Below you will find the list of available workshops for Spring 2008. If you have any questions about our programs, please feel free to contact us at sswprofed@simmons.edu or 617-521-3937. Our professional education catalog is also available for download:
Download the Simmons SSW Professional Development Institute catalog (PDF)
Social Entrepreneurship: Being the Change You Wish to See: A Service Learning Project Co-sponsored by Simmons School of Social Work, Simmons School of Management, and Scott/Ross Center for Community Service (C692)
Wednesday, May 7 from 5:30PM - 7:30PM Palace Road Building Room P406
Service Project: Thursday, May 15 from 3:00PM – 6:00PM at Cradles to Crayons, 82 Myrtle Street, Quincy, MA
Social entrepreneurship is defined as the use of business skills in the solution of social problems. In social entrepreneurship, for-profit business models are used in conjunction with social driven missions to create sustainable ventures that transform the world to greater peace, health, and human satisfaction. Social Entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society's most pressing social problems. This event will combine didactic learning and service learning on the topic of social entrepreneurship. A two hour evening session addressing the application and importance of social entrepreneurship will be held for students and alumni from both Simmons School of Social Work and Simmons School of Management. Teresa Nelson, Ph.D., Elizabeth McCandless, Professor of Entrepreneurship, Simmons College School of Management, and Lynn Margherio, Cradles to Crayons Founder and CEO, will co-lead the course. Course attendees will then participate in a service project at Cradles to Crayons. Simmons has partnered with Cradles to Crayons because they are an excellent model of social entrepreneurship. With the assistance of hundreds of youth and adult volunteers, Cradles to Crayons provides low-income and homeless children the basic essentials such as clothing, books, and toys so they can be safe, warm, ready to learn, and valued.
Alumni $20 Students: Free 2 CE’s
Download the Application for this particular course in pdf.
All Therapists are Behavior Therapists Whether They Know It or Not (So You Might As Well Learn How) (C674)
Monday, May 19 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Behavior therapy grew out of scientific studies of behavior in the mid-20th century, but is actually based on principles utilized since the beginnings of civilization. This workshop argues that fundamental competence in behavior therapy should be included in the repertoire of every psychotherapist, of any theoretical orientation. Basic principles and methods of behavior therapy will be reviewed and demystified, and applications of behavior modification (intentional and inadvertent) in common clinical situations will be illustrated. Specific behavioral interventions for commonly encountered problems will be described in detail. Format includes lecture, video, and small group exercises.
This workshop is designed for clinical social workers without previous training in behavior therapy.
Instructor:
Peter McEntee, LICSW, Administrative Director, Behavioral Medicine Program, Cambridge Health Alliance; Lecturer in Psychiatry,
Harvard Medical School
$90 6 CEs
Contemporary Perspectives and Practices on Work with Suicidal Clients (C675)
Monday, May 19 from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Suicide is a pervasive problem among diverse clinical populations that social workers commonly encounter. Yet recent research shows that the majority of social workers report feeling insufficiently prepared to effectively assess or intervene with suicidal clients. In this workshop we will address the epidemiology of suicide and current best practices for risk assessment and intervention with suicidal clients. In addition we will explore clinician values and beliefs; ethical dilemmas; emotional impact on the clinician; and strategies for self-care. Workshop modalities will include lecture, discussion, and experiential exercises.
Instructors:
Ruth G. Dean, Ph.D., LICSW, Professor, Simmons School of Social Work
Marilyn Downs, LICSW, Ph.D. candidate, Simmons School of Social Work; Prevention Director and Senior Clinician, Tufts University Counseling and Mental Health Service
$90 6 CEs
CBT: Old School/New School A Survey of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (C676)
Tuesday, May 20 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
CBT offers a variety of procedures and techniques for promoting change for our clients. For some, CBT is the newcomer to psychotherapeutic models but surprisingly, CBT has been around long enough to include both “Old School” and newer approaches. In this workshop, traditional techniques such as cognitive restructuring and exposure will be explored along with emerging approaches such as ACT, DBT, and mindfulness based therapies. We will discuss the common threads and consider how the skillful clinician might select among them for an individual client. Resources for additional study will be provided.
Instructor:
Thomas Sweetland, LICSW, Adjunct Faculty, Simmons College School of Social Work; Senior Program Director, Vinfen Corp.
$90 6 CEs
Demystifying Agency Budgets (C677)
Tuesday, May 20 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
This workshop helps appreciate budgets as a management tool. The course covers topics like understanding budgets as a management devise; making budgets for proposals, projects, and departments; tracking performance through budget variance reports; and measuring management performance using flexible budget analysis. In addition to short lectures, students will work in groups to prepare cases on these topics.
Instructor:
Gary Gaumer, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Health Care Administration, Simmons College School for Health Studies: consultant to ministries of health in developing countries
$90 6 CEs
Social Work Practice with Immigrant Families (C678)
Wednesday, May 28 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Immigration has become a crucial concern of the American social welfare system as well as an issue of global urgency. Immigration controls the fate of growing numbers of asylum seekers and the adaptation problems of the children of immigrants, and has captured the special attention of social work researchers and practitioners. This workshop will familiarize students with prominent theories, major issues, and controversies in immigration policy and social work practice with immigrants and refugees. We will examine various migration factors, challenges and opportunities, as well as perspectives for culturally competent practice with immigrant children and families.
