Social Work Workshops

Workshop A: Neurobiology of Addiction: Focus on Opioids
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs)
Instructor: Craig Strickland, PhD

Opioid use has increased dramatically in the United States and across the globe. This is an issue for entire communities, not just professionals working in addiction medicine. This workshop will review how opioids affect the human nervous system and the human body. We will cover the brain pharmacology associated with addiction, tolerance, and withdrawal. Specific pharmacologic interventions, especially methadone and buprenorphine, will be discussed in opioid addiction. The workshop will also cover the proper use of Narcan to treat opioid overdose. Also, symptoms of withdrawal, including anxiety, depression, mood disruption, and sleep disturbances may be undertreated. Thus, the use of psychopharmacology to treat opioid withdrawal will be discussed as well.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to summarize the biological mechanisms of opioid addiction.
2. Participants will be able to list at least three pharmacological interventions based on the phases of opioid addiction.
3. Participants will be able to list at least three medications that can be used to treat symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

Workshop B: Comprehensive Transdiagnostic Therapy
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs)
Instructor: Zane FitzGerald, LICSW

Values-Based Treatment Planning helps clients identify treatment goals that align with their values: the fundamental convictions and guiding principles that shape their outlooks and aspirations. This approach to treatment planning acknowledges that while symptom reduction is important and genuine, lasting well-being comes from living in harmony with one’s unique beliefs and desires. Transdiagnostic treatment targets core psychological processes that cause and maintain distress across mental health conditions. By treating processes such as unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal difficulties, clinicians help clients reduce suffering and overcome barriers to values-aligned living.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will learn the core concepts of transdiagnostic treatment and its advantages in efficiently treating diverse client presentations, including those with comorbidities.
2. Participants will be able to explain the importance of transdiagnostic case conceptualization in understanding clients’ emotional and behavioral patterns.
3. Participants will learn to structure treatment using the Universal Transdiagnostic Session Structure and develop effective Client Action Plans that support client progress between sessions.

Workshop C:  A Practical Guide to Culturally Cognizant Supervision and Mentoring
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (2 hours; 2 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination; Anti-Racism)
Instructors: Brian Gonsalves, MSW, LICSW; LaMone Downey Leonard, MSW, LICSW

Supervision in mental health is often seen as a process of oversight, professional development, and accountability. However, effective supervision also includes cultural humility, inclusion, and mentorship. This interactive workshop introduces Culturally Cognizant Supervision and Mentoring (CCSM), a framework designed to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into supervision relationships in a meaningful and sustainable way. Participants will engage in case studies, interactive discussions, and hands-on activities that encourage reflection on their supervision practices, exploration of implicit bias and microaggressions, and examination of intersectionality in supervision relationships. The workshop will provide practical tools for embedding culturally responsive conversations into supervision sessions and institutional policies. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a structured CCSM implementation plan to create more inclusive, intentional, and equitable supervision practices. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be introduced to the foundational concepts of Culturally Cognizant Supervision and Mentoring (CCSM).
2. Participants will highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in supervision and mentorship for mental health providers.
3. Participants will gain practical tools and activities that supervisors can implement to foster conversations about culture, identity, and diversity.

Workshop D: How to Start a Private Practice
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs)
Instructor: Katie Silversmith, MSW, LCSW

Thinking of starting your own private counseling practice but feeling unsure or overwhelmed by the process? Whether you are just beginning or already have a private practice and want to ensure you have not missed any critical steps, this workshop will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to succeed. We will cover the essential aspects of launching and running a solo therapy practice—from legal requirements, financial planning, and deciding whether to get paneled with insurance companies, to day-to-day operations and effective branding and marketing strategies. We will do a deep dive into establishing your clinical niche, and nurturing relationships with potential referral partners for whom you can add value. You will leave with clear, actionable steps and insider insights to confidently launch your business.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will gain a better understanding of the legal requirements of opening a private practice.
2. Participants will learn the importance of the foundational, financial, operational, branding, and marketing steps necessary to successfully launch a private therapy practice.
3. Participants will establish how to determine their clinical niche.

