Continuing Education Course Catalog

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

Depression is a leading cause of disability in the United States and worldwide. It is estimated that one in five individuals will experience depression in their lifetime, and while these symptoms are common, under-treatment is often seen in practice. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a valuable evidence-based intervention and effective approach to use in practice for individuals experiencing depressive disorders. This workshop will discuss depressive disorders, CBT theory, and use of CBT to treat depressive disorders.

Course created 8/27/2020

This course is designed to support social work professionals in considering pain management through a socially just clinical lens. Participants will review different types of pain, their personal implicit and explicit bias about pain, and recommended strategies for working with clients that present with pain management needs.

Course reviewed on 7/6/2023

"But you speak so well for a _____!" Everyone of us has experienced something said to us, or an interaction focused on us and at least one of our identities, that has made us pause and say "ouch!" internally. These small, often unintentional interactions are a form of discrimination called microaggressions, and research has shown that these small injustices can add up, and result in poorer mental health, lower self-esteem, and overall negative outcomes. That said, because of their implicit nature, we ALL are capable of microaggressing others at some point, whether we realize it or not. Participants in this workshop will identify what microaggressions are, how they are connected to unconscious bias, what to do when we mess up and perpetuate a microaggression, and how to better engage microaggressions in the workplace, the classroom, and the world at large.

Course created 2/4/2022

This workshop will provide an introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and its uses in client lead healing related to trauma and a myriad of other presenting problems. Learners will explore an overview of the EMDR process and how it fits within a larger collaborative clinical framework. Case studies will explore how the process is client lead and allows for self determination within the goal development and healing process.

Course created 10/21/2021