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Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist for SW

Harm Reduction in Substance Abuse Treatment is an approach that prioritizes the health and well-being of individuals who use substances by focusing on reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use rather than solely aiming for abstinence. This course is essential as it equips participants with a comprehensive understanding of Harm Reduction principles, strategies, ethical considerations, and controversial arguments for and against, enabling them to address substance abuse in a compassionate and pragmatic manner. Throughout the course, we will explore various Harm Reduction interventions, such as safe consumption spaces, needle exchange programs, and medication-assisted treatments, and learn how to implement these practices effectively within communities.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

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Implicit bias refers to the subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions, often without our conscious awareness. These biases can influence behavior and judgments in ways that may not align with our explicit beliefs or intentions.

This course will explore implicit bias, its origins, and its pervasive impact on various aspects of society, including the the counseling office and healthcare. Through a combination of self-assessment tools, interactive case studies, and practical strategies, learners will explore the subconscious biases that influence their decisions and behaviors. The course aims to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and mitigate these biases, fostering more inclusive and equitable environments in both personal and professional settings.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course is designed to equip substance abuse professionals with the essential knowledge and skills required to effectively diagnose and treat a wide range of substance abuse and addiction conditions. This course covers fundamental concepts of substance abuse, including the importance of mental well-being and the impact of stigma and misconceptions on individuals seeking help.

In addition to diagnosis, the course delves into various treatment modalities, such as psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, emerging therapies, and integrative approaches, providing a holistic view of substance abuse care. The course further addresses crisis intervention strategies and ethical and legal considerations, ensuring that participants are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of addiction treatment.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course is designed to equip mental health professionals with the essential knowledge and skills required to effectively diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health conditions. This course covers fundamental concepts of mental health, including the importance of mental well-being and the impact of stigma and misconceptions on individuals seeking help.

In addition to diagnosis, the course delves into various treatment modalities, such as psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, emerging therapies, and integrative approaches, providing a holistic view of mental health care. Special populations and considerations, including child and adolescent mental health, geriatric mental health, cultural competency, and gender and sexuality, are also thoroughly examined. The course further addresses crisis intervention strategies and ethical and legal considerations, ensuring that participants are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of mental health practice.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Clinical supervision is a structured process where experienced clinicians provide guidance, feedback, and oversight to less experienced practitioners. This enables practitioners to develop competence, take responsibility for their practice, and enhance patient safety.

This course reviews foundational theories and models of supervision, emphasizing the importance of supportive and ethical supervisory relationships. Participants will learn about documentation practices, the use of technology in supervision, and the impact of cultural factors on the supervisory dynamic. The course ensures supervisors are equipped to handle diverse and complex situations with competence and sensitivity.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Clinical supervision is a formal process of professional support and learning that enables practitioners to develop knowledge and competence, assume responsibility for their own practice, and enhance patient protection and safety. It involves a more experienced clinician providing guidance, feedback, and oversight to less experienced practitioners or interns.

This course will review the foundational theories and models of supervision, emphasizing the importance of fostering a supportive and ethical supervisory relationship. Participants will learn about the documentation practices and the use of technology in supervision. The course also addresses the impact of cultural factors on the supervisory dynamic, ensuring that supervisors are equipped to handle diverse and complex situations with competence and sensitivity.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Ethical guidelines help safeguard confidentiality, foster trust, and promote the responsible handling of sensitive information. This course is designed to equip mental health professionals with a deep understanding of the ethical principles and standards that guide their practice. Participants will explore critical topics such as confidentiality, informed consent, dual relationships, and professional boundaries.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Ethics are crucial in any profession, particularly in mental health. They establish a framework of principles that guide professionals in making informed, responsible, and morally sound decisions. Adhering to ethical standards ensures the protection of the client’s rights and well-being, fosters trust in the therapeutic relationship and upholds the profession’s integrity. By prioritizing ethics, mental health professionals can navigate complex situations with clarity, mitigate potential harm, and contribute to mental health services’ overall credibility and reliability.

