Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults
For the experienced clinician, the Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults provides a deep exploration of the cutting-edge theoretical perspectives of attachment, trauma informed care, and neuroscience, as they relate to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of adults. In addition, participants select three electives in evidence-based treatment modalities for adults, and two electives in treatment focuses for adults, to gain advanced knowledge and deepen their practice in their particular area of expertise.
Target Audience: Intended for the experienced clinician.
Each course is 6 hours in length, offered in one full-day session, and offers 6 CEUs for students who complete the entire course. Qualified students may complete the courses in any order they choose, and may take any course(s) without committing to completing the certificate.
To receive the certificate, students must complete the 3 required courses and 5 electives within 3 years.
Theoretical Perspectives (3 required)
1. Attachment Theory (Course CORE-1)
2. Trauma Informed Care (Course CORE-2)
3. Neuroscience (Course CORE-3)
Adult Treatment Modalities (choose 3)
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults (Course ADULT-TM1)
2. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adults (Course ADULT-TM2)
3. Motivational Interviewing for Adults (Course ADULT-TM3)
4. Narrative Therapy for Adults (Course ADULT-TM4)
5. Psychodynamic Therapy for Adults (Course ADULT-TM5)
6. Solution Focused Therapy for Adults (Course ADULT-TM6)
Adult Treatment Focuses (choose 2)
1. Sexuality and Gender Across the Lifespan (Course ADULT-TF1)
2. Substance Use Disorders for Adults (Course ADULT-TF2)
3. Suicide Prevention for Adults (Course ADULT-TF3)
4. Trauma and Interpersonal Violence for Adults (Course ADULT-TF4)
5. Issues Facing Older Adults (Course ADULT-TF5)
Adult
Certificate Information
To receive a certificate, students must complete the three core courses and five electives (three Treatment Modality courses and two Treatment Focus courses), for a total of eight courses. Each certificate program offers 14 course options. The core courses are the same for both certificate programs. A student who completes the core courses for one certificate program need not retake them to complete the other certificate program.
Each core course will be offered at least once per year. In addition, several Treatment Modalities and Treatment Focuses electives for each certificate program will be offered each semester. Students may take up to 3 years to complete the certificate.
Full-day courses will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with an hour lunch break from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Spring 2024
Social Work Certificate Courses in
Advanced Clinical Practice - Online
Fridays, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
Registration deadline: Course registration will close on Tuesdays at midnight prior to the start date of each course
- Online participants are required to have a computer with video and audio capability.
- Participants must create a Zoom account in advance according to Boston College security requirements.
- All programs offered online via Zoom will be delivered live and will not be recorded unless stated otherwise.
- These programs have a maximum capacity to allow for participant engagement. Register early to avoid disappointment!
Register
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Greg Bodine, LICSW and Matt Mooney, MSW, LICSW
Narrative Therapy with Adults
This course will introduce students to Narrative Therapy’s collaborative, respectful, and socially just ways of understanding people and problems. An examination of the distinction between Narrative and Normative Worldviews will be followed by examples of Narrative Therapy in practice and opportunities for experiential learning. The intention of this course is to offer participants a taste of the politics and ethics that guide narrative therapy practices. Students will learn about approaches that narrative therapists take in working with people who are experiencing problems in their lives and relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn how the ideas, values, and relational ethics of the Narrative Worldview differ from those of a Normative Worldview.
- Participants will understand the significance of stories and cultural norms in shaping people’s identities and understandings of problems.
- Participants will become acquainted with the “De-centered but Influential” stance of the narrative practitioner.
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Summer 2024
Social Work Certificate Courses in
Advanced Clinical Practice - Online
Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. ET
Registration deadline: Course registration will close at midnight three business days prior to the start date of each course.
- Online participants are required to have a computer with video and audio capability.
- Participants must create a Zoom account in advance according to Boston College security requirements.
- All programs offered online via Zoom will be delivered live and will not be recorded unless stated otherwise.
- These programs have a maximum capacity to allow for participant engagement. Register early to avoid disappointment!
Register
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Tsana Dimanin, MSW, LICSW, NIC
Family Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families
In this course geared toward working professionals, the focus for Family Therapy will be on real-world case examples and discussion. Subjects addressed include ethics and dynamics within family work and practicing techniques when working with families both in-home and in the office. Several modalities will be discussed as well as sharing resources for help with your work with families. Group work/role play and interactive discussion will be utilized throughout the day. If you aim to work with families or already have experience doing so, this course will be a great addition to your professional portfolio and practice toolbox.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will practice techniques for different modalities of family therapy.
