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SSA Congratulates Ron Huberman
SSA Congratulates Valerie Jarrett and Arne Duncan
Jens Ludwig on crime in New York Times Freakonomics Blog
Video on Chicago community violence featuring Dexter Voisin
Discussion by Jung-Hwa Ha on parents and disabled children
Featured Events
Professional Development Program
Summer 2009 Schedule
Now Online
Professional Development Program Courses
Spring 2003Donald Winnicott: Fundamentals of Theory and Practice
Friday, February 28, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
William Borden - Senior Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration and Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago
Donald W. Winnicott has emerged as one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary psychoanalysis, over the last decade, and his developmental theories and clinical perspectives have deepened our understanding of essential concerns in psychotherapy and social work. This course provides an introduction to the thought of Winnicott and shows how his contributions enlarge contemporary clinical practice.
Winnicott elaborated complex and compelling accounts of human development and therapeutic intervention, over the course of his career as a pediatrician and psychoanalyst, but he did not codify his ideas in a systematic, integrative fashion. He wrote in a personal idiom that is often characterized as poetic and evocative, and critics see him as elusive in his refusal to define his fundamental concepts in a more technical language and rigorous manner. Even the most experienced readers of Winnicott struggle in their efforts to grasp the defining features of his theoretical and clinical writings.
By way of overview, the first part of the course presents the basic elements of his developmental psychology, emphasizing core concepts, central themes, and guiding perspectives. It provides systematic, detailed definitions of developmental formulations, and shows how Winnicott's faith in our capacities for change, growth, and health shapes approaches to human difficulty and the therapeutic situation.
The second part, focused on clinical practice, examines principles of intervention that emerge from Winnicott's writings on therapeutic treatment. We see how his case reports and clinical formulations inform approaches to assessment, establishment of the therapeutic holding environment, use of relational experience, interpretive methods, and termination procedures. Concepts of therapeutic action emphasize the role of the clinician as participant-observer and the crucial functions of experiential learning and play over the course of intervention. Winnicott's approach to brief treatment and methods of therapeutic consultation are reviewed as well.
Discussion of clinical concerns centers on vulnerable clients who present particular dilemmas in psychosocial intervention, encompassing a range of diagnostic categories, and emphasizes flexible use of therapeutic strategies in view of the particular needs of the clinical situation--creative efforts to carry out what Winnicott called "experiments in adapting to need."
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Comprehensive Review of Clinical Social Work
Wednesday evenings
March 5, 12, & 19, 2003
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Karen Teigiser - Deputy Dean for the Master's Program, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago; private practice
Sarah Lickey Diwan - Evaluation Specialist, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, University of Chicago
This course is designed to meet the needs of social workers who wish to review and update their clinical knowledge and prepare for the LSW or LCSW examination. Topics to be covered include human development; diagnosis and treatment planning based on DSM-IV-TR; drug treatment of mental disorders; individuals, family, marital, and group therapies; ethical considerations; research design; social administration; and approaches to preparing for and taking tests.
The class will consist of three weekly lectures of three hours each. Participants must register for the entire course. This format will provide the opportunity for participants to absorb and integrate the material from one lecture before moving on to a new topic.
Since this course consistently fills to capacity, early registration is encouraged and pre-payment is required.
Tuition: $185
CECs: 9
The Therapeutic Stalemate: Problems, Possibilities, and Approaches
Friday, March 7, 2003
9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Dennis McCaughan - Faculty, Institute for Clinical Social Work; private practice
Psychotherapists often find themselves engaged in protracted and confusing treatment situations where a mood of monotony and boredom dominate the therapeutic encounter. The participants, both therapist and client, now seem unable or unwilling to work towards a perspective the might result in renewed therapeutic progress. These problems are as complex and varied as any given therapist-client relationship. The purpose of this workshop will be to consider the therapeutic stalemate in terms of the problems it presents, the possibilities it promises, and the various approaches to its description and treatment. Theoretical perspectives on the nature of the phenomena will be explored along with the kinds of client dilemmas and personal or countertransference responses evoked in the therapist. Particular emphasis will be given to reanimating the client's psychological story and exploring the affective blocks that often give the treatment of lifeless quality. The morning session will offer an overview of the phenomena and discussion of the various approaches to reestablishing therapeutic progress. The afternoon session will be devoted to a case conference where participants will be asked to present their own work related to the therapeutic stalemate.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
Friday, March 7, 2003
9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Janice Pyrce - President, Pyrce Healthcare Group; Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Marketing is of increasing interest to non-profit organizations, both public and private. Non-profit organizations often become aware of marketing when their environment undergoes change. Increasing competition, changing client needs, and diminishing financial resources are challenges faced by many non-profit organizations today.