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ethical principles and standards essential in clinical practice. It covers crucial topics such as ethical decision-making frameworks, maintaining professional boundaries, and the appropriate use of physical touch in therapy. The course delves into the complexities of dual relationships, offering guidelines to navigate these situations ethically. Additionally, it addresses the legal and ethical responsibilities regarding the reporting of abuse and other critical issues faced by mental health professionals.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Ethics are crucial in any profession, particularly in mental health. They establish a framework of principles that guide professionals in making informed, responsible, and morally sound decisions. Adhering to ethical standards ensures the protection of the client’s rights and well-being, fosters trust in the therapeutic relationship and upholds the profession’s integrity. By prioritizing ethics, mental health professionals can navigate complex situations with clarity, mitigate potential harm, and contribute to mental health services’ overall credibility and reliability.

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ethical principles and standards essential in clinical practice. It covers crucial topics such as ethical decision-making frameworks, maintaining professional boundaries, and the appropriate use of physical touch in therapy. The course delves into the complexities of dual relationships, offering guidelines to navigate these situations ethically. Additionally, it addresses the legal and ethical responsibilities regarding the reporting of abuse and other critical issues faced by mental health professionals.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Ethics are crucial in any profession, particularly in mental health. They establish a framework of principles that guide professionals in making informed, responsible, and morally sound decisions. Adhering to ethical standards ensures the protection of the client’s rights and well-being, fosters trust in the therapeutic relationship and upholds the profession’s integrity. By prioritizing ethics, mental health professionals can navigate complex situations with clarity, mitigate potential harm, and contribute to mental health services’ overall credibility and reliability.

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the ethical principles and standards essential in clinical practice. It covers crucial topics such as ethical decision-making frameworks, maintaining professional boundaries, and the appropriate use of physical touch in therapy. The course delves into the complexities of dual relationships, offering guidelines to navigate these situations ethically. Additionally, it addresses the legal and ethical responsibilities regarding the reporting of abuse and other critical issues faced by mental health professionals.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Effective handoff communication must include up-to-date information regarding patient care, treatment plans, current condition, and any recent or anticipated changes. This communication should be interactive, allowing for discussion between those providing and receiving the patient information. Additionally, the process should incorporate methods for verifying the received information, such as read-back or other appropriate techniques, to ensure accuracy and understanding.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course explores animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) theory and practice, focusing primarily on therapy dogs due to their prevalent role in volunteer and professional settings. The historical, theoretical, and practical dimensions of AAP are described so learners gain a foundational understanding of attachment theory, biophilia theory, and human-animal relational theory as they pertain to AAP. The course critically examines the efficacy of AAP through research, outlines challenges, and presents clinical applications across various psychological approaches. It also covers the selection and characteristics of successful therapy dogs, therapy dog registration, and the importance of pursuing advanced training for practitioners interested in integrating AAP into their practice.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

When someone is scammed or “catfished,” they are often embarrassed and feel vulnerable and may not reach out to others for support when needed. This course will explore the psychology behind those most vulnerable, those who prey on others, and working with clients who were taken advantage of.

Anyone can be a victim of being scammed regardless of age, education, or socioeconomic position

 

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course identifies strategies for mental health providers to support LGBTQIA+ clients in therapy. It defines the LGBTQIA+ acronym and describes common LGBTQIA+ terminology. Issues impacting the well-being of sexually minoritized clients are detailed, including discrimination and stigma, mental health disparities, and unique stressors such as internalized homophobia. Supportive clinical practices with LGBTQIA+ are illustrated, such as creating an affirming therapeutic environment and building a therapeutic alliance. Strategies for navigating supportive family conversations are detailed.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment Alcohol Scale Revised (CIWA-AR) is an instrument medical professionals use to assess and diagnose the severity of alcohol withdrawal.  The CIWA-AR is one of the most common assessment methods for alcohol withdrawal.  This course will briefly overview the scale, questions, and validity.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Mental health providers engage with highly confidential health information.  Litigation causes threats to confidentiality that can hinder the therapeutic process, cause potential damage to your client, depending on what you write in the record, and can threaten your practice. This course will provide mental health professionals with a better understanding of legal terms, suggestions for handling requests for confidential information, and guidance with documentation.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will explore the Baker Act for involuntary mental illness assessment and treatment.

