Continuing Education

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COUNSELLING SKILLS LEVEL 1 (CERTIFICATE PROGRAM)

About the Presenters

Barry McClatchey and Jill Ceccolini founded Halifax Brief Therapy in 2003. Since that time, they have been providing training, supervision, and consultation in solution focused practice to clinicians, supervisors, and organizations throughout the Maritimes.

Jill Ceccolini, MSW, RSW is a social worker, educator and therapist utilizing a collaborative, strengths-based approach in her clinical practice and in her work as a supervisor and trainer. She has a private practice working with individuals and couples. Since 1996, Jill has been teaching various levels of counselling skills, through the School of Social Work degree programs and through the Continuing Education program.

Barry McClatchey, MSW, RSW has many years of experience as a clinical therapist, counselor, and trainer. Barry completed his BSW degree at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto, and received his MSW degree from the School of Social Work, Dalhousie University. Barry has utilized a solution focused approach in his work with individuals, couples and families for over twenty years and has completed training in a variety of locations in North America. He is also a certified trainer in Feedback Informed Treatment practices through the International Center for Clinical Excellence in Chicago, Illinois.

Instructors were excellent. Very engaged during the entire course, and interested in seeing us do well. Would take more courses with Jill and Barry in a heartbeat." ~ participant

Summary

The certificate program, Counselling Skills Level 1, has been adapted for online delivery. Counselling Skills Level 1 blends counseling theory with practice to develop counselling skills for individuals working in a helping profession. Mini lectures, discussions, reflective exercises, skill building activities, role-play, and case studies are used as methods to guide participants in their learning. Since this is an experiential class, participants are invited to share their experiences from their workplaces and to actively participate in the program.

Objectives

This was a wonderful and practical course." ~ participant

Format

An adult education learning approach is used in the delivery of the program. Since the course is intended to be an experiential program, the methodology includes activities to engage participation. Participants are invited to practice counselling skills by participating in various exercises and simulations. This is accomplished through online group discussions, posting in a discussion form, viewing and discussing of videos, participating in and recording role plays, assigned reading materials and creative reflective exercises.

There are 6 modules in the Counselling Skills Level 1 online program. To receive a certificate at the end of the program, it is expected that participants will complete 1 module per week with a minimum of 5 hours of participation per week. Modules are designed so that learning is incremental throughout the 6-week program. 

This program is designed to allow participants to fit their studies into their busy schedules. Participants may log onto the course site at any time to complete the course work. Counselling Skills Level 1 includes some activities which require participants in small groups to log in at a specified time. The online meeting times are determined by the group members.

I loved that this course briefly covered some of the theoretical pieces, but most content was focused on practical skills that we started learning early in the course." ~ participant

There are no scheduled lecture times. There are no required textbooks. All course materials are provided within the course site. The course site is available 24/7.

Enrollment is limited to 30 participants. 30 continuing education credit hours.

FORENSIC SOCIAL WORK 2: ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR FORENSIC SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE 

About the Presenter

Shawna Paris-Hoyte, ONS, KC, MSW, RSW-CS, BCCH, PhD (std), is an inspiring and highly accomplished African Nova Scotian leading this transformative course. Shawna brings thirty years of legal expertise and twenty years of clinical social work experience to her training as a private practice trauma specialist and licensed social worker. She is the founder of the National Institute of Forensic Social Work in Canada (est. 2016) and the first international member of the Board of Directors for the National Organization of Forensic Social Work in the U.S.A. With her extensive background, Shawna delivers dynamic and practical insights that will equip you to excel in trauma-informed forensic practice.

Workshop Summary

Social work practitioners are employed in workplaces that require familiarity with and knowledge of a variety of legal concepts. When working in the justice system, social workers must have the “hands-on” essential skills to be confident and effective practitioners to meet social work standards and ethical obligations of the social work profession. Many of the services that hire social workers in beginner generalist or specialist forensic positions in the legal system offer in-house training specific to the worker’s tasks in the workplace. Professional development intersectional training in essential practice skills for forensic social work (social-legal skills) is limited or non-existent in Canada at this time yet exists as a vibrant area of practice in other countries. Many schools of social work education in Canada offer academic courses that are evidence and theory-based in law and social work. There are no independent professional development programs that offer “hands-on” skills training that is focused on the intersection of law and social work practice (forensic social work) and the development of forensic social work as a sub-specialty of practice outside of the workshops and courses offered through Dalhousie University School of Social Work Continuing Education and the National Institute of Forensic Social Work.  