This seminar will explore the application of marketing principles to the non-profit sector. To survive and succeed, non-profit organizations need to understand their client needs and markets, attract sufficient financial resources and convert their resources into services that meet client and community needs.
The seminar will cover the steps in developing a marketing plan and a marketing program including market segmentation, target marketing, promotion, service line development/management and pricing. The unique characteristics of marketing non-profit organizations — multiple publics, multiple objectives, intangibility of service provision and public scrutiny — will be presented. Case examples will be discussed and several tools will be introduced to the participants for utilization at their respective organizations.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Field Instruction
Friday, March 14, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Lynn Anderson - Field coordinator, extended evening program, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
The field practicum is an essential component of social work education involving the social work student, field instructor, and school liaison. Together they create a series of complex relationships with multiple tasks, responsibilities, and liabilities. This workshop will examine field instruction in clinical and administrative settings with an emphasis on the opportunities and challenges presented at each stage of the teaching-learning process.
Topics to be covered include:- Identifying patterns of adult learning
- Developing a teaching-learning alliance
- Choosing and designing learning experiences
- Selecting methods of field instruction
- Evaluating student performance
- Identifying and managing the challenging student
- Handling risk management in the field
Given the changing and complex nature of field instruction, this workshop is appropriate for both beginning as well as experienced field instructors.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Organizational Performance Measurement
Friday, March 14, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Shaun Lane - Director of the Professional Development Program and Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Social service organizations are increasingly pressured to achieve high levels of efficiency and effectiveness. Funding sources, accrediting bodies, best practice standards and a discerning public demand objective measurement of organizational performance and demonstrated results. Moreover, responsible stewardship requires board members and managers to critically assess their organizations' performance and to engage in a continuous process of improvement.
This workshop will explore, through structured presentation and active discussion, four interrelated approaches to organizational performance measurement. First, we will examine the role of organization mission as a central performance measurement standard, and the use of the strategic and tactical planning cycle as a measurement tool. Second, we will examine the use of compliance auditing as a method for ensuring that the organization is fulfilling its most basic obligations. Third, we will examine the use of benchmarking as a method for comparing performance across like organizations. Finally, we will explore application of the balanced scorecard, a performance measurement method developed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton that emcompasses measures of both current performance and investment in future organizational capacity. Throughout, particular attention will be given to delineating the respective roles and responsibilities of board members and managers in evaluating organizational performance. Participants will be encouraged to test the usefulness of the workshop concepts through direct application to their organizations.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Psychopharmacology in Social Work Practice
Friday, March 14, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Stanley McCracken - Director of Training, University of Chicago Center of Psychiatric Rehabilitation; Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of Chicago Department of Psychiatry; Senior Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Social workers and other nonmedical mental health practitioners frequently are part of a therapeutic triad consisting of client, physicians, and therapist. In addition, and depending on the setting, over 50 percent of clients seen in social work practice are taking nonmedical, psychoactive drugs that can affect both diagnosis and treatment. Although nonmedical therapists do not prescribe medication, they need to know the therapeutic effects, side effects, and toxic effects of drugs used in treatment of mental illness. They need to know how pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy interact and how to recognize and evaluate the effects of nonmedical drug use.
Participants in this workshop will learn basic principles of drug action and therapeutic and adverse effects of the major categories of drugs used in treating mental disorders in adults. The characteristics and effectiveness of new drugs, atypical antipsychotic drugs, and valproate will be outlined, as will participants will learn the principles of working as a member of a therapeutic triad.
This workshop will be appropriate for therapists, administrators, and program developers in a variety of adult practice settings. Participants should have some familiarity with DSM-IV diagnostic terminology.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
The Impact of the Therapist's Pregnancy on the Treatment Process
Friday, March 21, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Evanston (Omni-Orrington Hotel)
Naomi Bayer - Private psychotherapy and consultation practice
Peggy Freeman - Private psychotherapy and consultation practice
A therapist's pregnancy can be one of the more productive yet complicated issues to deal with during the course of therapy. For the therapist, the fact of a visible pregnancy exposes an intimate aspect of one's life that would not ordinarily be a part of the treatment process. For clients, a therapist's pregnancy can trigger a myriad of transference reactions, including issues relating to their own parenting, siblings, and feelings about loss and abandonment.
