Rebecca Day, LICSW

This workshop has been approved for 2 formal CEUs by NASW VT. Approval #1033

This training is meant for new clinician or case managers who want to gain a better understanding of trauma and its impacts on the mind and body. The goal is to provide basic knowledge of trauma, systems of trauma, the ACE study, and how to respond in a more trauma sensitive way

Objectives

 Define trauma and why it is important to learn about trauma

 Describe events that individuals may experience as traumatic

 Describe how individuals might experience effects of trauma throughout life

 Discuss the findings of the ACE study and the long-term impacts of trauma on the body

 Describe ways in which community agencies and organizations may re-traumatize the people they are intended to serve

 Describe the impacts of toxic stress and identify the underlying causes of behavioral responses

 Recognize the importance of trauma-informed practices.

In this workshop participants will move beyond a general understanding of trauma and basic trauma-informed model to a more trauma-responsive, resilient approach.

Participants will be able to :

§ Describe the impacts of toxic stress and identify the underlying causes of

behavioral responses

§ Practice elevating the dialogue around trauma to shift the perspective away

from a reactive approach to a responsive approach when working with highly

traumatized individuals

§ Discuss how your clients’ physical responses are ingrained in how they react to

and perceive the world

§ Describe emotional regulation techniques for clinicians/case managers to teach

clients

§ Explore resiliency and discuss ways to build client empowerment and coping strategies

Four (4) Clinical CEUs approved by NASW VT

Please note this workshop May 4th and May 11th. You must attend both sessions for CEUs.

Helping relationships are constructed of many disparate elements, some obvious and some more subtle and hidden. To be truly helpful to our clients social workers need to be aware of the full spectrum of helping elements that support (or sometimes hinder) our helping skills.

This two-part program will examine the generic and sometimes hidden components of a successful helping relationship. In the first session we will examine what social workers can learn about helping from healers and shamans in other cultures, and discuss the ways that we can implement these universal approaches in our work. We will consider the work of Jerome Frank, E. Fuller Torrey, and Viktor Frankl in this section, but will focus on genuinely practical approaches to improving our capacity to be helpful to our clients.

In the second session we will discuss how to use the skills of critical thinking in our work, to effectively evaluate and choose treatment techniques, make effective and accurate treatment plans, and evaluate treatment resources and programs. As a counterpoint to this we will also look at some famous treatment approaches of the past that have been proven to be ineffective, fraudulent or even harmful when examined through a critical thinking lens. We’ll also briefly examine the infamous “Dr. Fox Lecture”, and the story of the psychologist who was able to obtain extensive professional credentials for his cat.

In addition to brief didactic presentations in both of the sessions we will also use case studies as a particularly effective learning tool. Although we’ll touch very briefly on statistical analysis this program will not dwell on statistics, and we will devote most of our time to discussion, case examples, and case studies.

When we go about the business of helping clients increase self-efficacy, agency and strength, often the focus touches on how things go wrong rather than on what can go right. In this didactic and experiential workshop, we will explore the way metaphor (simile and allegory) embedded in the client’s story, and “mini-intuitions derived from the social worker’s inner wisdom, become transformational forces for enhancing psychosocial outcomes in three significant therapeutic dimensions.

1.) Restructuring of negative cognitions.

2.) Transforming painful emotions and maladaptive perspectives (especially those derived from trauma) into resources for coping.

3.) Integrating dissociated cognitive strengths and behavioral skills.

Attendees will be introduced to a novel way of intuitively eliciting and purposefully using key pieces of the client’s story to create extended metaphors that can anchor positive cognitions and bring about new meaning.

We will also discuss the way utilization of intuition and metaphor enhances the differential use of self and can be used with traditional evidence-based modalities.

Brandy Brown, LCSW

2 Clinical CEs approved by NASW Maine - .5 of these CEs are obtained by watching a video prior to the workshop

There is an acute need for social workers to have clinical competency working with transgender and gender diverse youth. Family acceptance and mental health disparities can pose clear challenges to your client. Brandy will review updated MIYHS Data, identify ways to overcome challenges and barriers to service, and ways to advocate. The brief webinar participants are asked to review prior to the workshop will provide background knowledge and a foundation around language/ terminology. The workshop will take us beyond the "101" onto the next level of work.