Ongoing Professional Training for Human Services Workers in Aging

• Developing Effective Helping Relationships (A revised version of "Effective Counseling Skills") .pdf flier
• Effective Social Work Practice in Adult Services: A Core Curriculum .pdf flier
• Effective Supervision and Management in Adult Services .pdf flier
• Geriatric Mental Health
• Working with Clients with Serious Mental Illness: The DSS Perspective .pdf flier
• Working with Older Adults and Their Families (A revised version of "An Introduction to Aging").pdf flier

  Advanced Topics in Social Work Practice

• Beginning with the End in Mind: Refining Your Skills in Termination .pdf flier
• Ethics in Everyday Practice .pdf flier
• Substance Use and Older Adults .pdf flier
• Cognitive Impairments: It's Not Just Alzheimer's .pdf flier

Ongoing Professional Training for Senior Center Managers

• The Ann Johnson Institute for Senior Center Management
• Scoping Out the SCOPE: The Senior Center Certification Process

Training for County Social Workers and Other Human Services Personnel

Developing Effective Helping Relationships. This workshop is an opportunity for those working with older adults to learn and enhance helping skills in a highly participatory two-day curriculum. This training is intended to teach participants the skills of relationship building, empathic listening, redirection, and various counseling approaches, which can be used immediately with adults and their families. Training methods include lecturettes, discussion, and demonstrations, as well as extensive skills practice for participants, with individualized feedback from instructors. 25 participants; registration fee, $40

• February 12-13, Asheboro
• April 22-23, Spindale

Effective Social Work Practice in Adult Services: A Core Curriculum. This six-day event is designed to help DSS adult services social workers integrate the concepts of A Model for Excellence in Adult Services Administration and Social Work Practice into their practice—family–centered social work, empowerment of adults and their families, and the importance of cultural differences. Participants practice basic skills in counseling, functional assessment, helping adults and families set goals, emergency and crisis intervention, and service planning and monitoring. Participants also practice using a set of tools for case record-keeping to document their practice. 25 participants; registration fee, $65

• January 8-10 and 22-24, Graham
• February 26-28 and March 11-13, Washington
• May 6-8 and 21-23, Brevard

Effective Supervision and Management in Adult Services. This curriculum provides knowledge and skills essential for the administrative, supportive, and educational functions of adult services managers. Each four-day event provides the opportunity to examine current professional concepts, practice their application, and share ideas and experiences.

In past years, this curriculum has been taught as two-day modules on each topic, with four modules offered in any year. Supervisors who completed all six modules received a special certificate. In 2008, we will offer the whole curriculum as 2 four-day events, each covering three modules. Supervisors who have already completed one or more modules of this curriculum may register for part of an event, with the cost prorated to $20 per day of training. Before registering, contact Libby Phillips to make arrangements. 20 participants; registration fee, $80 per event

• I. Developing Your Workforce, April 7-10, Wilmington
  • Module 1: The Supervisor's Role in Supporting Excellent Adult Services Social Work Practice
  • Module 4: The Supervisor's Role in Directing Daily Social Work Activities  
  • Module 5: The Supervisor's Role in Teaching and Motivation
• II. Working with the Community, June 9-12, Wilmington
  • Module 2: The Supervisor's Role as a Leader in Planning
  • Module 3: The Supervisor's Role in Developing a Supportive Community Environment
  • Module 6: The Supervisor's Role in Managing Program Performance

Geriatric Mental Health. This four-day event provides knowledge and skills for work with older adults with mental disorders and with their families. It contains modules on normal aging; an overview of mental disorders in older adults; specialized assessment techniques; review of biopsychosocial treatments such as psychotropic medications, behavioral approaches to dementia, and counseling; and information on legal issues and community resources. 25 participants; AHECs set the fee

• Please note: Registration for these events is through the AHECs.
• March 6-7 and April 10-11, Charlotte AHEC
• May 13-14 and June 10-11, Greenville, Eastern AHEC

Working with Clients with Serious Mental Illness. This two-day workshop enhances social workers' knowledge and skills in providing services to adults with serious mental illness. It covers symptoms and functional problems associated with severe and persistent mental illness; medications and side effects; emotional effects of these illnesses on adults and their families; access to mental health services; and management of difficult behaviors. 25 participants; registration fee, $40