Workshop E:  Middle Management and Social Work
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (2 hours; 2 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination)
Instructor: Molly (Mary) Corcoran, LCSW

What is a middle manager? How does social work theory help people thrive in these positions?  How can social work theory be used to help someone leverage the capacity and nuances of these roles throughout different organizations? This workshop will explore a variety of definitions of ‘middle management’, different power/hierarchical structures in organizations, and how social work theory best prepares folks to navigate this unique leadership role. Another component of this workshop will be exploring case studies and having time to reflect on how middle managers should handle different scenarios. The middle manager is an underestimated role in organizations, navigating a little bit of everything, and clinical and macro social workers have the skills to thrive in this role. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will explore varying definitions of middle management and power structures within organizations.
2. Participants will link micro and macro competencies to varying skills denoted as middle management.
3. Participants will provide advice to a series of case studies that study the positionality of middle managers.

Workshop F: Historical Trauma: Symptoms and Treatment
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs)
Instructor: Ricardo Diego Suarez Rojas, MA, MSW

This workshop focuses on understanding historical trauma, defined as multigenerational, collective trauma experienced by specific groups of people. Symptoms include: unresolved grief, cultural loss, intergenerational stressors, and a sense of institutional betrayal. The research underscores that historical trauma often manifests through storytelling, loss-related symptomatology, and broken cultural identities. Attendees will learn to identify these symptoms in individuals and organizations, using tools such as cultural humility and fostering intergenerational resilience through traditional healing and culturally adaptive interventions. Case studies will illustrate trauma’s organizational impacts, offering insights into supporting structures affected by systemic inequities.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to define historical trauma and related synonyms to understand social maladies.
2. Participants will be able to recognize symptoms of historical trauma in individuals and organizations.
3. Participants will be able to identify interventions that have been proposed to address historical trauma.

Workshop G: Supporting Clients Through Identity Changes: Navigating Transitions in Mental Health
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination; Anti-Racism)
Instructor: Rachel Spekman, LICSW

This workshop explores the complexities of helping clients navigate identity changes. Participants will gain a deep understanding of how identity evolves, and how shifts in personal, cultural, gender, or health-related identity can impact mental well-being. We’ll cover therapeutic approaches like Person-Centered Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to guide clients through these transitions. Practical tools such as identity mapping and journaling will be introduced to foster self-reflection and resilience. Participants will also learn how to address emotional challenges, build self-compassion, and adapt interventions to each client's unique experiences. Ethical considerations will be discussed, ensuring therapists provide respectful, empowering, evidence-based support throughout the identity exploration process. Participants will feel equipped to assist clients in embracing their evolving selves with confidence and clarity.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify and define the key concepts of identity and how they evolve, including how these changes impact mental health.
2. Participants will recognize the emotional and psychological challenges clients face during identity transitions, such as grief, confusion, and resistance to change.
3. Participants will apply therapeutic approaches (e.g., Person-Centered Therapy, Narrative Therapy, CBT, and ACT) to support clients in exploring and integrating new aspects of their identity.

Workshop H: Understanding the Power of IFS for Stagnant Therapy
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs)
Instructor: Teresa Protasio, LICSW

Therapists often encounter clients who feel stuck and unable to move forward in their healing journey. This workshop explores how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model can help dissolve internal barriers by identifying and working with the aspects of clients' inner experiences that hold memories, beliefs, and emotions. Participants will better understand how unresolved wounds and protective mechanisms create resistance to progress. Through discussion and practical examples, clinicians will learn IFS-informed strategies to foster self-compassion and guide clients toward breakthroughs. This workshop is designed for therapists seeking practical tools to re-energize stagnant therapy sessions and promote lasting transformation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will understand the core principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how to identify parts that may contribute to client stagnation.
2. Participants will learn practical strategies for applying IFS interventions to help clients overcome internal resistance and progress in therapy.
3. Participants will develop skills to assess and address common challenges in therapy using IFS techniques, promoting more profound healing and transformation in stuck clients.

Workshop I: Attachment-Based Leadership Development: A Model for Shaping Secure Leaders
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (2 hours; 2 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination)
Instructor: Rachel DiBella, PsyD, MSW, LICSW

Clinicians and macro social workers alike benefit from understanding the role attachment plays in how we - and our clients - engage in organizational life, including the workplace. This workshop will explore the principles of attachment theory, including adult attachment, and will uncover the relationship between insecure attachment and leadership development using insights from the latest research in the field.

