Continuing Education For
New Jersey Social Workers

This intermediate-level course provides clinicians with the most essential information about the manual in a single, easy-to-use source. The course describes the history of the DSM and the development process used in creating the diagnostic system’s new structure. Newly added and classified disorders, removed or reclassified disorders, and any modified diagnostic criteria for those disorders retained in DSM-5 are detailed. The course addresses the controversies and criticisms that arose with the publication of DSM-5. Clinical vignettes highlight diagnosis criteria and quick reference lists and charts included in the course are an indispensable resource for those clinicians ready to use DSM-5.

The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has finally provided much needed clarity on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is more important than ever that social workers and mental health professionals be prepared to treat ADHD throughout the lifespan. This intermediate-level course has been developed to educate social workers, counselors, psychologists, and marriage and family therapists, and to bring a deeper understanding to the research, diagnosis, and treatment of ADHD in individuals of all ages.

This intermediate-level course begins by reviewing early research and the identification of attachment styles. The basic components of attachment theory are explained while also noting potential racial and cultural biases in the theory and research literature. The effects of insecure attachments and parenting style across developmental domains are discussed. Case studies provide opportunities for clinical application of attachment theory, including how a parent’s own attachment security can influence that of their children and family system. This course provides information on the effects of attachment types on relationships, communication, the development of mental health related concerns, and personality disorders.

The purpose of this basic-level course is to provide human services and mental and behavioral health professionals with definitional information, historical and sociopolitical frameworks impacting the lives of LGB youth, as well as the influences of community and family contexts.

Written for mental health professionals, including social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists, this basic-level course presents essential information about bipolar and related disorders, including diagnostic information from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5). Because of its health-related consequences, bipolar disorder is among the top 10 causes of disability worldwide. Using a holistic, multimodal approach, clinicians can help the client stabilize his or her mood and return to a normal level of functioning.

The past two decades have seen a marked increase of interest in body image. This intermediate-level course provides an overview of the complexities of body image and body dissatisfaction for a broad range of populations. This course reviews theoretical foundations of how cultural beauty ideals are transmitted. Through case examples and a review of research, it addresses the internalization of beauty messages in the media, the difference between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders, the relationship between a negative body image and mental health, and the potential progression from negative body image into a clinical eating disorder.

It is more important than ever that social workers and mental health professionals are prepared to treat ADHD throughout the lifespan. This intermediate-level course provides current information to help social workers and mental health professionals recognize, accurately diagnose, and support children, adolescents, and college students with ADHD. The course pays special attention to the stages of development, assessments and other resources, and the clinician’s role based upon a client’s developmental stage. Because timely and accurate diagnosis and intervention are critical for maintaining an individual’s functioning, it is essential that clinicians stay up to date on the recent advances in assessment and intervention, as much has changed in the past several years with respect to conceptualizing and intervening with ADHD. Case scenarios throughout the course illuminate the key learning points.

Clinical neuropsychology is a field that combines skills and perspectives from neurobiology, clinical psychology, neuropsychiatry, and behavioral neurology. This informative and practical course discusses what happens during a typical neuropsychological evaluation, how and when to make a referral to a neuropsychologist, and how to read a neuropsychological report. The functional organization of the brain is clearly described with accompanying illustrations that are useful for clients and practitioners. Brain circuitry is described, including the language circuit and brain damage. Participants will learn about the components of a neuropsychological evaluation, such as reviewing patient records; conducting a clinical interview; selecting, administering, scoring, and interpreting tests; making behavioral observations; writing reports; providing feedback; and educating clients, families, and other team members.

It is essential that clinicians are prepared to discuss psychotropic medications with their clients. Many clinicians have not received appropriate training in this area and problems may arise when a clinician fails to refer a client for a medication evaluation or to address concerns clients may have such as worries about side effects. Clinicians with knowledge of psychotropic medications are a great asset to clients. This intermediate-level course provides information pertaining to psychotropic medications, tools to address client concerns and attitudes toward psychotropic medications, and clinical guidance to support client efforts to effectively discuss psychotropic medications with their prescribers.

