- ADHD vs. Anxiety: Neuropsychology and Attentional Interference in Athletics
- Sleep and Sport
- Differences Between Coaching and Support
- Performance Anxiety
- LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Sports
- Athletes Connected: Developing Community-Based Programming
- Everybody Gets an Opportunity: Ability
- Critical Research Perspectives for Contemporary Sport Culture
- Post Concussion Care
- Navigating the Media's Response to an Athlete's Game