- Participants will identify and discuss ethical challenges when working with families.
- Participants will gain resources for working with community resources (i.e., state agencies, non-profits, schools, etc.) and families.
- Participants will recognize and learn tools to confront intergenerational cultural dissonance within a family.
CYF
Advanced Clinical Practice for CYF - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Angela Belleville, LMHC
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is an evidence-based, short-term therapy shown to decrease symptomology and improve mood and daily functioning by teaching clients self-coaching skills to identify, evaluate, and modify unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns. This course will provide Master's level clinicians with an understanding of the Cognitive Behavioral model that will include a brief history, populations most commonly treated, basic empirical research, essential components and structure, and commonly used techniques. Participants will learn some essential skills that can be integrated into a CBT treatment plan or used as standalone interventions that they can immediately incorporate into their practice.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to articulate basic theory and key components of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
- Participants will learn effective ways to socialize clients to the model and gain "buy-in."
- Participants will be able to describe the functions of collaborative case conceptualization.
- Participants will be familiarized with skills to manage anxiety and worry.
- Participants will learn the steps to Behavioral Activation, an effective stand-alone intervention for adult clients presenting with depression.
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Instructor: Susan Lee Tohn, MSW, LICSW
(Pt. 2 to be offered during Summer 2024 SSW Workshop Series)
Solution-focused work is ideal for these challenging times as the model meets the client's needs in fewer sessions than traditional models and applies to a culturally diverse clientele. Solution Focused Brief Therapy focuses on "change" not "problems" and applies to both the micro and macro levels of working with individuals, families, and groups. Solution Focused Therapy empowers people to create and realize their solutions, and emphasizes strong rapport and active participation by both client and therapist. The training will challenge participants to explore their assumptions and provide them with many hands-on techniques they will be able to incorporate immediately into their work. This Part 1 (of 2 parts) training will include: the miracle question, exceptions, and scaling for an initial session.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to explain the 13 Solution Focused assumptions.
- Participants will be able to explain the unique paradigm for “cooperating with clients.”
- Participants will be able to demonstrate an amplifying exception question.
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Mary Chao, LMHC
Substance Use Disorders for Children, Youth, and Families
This course examines theory, clinical dimensions, and best practices pertaining to substance use and addiction in youth, young adults, and families. Goals are: to offer foundations for understanding crucial characteristics of substance use and addiction, and to provide a framework for addressing substance use needs of youth and their families. Participants will explore the history of anti-drug policies and how stigma plays a role in popular conceptions of addiction. Particular attention will be paid to the expression of child development on the dimensions and diagnostic criteria of Substance Use Disorders. Harm reduction and motivational interviewing will be focal points of best practices and approaches. Participants will be encouraged to draw on their clinical experiences as examples for application. This course will consist of lecture, group discussions, and experiential exercises.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to describe the etiology and development of substance use problems in youth and the impact on family systems.
- Participants will be able to analyze youth substance use behaviors through a dimensional framework and identify criteria that endorse Substance Use Disorders.
- Participants will be able to identify best practices and apply strategies for engaging youth who use substances.
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Zane FitzGerald, MSW, LICSW
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma and traumatic stress impact the lives of individuals across all demographics and service systems. Human services organizations and entities are often tasked with responding to the biopsychosocial manifestations and stress responses, but do not always have the right tools and training to distinguish the symptoms from the source. Participants in this training will develop an understanding of trauma and the developmental impacts from early childhood through adolescence and into adulthood, and uncover the importance of infusing a trauma-informed care approach to screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Intervention strategies gleaned from evidence-based practice models will be explored, along with resources for integration into a variety of practice settings.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will explore the history of the study of psychological trauma, collaboratively develop both objective and subjective definitions for trauma and traumatic stress, and explore various sources of exposure.
- Participants will explore symptoms and differential diagnosis, in conjunction with trauma-informed and trauma-focused screening, assessment, and evaluation processes and tools.
- Participants will explore trauma-informed approaches to developing and maintaining safe and effective healing relationships.