This basic-level course offers an updated evidence base related to key factors in parental separation and divorce that are associated with positive outcomes for children and families. With an emphasis on the child’s best interest, the course walks practitioners through parenting children during and after parents separate based on the child’s biopsychosocial and developmental needs. Common problems and appropriate resolutions are described, along with special considerations such as family violence, parental alienation, same sex couples, and relocation. The course focuses on the importance of non-adversarial conflict resolution and continued involvement of both parents in children’s lives within a cooperative co-parenting relationship. Case examples illustrate the key learning points throughout the course.

This intermediate-level course provides an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of Cognitive Therapy and a brief history of its evolution prior to describing specific cognitive techniques that are used both within Cognitive Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. This course for social workers, and psychologists reviews a foundational understanding of cognitive theory and techniques that can be used either within manualized Cognitive Therapies or to bolster therapeutic skills within other treatment frameworks.

Life transitions such as adolescence are key risk periods for substance abuse. Therefore, substance use assessment and intervention are particularly critical for adolescents. Substance abuse counseling of adolescents is different from that of adults given adolescents’ different developmental stages and environments. In addition, the trends of adolescent substance abuse change according to the geographic region, cultural influences, and availability of substances. Participants will learn about evidence-based screening tools that are recommended for use with adolescents who may be using substances.

This course describes common myths and facts about intimate partner violence (IPV) that apply to all cultures and those myths and facts that relate to specific cultures, and provides information on the impact of cultural stereotypes on services delivery and barriers to help seeking. Case scenarios throughout the course illuminate how culture connects with intimate partner violence and how practitioners can better respond to the needs of diverse populations and help practitioners grow in their ability to consider cultural context when engaging and working with diverse communities experiencing IPV.

The American population is extremely diverse and in the upcoming years diversity in the US will continue to increase. Professionals engaged in counseling must become increasingly self-aware and must understand both how their own unique individual experiences influence their worldviews and values and how the unique individual experiences of their clients influence each client’s worldviews and values. This course discusses intersectionality and the ways that various ethnic and racial groups may have a diversity of beliefs, social structures, interactional patterns, and expectations, and how each individual client has various intersecting dimensions of diversity that include socioeconomic class, sexuality, gender identification, and dis/ability.

Disaster mental health (DMH) interventions in the United States have become recognized as a crucial aspect of disaster response. This basic-level course provides social workers, counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists – who are at the forefront of providing assistance to survivors and the communities in which they live – with information about challenges in DMH and tools needed to respond. Risk and protective factors for a number of populations, as well as the wide array of disaster mental health services are described.

This course focuses on professional values and identity and the responsibilities of social workers and other professionals in providing ethically sound care to clients. The course provides information about a practitioner’s identification and resolutions of ethical dilemmas, including ethical decision making models, the influence of competing professional values on the decision making process, and required professional competencies. The codes of ethics and professional standards from the professions of social work (NASW, 2017), psychology (APA, 2017), and counseling (ACA, 2014 and AMHCA, 2015) are presented.

Research has proven the effectiveness of many different types of counseling for adolescents; however, because research on specific interventions is ever changing, many mental health clinicians and related service providers may not possess relevant and recent knowledge regarding therapies proven to be effective with adolescents. After examining the best practices with adolescents, this course offers specific information on solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT), reality therapy, and Adlerian counseling. Overviews of each theory and details of accompanying interventions and appropriate applications are provided. Case examples illustrate how each type of therapy can be applied to hypothetical scenarios. This course focuses on school settings, however the information provided can be applied in various settings.

The number of older adults (age 65 and older) living in the United States is growing rapidly. In coming years, healthcare professionals will face this aging of the population, along with the accompanying health and economic challenges. The purpose of this course is to highlight ethical issues that may confront healthcare and behavioral health professionals working with older adults and their families as these individuals near the end of life. This basic-level course is written for healthcare professionals, including social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists who work with older adults.

This intermediate – level course will help novice and seasoned practitioners approach documentation in a way that is guided not solely by what is mandated, but by what is mutually beneficial to the practitioner, the agency, the funding source, and most of all, the clients.