• March 25-26, New Bern
• June 25-26, Asheboro

Working with Older Adults and Their Families. This two-day foundation course in aging for health and human services professionals from diverse settings is designed to provide basic information and skills needed to work effectively with older adults and their families. Its eight modules cover normal aging, diversity and aging, cognitive loss and older adults, mental health issues among older adults, change and loss, family and caregiver issues, transitions, and the network of resources available to older adults. (This course replaces "An Introduction to Aging"). 25 participants; registration fee, $40

• January 15-16, Winston-Salem
• April 1-2, Wilmington

Advanced Topics in Social Work Practice

Beginning with the End in Mind: Refining Your Skills in Termination. Termination is an integral part of family-centered social work practice. This workshop helps social workers and supervisors refine their skills in ending work with clients and families in a way that acknowledges successes, supports clients and families' change, and "says a good good-bye." Because not all endings are planned or positive, this event also covers strategies social workers can use to work with less than ideal outcomes. 25 participants; registration fee, $20

• January 29, Mocksville
• March 18, Sylva

Ethics in Everyday Practice. Adult services workers are faced with ethical dilemmas involving confidentiality, privacy, self-determination, boundaries, telecommunications, and dual roles, to name just a few. Effective ethical decision making requires self-reflection, knowledge of social work standards, use of resources, and supervisory support. This one-day workshop reviews ways to identify and make ethical decisions and gives participants practice in resolving everyday dilemmas. 25 participants; registration fee, $20

• May 29, Bolivia
• June 4, Statesville

Substance Use and Older Adults. Alcohol and prescription drug misuse/abuse affects as many as 17 percent of older adults. This silent epidemic can mimic other behavioral or medical disorders during the assessment, screening, and treatment process. This workshop helps adult services workers recognize symptoms of substance abuse, practice screening questions, and identify treatment options in the community. 25 participants; registration fee, $20

• February 19, Henderson
• April 29, Mt. Airy

Cognitive Impairments: It's Not Just Alzheimer's. North Carolina's citizens are living longer—into the ages when they are at greater risk for conditions that cause cognitive impairments. How can professionals who work with older adults support clients and their families in living as well and as freely as possible? This two-day advanced workshop will review cognitive impairments and their causes, teach strategies for assessments, and provide opportunities to practice communication skills with clients. It also addresses the needs of family caregivers, and suggests ways to support and assist these individuals in their caregiving relationships. (This event now contains some of the material formerly taught in "Applications in Family-centered Practice.") 25 participants; registration fee, $40

• February 6-7, Pinehurst
• April 15-16, Whiteville
• June 17-18, Boone

Training for Senior Center Managers

The NC Division of Aging and Adult Services registers participants for these events. Visit their website for details.

The Ann Johnson Institute for Senior Center Management This series of workshops is a certificate program for senior center managers and administrative staff. Each module is two and a half days.

• Module 1: The Empowered Manager
• Module 2: The Art of Supervision and Developing Human Resources
• Module 3: Senior Center Operations and Financing
• Module 4: Community Involvement and Governance
• Module 5: Creative Planning and Evaluation
• Module 6: Dynamic Communications, Marketing, and Advocacy

Scoping Out the SCOPE: The Senior Center Certification Process This one-day event for managers of senior centers who plan to apply for certification through the NC Division of Aging acquaints them with the application process and site visit procedure.

Registration Procedure

• Register online through our registration site. (Please note, though, that your registration is not complete until we receive your registration fee or a copy of your agency's authorization of payment.)
• Print the registration form, complete it, and send it with your check for the registration fee.

CARES, Jordan Institute for Families
School of Social Work, CB# 3550
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550

If your agency is paying your registration fee, you may fax the registration form accompanied by a copy of your agency's authorization of payment to CARES at (919) 962-3653. We will make full refunds for cancellation before the deadline for registration for each event, 10 working days before the first day of the workshop. No refund can be made for cancellations after that date, but you may send a substitute. Please call Libby Phillips at CARES, (919) 962-0650, to register a substitute.

If you need the aids or services provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act to enable you to attend these events, please contact us at least one month before the event.