CE Workshops

The 2020 Continuing Education (CE) workshops will take place at the Flamingo Hotel,

Monday and Tuesday afternoons, each worth 3 CE credits.

How Behavior and Health Impacts Counseling

Monday, February 24, 2020, 11:45am - 3:00pm, (3 CE hours), Amanda J. Burger, Ph.D.

Client health impacts both how counseling is conducted and the content of therapeutic sessions. Therapists engage health-related issues across multiple domains, as they generate and implement treatment plans. Although health concerns are not always an explicitly-stated presenting issue, experienced mental health professionals grasp the importance of how behavioral decisions impact both quality of health and quality of life. Within this context, Dr. Burger shares key principles regarding how health needs can and should be included as part of client mental health wellness plans. Behavioral issues such as sleep, weight, pain, exercise, addictions, substances, self-monitoring, self-efficacy, and others are given attention as they relate to therapists in general counseling practices. Various best practice examples and case studies are shared regarding how clinicians can address health-related issues with clients in mental health contexts.

Ethics Regarding Confidentiality and Reporting Suspected Abuse

Monday, February 24, 2020, 3:00pm - 6:15pm, (3 CE hours), Lynelle Buchanan, Ph.D.

Since all mental health professionals are mandated reporters, it is essential that they rightly understand both the legal and ethical requirements to follow in cases of suspected abuse. Following right protocol should be done because it is morally right to protect the welfare of individuals at risk for potential harm. Additionally, failing to follow the steps can result in significant negative repercussions for clinicians, including law suits, ethical violation complaints, and potentially significant legal action. In this workshop, Dr. Buchanan identifies the ethical and legal rules that human service professionals are expected to follow, given particular circumstances that are involved in such cases. She reviews key legislative, statutory, and case law, explaining how these decisions impact daily decisions in professional counseling. Supervisory expectations, required documentation, the role of consultation, and expected follow-up are given attention in the workshop as are various case studies that illustrate best practices by mandated reporters.

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The Roles of Worldview and Culture in Counseling

Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 11:45am - 3:00pm, (3 CE hours), Lynelle Buchanan, Ph.D.

Exercising due cultural competency is both a moral and ethical expectation of all mental health professionals. Such capable practice is, in part, shaped by the clinicians’ world-views that they bring to the therapeutic setting. Dr. Buchanan helps explore various roles and intersections that world-views have for exercising cultural sensitivity, multicultural pluralism, and proactive diversity perspectives. Beyond theoretical and philosophical underpinnings, Dr. Buchanan illustrates how world-view and cultural competency make practical differences in the delivery of successful therapeutic services to clients. Attention in the workshop is given to elements such as racism, prejudice, explicit/implicit discrimination, religion, socioeconomic conditions, international considerations, sexism, affirmative action, social justice, and the impact that political correctness (PC) plays when providing human services in a contemporary society. Case studies are utilized in order to illustrate various principles and serve to exemplify particular best practices of cultural competency.

Psychotropic Medication Updates for Practicing Clinicians

Tuesday, February 25, 2020, 3:00pm - 6:15pm, (3 CE hours), Amanda J. Burger, Ph.D.

The present workshop provides practicing clinicians with up-to-date information regarding psychotropic medications. A basic review is provided regarding the role of neurotransmitters, physiology, and brain functioning in order to provide a foundational primer for practicing clinicians and students. Dr. Burger provides an overview of the medications that historically have been prescribed and relates potential benefits from current uses in clinical settings. Side effects of various medications are noted as well as treatment implications for clients who utilize them on long-term bases. Dr. Burger also relates how health professionals may operate in concert with medicine prescribers to holistically best help clients’ mental health conditions.


Presenter Bios:

Lynelle Buchanan, Ph.D., is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Associate Professor and Chair of the Counseling Department at Clarks Summit University in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.

Amanda J. Burger, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and has practiced clinical health psychology in both hospital and private practice settings. She presently is Director of Behavioral Medicine at St. Elizabeth Family Medicine Residency in Youngstown, Ohio.

COST

There is no additional cost for the CE workshops, beyond the normal AABSS conference registration fee. Individuals who wish to attend the workshops only, and not the AABSS conference, may receive the CE credits for attending the respective sessions at $15 per CE credit. There is a separate registration link on the website for the CE registration, for those just attending CE sessions and who are not registered for the AABSS conference. CE ONLY REGISTRATION (HERE).



Continuing Education for

Psychologists, MFTs, LPCs, and Social Workers

Continuing Education Credit is offered through Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) for psychologists, MFTs, LPCs, and social workers in states that are indicated on the CES website: https://www.commonwealthseminars.com/seminar-ce-credit.html. Twelve (12) hours of continuing education credit will be awarded to those attending each of the respective workshops. Plenary attendance at the respective sessions is required in order to receive the CE credits; conference participants may attend one or more sessions, receiving either a total of three (3), six (6), nine (9), or twelve (12) CE credits. Commonwealth Educational Seminars (CES) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists, Licensed Professional Counselors/Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and social workers in states noted on the CES website indicated above. Commonwealth Educational Seminars maintains responsibility for these programs and their content. Since this is a national conference, workshop participants are encouraged to check with their respective state licensure boards regarding the applicability of the workshop's approvals toward their respective annual licensure requirements, since it is the participant's responsibility to check with their individual state boards to verify CE requirements for their state. Please visit CES CE CREDIT to see all states that are covered for LPCs/LMHCs, psychologists, and social workers: https://www.commonwealthseminars.com/seminar-ce-credit.html (Compliance details are here.)