This workshop will explore the concerns which surface in treatment during the course of a therapist's pregnancy. Issues that will be highlighted include:- Transference and countertransference at various stages of pregnancy and returning to therapy
- Integrating the new role of "pregnant person" and ultimately "parent" into one's identity as a therapist
- Pregnancy complications
- Issues for male therapists as they go through a spouse's pregnancy
- Pregnancy in an agency setting vs. private practice
- Practical applications (i.e., when and how to inform clients, maternity leave).
The format will be both didactic and experiential. Participants are encouraged to bring case situations for discussion and consultation.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Residential Treatment: The Therapeutic Milieu
Friday, March 21, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Evanston (Omni-Orrington Hotel)
Ord Matek - Associate Professor Emeritus, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago; founding editor, Residential Group Care and Treatment; editorial board, Residential Treatment for Children and Youth; private practice and consultation
The complexity of residential treatment warrants examination to better understand its contradictions, complications, and costs. It is a therapeutic modality that involves group process, individual psychotherapy, work with families, crisis intervention, team interaction between various professional groups, and clinical as well as administrative supervision of staff along with liaison to the community at large.
Using a format of discussion, didactic presentation, and experiential exercises, the following are some of the topics that will be covered:
- Determining the critical philosophy and emphasis of a given residential treatment program
- Identifying the range of residential treatment models and comparing them to one another
- Clarifying the various options for integrating the discrete aspects of program into a unified plan (school, living unit, milieu, formal therapy, administration, etc.)
- Planning the separation process from community into institution for a new resident and reentry into the community at termination
- Building a residential population for congruence with the treatment goals of the institution
- Recruitment, screening, training, and supervision of child care staff
- Strategies and procedures for managing difficult youngsters, including therapeutic tactics for physical control when truly required
- Evaluation as to why this most expensive and most complex of therapies is needed; but also why and how it often goes wrong
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Domestic Violence: Becoming Responsive Clinicians and Advocates
Friday, March 21, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Evanston (Omni-Orrington Hotel)
Lisa Tieszen - Director, Safe Transitions: Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston
Each year in this country, an estimated 1.5 million women are physically and/or sexually assaulted by a partner or ex-partner; an estimated 3.3 million children will witness that violence. Understanding the dynamics of the abuse of power and control in adult relationships and the devasting effects it can have on the victim and others in the family will be the focus of this session. To intervene responsibly, the social worker must listen keenly and respectfully to the voices of her/his clients. Through video, didactic, and clinical presentation, the facilitator will provide an overview of this significant public health problem. Particular focus will be given to the adult victim, including elder women and gay men, as well as child witnesses. The essential roles of advocacy, safety planning, and community collaboration will be discussed, as will participants' and facilitator's clinical examples.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Introduction to Self Psychology
Friday, March 28, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Jill Gardner - Postgraduate education faculty, Institute for Psychoanalysis; Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago; private practice
From its origins in psychoanalysis, self psychology has evolved as a theory of normal development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process which has broad applicability to the diverse problems, settings, clinical populations, and treatment modalities clinicians confront in today's practice. The principles of this theory may be particularly helpful in gaining insight into individuals who have difficulty maintaining self-esteem, regulating internal tension, and accomplishing life goals.
This workshop is intended for people who are seeking an introduction to or review of basic concepts in self psychology. Participants will discuss in depth the core concepts of selfobject experience and the empathic mode of observation. Traditional psychoanalytic concepts of defense, resistance, transference, and countertransference will also be explored from a self-psychological perspective.
Viewing clinical data through the lens of these concepts has direct implications for psychotherapeutic intervention. The workshop will emphasize the integration of theory and practice by using illustrative clinical material supplied by the instructor. While no advanced preparation is required, participants would find it helpful to have some familiarity with Miriam Elson's Self Psychology in Clinical Social Work, New York: W.W. Norton, 1986.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Donald Winnicott: Fundamentals of Theory and Practice
Friday, March 28, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
William Borden - Senior Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration and Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago
Donald W. Winnicott has emerged as one of the most influential thinkers in contemporary psychoanalysis, over the last decade, and his developmental theories and clinical perspectives have deepened our understanding of essential concerns in psychotherapy and social work. This course provides an introduction to the thought of Winnicott and shows how his contributions enlarge contemporary clinical practice.
