This training strives to challenge practitioners to think critically before making a CPS report. Our trainers will provide practical guidance about when to make a report and encourage practitioners to help become a support network for the family. Mandated supporting is a framework that shifts our profession away from positions of surveillance to agency and humanity. Instead of punitive measures, it calls on social workers to be supporters to the families and communities we serve. We hope to invigorate our audience to take action and think about the legal mandate differently.

“Life in a Traumatic World: Implications for Social Work Practice”

April 14-16, 2024

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ

Earn up to 23 CEUs

Registration to open in January 2024

Ethics & Boundaries has never been this fun to learn! You will learn and enhance professional skills in conflict resolution and understanding conflict theories. Exploring difficult crucial conversations; you will build skills in the 5 Essentials to Navigating Difficult Conversations with peers and gain the ability to hold colleagues accountable when needed. Communication styles and mitigation of risk is examined through personal and professional review of workplace culture. This workshop focuses on appropriate ethics and boundaries in client-social worker, therapist, counselor and peer-to-peer relationships. Use of workbook activities, case scenarios and personal reflection will foster understanding of ethical, reflective practice with clients, agency and colleague ethical challenges in the workplace, and building skills in communication, and cooperative confrontation. We will examine how appreciation in the workplace can relieve ethical dilemmas and improve decision making. You won’t learn this content anywhere else!

We’ve all been in situations when someone says or does something that feels hostile or offensive to some aspect of our identity — and the person doesn’t even realize it. These kinds of actions — insensitive statements, questions, or assumptions — are called “microaggressions,” and they can target many aspects of who we are.   Collectively, we will learn how to cope and heal from microaggressions and to prevent being a perpetrator of committing microaggressions.  

Many social workers were trained to engage with griefwork using Kübler-Ross’ stages of dying, yet people came to apply them broadly to grief generally- a misapplication with problematic implications. Despite most grief theorists’ and researchers’ rejection of the stage approach, people continue to force a 5 stage model.