Continuing Education Course Catalog

In the words of psychiatrist Steve Kisely, there is “no mental health without oral health.” Decades of research evidence have shown the ways that behavioral health and wellbeing are impacted by oral health: for example, one’s ability to smile with friends and family, get past a job interview, live without chronic pain, get a good night’s sleep, and maintain a varied diet. People living with psychiatric disabilities and substance use disorders are particularly vulnerable to oral health problems. For example, people with psychiatric disabilities have triple the odds of losing all their teeth. Accessing oral health care and successfully completing dental treatment plans is greatly facilitated when patients are well prepared for their appointments, have learned methods to regulate their dental anxiety, and feel confident that the dental team is on their side. The behavioral health provider can therefore play a key role in the success of a person’s oral health recovery and multifactor pain management trajectory.

In this course, behavioral health providers such as social workers, nurses, physicians, and care managers will learn the basics of the oral health: why it is important, how it is linked to behavioral health and chronic pain, what key facts about oral health to share with clients, and where to find resources. Learners will leave the course with practical information that can be applied to social work and other behavioral health practice.

Full scholarships are available for the first 70 registrants who work in safety net behavioral health settings, such as Community Mental Health (CMH), the VA system, and forensic systems of care. Please reach out to [email protected] for details. Scholarships are provided from a grant from the Delta Dental Foundation to the University of Michigan.

This 3-hour CEU course is designed for LLMSW, LMSW, and mental health professionals who wish to enhance their therapeutic skills with advanced techniques in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and resourcing. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of EMDR therapy, including its history, core principles, and the eight phases of treatment. The course will also delve into the application of resourcing techniques, with a special focus on the Container technique.

This course will focus on the usage of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) with the Queer community in addressing mental health concerns. The Queer community experiences a large amount of discrimination, both on a micro and macro lens that leads to ongoing stressors. These stressors and environmental factors lead to a higher prevalence rate of mental illness within the Queer community. DBT, an evidence-based psychotherapy, has been shown to be beneficial for overall mental health, addressing self-injurious behaviors, emotional challenges, Major Depressive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This course will address how to apply and use DBT with clients from the LGBTQIA2S+ community in an affirming and validating way.

This course will cover Minority Stress Theory, and Biosocial Theory as well as review and introduce skills from the 4 core modules of DBT, mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation and effective communication.

This is a 2-hour self-paced online webinar discussing the use of DBT skills during CBT for Chronic Pain. The CBT-CP in this webinar is based on the Veterans Affairs Hospital developed CBT-CP. The manual can be found free online at: https://www.va.gov/PAINMANAGEMENT/docs/CBT-CP_Therapist_Manual.pdf#

CBT-CP has been found to be effective for decreasing catastrophizing, pain interference, pain intensity, and depression scores. Although CBT-CP is an evidence-based treatment, there are times in which a clinician and client may feel stuck. Thus, this presentation discussed Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies that may be usefully employed during the course of CBT-CP.

Course created 2/4/2022

The Online Certificate in Disability Inclusion and Accessible Design (DIAD) is designed for social workers and other professionals who are interested in developing skills and sharpening their lens related to disability inclusion, and who strive to make their practice more accessible to and relevant for people with disabilities. The program faculty includes scholars, activists, and others working on the frontlines of disability inclusion and accessibility. Participants will learn about pertinent policy issues affecting people with disabilities, anti-ableist language and practices, accessible interpersonal clinical practice skills, disability inclusive community organizing skills, how to create inclusive management structures and organizational policies, among other topics. Participants will also receive training on American Disability Act (ADA) guidelines, understand the limitations of ADA standards, and gain the knowledge and skills to evaluate and assess built environments and institutional policies for ADA compliance and beyond.

Course created 9/9/2021

The Certificate in Political Social Work is designed for all social workers, regardless of area of primary practice, to fulfill their ethical obligation to engage in social and political action. Participants of this certificate program will learn how politics impacts the lives of those that they serve on both a micro and macro level, practice skills for advocating to policymakers, gain tools to empower clients to become politically engaged, and explore opportunities for running for office.

Foundations of Political Social Work: This module will include the historical and current role of social workers in the political process as well as knowledge that is core to political social work practice. Topics include: emerging political social work research and theory, political justice, ethics in political social work, and foundational skills in communicating political information.

Tools for Political Social Work: This module will cover skills and strategies that social workers can apply to their current practice as well as tools to enhance their political engagement. Topics include: identifying and combating fake news, advocacy and activism, and running campaigns.

Special Knowledge Areas for Political Social Work: This module covers important topic areas social workers should be familiar with when engaging in political social work practice, including organized labor and immigration. This module is intended to be responsive to emerging political topics relevant to social work.

Course updated 5/20/2021

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe mental illness affecting roughly 26 million people, equating to 1% of the global population. Psychosis is experienced within schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders in addition to several other disorders, often framed as being 'psychotic features.' Since the majority of mental health services in the US are delivered by social workers, it is important for clinicians to be prepared for work with clients including the need for interventions tailored to the experience of psychosis. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis is a cognitive and behavioral approach tailored for individuals experiencing psychosis and is an effective and valuable evidence-based intervention to use in practice.

This webinar will discuss an overview of psychosis and its prevalence, a brief overview of CBT theory and basics, a central focus on intervention using CBT for psychosis, and the use of 2 clinical cases.

Course created 8/26/2020

Suicide is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States and worldwide. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for suicide prevention is an evidence-based intervention that is both valuable and effective in practice with clients. This workshop will provide training for clinicians to learn about the intervention approach and gain skills for delivery, with a specific focus on the adult population (18+). Clinical skills will be broken down into phases of treatment with use of examples and recommended techniques. Importantly, anti-oppressive practice will be discussed in addition to navigating challenges in delivering CBT for suicide prevention.

Reviewed 6/12/2024