- Participants will explore and engage in a variety of intervention strategies at the individual, family, community, and systems levels.
- Participants will explore the impacts of secondary traumatic stress and engage in self-care planning and practice.
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Kelsey Taylor, MS, LMHC
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment that aims to replace ineffective, maladaptive, or non-skilled behavior with skillful responses, as well as help clients become more comfortable with change. The term “dialectical” means a synthesis or integration of opposites; the primary dialectic within DBT is between the seemingly opposite strategies of acceptance and change. This course provides an orientation and overview of DBT and focuses on how to implement skill training into clinical practice. Participants will learn Acceptance-Oriented and Change-Oriented Skills for individual and group therapy, and explore interventions focused on developing Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness skills. The Walking the Middle Path skill module is discussed as a way of working with teens and families. Through case studies, interactive discussions, role-plays, and worksheets, you will take away practical strategies to use immediately with any client.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn to describe the primary dialectic of DBT.
- Participants will identify the model of emotions.
- Participants will be able to name a treatment function of DBT.
- Participants will identify the components of a behavioral chain analysis.
- Participants will name the DBT Skills modules and identify their primary functions and corresponding skills.
CYF
Advanced Clinical Practice for CYF - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Daniel Morehead, MD
Neuroscience
Neuroscience constitutes an exciting though vast and disorienting field. This course will synthesize information from primary neuroscience into a coherent and usable form for clinical social work, human social life, and everyday life. We will review brain structure and function, then discuss illuminating aspects of brain science in human development, adversity, resilience, and health. Finally, we will connect specific mental health disorders and treatments to neuropathology, as well as social challenges and inequities. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the brain as one aspect of human nature, a level of dynamic organization that both reflects and influences social and psychological experience, and ultimately cannot be separated from them. No prior knowledge of neuroscience is required, and the class format will be interactive.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn brain anatomy and function for the purposes of understanding relevant clinical literature and neuroscience-based theories.
- Participants will learn the neuroscience and physiology of normal stress and its relation to the development of mental illness.
- Participants will learn the neuroscience of fear and trauma, including the developmental consequences of early life adversity.
- Participants will explore the neuroscience of major depression, PTSD, anxiety, and their treatment.
- Participants will be exposed to the complex and mutual interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors in mental health.
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Kimberly Knowles, LMHC, ATR
Trauma and Interpersonal Violence for Adults
This course will explore the psychological impact that interpersonal violence has on adults. We will formulate the underlying issues that drive complex trauma symptoms, and discuss trauma assessment, the psychological defense system, and dissociation. We will focus on what life is like after trauma, specifically the impact it has on body, mind, and spirit. Participants will learn about trauma-informed best practices, interventions, and treatment planning. We will honor resilience, survival, and self-preservation. Throughout this course, participants will learn about trauma-informed interventions and understand the importance of viewing symptoms through a trauma lens.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn to recognize trauma-related symptoms.
- Participants will learn the effects of trauma on the body and mind.
- Participants will understand the complex survival system.
- Participants will learn skills to stabilize and treat clients in a trauma-sensitive way.
- Participants will learn about vicarious trauma exposure, and practice creating a plan of proactive care (including mindfulness, self-compassion, and support).
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Focus Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Certificate Program Instructors
General Admission
General Admission for each certificate course is $150.
No discounts are available.
General Information:
You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the Advanced Clinical Practice courses. All sales are final; we are not able to offer refunds. Registrations may not be transferred to another person or to another course, workshop, or program.
Online registration is required to participate in a course. Tuition for each certificate course is to be paid by debit or credit card. Registrations will be processed upon receipt of payment. Payment is due in full in order to enroll.
These courses are approved for CEUs for Social Workers in MA, CT, RI, and VT. They meet the requirements for Continuing Education Hours established by the State Board of Social Worker Licensure in ME. If your state is not listed, please check with your local state licensing board to ensure the course meets state requirements prior to registering.
Boston College Continuing Education is required to ensure attendance to award CEUs. Participants must attend the complete program(s) they register for to receive CEUs; we are not able to award partial CEUs. Those who arrive late, leave early, or do not attend the entire program will be unable to receive CEUs.
Getting to Campus
Parking is available at the nearby Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue Garages. Discounted parking passes are available upon registration.
Boston College is also accessible via public transportation (MBTA B Line - Boston College).