Winnicott elaborated complex and compelling accounts of human development and therapeutic intervention, over the course of his career as a pediatrician and psychoanalyst, but he did not codify his ideas in a systematic, integrative fashion. He wrote in a personal idiom that is often characterized as poetic and evocative, and critics see him as elusive in his refusal to define his fundamental concepts in a more technical language and rigorous manner. Even the most experienced readers of Winnicott struggle in their efforts to grasp the defining features of his theoretical and clinical writings.
By way of overview, the first part of the course presents the basic elements of his developmental psychology, emphasizing core concepts, central themes, and guiding perspectives. It provides systematic, detailed definitions of developmental formulations, and shows how Winnicott's faith in our capacities for change, growth, and health shapes approaches to human difficulty and the therapeutic situation.
The second part, focused on clinical practice, examines principles of intervention that emerge from Winnicott's writings on therapeutic treatment. We see how his case reports and clinical formulations inform approaches to assessment, establishment of the therapeutic holding environment, use of relational experience, interpretive methods, and termination procedures. Concepts of therapeutic action emphasize the role of the clinician as participant-observer and the crucial functions of experiential learning and play over the course of intervention. Winnicott's approach to brief treatment and methods of therapeutic consultation are reviewed as well.
Discussion of clinical concerns centers on vulnerable clients who present particular dilemmas in psychosocial intervention, encompassing a range of diagnostic categories, and emphasizes flexible use of therapeutic strategies in view of the particular needs of the clinical situation--creative efforts to carry out what Winnicott called "experiments in adapting to need."
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Nonprofit Governance
Friday, May 16, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Shaun Lane - Director, Professional Development Program, and Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Effective governance is an important factor contributing to the success of nonprofit social service organizations. The increasingly complicated and competitive operating environment for social service organizations imposes new stewardship demands on nonprofit governing boards. Yet, boards too often under-perform, engaging in low-level activities instead of meeting the challenge of strategic leadership.
Relevant for both managers and board members, this interactive session will explore the governance function in depth and advance a model of strategic governance function in depth and advance a model of strategic governance based in part on the innovative work of Richard Chait and Thomas Holland. Specific topics to be covered include:
- Legal role and function of governing boards
- Definition of the respective roles of board and management
- Methods for assessing board functioning
- Attributes of strategic governance
- Performance-driven governance
The session will utilize a combination of presentation, discussion, case examples, and small group exercises. Participants will be encouraged to develop action plans to enhance the governance capabilities of their organizations.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Program Evaluation
Friday, May 16, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Sarah Lickey Diwan - Evaluation Specialist, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, University of Chicago
Increasing accountability demands from government and private funders, licensing agents, and accreditation bodies require social service organizations to develop a new capacity to critically evaluate their services. However, an over-emphasis on meeting the needs of external stakeholders has too often resulted in quality assurance and evaluation programs that are unnecessarily disconnected from the immediate information needs of direct service workers, supervisors, and managers. This workshop will present methods for social service program evaluation that are rigorous, meaningful, user-friendly, and relevant for both internal and external stakeholders.
The workshop will begin by identifying key stakeholder groups, which may include staff, service recipients, funders, and other constituencies. The workshop will present a sequence of steps for designing an evaluation strategy, including determining, collecting, and communicating necessary information. Methods for maximizing buy-in through inclusion of staff and service recipients in the evaluation process will be emphasized.
