Continuing Education Course Catalog

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

What do interactions between babies and their caregivers "tell us" about the nature of their relationship? Are there ways of interacting that can help us understand when the relationship is strong, at risk or worrisome? This workshop is designed to help child welfare professionals attend to the more subtle aspects of parent-young child relationships as a way to be more helpful to strengthening or supporting the parent-infant/young child relationship.

During this two our workshop, the Spectrum center will present key concepts and ideologies that relate the LGBTQIA2S+ identities. Participants will be asked to relate the content to the NASW Code of Ethics in relation to the proposed best practice methods of referring to someone with their personal pronouns. The slide deck and collaborative activities will facilitate conversations and a learning experience that encompasses inclusive language, navigating implicit bias, as well as individual and group reflection.

It is far easier for a person of any age to say “No” to what they do not want sexually or relationally when they know with clarity and certainty what “Yes” is for them at their current age and stage of development. However, adolescents are bombarded with multiple and conflicting messages about sex from a variety of both reliable and unreliable sources. For a teen, this creates tension about who they are, what they “should” or “should not” be interested in, and for many— who may not have a strong knowledge base or parent or community scaffolding, sexual and relationship decision making may seem impossible—resulting in compliance-based choices or coercive experiences.

This workshop will support social work professionals engaged with adolescents to take a deep dive into a nuanced, multi-faceted approach with teens towards greater ability to navigate the intersection of consent and boundary articulation. Participants will learn activities for teaching embodied self assessment skills aimed at consent certainty, verbal strategies for articulation and negotiation, and physical exercises and skills to use with teens to increase a teen’s sense of what is right for them when faced with making sexual and relationship decisions as well as skills to “back those boundaries up” with assertive strategies for use when necessary.

Note: This course is available for free to U-M SSW alumni as part of our Alumni Webinar Series, which features invited alumni speakers. Please know that non-alumni participants are welcome to register as well!

This training will provide an introduction to Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), a form of brief experiential dynamic psychotherapy. This approach is affect-focused, attachment-based and experiential, providing in-the-moment change for the client in each therapy session. This overview will discuss how to identify and resolve the root cause of symptoms and problems through ISTDP-informed interventions. Primary interventions covered include how to deepen clients' experience of their emotions, identifying and regulating anxiety, and restructuring maladaptive defenses. These interventions unlock the unconscious mind, heal unresolved traumas and internal conflicts, and generate lasting change to their character, relationships, and life.

This course introduces participants to the fundamental principles and knowledge necessary to practice Animal Assisted Social Work interventions effectively and ethically. It includes the theoretical foundations and current evidence base for services integrating the animal-human bond, relevant definitions of terms used to describe various aspects of the work, and emerging competencies within the field of Animal Assisted Services. This course also explores social justice issues associated with animal assisted healing work, including the historical contributions of communities of color, and people with disabilities. The legal implications and standards of partnering with animals, risks, and administrative issues are also considered in this introductory course.