With this emerging field of practice and the demand for access to justice, social workers are taking on new roles in the legal system. The current trend in the practice of law in Canada is to resolve legal matters utilizing less adversarial methods such as settlement conferences, mediation, parenting co-ordination, family conferencing and restorative approaches. We are seeing an increase in the emergence of specialty courts, yet the demand and need for adversarial processes continue to increase, especially in child protection, criminal law, youth justice, adult criminal law, corrections law and human rights. Social workers are usually front and center in the justice process.  As such, in fulfilling the duties of a forensic social worker in areas such as child protection, private practice social work, probation services, corrections, or forensic hospitals, social workers must understand the processes of the court and the tools used by lawyers, crowns and judges and an understanding of collaborative law practice.  Having the essential skills and knowledge of legal practice and procedures will align the work of a forensic social worker with that of the legal practitioner, the courts and the justice system.

Forensic social work practice is dynamic, demanding and an evolving sub-specialty in Canada. This engaging and interactive four-week workshop on Essential Skills for Forensic Social Work Practice has a lecture and “hands-on” skills-based components that will increase your practice skills when engaged with the legal system. The workshop is designed to develop the learner’s confidence, knowledge of legal processes, courtroom skills, writing and drafting skills of court documents, critical thinking skills and use of contemporary approaches that are grounded in core competencies for social workers such as anti-oppressive practice, anti-racist, cultural competence and humility, trauma-informed, and professional ethical commitment. Through introductory-level interactive exercises, critical reflections, thought-provoking case studies, and skills-building exercises such as affidavit writing, forensic interviewing from a cultural lens, submission of expert evidence and testifying in court, you will learn to improve your forensic skills and increase your awareness of the law. Learners will gain skills that are realistic and best practice-based.

The combination of theory and practice was super. ~ course participant

Target Audience

If your work is related to the justice system or you are new to social work practice and have an interest in attaining the skills and knowledge to work as a generalist in forensic social work, then this is a “must-have” workshop for you.

This workshop is geared towards those who have an interest in developing a sub-specialty hands-on skill set in forensic social work.  The workshop is ideal for the generalist social work practitioner who is familiar with common legal concepts that impact social work and human service practice in the legal system.

The social work practitioners most likely to benefit from this workshop are private practice clinicians, legal system navigators, litigation support social workers, court social workers, family court assessors, parenting coordinators, hospital clinical social workers, those in corrections law, child protection services, psychiatric social work practice, mental health, youth justice, adult justice, those who do community practice with grassroots organizations and those with a general interest in forensic social work practice. 

Learning Goals & Objectives

The focus of this workshop is specific to the practice of social work in the justice system. It is a skills-based interactive online workshop. As participants/learners, you will be introduced to the basics of forensic social work practice from a skills-based social-legal lens in keeping with the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. You will rely on your theoretical training in social work from previous academic studies and continuing education training in forensic social work practice.  As a learner, you will increase your knowledge and develop essential skills for forensic social work practice based on 4 weekly 4-hour modules that include:

1.     Core Competencies for Forensic Social Work Practice focuses on building forensic skills and enhancing knowledge for workshop learners regarding cultural competence and humility, critical thinking, unconscious bias, anti-oppressive, trauma-informed forensic interviewing, and working with diverse populations in legal systems.

2.     Tools for the Court focus on creating awareness and competence and developing skills in the drafting of court documents such as affidavits, assessments, cultural plans, reports, and the organization and readiness of the “business record”, to name a few.

3.     You the Expert will guide the learner to develop the skills and knowledge for forensic social work practice in the courts by providing information and instruction specific to courtroom etiquette, presenting expert reports, testifying in court, advocacy and other core skills.

4.     Collaborative Inter-Professional Practice will consider best practice models used in collaborative social-legal settings and other common inter-professional workplaces. An emphasis will be placed on standards of practice, codes of ethics and liability issues that may arise for both professions in shared workplaces to address possible conflicts such as competing ethics. Information will be shared specific to career opportunities in forensic social work practice and available resources.

At the end of the 4-week workshop, you will have increased your understanding, working knowledge and legal drafting skills as a beginner generalist or specialist forensic social worker practitioner. Overall, you will have gained new skills and knowledge that enhance your confidence, and competence and prepare you for new opportunities to the benefit of your career, your clients and your employer(s).

I enjoyed the opportunity to write the PSR/Workplan. It is not something I have ever done but it is great to have the exercise. ~ course participant

Format

This workshop is comprised of 4 weekly modules. Each module requires approximately 4 hours of online work. Participants are required to complete all 4 modules and pass a short quiz at the end of each module or complete a skill-building exercise.    

Speed of learning and ease with technology will affect the time it takes to complete the course exercises. Basic technical and computer skills are required to watch online videos, post questions and comments, and navigate the website.

Loved that it was well-organized and easy to navigate. ~ course participant

There are no scheduled lecture times. The course site is available 24/7. 16 continuing education credit hours.