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
January 21, 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 with 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: Live virtual webinar
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.
February 11, 2025
Mental Health Challenges Among First Generation Americans
9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Presented by: Maria Laguna
This course aims to educate attendees on First generation Americans (born to immigrant parents or naturalized U.S. citizens) and their vulnerability 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.
Self-Paced Asynchronous Training
Below are courses offered starting in January, 2025.
The post-MSW School Social Work Series is offered three times a year in January, June and September contingent on demand. We offer three courses that meet the requirements set forth by the Michigan Department of Education to be certified as a School Social Worker. Please complete the form below to indicate your interest and to be notified when registration opens. You can read more about how to become a certified school social worker on the School of Social Work's page.
Post-MSW Continuing Education Series | School Social Work | School Social Work Policy
Post MSW School Social Work series inquiry form
Courses in series
- Policy
- This is the first of three required courses for those who wish to practice social work in a public-school setting in the State of Michigan. The role of the social worker in elementary and secondary schools and the necessary adaptations to the changes taking place in the educational scene are examined and evaluated. Problem solving approaches are given special attention within the structure and organization of the schools and their relationships with the surrounding community. You must have already obtained an MSW prior to taking this course. This course is asynchronous online and runs for 12 weeks. You can register for these courses at the same time or take them separately. Continuing education available for: SW (30 CE Credits).
- Intervention
- This is the second required course for those who wish to practice social work in a public-school setting in the State of Michigan. The role of the school social worker in school-based assessments is examined. Assessment for School Social Workers is one of three courses that are required for the educational component of the School Social Work certificate in the State of Michigan. You must have already obtained an MSW prior to taking this course. This course is asynchronous online and runs for 12 weeks. You can register for these courses at the same time or take them separately. Continuing education available for: SW (30 CE Credits).
- Assessment
- This is the third and final required course for those who wish to practice school social work in a public-school setting in the State of Michigan. The specific contributions of a school social worker as a helping person to the pupils, the school staff and the homes by various interventive means are explored. You must have already obtained an MSW prior to taking this course. This course is asynchronous online and runs for 12 weeks. You can register for these courses at the same time or take them separately. Continuing education available for: SW (30 CE Credits).