The term ‘Baker Act’ is formally known as the Mental Health Act of 1971 and is a Florida Statute, but it became the default name for any involuntary hold laws in the United States.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has been the industry standard for diagnosing mental health disorders since 1952.  The fifth revision of the Manual was published in May 2013.  The text revision was published in March 2022.  This course will provide an overview of the organization, changes, and transitions from the previous edition and controversies regarding the changes.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Psychedelic drugs are not new. Scientists at pharmaceutical companies have been studying them since the early 1900s.  Indigenous communities around the world have used psilocybin and other consciousness-changing compounds for healing for thousands of years.  In the last five years, a handful of high-quality, albeit small, studies have suggested tremendous benefits from the psychedelic psilocybin for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. This course will explore their history, use, risks, and potential.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Compassion fatigue is a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others, often described as the negative cost of caring. It is sometimes referred to as secondary traumatic stress or burnout.  It is especially relevant to mental health and substance abuse professionals.   Compassion fatigue describes the physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others.

This course will explore where this can occur, signs of compassion fatigue, and how to help yourself and others.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

What we put into our bodies has the greatest opportunity to affect our health, well-being, and psychotropic drug disposition. This course will explore how to understand better how what we put in our bodies affects our mental health and the medications taken. This will enable us to help our clients get the most out of their bodies, minds, and medications.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of substance use disorder records were written out of great concern about the potential use of substance use disorder information against individuals, causing individuals with substance use disorders not to seek treatment.

A risk-managed approach to documentation is a best practice to protect the client and the professional.

This course will explore 42 CFR part 2, HIPAA, and documentation of substance abuse therapy.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will review the statistics and prevalence of domestic violence in our society. We will define domestic violence and its various types of abuse.

The course will review the dynamics of violent relationships. Violent relationships follow a predictable cycle of violence. This course will discuss this cycle and review its patterns and screening methods through multiple case studies. The course will delve into special populations and associated risk factors. Upon completing the course, the professional will understand the specific resources available for those in need.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

An assessment is a basis for understanding the client’s presentation and is the beginning of conceptualizing their functioning into a diagnosis. This continuing education course will explore mental status exams, mental health assessments, alcohol and drug assessments, and the DSM V. We will also introduce the learner to a few popular assessment tools.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) was founded in 1935 to help alcoholics abstain from the consumption of alcohol and to “stay sober” through the sharing of their experiences with others who have had similar experiences in a protected environment.

The 12 Step, the cornerstone of the program, was developed later to help govern the fellowship and to establish a consistent approach to spiritual and character-building endeavors. 

This course will explore the history and efficacy of the 12-step approach.

This course will award 1 continuing education hour.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Every day counselors, nurses, psychiatric technicians, and others are called upon to intervene in crisis situations that may become dangerous if not handled properly.

This course will explore the prevention of aggressive behavior and crisis intervention techniques, which can include verbal de-escalation and physical interventions. We will identify the definition of aggression, warning signs of aggressive behavior, strategies to diffuse aggressive situations, crisis intervention techniques, and staff responsibilities after an event.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Severe anxiety can arise after trauma or injury, under persistent stress, or extreme change. This course will explore distinguishing between everyday worry and an anxiety disorder, the top five anxiety disorders, signs, symptoms, and risk factors.  We will also discuss treatment approaches.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Formerly known as dual diagnosis or dual disorder, co-occurring disorders describe the presence of both mental health and substance use disorders.  This course will explore the definition of terms used, most common substances, mental disorders that co-exist, symptoms, causes, and treatments for co-occurring disorders.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Anger is a powerful, natural feeling. Everyone feels it at some time, and we have the right to feel that way. It’s what someone does with anger that makes the difference.