Infertility is a medical problem with social, emotional, financial, religious, and other personal challenges that affect individuals, couples, and family systems. To combat a Woman’s inability to get pregnant, many people turn to counseling and the medical field for assistance and reproductive advice. This intermediate-level course provides an overview of infertility, the nature and scope of physical causes of infertility, as well as the emotional, social, financial, religious/spiritual, and career challenges faced by individuals and couples experiencing infertility. Treatment modalities are described, concerns for specific populations who experience infertility are discussed throughout using case studies and vignettes.

This intermediate-level course is an overview of the complex crime of human trafficking, with a focus on sex and labor trafficking and the common symptoms and conditions that occur in trafficked persons. The course provides insights into the facts surrounding human trafficking and relevant risks for the trafficked person. Social workers, marriage and family therapists, and counselors who complete this course will be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of trafficked persons and identify the needed interventions. Case scenarios throughout the course illuminate common presentations of trafficked persons and actions that service providers can take to help these individuals. This course lists national resources that provide vital services to trafficked persons and it makes recommendations for client and service provider safety when addressing these potentially volatile scenarios.

This intermediate-level course summarizes the theories on understanding trauma from psychological, developmental, and neurobiological perspectives; discusses various forms of trauma treatment; introduces the reader to integrative approaches to healing that reflect a holistic perspective; and explains practitioner self-care and the prevention of secondary or vicarious traumatization. Case vignettes throughout highlight key learning concepts.

This intermediate-level course presents an overview of intimate partner violence (IPV). Types of IPV, risk factors, and health consequences for victims are described, as well as IPV’s effects at various life stages from children to older adults. Screening and assessment strategies are reviewed. Transcultural considerations are addressed, along with working with perpetrators and special populations, such as immigrants, pregnant women, and the LGBTQI community. On a very practical level, the course discusses legal issues, reporting requirements, and necessary documentation when working with victims of IPV. Case vignettes and safety planning worksheets are provided to illustrate key concepts.

Depressive disorders affect many people across a wide range of age, cultural, ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups, and clinicians need to be aware of the prevalence, different manifestations, symptoms, and effect on functioning among various populations. Participants of this course will learn about the epidemiology of major depressive disorder and how to differentiate types of depression as described by the DSM-5, such as persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and substance- or medication-induced depressive disorder.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is the fourth most common psychiatric disorder, so clinicians are likely to encounter it in clients seeking mental health treatment. Treatments for OCD take hard work, courage, and trust. Clients can learn strategies for managing their intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors, and minimize the effect of symptoms on their relationships with others and in their daily lives. This intermediate-level course provides information about differential diagnosis and reviews appropriate tools clinicians can use to identify and treat clients with this complicated disorder and help them achieve a stable recovery.

Child abuse and neglect continue to be significant problems in the United States. This basic-level course details how clinicians can identify and intervene in cases of suspected pediatric abusive head trauma (PAHT), commonly referred to as shaken baby syndrome. The course discusses the common reasons for PAHT, including community and societal factors, and describes triggers that can prompt caregivers to abuse children. Participants will learn about the evaluation of a child suspected of having PAHT, which entails obtaining a history, looking for common identifying injuries, conducting a physical assessment, and ordering diagnostic testing.

With increasing frequency, military personnel and veterans experience mental health problems upon return from deployment. This intermediate-level course sensitizes mental health providers to military cultural norms. The course describes postdeployment transition, reintegration, and adjustment, and identifies common mistakes that clinicians make in treating this population. Military families are discussed, including marital satisfaction and the effects of military life on the spouse and children. Assessment and treatment methods for PTSD, depression, suicide risk, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injury are all described. The various treatment methods are explained in detail, and include case vignettes to illustrate client and therapist interactions.

With increasing frequency, military personnel and veterans experience mental health problems upon return from deployment. This intermediate-level course sensitizes mental health providers to military cultural norms. The course describes postdeployment transition, reintegration, and adjustment, and identifies common mistakes that clinicians make in treating this population. Military families are discussed, including marital satisfaction and the effects of military life on the spouse and children. Assessment and treatment methods for PTSD, depression, suicide risk, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injury are all described. The various treatment methods are explained in detail, and include case vignettes to illustrate client and therapist interactions.