Instructor:
Hugo Kamya, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Simmons College School of Social Work; Recipient, 2003 Cultural and Economic Diversity Award, American Family Therapy Academy.
$90 6 CEs
Liberation Health: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (C679)
Wednesday, May 28 from 9:00 AM.-4:00 PM
Our country is in a crisis; 45 million Americans have no health insurance, food insecurity is rising and thousands of people are losing their homes due to predatory lending and foreclosures. Now more than ever, it is crucial that working people are able to analyze their problems from multiple perspectives and act to change their situations. Because “social action” and mental health work are often seen as two separate interventions, clinicians are often at a loss as to how to explore the effects of policies and institutions on their clients’ lives. This workshop will introduce participants to liberation psychology and Paulo Freire’s methodology, a theoretical framework that conceptualizes mental health work and social action as a singular, integrated intervention. Through a series of experiential exercises, participants will discuss how the personal, cultural, and institutional/political factors that influence our clients’ lives can be addressed in a variety of clinical contexts.
Instructor:
Dawn Belkin-Martinez, LICSW, Assistant Professor, Simmons College School of Social Work; Instructor in Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; family therapy consultant, Children’s Hospital, Boston.
$90 6 CEs
Play Therapy: Helping Children to Develop and Work through Transitions and Traumas through Play Therapy Techniques (C680)
Wednesday, May 28 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
During this workshop we will explore why children, ages 3 to 12, naturally play and what is accomplished by play. The developmental stages of play will be reviewed, including behavioral modification theory and release theory in play therapy. Many case illustrations will be included along with numerous play therapy techniques. Handouts related to these techniques will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring questions about their own cases.
Instructor:
Judith Ashway, LICSW, Private practice specializing in child and adolescent therapy, and parent education and guidance.
$90 6 CEs
Writing for Publication (C681)
Thursday, June 5 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
This workshop will review the process of writing for submission to professional journals, from the pre-writing stage of having an idea to finding
a specific focus, identifying key ideas, and identifying audience/potential journals. We will move through the middle phase: the actual writing and revision process. The workshop will conclude with discussion of the submission, peer review, rejection, and final publication process.
Participants are encouraged to bring their ideas to explore.
Instructor:
Carol Swenson, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Simmons College School of Social Work; current/former editor, Social Work, Families in Society, and Arete.
$90 6 CEs
Social Work: Why Our Biopsychosocial Model is Most Appropriate for Addressing HIV Health Disparities Among Black Americans (C682)
Thursday, June 5 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The biopsychosocial model of social work, derived from systems theory, posits that physical, psychological, and social environmental conditions influence one another and must be taken into account in order to optimize health outcomes and functioning. In this workshop we will examine the ways that social work is a biopsychosocial model and how our values and ethical principles provide a solid theoretical and practical approach for implementing interventions with communities of color, in particular, women and men of African descent in the United States who experience the disproportionate impact of HIV incidence. We will discuss the Biopsychosocial Model, Stages of Change Model, and ways that social workers can provide culturally competent interventions to address the root causes of HIV, including racism, homophobia, sexism, HIV stigma and discrimination.
Instructor:
Douglas M. Brooks, M.S.W., Vice President for Health Services, Justice Resource Institute (JRI)
$90 6 CEs
Evidence Informed Practice for Social Workers (C683)
Thursday, June 5 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Evidence informed practice is the process of locating, evaluating, and applying research findings to clinical problems and therapeutic interventions. When relevant research is available, our professional ethics require us to use it. The evidence informed practice process begins with a well-developed practice question and involves searching for current best evidence including searches in various databases available online. After evidence is located and critically assessed for applicability, it is evaluated with consideration for client values and a practitioner’s practice wisdom. This workshop will present an overview of the principles of evidence informed practice and an introduction to information literacy skills. Workshop participants will construct questions derived from their own current practice dilemmas. Questions can be located
at the client, program, or policy level. Participants will be guided through evidence informed practice processes. Computers, data base information and worksheets will be provided.
Instructors:
Gianna Gifford, M.A., M.S., Social Work Librarian, Simmons College School of Social Work
Stefan Krug, Ph.D., LICSW, Dean and Professor, Simmons College School of Social Work
$90 6 CEs
Beyond the Code of Ethics (C684)
Friday, June 6 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Code of Ethics is only a limited first step to help with ethical conflicts. Ethical issues, in this workshop leader's eyes, are not some corner of clinical practice, but they pervade and are practically inseparable from clinical issues and they are even inseparable from the moral vision that guides the decisions we make in our lives. This strongly interactive workshop will be geared to the practical dilemmas that social workers face on a daily basis and the complexity and ambiguity of most solutions. Participants should be familiar with the Code of Ethics. Please download a copy at http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/.
Instructor:
Sophie Freud, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Simmons College School of Social Work; 15-year member, Social Work Ethics call-line.
