Continuing Education Course Catalog

Working towards social justice requires the intentional development of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture by intervening at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. The Certificate in Dismantling Oppression is designed for individuals in all areas of practice. Individuals and organizations that have a commitment to challenging social injustices will apply core concepts and strategies to disrupt oppression at interpersonal and institutional levels. Participants will learn how oppression interferes with achieving social justice within the United States, increase knowledge of anti-oppressive practices, and obtain tools to dismantle oppression using common agreements.

Power and Oppression - Foundation: This module supports participants in engaging with a structural framework of oppression, as well as the NASW Code of Ethics obligation to challenge social injustices. After a self-assessment of personal biases, common agreements will be introduced to be utilized while discussing dynamics of power and oppression.

Power and Oppression - Tools of Oppression: This module introduces four common tools, discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes, and generalizations, used to support the perpetuation of systemic oppression.

Tools of Oppression - Knowledge: This module will expand terms and definitions to increase knowledge and understanding of the "tools of oppression" as they relate to implicit and explicit bias and the impact on historically marginalized individuals and groups.

Anti-Oppression as a Strategy: This module provides information on policies, procedures, and practices that are recommended to mitigate the harmful impacts of oppression at the individual and institutional level.

Commitment to Action: This module is designed to support participants in creating a plan of action to actively engage in dismantling racism within their sphere of influence.

Practice Implications: This module identifies potential challenges and barriers to implementing anti-oppressive actions. Methods of implementation and advocacy of increasing access to resources in practice will be reviewed.

The objective of this training is to help mental health professionals develop confidence and a skill set for discussing sexual identity, health/wellness, and intimacy with their clients. Fundamentals of sex therapy from a biopsychosocial approach will be covered to ensure that participants feel well-equipped to incorporate sexual functioning into their core approach to assessment and treatment. The learner will understand the ramifications of relegating this topic to a "specialized" treatment approach and feel skilled and capable in addressing sex therapy topics as a foundational approach to assessment and treatment.

This course introduces participants to the growing and impactful field of mental health evaluations for immigration cases. Participants will explore various forms of immigration relief and understand the critical role mental health evaluations play in supporting individuals applying for different types of relief.

This course will help participants understand the legal context, ethical considerations, and the vital importance of cultural competence and humility in conducting mental health evaluations for immigration cases. In addition to introducing participants to this growing field, participants will also leave with an understanding of how they can better support those going through the immigration application process.

The field of social work require education and professional competencies for social workers to be equipped to promote and advocate for equity and justice in their practice. Story-telling is an uniquely powerful way to engage in advocacy. As social workers, our professional experience at any level (micro, mezzo, and macro) can help guide decision-makers (within institutions, organizations, and in policy-making) to make informed decisions based on best practices and social work values and ethics. Join us for an interactive workshop to learn more about what makes storytelling an effective method for advocacy and tips for telling your own story.

Restorative practices focus on fostering interpersonal and community trust, respect, and relationships. This workshop will explore restorative practices as they relate to social work practice. We will apply restorative conceptual frameworks and principles, while teaching applied restorative practice skills. Participants will learn to apply restorative practices to a number of social work settings and across client populations, and will be able to identify how restorative practices can impact those involved.

Participants in the Schools track will benefit from a dynamic learning experience. Through live lectures and interactive sessions, participants will enhance their knowledge and skills in various areas:

Model Conceptualization: Gain a deep understanding of how to conceptualize integrated wellness models.

MTSS Framework: Explore a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), a proactive and preventative framework, originally derived from the public health and disease control model, and understand its application in schools.

Holistic Student Needs: Discover strategies for addressing the holistic needs of students, recognizing that their well-being encompasses more than academics.

Interdisciplinary Team-based Care: Develop the skills to foster interdisciplinary teams with a shared vision, with the administrator as the guiding force. Learn to build a collaborative team approach to student care, both within the school community and in coordination with external partners.

From Theory to Practice: Transition seamlessly from theory to practical application.

Policy Landscape & Funding Models: Explore state and federal policies including funding models that support school-based integrated whole healthcare.

Real Case Examples: Gain insights from real-life case examples of schools successfully implementing team-based care and collaborative workflows.

Resources: Receive practical resources (e.g., toolkits, templates, etc.) to empower school staff and their community collaborators in their role.

This ethics-focused webinar looks at the following:

1. What subpoenas are and are not
2. What kinds of cases and settings where subpoenas may be used
2. Releases of information, which are outside of a subpoena but require social workers to respond ethically
3. How the NASW Code of Ethics guides us
4. When and how to respond to subpoenas

In addition, we will discuss several ethical dilemmas related to subpoenas and requests for information.

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

This course provides an exploration of somatic therapy, delving into its foundational principles and distinguishing it from mindfulness practices. Participants will learn to identify clinical populations and settings where somatic therapy can be particularly effective, including trauma survivors, individuals with anxiety or depression, and those experiencing chronic pain. Drawing from personal experience, the instructor will share practical examples of integrating somatic therapy into clinical practice, offering insights into techniques and approaches that have yielded positive outcomes. Participants will gain practical strategies for incorporating somatic interventions into their own clinical work, with emphasis on cultivating cultural humility and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations. Additionally, the course will provide information on training options for further specialization in somatic therapy, empowering participants to deepen their understanding and skills in this transformative modality.