Designed with interactive activities and evidence-based frameworks, this learning experience proposes a model for supporting growth and resilience in teams and leaders working in increasingly unpredictable, ambiguous, and complex organizational contexts. This workshop equips participants with a toolkit to foster greater attachment security in our own professional lives, as well as the lives of our clients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will describe how our attachment systems can influence leader thinking and behavior.
2. Participants will support clients in fostering greater attachment security in the workplace and leadership context (i.e., developing a personal plan that includes setting goals, identifying commitments, and tracking progress).
3. Participants will apply practical secure-base leadership strategies for fostering greater cohesion, empathy, and effectiveness among teams and communities they lead.

Workshop J:  Trauma-Informed Care and Suicide Prevention for Autistic Individuals
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination; Anti-Racism)
Instructor: Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW

This workshop equips social workers with essential strategies for trauma-informed care and suicide prevention support for autistic individuals. High rates of trauma stem from communication barriers, social isolation, sensory overwhelm, and medical or educational trauma. These factors contribute to distress, self-injury, and increased suicide risk.

Participants will explore how trauma manifests in autistic individuals, including overlooked presentations. The workshop covers recognizing distress, fostering emotional regulation, and creating affirming interventions that prioritize autonomy. Using a neurodiversity-affirming framework, topics include adaptations to TF-CBT, sensory-inclusive interventions, and motivational interviewing. Guidance will also be provided on recognizing suicide risk, responding to crises with trauma-sensitive approaches, and building long-term support plans that emphasize resilience and well-being.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will identify key sources of trauma in autistic individuals, including medical and educational trauma, sensory overwhelm, social isolation, and communication barriers, as well as their connections to mental health and suicide risk.
2. Participants will demonstrate trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming strategies, including adaptations of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), sensory-inclusive interventions, and motivational interviewing, to support autistic individuals in processing trauma and reducing distress.
3. Participants will assess case studies and apply trauma-sensitive approaches to crisis intervention and suicide prevention that prioritize emotional safety, autonomy, and dignity.

Workshop K: Mastering the Art of Parent Engagement in Therapy with Kids and Teens
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (3 hours; 3 CEUs - Anti-Discrimination; Anti-Racism)
Instructor: Victoria Grinman, PhD, LICSW-R

Parents often feel stuck or overwhelmed, and as clinicians, we have the opportunity to engage them with compassion and confidence. This introductory workshop will provide a foundation for supporting parents in discovering solutions without “fixing” issues for their children. We will introduce key concepts and practical tools to begin this work. This workshop will equip you with foundational concepts and practical starting points that you can build upon in your work with parents.

Clinicians will gain insight into how to:

• Model desired behaviors for parents to use with their children
• Maintain professional boundaries to prevent burnout
• Support parents in fostering self-leadership skills in both themselves and their children.

This workshop is designed to spark reflection and conversation, providing a starting point for deeper learning and application in clinical practice.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will explore trauma through developmental, psychological, and physiological perspectives.
2. Participants will identify initial strategies for addressing resistance and improving outcomes.
3. Participants will gain insight into co-regulation techniques to enhance parent-child interactions.

Workshop L: Integrating Solution-Focused Therapy Into Clinical Practice, Part 2
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (6 hours; 6 CEUs)
Instructor: Susan Lee Tohn, MSW, LICSW

(Please note: Completion of Part 1 or comparable knowledge/experience is required to register for this Part 2 workshop. Part 1 will be offered during the BC Continuing Education Summer 2025 Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults series of courses.)

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, groups, and managed behavioral healthcare organizations. Solution Focused Therapy empowers people to create and realize their own solutions, and emphasizes strong rapport and active participation by both client and therapist. This workshop will build on the Part 1 course that covered theory and an initial solution-focused session, and will provide participants with many hands-on techniques they will be able to incorporate immediately into their work. This Part 2 training will cover later sessions and how to create a unique intervention message that includes the client's homework.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will demonstrate the EARS technique.
2. Participants will explain how to utilize scaling to terminate with clients.
3. Participants will describe the three components of the solution-focused intervention message.
4. Participants will demonstrate asking the progress scale and the next step scale.
5. Participants will explain the three intervention pathways for when clients say nothing is better.
6. Participants will demonstrate creating a progress scale from the exception content.