The workshop will combine didactic presentation with exercise and discussion. Examples from participants' work settings will be utilized to the greatest extent possible.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Eating Disorders: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment
Friday, April 4, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Ina Beller - private practice
This one-day workshop will provide thorough information regarding the common problem of eating disorders, through the eyes of a specialist in the field. You will be able to identify the symptoms that make up the major eating disorders, and how to identify whether an eating disorder is or may be present. You will also be able to identify "red flags" which may be signs, and specifically what to look for in assessment and diagnosis of the problem. In addition, treatment modalities will be discussed and resources for more information will be provided.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Use of Dreams in Psychotherapy
Friday, April 4, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Velva Heraty
We all dream. All of us have spent restless nights tossing and turning over mysterious, provocative dream images and symbols. Those images and symbols that can be both intriguing and terrifying. Sometimes we have a dream that haunts us for months, that we find ourselves sharing with others. Other times nightmares hold us in their grip, our hearts pounding, perhaps we cry out. Other nights we may have a garden-variety dream that rehashes the day's events. Whatever dream we have most of us are left adrift and confused by its symbols and images. Often, with enough provocation we'll run to the bookstore or library and look up a powerful symbol, then give our precious dream away to the written page. After taking this workshop you'll have greater understanding of dream images and symbols and a general framework for interpreting dreams.
This workshop presents a dynamic, clinically sound interactive dream facilitating model called Subjective Symbol Immersion�. Subjective Symbol Immersion is a methodology incorporating core concepts of Freud and Jung with Gestalt, Self-Psychology, and Body Centered Therapies included as well. You will learn how to take possession of a dream in a rich and rewarding way then engage your clients to do the same.
Subjective Symbol Immersion can be applied to group process as well, giving you the tools you need to not only start a therapeutic dream group but also work with your current group, couples and families in a very effective new way. This is an intense, interactive workshop. Come prepared to work hard, significantly enhance your clinical skills and be richly rewarded for your efforts.
The guiding principle of Subjective Symbol Immersion is, "The Dream belongs to the Dreamer"T. Ample handouts and practice material will aid you in finding the process within this principle.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Facilitating Effective Meetings & Participatory Group Decisions
Friday, April 25, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Arnie Aronoff - Director of Training and Development, University of Chicago
Do you lead meetings designed to produce group decisions on tasks or projects? Have you been a frustrated participant in decision-making meetings that seem to go nowhere?
This one-day workshop will teach you the best ways to facilitate meetings in which you must reach clarity on topics and issues, make decisions, and determine action steps. Topics include: a) setting agendas, b) ways to generate ideas, c) methods to reach consensus, d) structuring open discussions using techniques such as tracking and sequencing, e) dealing with interpersonal dynamics that impair progress (e.g., domineering participants), f) keeping a group focused and on-topic, g) minimizing repetition and "wheel-spinning", and h) using formal meeting rules such as Robert's Ruses and the Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure.
This instructor will use experiential activities, brief lectures, videos, simulations, and assessment tools to facilitate learning.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Principles of Therapeutic Communication: An Integrative Psychodynamic Perspective
Friday, April 25, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
William Borden - Senior Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration and Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago
Representatives of the major schools of thought in contemporary psychotherapy have increasingly acknowledged the value of differing theoretical perspectives, and a growing number of practitioners have begun to integrate core elements and methods across therapeutic traditions in efforts to facilitate change and improve outcomes.
This course provides an introduction to an integrative model of psychotherapy, developed by Paul Wachtel, and presents basic principles and strategies of therapeutic communication informed by psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives.
By way of overview, the first part of the workshop outlines the defining features of Wachtel's model and identifies core concepts drawn from relational psychoanalysis, cognitive psychology, and behavioral approaches. The model combines the depth and understanding of psychodynamic thought with the focus and active orientation of cognitive-behavioral approaches, and it provides multiple points of entry in efforts to help clients recognize and revise maladaptive ways of being and relating.
The second part, focused on clinical practice, shows how the model guides approaches to therapeutic communication over the course of intervention. We consider ways of phrasing communications in efforts to explore concerns, establish a focus, identify defensive patterns, affirm strengths and facilitate positive movement, revise internalized representations of self and others, and change dysfunctional patterns of behavior in the interpersonal field. We explore sources of experiential learning in the therapeutic situation and use of active techniques in efforts to sponsor change and growth.
Drawing on representative case illustrations, we consider why some forms of communication are particularly effective, while others carry the potential to limit or undermine the therapeutic process. Participants will learn ways of communicating observations and framing interpretations that enhance therapeutic gains.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Self Psychology and the Treatment of Couples
Friday, May 2, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Carla Leone
Self psychology and intersubjectivity theory provide an extremely useful theoretical framework from which to understand and treat troubled couples. The concepts of selfobject needs, the selfobject and repetitive dimensions of experience, and unconscious organizing principles, among others, can help us understand what partners are seeking in intimate relationships, and what underlies couples' difficulties.
This workshop will begin with a brief review of the basic tenets of self psychology and intersubjectivity theory as they apply to couples. Common couples' difficulties will be conceptualized from this perspective, and a treatment approach designed to increase partners' abilities to function as a source of selfobject experience for each other will be discussed in detail.
Considerable time will be devoted to discussing the treatment of particularly difficult couples. These include couples in which one or both partners are highly defended, blaming, hostile, or ambivalent about the treatment, and very "stuck" couples seem neither able to change nor end the relationship.
Case material will be used throughout the workshop to illustrate concepts presented. Participants are encouraged to pose clinical questions or share clinical vignettes with the instructor prior to the course using a form to be distributed with registration materials, and those of general interest will be integrated into the presentation. Finally, as time permits, role-playing will be used to demonstrate techniques discussed and allow participants to practice them if they wish.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Effectively Using Coaching Strategies to Improve Staff Performance
Friday, May 2, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Barbara Jackson - Training Coordinator, Educational Partnership, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Personal Coaching as an approach to assisting individuals further their development at work and in their personal life is being more widely accepted in the social and human services. Personal Coaching as a strategy places responsibility for the development of skills and competencies on the individual. This workshop will explore how supervisors in social service organizations can use this approach as a tool in working with staff to partner and collaborate in enhancing staff skills. Developmental supervision may be neglected as the pressure of more urgent responsibilities takes priority. This approach charges supervisor and supervisee alike with the responsibility to work toward the continuous development of the staff skills to improve performance and job satisfaction.
Participants will acquire the following specific knowledge and skills:
- Learn and use strategies in personal coaching to assess employee competencies
- Identify ways to use personal coaching in developmental supervision as a tool to help staff build performance skills
- Develop a plan for incorporating coaching techniques into their work with staff
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Stress and Disease: The Mind-Body Connection
Friday, May 9, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Gary Gilles - private practice
Because stress is so prevalent in modern life we often take it for granted. But increasing numbers of people are living with chronic diseases that are attributed to or made worse by stress. This workshop examines the how stress affects both physical and emotional health and its role in the development and progression of disease. Discussion, lecture and case study will focus on understanding specific physiological and cognitive processes that accentuate or effectively control individual responses to stress. In addition, participants will inventory their own response patterns to stress and develop a plan for combating problematic behaviors.
Learning Objectives
- Examine the stress reaction from both a psychological and physiological perspective
- Apply Selye's three stage model to the stress cycle
- Understand the primary maladaptive coping mechanisms used in the stress reaction
- Explore how stress compromises the immune system and contributes to the development of disease
- Inventory personal levels of stress and identify problematic behaviors and patterns
- Identify practical methods to counteract stress reactions
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Administrative Supervision: Juggling Multiple Roles
Friday, May 9, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
SuAnne Lawrence - Project Manager, Youth Guidance Comer School Development Program
Nancy Johnstone - Executive Director, Youth Guidance
Supervision, whether clinical, administrative, or a combination of both, is a process of developing a relationship, sharing knowledge, fostering insight, and evaluating so that those supervised can perform at an optimal level. In today's social service organizations, there is increasing emphasis on administrative issues related to productivity and accountability. Supervision of such administrative issues may compete with the requirements of effective clinical supervision. Supervisors and those supervised may become confused or frustrated over the multiple roles, and tension around issues such as authority may be heightened.
This workshop is designed for beginning and experienced supervisors whose responsibilities include administrative supervision and who wish to improve their styles and skills. Instructional methods will include information sharing, hands-on experiences, and individual problem solving. Although all content will be relevant to clinical supervision, the workshop will not focus on how to develop workers' therapeutic skills.
Workshop content will include:
- The importance of context in supervision
- The "nuts and bolts":
- Supervisory roles and functions
- Learning styles
- Situational leadership
- Personal issues
- Ethical issues
- Barriers to professional supervisory behavior the "nuts and bolts":
- Problem solving using examples of participants
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Nonprofit Governance
Friday, May 16, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)
Shaun Lane - Director, Professional Development Program, and Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
Effective governance is an important factor contributing to the success of nonprofit social service organizations. The increasingly complicated and competitive operating environment for social service organizations imposes new stewardship demands on nonprofit governing boards. Yet, boards too often under-perform, engaging in low-level activities instead of meeting the challenge of strategic leadership.
