Online Professional Development: Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue & Solution Focused Therapy

School of Social Work Continuing Education

Dalhousie University 

The Heart of Helping: Understanding Vicarious Trauma & Compassion Fatigue with Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW February 27 - March 26, 2017 | Online Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are common occupational hazards for social workers, counsellors, healthcare professionals, educators, and others in high-care fields. This 4-week online course is designed to teach those in the helping, human service and healthcare professions about these work-related risks that can result from the very nature of the work itself. You will gain a deeper understanding of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, what they are, how they manifest and how to prevent and/or intervene with the negative effects that can flow from the heart of helping. Discover how to balance caring for yourself while caring for others, in order to stay healthy while you make a difference. Early bird deadline is January 16, 2017. To register for this course, please email your completed registration form to coned@dal.ca, or fax to 902.494.6709.

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Solution Focused Therapy with Jill Ceccolini, MSW, RSW and Barry McClatchey, MSW, RSW February 6 - March 5, 2017 | Online Solution focused practice is characterized by the use of respectful curiosity in learning about what is important to clients and in the co-construction of their preferred future. Change is viewed as constant and inevitable and clients are regarded as having the necessary expertise about their own lives to create useful change. There is a strong emphasis on the use of the client’s language in solution focused work, as opposed to the dominant “expert” language embedded in the traditions of the helping professions. As such, solution focused practice can be a useful approach in engaging people across the broad spectrum of culture, race, and gender. The facilitators use a variety of methods to invite participant learning, including case examples, small group work, video examples, and exercises designed to provide experiential learning. Early bird deadline is December 23, 2016. To register for this course, please email your completed registration form to coned@dal.ca, or fax to 902.494.6709.

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Innovation: Social worker provides help at the local library

Not just books — Kitchener Public Library puts a social worker on the shelf

KPL’s latest addition lends patrons advice, guidance and a sympathetic ear

ByCatherine Thompson (Dec 15, 2016). Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved from: http://www.therecord.com/news-story/7022914-not-just-books-kitchener-public-library-puts-a-social-worker-on-the-shelf/

KITCHENER — The library has always loaned books, videos and even CDs that offer guidance and advice on everything from how to manage money to how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Now, the Kitchener Public Library's Central branch is offering a little bit more: a trained social worker who can give advice and guidance, offer a friendly presence and a sympathetic ear.

Kym Bohachewski admits many of her friends and colleagues were skeptical when she said she would do a work placement at the library as part of her requirements for a master in social work at Wilfrid Laurier University.

It's actually a logical fit, said Laura Reed, the library's manager of children and teen services. "We're a public building and we see a good cross-section of society," Reed said. "Our role is to make sure people can find what they need."

People come to the library for all kinds of things: to access computers for free, to get help filling out applications or e-documents, to search for housing or to get resources if English isn't their first language. A social worker could help any of those clients, Reed said.

"People find their way here not because it's a library but because it's a warm place, it's a welcoming place, it's a place to bring your kids to read a book," Reed said. "Over the years we've always gotten questions around, 'I have nowhere to stay tonight' or 'Where can I get a hot meal?' We'll be able to not just answer those questions but be able to add some support."

Social workers have in-depth knowledge about what's available to help people in the community, and they have skills in helping figure out what they need, Bohachewski said. "I've got the time to sit down and talk with somebody who maybe isn't quite sure what's available or what they need."

Her placement, which runs three days a week until April, includes training library staff in how to recognize when a library customer may need help with a bigger issue; outreach with community agencies to help the library figure out how it can best meet the needs of clients such as women staying at a shelter, or homeless men. 

That work could include helping people sign up for library cards, or even offering library tours for groups from theHouse of Friendship or OneROOF youth agency, or even organizing pop-up libraries at community agencies.

Having social workers at the library is still fairly unusual, but is something that libraries across North America are trying. The first was probably in San Francisco in 2009, while Edmonton Public Library was the first Canadian library to bring in a social worker in 2011, Bohachewski said.

"Libraries are increasingly a hub for the community, meeting different community needs," said Nancy Schwindt, the field education co-ordinator at Laurier who helped set up the placement. "This is just an extension of work we do with, for example, community centres, with drop-in centres, all those sorts of agencies."

cthompson@therecord.com , Twitter: @ThompsonRecord

Conference - Trauma and the Family - Vancouver

Trauma and the Family: Widening the Lens

A conference sponsored by Living Systems Counselling.

Date: March 3 & 4, 2017 

Location: SFU Harbour Centre, Downtown Vancouver

Description: Over the last many years, more and more symptomatic conditions and behaviours have been attributed to a traumatic experience or event. While this conference will review some of the current ways in which trauma therapy is conceived and approached, it will also broaden the lens to consider how the relationship process in the family contributes to the overall outcome for the symptomatic individual. 

Presenters: 

• Dr. Daniel Papero presents the assessment and treatment of trauma from a systems perspective. 
• Dr. Walter Smith presents evidence based ways of responding to child trauma and several clinical cases will be presented by clinicians who follow a systems approach in the treatment of trauma.

View our Conference Brochure. 

For more information or to register on-line:

please visit www.livingsystems.ca or contact info@livingsystems.ca 

or the Registrar at 604 833 8791. 

Professional Development - UBC Continuing Studies Health and Counselling Courses

UBC Continuing Studies

New Health and Counselling Workshops and Courses

Burnout Prevention: Understanding Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue (Online)
Facilitator: Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW; Jan 24-Feb 20, $395

Journaling for Self-Care and Wellness (Online)
Facilitator: Lynda Monk, MSW, RSW; Jan 31-Feb 27, $395

Motivational Interviewing for Helping Professionals: Virtual Learning Community (Online)
Facilitator: Cristine Urquhart, MSW, RSW; Feb 17-Mar 16, $425

Recognizing Parental Alienation in High-Conflict Divorce – Level 1
Facilitator: Terri Rypkema, RCC; Jan 13 or Mar 10, $295

Motivational Interviewing for Helping Professionals – Introduction
Facilitator: Cristine Urqhuart, MSW, RSW; Jan 20 & 28, $425; Mar 16-17 (UBC Okanagan), $550

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Helping Professionals – Introduction

Facilitator: Heather Fulton, PhD, R.Psych; Feb 18, $245

15% discount for registrations of three or more people from the same organization.

In-class courses are at UBC Robson Square, Downtown Vancouver or at the UBC Point Grey campus.

Register online or telephone 604-822-1444.