Conference Schedule
IUSSWAA 24th Annual Virtual Alumni Continuing Education Conference #
Date: Friday, March 7, 2025
Schedule Timeline #
Welcome and Keynote #
Welcome
President Danielle Rhodes and Dean Kalea Benner
Keynote
Into the Future: AI’s Role in Shaping Social Work (Ethics CEU)
Speakers: Christian Deck, MSW, LCSW, and Samantha Wolfe-Taylor, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW, CTH
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming industry and has already begun to integrate with Social Work. This presentation will explore the multifaceted impact AI has on our profession, while offering insights into both the opportunities and challenges it presents for our work in the future. We will examine the influence of past disruptive technologies, how AI can be leveraged to enhance service delivery and outcomes, and provide attendees with practical strategies for incorporating AI tools in a manner that upholds the core values of the profession.
Breakout Session One #
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Antiracist Adaptation of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (Zoom Link)
Behavior Therapy (DBT), a treatment developed for individuals with disorders of emotion regulation, suicidality, and self-harming behavior (Linehan, 1993), which includes four components-phone coaching, skills training, individual therapy, and a consultation has been adapted to support an antiracist practice. DBT has been adapted across multiple setting and has been adapted for specific populations, this interactive presentation focuses on what an antiracist clinical practice looks like 1) a therapists race specific awareness of their values, beliefs, and attitudes, 2) knowledge, 3) skills and 4) advocacy. It will also look at therapist treatment interfering racist behaviors-Awareness, Knowledge and Skills Deficit and identify strategies for increasing antiracism in DBT. The levels of validation and invalidation will also be explored to increase competency.
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ERCEM-The Early Recovery Couples Empathy Model for Working Through Infidelity and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (Zoom Link)
This training will help professionals use an empathy model to work through the 3 stages of partner betrayal utilizing relational skills that navigate them through trauma. It is based on the premise that when the betrayer assists in the healing, they both regain their self-esteem. The 1st Phase teaches trauma safety and stabilization. The 2nd Phase assists the couple in grieving, mourning and anger to release and externalize the emotions and begin to rebuild safety. The 3rd Phase focuses on the Post Traumatic Growth that occurs as a result of the betrayal.
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The Critical Role of Civil Legal Aid: Addressing Misconceptions Speaker: Laurie Goggins, PhD, JD, MSW, and David Sneden, JD (Zoom Link)
Civil legal aid plays a pivotal role in providing justice and support to low-income and vulnerable populations, yet it is often misunderstood and undervalued. In this session, participants will explore the essential functions and benefits of civil legal aid, learn to identify and address common misconceptions, and assess the profound impact it can have on clients’ lives. Through a combination of expert presentations, real-world case studies, and interactive discussions, social workers will gain practical strategies for effective collaboration with legal aid organizations. They will also be empowered to advocate for the necessary resources to enhance access to justice within their communities. Join us to uncover the critical importance of civil legal aid and discover how, together, we can better serve and support our clients.
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The Art of Healing: Getting Unstuck by Combining Clinical Skills with Intuition, Spirituality, & Energy Work (Zoom Link)
As clinical social workers and therapists, we have all had the experience of working with a client who’s stuck. Maybe we’ve met with them for a year or more, and we seem to keep spinning in circles, going over the same topics, offering the same reframes, and yet there is little movement toward their goals. We chalk this up to “it’s not a good fit,” or “they didn’t want it bad enough,” or “it’s a personality disorder,” when there are other possibilities. I assert that in these stuck cases, we can use holistic approaches that don’t try to solve these problems in the mind. I propose that we should integrate intuition, spirituality, and energy work into traditional clinical practices, which will allow for deeper and more effective healing. Understanding the body and spirit, and the energy that runs through us all, and taking clients into their felt experiences without analyzing it – can be a game changer. We’ve been taught as therapists to follow protocols and scripts, and to quiet our own intuition in the room out of fear of being unethical, doing it wrong, or sharing too much of ourselves. I’d like to dismantle that and to help ignite the therapeutic artist within each of us.
Working Lunch #
(NOTE: The working lunch is worth one CEU, but it is not mandatory that you attend if you do not want the CEU credit).
The Food-Mood Connection – How Brain-Based Eating Can Positively Change Your Life!
Speaker: Tammi Broadus, MSW, LSW
Do you ever wonder why you often feel tired, sluggish, or foggy brained? Or maybe you have the unexplained windfall of energy after you’ve eaten something that was absolutely delicious, but not necessarily the healthiest? I challenge you to consider this…maybe it’s not that annoying coworker or the person sitting through yet another light. It might just be what you ate for breakfast! The first and last drops of food we intake can determine how our day is going to begin and end. Today, we are going to learn about the impact food has on our mood and how we can reverse some of our worst days into becoming more pleasurable with the foods we eat.
Breakout Session Two #
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Overview of Psychopharmacology (Zoom link)
Psychopharmacology is a branch of medicine that studies how drugs are used to treat mental illnesses. The complexity of this topic requires ongoing research in order to stay up to date with new developments. This presentation will focus on the basic understanding of psychotropic medications, including side effects and when to refer clients for a medication evaluation, among other topics. Our emphasis will be primarily on understanding the physiological actions, therapeutic effects, and potential toxicities associated with prescribed pharmacotherapies for major classes of mental disorders affecting adults, and the elderly along with other special populations. Lastly, we will discuss the social workers’ role in collaboration and communication with psychotropic prescribers.