As clinicians, we aim to help clients learn effective ways to manage their anger. In this course, we will explore anger and its causes, common approaches to anger, the problems with anger, the positive aspects of anger, and anger management.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The 42 CFR Part 2 regulations serve to protect patient records created by federally assisted programs for the treatment of substance use disorders. Part 2 has been revised to further facilitate better coordination of care in response to the opioid epidemic while maintaining its confidentiality protections against unauthorized disclosure and use. This course will explore these regulations.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

This course will update our current understanding of what HIV and AIDS are and how they are transmitted. The prevalence of the disease and how it attacks the body will be explained. Current information on the transmission, as well as the correction of several common myths,  will be taught. The importance of testing and diagnosis is ever-increasing with the significant progress being made regarding the treatment of HIV.

We will explore confidentiality and legal protection for the HIV-infected person.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Treatment Centers struggle with clients wanting to leave Against Medical Advice (AMA) yet research shows that long-term recovery is frequently tied to the length of stay. This course will explore:

Who is most likely to leave against medical advice.
Why do individuals leave against medical advice?
What are the dangers of leaving against medical advice?
What can be done to prevent people from leaving against medical advice?

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The purpose of the course is to enhance the reader’s understanding of denial and to relate stages of denial to the corresponding stages of the disease of addiction. Denial and addiction must be treated concurrently if successful treatment is to be achieved. The course will define specific exercises that can be utilized with clients.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Women seeking addiction treatment face unique barriers and distinctive issues or sensitivities from their male counterparts. This course will explore the treatment of substance abuse in women, how substance abuse affects relationships, psychological patterns of why women abuse substances, the significance of family history, how substance abuse affects health, codependency, co-occurring disorders, relapse prevention, and social service systems.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) is the use of medications, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-patient approach to treating substance use disorders. Research shows that a combination of medication and behavioral therapies is most successful when treating substance-use disorders. MAT is clinically driven with a focus on individualized patient care.

*This is course does not meet the requirements under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 for physician-required training nor the qualification for a waiver to prescribe and dispense buprenorphine.   This course is intended to educate professionals in the mental health and substance abuse industry on MAT.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Motivational interviewing is a client-centered, directive counseling method aimed at enhancing intrinsic motivation that helps people resolve ambivalent feelings and insecurities to find the internal motivation they need to change their behavior.

This course will discuss ambivalence and its role in client motivation, overall and specific to substance abuse issues. We will explore the five basic principles of motivational interviewing that can be used to address ambivalence and to facilitate the change process. We will also look at approaches to use with clients in the early stages of treatment.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others.

This course will explore what human trafficking is, how it occurs and who is most vulnerable, how to recognize risk factors, The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and the Justice for Victims Act of 2015, as well as how drug use is linked to trafficking, treatment options and procedures to helping fight this crisis.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

Addiction is a family disease. Family therapy is beneficial to help resolve family issues and maladaptive transgenerational patterns. Facing issues that have created resentments, misunderstandings, and estrangement can help restore balance and the well-being of the family in therapy.

Sharing difficult emotions (e.g., fear, anger, disappointment, stress, shame, and frustration) in a safe therapeutic environment can prove to be transformational for family and individual recovery.

This course will explore the various theories that can be used with a family with addiction issues.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.

The recent events of terror, storm destruction, and wildfires have punctuated the importance of educating all healthcare providers on emergency preparedness and bioterrorism.

This course will discuss emergencies and disasters both natural and man-made.  We will explore what should be included in emergency response plans and what is needed in preparation.  We will look at how mental health professionals can respond to trauma.

This course is offered online. Internet connection required.