$90 6 CEs
Time-Limited Focused Group Work (C685)
Friday, June 6 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Time-limited groups are one of the therapeutic interventions often used in a variety of settings, and clinicians are sometimes expected to lead these groups with minimal training. Participants in this workshop will focus on how to develop and lead time-limited groups. They will review psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and psycho-educational perspectives as they apply to this type of group treatment. In addition, specific applications for stress management, anxiety disorders, self-esteem deficits, and DBT will be addressed as will the leadership skills necessary to successfully conduct time-limited groups.
Instructor:
Richard M. Grumbach, LICSW, Adjunct Professor and Faculty Field Advisor, Simmons College School of Social Work; Clinical Practice, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
$90 6 CEs
Lost in Translation: Conversations about Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Status (C686)
Friday, June 6 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Working with diverse families and in multicultural communities is what will mark social work practice in the 21st century. In order to do so successfully, agencies will have to meet the challenge of assessing the competence of their organizations and workforce from a multi-cultural perspective. Successful engagement and meaningful service provision to the children and families who live in such communities will require that social workers understand not only the ins and outs of cross cultural practice, but the ways in which their organizations can either impede or facilitate such work. Understanding what is truly meant by cultural competence and learning how to differentiate that from political correctness is a necessary skill. This workshop will focus on offering participants a space by which to reflect on these complex and
multifaceted issues and intends to model for them how such conversations can and should happen at both the organizational and the individual level.
Instructors:
Tien Ung, M.S.W., A.B.D., LICSW, Assistant Professor, Simmons College School of Social Work
Charles E. Carter, Jr., Ph.D., LICSW, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Crittendon Women’s Union
$90 6 CEs
Medications for Mood Disorders 2008 (C687)
Saturday, September 20 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
This workshop presents a review of the medications used for major depression, dsythymia and bi-polar spectrum. We will examine the
mechanisms of action of these medications, indications for their use, and both the benefits and side effects that patients can expect. The roles of alternative treatments and complementary medicine will also be explored. There will be ample time for questions and case discussion. Participants are encouraged to bring questions to the workshop.
Instructor:
Sabrina Popp, M.D., psycho-pharmacologist
$90 6 CEs
Key Concepts in Development and Fundraising (C688)
Thursday, June 12 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
This workshop will present a multi-faceted approach to not-for-profit fundraising. Participants will become familiar with the best methods for
benchmarking success of various campaigns. The workshop will also help participants understand the myriad stakeholders and the roles they play in their respective organization’s successes (or failures). In addition, the current challenges and trends in fundraising will be explored and discussed.
Instructor:
Kelly T. Gaule, Director of Development, AIDS Action Committee
$90 6 CEs
Nurturance: Self-Care for Clinician and Client (C689)
Thursday, June 12 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Much of social work practice today has become increasingly stressful and traumatic. Social work practitioners experience this through the effects of vicarious traumatization and work burnout. This workshop, designed for clinicians, supervisors, and those working in staff development, will examine the effects of work stress, its causes, and possible steps toward prevention. In addition, participants will learn several methods for reducing and coping with work stress and vicarious traumatization. They will also be provided with ways to help clients, especially those in caregiving capacities, nurture themselves.
Instructor:
Jeanne F. Martin, M.S.W., M.T.S., Ed.D., Director, Professional Development Institute, Simmons College School of Social Work; Faculty Field Advisor, Simmons College School of Social Work and Smith College School of Social Work; consultant and educator.
$90 6 CEs
C697 Boundary Issues and Ethics in Social Work Practice
Saturday, September 27 from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
As our world becomes more complex, our familiarity with and adherence to a professional code of ethics becomes more critical. Professional practice makes multiple demands on the practitioner who finds him/herself in more complicated situations. Clinicians need a firm awareness of the potential boundary pitfalls with clients, colleagues and agencies. Additionally, clinicians need a framework for decision making in these often complex and contradictory situations.
This workshop will address the issues of boundaries in specific in the first half, and the application of the NASW Code of Ethics in general in the second half. Participants are asked to come prepared with a working knowledge of the contents of the Code of Ethics which can be accessed at http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp.
This workshop will be limited to 20 participants so that we can utilize an interactive approach.
Instructor:
Nancy M. Levine, LICSW, Lecturer and Field Education Advisor, Simmons College School of Social Work; private practice; chair, MA chapter NASW Ethics Hotline; member, NASW Ethics Committee.
$90 6 CEs
Download Professional Development Institute 2008 Catalog in pdf
On This Page
Social Entrepreneurship: Being the Change You Wish to See: A Service Learning Project (C692)
Contemporary Perspectives and Practices on Work with Suicidal Clients (C675)
CBT: Old School/New School A Survey of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (C676)
Demystifying Agency Budgets (C677)
Social Work Practice with Immigrant Families (C678)
Liberation Health: An Introduction to Theory and Practice (C679)
Writing for Publication (C681)
Evidence Informed Practice for Social Workers (C683)
Beyond the Code of Ethics (C684)
Time-Limited Focused Group Work (C685)
Lost in Translation: Conversations about Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Status (C686)
Medications for Mood Disorders 2008 (C687)
Key Concepts in Development and Fundraising (C688)