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Social Work and Youth Justice: How Social Workers Can Be Impactful While Working with Justice Involved Youth (Zoom link)
Kids are different and distinct from adults. That is why they are treated differently in nearly every aspect of society. The justice system is no different. The youth justice systems aim to hold youth accountable while also providing supports and services to divert and prevent further involvements with the court. Social workers and other helping professionals are integral to this process. This presentation discusses how the youth justice process unfolds, step by step, and how social workers can be impactful and support their adolescent clients through each step. The important role of public defense will be addressed and how social workers can effectively collaborate with attorneys and other court professionals to advocate for their young clients.
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A Crash Course in Narcissism (Zoom link)
Culturally speaking, narcissism is prevalent! It’s one of the trending topics in social media, podcasts, and television. People are speaking out about being a narcissist or surviving one. As a result, there’s an uptick in individuals seeking therapy due to narcissistic abuse. In working with countless individuals who’ve endured this type of trauma, two things stand out: 1. Too many are traumatized by clinicians who didn’t recognize narcissistic abuse. 2. Clinicians can feel undertrained in dealing with this subject matter. This session will serve as a crash course regarding what you need to know and recognize about narcissism, and those who survive it. Buckle up!
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Clinical Supervision: Empowering Counselor Growth and Sustainability (Zoom link)
This conference session offers an updated, integrative model based on evidence-based and ethical practices for clinical supervision, how to actively engage supervisees in the supervision process, and how to reflect developmental professional growth in the supervision relationship. It also addresses the use of therapist assessment tools to help measure professional development, how to develop a collaborative supervision plan and documentation of supervision sessions for license requirements.
Breakout Session 3 #
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Beyond Safer Use: Integrating Harm Reduction Principles in All Levels of Treatment and Why it Matters (Zoom link)
When you think of harm reduction, syringe service, Narcan and safer use is what comes to mind. Harm reduction is also a treatment model that is evidence based and reflects several of the values of social work. We will look at theories of addiction and discover how harm reduction aligns with the newest research we have about substance use disorders and recovery as defined by SAMHSA. It is a way for us to increase client engagement in diverse communities, it will help reduce stigma and reduce barriers for help-seekers and increase power to individuals and communities that have been targeted by racialized drug policy. We will look at the difference between harm reduction therapy and abstinence required programs and how treatment outcomes will be impacted.
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Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here: Navigating Barriers for Black Women in Social Work (Zoom link)
This workshop examines the various barriers faced by Black women in predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and within the social work profession. Participants will explore both historical and contemporary challenges, including systemic racism and institutional biases. The session will provide practical strategies for overcoming these obstacles and emphasizing the critical role of supportive networks. Attendees will learn how to utilize resources effectively to foster inclusive and empowering environments. Additionally, the workshop will cover how to develop a personalized self-care plan to enhance both personal and professional well-being amid academic and professional stressors. Join Dr. NaKaisha for an engaging and transformative session designed to advance knowledge, support, and success for providers and allies of Black women in educational and professional contexts.
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It’s Either You or the Dog!” Addressing the Increased Risks of Animal Abuse and Other Family Violence in Military and Civilian Households (Zoom link)
Fear for the welfare of animals that have been threatened, hurt, or killed by intimate partner violence abusers is an unfortunately effective coercive control technique that forces many survivors to remain in the home rather than seek safety. Animal abuse is also a red-flag indicator of child maltreatment and elder abuse. These phenomena are exacerbated in military and veterans’ households where a confluence of factors make it even more difficult for survivors to speak out or leave, despite recent improvements in how the DoD responds to allegations of domestic violence and sexual assault. This workshop will introduce seven distinct Links between animal cruelty and domestic, child and elder abuse and show how social workers engaging with military and civilian populations can better protect survivors by screening for, and responding to, animal abuse and neglect. We will review interdisciplinary collaborative strategies, legislation, research, and programs that benefit not only Man’s Best Friend… but also Man (and especially Woman).
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Suicide Awareness and the Bittersweet Journey of Survivors of Suicide (Zoom link)
Suicide continues to be a major health care crisis. It is the second leading cause of death in Indiana for 15-34 years old. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has a vision to equip individuals with current research and education towards the bold goal of reducing the US suicide rate. There is much to be done and much to be known. Social workers are best positioned to take the lead in suicide education, advocacy, and intervention. In addition to focusing on suicide prevention and awareness, this workshop also addresses the impact of those who have lost their battle to mental illness through death by suicide. The trauma in the lives of family member survivors is devastating. The grief journey regarding suicide loss is complex. Explore the bittersweet emotions that accompany the healing journey for survivors of suicide loss, while wrestling with mental health issues, emotional trauma, and the spiritual perspective associated with grief recovery.
IUSSWAA 24th Annual Alumni Conference #
We encourage participation by all individuals. Indiana University School of Social Work will issue Continuing Education Credits (CEU). CEU credits to be determined.
If you have a disability, advance notification of any special needs will help us better serve you.