This thought-provoking course examines the interplay of social work, values, ethics, and decision-making processes. Through the use of practice scenarios, social workers will learn how to approach risk management and thorny ethical dilemmas that are common to many practice areas. The course discusses the role of laws and regulations in regard to ethics, highlights the importance of the distinction between legal and moral problems, and describes the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Participants will learn about the dynamics of decision making through discussions of judgment research, the use of natural heuristics, and social and organizational sources of decision error. This intermediate-level course is designed for social workers, but it also serves behavioral health professionals in other disciplines who want to improve practice and enhance risk management.

This intermediate-level course provides a broad and comprehensive discussion of issues related to behavioral and mental health in schools and presents strategies for prevention, intervention, assessment, and referrals. Emphasizing practical application, assessment, and treatment interventions, this course summarizes multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and common mental health concerns in school settings, including behavioral, anxiety and depressive-related disorders, substance abuse, child abuse, trauma, and crisis intervention. These topics are explored in relation to multicultural, social justice, and developmental considerations. Family involvement and collaboration with outside service providers and systems is also addressed.

This course provides the reader with an overview of schizophrenia, including its etiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment. Designed for social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists, this intermediate-level course will provide clinicians with current information under DSM-5 about schizophrenia and will suggest therapeutic interventions to assist them when working with clients who have schizophrenia.

This intermediate-level course provides clinicians with the most up-to-date information on self-injury so they are better able to assess for the presence of the behavior and provide the best possible treatment. The course describes the various presentations of self-injury, presents a history of the diagnosis, and details developmental considerations, risk factors, and possible biopsychosocial functions of self-injury. Attention is paid to assessing, diagnosing, and treating self-injury in a variety of settings, including mental health and school settings.

The course provides information on sexual behaviors in children and adolescents and, in a useful chart format, differentiates behaviors that are normative from behaviors that are concerning. Clinical practices are discussed, such as determining conditions for treatment and gathering sexual health information. Sexual health diagnoses such as sexual abuse, gender dysphoria, sexual addiction and compulsions, and paraphilias are described. This course is designed for social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and other health specialists who seek to better assist clients with sexual health issues.

Alcohol and drug abuse is a major public health concern, affecting every segment of society. Despite recent advancements in understanding addictions, substance abuse remains a significant problem for individuals, families, and communities in the United States and worldwide. This intermediate-level course is intended for social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, and psychologists and aims to bring clinicians in varied settings up to date with current trends in use and abuse, and current treatment recommendations.

Telemental health (TMH) is a broad term that refers to the provision of behavioral and mental health services using telecommunications or videoconferencing technology. Because technological advances in TMH are developing so rapidly, many practitioners may not have learned about how these advances can be integrated into clinical practice. Research has shown no evidence that TMH delivery of evidence-based mental health treatment is less effective than in-person delivery, even in the treatment of complex disorders like PTSD. This intermediate-level course provides a framework for understanding issues relating to TMH and offers introductory information for developing TMH clinical practices. Case vignettes are included.

The Child Mind Institute (2015) reports that nearly 50% of children in the United States meet criteria for a mental health disorder, yet only 7.4% will receive mental health treatment – which could be due, in part, to a lack of training, knowledge, and experience in therapists on how to work with young children. Nonetheless, children suffering the effects of trauma, anxiety, and depression show up regularly in clinical spaces throughout this country. This basic-level course describes the therapeutic and developmental value of play and the two predominant models of treatment: child-centered play therapy and cognitive behavioral play therapy.

This intermediate-level course discusses the detrimental effects of IPV on child witnesses, the complex issues and negative sequelae that accompany exposure to IPV, and their impact on the mental health needs of children. Participants will learn about identifying exposure to IPV and reporting cases to child protective services. Case scenarios throughout the course illuminate how clients may present and appropriate responses from helping professionals.

Participants will learn about assessment approaches and treatment planning. A decision-making tree and safety planning and documentation protocols are provided. The course reviews the use of psychopharmacology and of psychotherapies such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and attachment-based family therapy. Presentations of case vignettes illuminate key concepts for the various interventions. Special mention is given to clinicians who experience the loss of a patient to suicide. This course is designed for behavioral health specialists, including social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychologists.