Continuing Education
The College of Health and Human Services offers continuing education programs on evidence-based practices and emerging health issues relevant to health care and human service professionals.
Often these programs are led by our own faculty, leading sessions in topics in which they are expert practitioners. But we also partner with outside organizations to provide training that is relevant to the disciplines we serve - including our instructors and alumni.
We hope to provide quality CE programming that helps practitioners grow as professionals and meet CE requirements related to professional licensing.
Live (Virtual and In-Person) Training
March 14, 2025
Experiential Activities Developed to Help Enhance the Holistic Methods of Substance Abuse Treatment
9 a.m to 12:15 p.m.
Presented by: Allen Jake Ramsey
This three-hour long presentation is designed to assist individuals working in the field of substance abuse recovery to be able to utilize experiential activities to better deliver the message of recovery to the specific populations they work with. Practice based exercises will be demonstrated which are specifically designed to help defeat negative self-narrative, disarm positive feedback loops (obsessive thoughts), dispel isolation mythologies, solicit emotional responsibility, and to nurture novel perspectives as they relate to healing. Participants will be encouraged to find ways to personalize said exercises.
Location: In-person, 1010 CHHS Building, 1240 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Cost: $75.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.
March 28, 2025
Working with LGBTQ+ Youth and Young People
9 a.m to 12:15 p.m.
Presented by: Dr. Melinda McCormick
This course aims to inform practitioners and human services providers about the LGBTQ+ population, particularly young persons. These young people have multiple marginalized identities and are impacted by how society and their families of origin or foster families treat them based upon these identities. Information on changing identity categories and changing numbers of young persons claiming these identities will be shared. Additionally, cultural myths that may interfere with treatment will be shared and best practices for the population will be highlighted. Considerations for agencies and cultural competence/humility will also be shared.
Location: Synchronous webinar format
Cost: $75.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.
April 11, 2025
Using Problem-Based Learning to Explore Refugee Post-Resettlement Trauma in Children
9 a.m to 4:30 p.m.
Presented by: Dr. Jessica Gladden
This course will begin by exploring the basics of refugee resettlement in the United States. Then, problem-based learning will be explored as a method to break down individual refugee cases involving trauma. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Core Curriculum on Childhood Trauma’s problem-based learning system allows clinicians to consider new avenues of case presentations. The 12 Core Concepts of Childhood Trauma will be discussed and applied to one specific case involving a refugee child.
Location: In-person, WMU-Grand Rapids, 200 Ionia Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4116
Cost: $150.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.
April 22, 2025
Sacred Scars: Unveiling and Healing Religious Trauma in Clinical Practice
Noon to 3:15 p.m.
Presented by: Alicia Chiasson
This presentation will help individuals understand the various terminologies, statistics, origins, elements, symptoms, assessment tools, and treatments for religious trauma and spiritual abuse. Participants will learn how different religious/spiritual practices, beliefs, and persons or organizations can cause religious trauma and distinguish between healthy and unhealthy spirituality. In addition, participants will be provided the opportunity to consider their own biases regarding this topic and how to mitigate potential harm to clients from countertransference. They will learn about the potential long-term impacts of religious trauma and spiritual abuse on their clients and how to provide compassionate support and referral to alternative aides when appropriate and necessary. This engaging and informative workshop is designed to equip helping professionals with the knowledge, skills, and personal growth work needed to make a positive impact in the lives of those suffering with the consequences of trauma incurred in religious and spiritual contexts.
Location: Synchronous live webinar format
Cost: $75.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.
May 8, 2025
Understanding Your Own Personal Values and Beliefs and Connecting Those with Cultural Identity to Ensure Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion of Those We Serve
1 to 2 p.m.
Presented by: Dr. Anna Yelick
This webinar will begin by exploring personal values and beliefs through an exercise. This will provide learners with an opportunity to begin to take an introspective review of their personal values and beliefs and reconcile any of those personal values and beliefs with their professional values and beliefs. This will be the framework for this important work. Once learners have fully explored their personal values and beliefs, this webinar will then provide an opportunity for learners to reflect on their own personal cultural identity, connecting their personal values and beliefs as they go, as well as identify how their personal values and beliefs align and conflict with the cultural identity of those they serve. This webinar will provide opportunities for learners to engage with scenarios that will help to highlight misalignment and steps to ensure cultural humility and respect is being practiced. Finally, this webinar will wrap up with the beginning steps to reconcile any misaligned values and beliefs to help learners ensure they are working toward diversity, equity, and inclusion for all those serve as well as social justice for their community and the larger system, as well. This webinar will utilize exercises, small and large group discussion, and visual displays.
Synchronous live webinar format
Cost: $25.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.
May 13, 2025
Mental Health Challenges Among First Generation Americans: Clinical Recommendations
9 a.m to 12:15 p.m.
Presented by: Maria Laguna
First generation Americans (born to immigrant parents or naturalized U.S. citizens) are vulnerable to experiencing a number of unique challenges: conflicts between family values and society values, ambivalent relationship with their bodies and sexuality, imposter syndrome, parentification as children, internalized oppression, amongst others. Exposed to the immigration trauma their parents suffered, 1st generation Americans navigate two cultural worlds. In families of immigrants who have limited access to the English language, first generation Americans become cultural brokers of their parents, acting as translators, assistants, etc. This workshop will introduce best practices when working clinically with this population, technical recommendations, and assessment skills to sensitize clinicians to common issues and ways to address them. The presenter will use a clinical vignette and identify potential issues and interventions relevant to this population.
Synchronous live webinar format
Cost: $75.00.
WMU faculty, staff, and current year instructors can apply a 25% fee adjustment before checkout.
WMU students can apply a 50% fee adjustment before checkout.