Relevant for both managers and board members, this interactive session will explore the governance function in depth and advance a model of strategic governance function in depth and advance a model of strategic governance based in part on the innovative work of Richard Chait and Thomas Holland. Specific topics to be covered include:
- Legal role and function of governing boards
- Definition of the respective roles of board and management
- Methods for assessing board functioning
- Attributes of strategic governance
- Performance-driven governance
The session will utilize a combination of presentation, discussion, case examples, and small group exercises. Participants will be encouraged to develop action plans to enhance the governance capabilities of their organizations.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Women and Intimacy: Helping our Clients Find and Maintain Meaningful Relationships
Friday, May 16, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)Anne Redlich - Private practice; volunteer, Marjorie Kovler Center
Class has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled in Autumn.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Program Evaluation
Friday, May 16, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)Sarah Lickey Diwan - Evaluation Specialist, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, University of Chicago
Increasing accountability demands from government and private funders, licensing agents, and accreditation bodies require social service organizations to develop a new capacity to critically evaluate their services. However, an over-emphasis on meeting the needs of external stakeholders has too often resulted in quality assurance and evaluation programs that are unnecessarily disconnected from the immediate information needs of direct service workers, supervisors, and managers. This workshop will present methods for social service program evaluation that are rigorous, meaningful, user-friendly, and relevant for both internal and external stakeholders.
The workshop will begin by identifying key stakeholder groups, which may include staff, service recipients, funders, and other constituencies. The workshop will present a sequence of steps for designing an evaluation strategy, including determining, collecting, and communicating necessary information. Methods for maximizing buy-in through inclusion of staff and service recipients in the evaluation process will be emphasized.
The workshop will combine didactic presentation with exercise and discussion. Examples from participants' work settings will be utilized to the greatest extent possible.
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
Harry Stack Sullivan and the Interpersonal Tradition
Friday, May 23, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)Dennis McCaughan - Faculty, Institute for Clinical Social Work; private practice
Harry Stack Sullivan is considered by many to be one of the least recognized but most influential innovators in the field of psychodynamic theory and psychotherapy. Recent comparative studies in psychoanalytic theory have resulted in a renewed appreciation for Sullivan's contributions. Sullivan offers a radical perspective on the person as understood within the interpersonal situation shaped by social an cultural experiences. In turn, Sullivan's work has influenced the development of relational psychoanalysis as well as spurred an interest in the interactional and constructionist perspectives in clinical theory and practice.
This workshop will trace the development of Sullivan's ideas through an exploration of his life and work. A narrative of Sullivan's life will provide the context for understanding the origins and development of his work and bring that work to life as it is applied to contemporary human relations and problems. Special attention will be given to Sullivan's developmental views and the role of anxiety in human experience and in the practice of psychotherapy. The contributions of Clara Thompson and Erich Fromm to interpersonal theory will be discussed along with the contemporary contribution of Edgar Levenson. Case material drawn from the clinical work of the participants will be explored from an interpersonal perspective.
Tuition: $115
CECs: 6
Sanity and Success: Knowing How to Manage in the Midst of Chaos
Friday, May 23, 2003
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Hyde Park (SSA)Robert Schout - training and organization development consultant
Robin Veenstra-Vanderweele - instructor, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
So many managers find themselves in complex, chaotic situations within their organizations due to budget cuts, political maneuvering, inadequate planning and much more. So often social workers find themselves lacking the necessary skills in change management, systems assessment and strategic planning to engage the organizational or community system in an effective intervention. The goal of this session is to provide participants with the knowledge, strategies and practice necessary to assess, manage, empower and nurture organizational and community systems.
This workshop is for managers who find themselves operating in the midst of chaotic organizations, and for executive directors who find themselves at the helm of such organizations. This is a hands-on workshop focused on practical organizational development interventions that produce long-term results. Using interactive, facilitative processes (i.e., challenge assessment activities, group dialogue, change management paradigms, etc.), participants will learn:
- How to access systemic challenges perpetuated by dysfunctional organizational processes
- How to negotiate and work effectively with personnel who thrive only on personal power
- How to insulate your team from organizational disruption
- How to prepare your people for change
- How to engage in self-care practices on and off the job that pay off your employees
Tuition: $145
CECs: 6
