Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice for Children, Youth, and Families (CYF)
For the experienced clinician, the Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice for Children, Youth, and Families provides a deep exploration of the cutting-edge theoretical perspectives of attachment, trauma informed care, and neuroscience, as they relate to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of these groups. In addition, participants select three electives in evidence-based treatment modalities and two electives in treatment focuses for children, youth, and families to gain advanced knowledge and deepen their practice in their particular area of expertise.
Target Audience:Intended for the experienced clinician.
Each course is 6 hours in length,offered in one full-day session,and offers 6 CEUs for students who complete the entire course. Qualified students may complete the courses in any order they choose, and may take any course(s) without committing to completing the certificate.
To receive the certificate, students must complete the 3 required courses and 5 electives within 3 years.
Theoretical Perspectives (3 required)
1. AttachmentTheory(Course CORE-1)
2.Trauma Informed Care (Course CORE-2)
3.Neuroscience (Course CORE-3)
Children, Youth, and Families Treatment Modalities (choose 3)
1.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TM1)
2.Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills for Children, Youth, & Families (Course CYF-TM2)
3. Motivational Interviewing for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TM3)
4. Narrative Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TM4)
5. Family Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TM5)
6. Play Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TM6)
Children, Youth, and Families Treatment Focuses (choose 2)
1.Sexuality and Gender Across the Lifespan (Course CYF-TF1)
2. Substance Use Disorders for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TF2)
3. Suicide Prevention Across the Lifespan (Course CYF-TF 3)
4. Trauma and Interpersonal Violence for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TF4)
5. Neurodevelopmental Disorders for Children, Youth, and Families (Course CYF-TF5)
CYF
Certificate Information
To receive a certificate, students must complete the three core courses and five electives (three Treatment Modality courses and two Treatment Focus courses), for a total of eight courses. Each certificate program offers 14 course options. The core courses are the same for both certificate programs. A student who completes the core courses for one certificate program need not retake them to complete the other certificate program.
Each core course will be offered at least once per year. In addition, several Treatment Modalities and Treatment Focuses electives for each certificate program will be offered each semester. Students may take up to 3 years to complete the certificate.
Full-day courseswill run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with an hour lunch break from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Summer 2025
Social Work Certificate Courses in
Advanced Clinical Practice - Online
Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET
Registration deadline:Course registration will close onThursday at midnight prior to each Tuesday course
andTuesday at midnight prior to each Friday course.
- Online participants are required to have a computer with video and audio capability.
- Participants must create a Zoom account in advance according to Boston College security requirements.
- All programs offered online via Zoom will be delivered live and will not be recorded unless stated otherwise.
- These programs have a maximum capacity to allow for participant engagement. Register early to avoid disappointment!
SummerSemester Savings!
1 Course = $150
2 Courses = 10% Discount Each
3 Courses = 15% Discount Each
4 Courses = 20% Discount Each
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Mary Chao, LMHC
Substance Use Disorders for Children, Youth, and Families
This course examines theory, clinical dimensions, and best practices pertaining to substance use and addiction in youth, young adults, and families. Goals are to offer foundations for understanding crucial characteristics of substance use and addiction, and to provide a framework for addressing substance use needs of youth and their families. Beginning with the history of anti-drug policies and how stigma plays a role in popular conceptions of addiction, this course will explore how substance use is expressed in child development and the diagnostic criteria for Substance Use Disorders. Participants will examine best practices and approaches in assessment, intervention, and treatment of substance use problems for young people, using their clinical experiences as examples for application.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will describe the impact of stigma and risk factors associated with substance use.
- Participants will identify the theory of development and impact of substance use on children, adolescents, and family systems.
- Participants will examine substance use assessment tools for youth in need of intervention and/or treatment.
- Participants will identify best practices to address substance use in youth and families.
- Participants will analyze substance use through a dimensional framework and identify criteria that endorse Substance Use Disorders.
CYF
Advanced Clinical Practice for CYF - Treatment Focus Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Daniel Morehead, MD
Neuroscience
Neuroscience constitutes an exciting though vast and disorienting field. This course will synthesize information from primary neuroscience into a coherent and usable form for clinical social work, human social life, and everyday life. We will review brain structure and function, then discuss illuminating aspects of brain science in human development, adversity, resilience, and health. Finally, we will connect specific mental health disorders and treatments to neuropathology, as well as social challenges and inequities. Throughout the course, we will emphasize the brain as one aspect of human nature, a level of dynamic organization that both reflects and influences social and psychological experience, and ultimately cannot be separated from them. No prior knowledge of neuroscience is required, and the class format will be interactive.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn brain anatomy and function for the purposes of understanding relevant clinical literature and neuroscience-based theories.
- Participants will learn the neuroscience and physiology of normal stress and its relation to the development of mental illness.
- Participants will learn the neuroscience of fear and trauma, including the developmental consequences of early life adversity.
- Participants will explore the neuroscience of major depression, PTSD, anxiety, and their treatment.
- Participants will be exposed to the complex and mutual interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors in mental health.
CORE
Advanced Clinical Practice - Core Course
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Tsana Dimanin, MSW, LICSW, NIC
Family Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families
In this course geared toward working professionals, the focus for Family Therapy will be on real-world case examples and discussion. Subjects addressed will include ethics and dynamics within family work and practicing techniques when working with families both in-home and in the office. Several modalities will be discussed and resources will be shared for help with your work with families. Group work/role play and interactive discussion will be utilized throughout the day. If you aim to work with families or already have experience doing so, this course will be a great addition to your professional portfolio and practice toolbox.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will practice techniques for different modalities of family therapy.
- Participants will identify and discuss ethical challenges when working with families.
- Participants will gain resources for working with community resources (i.e., state agencies, non-profits, schools, etc.) and families.
- Participants will recognize and learn tools to confront intergenerational cultural dissonance within a family.
CYF
Advanced Clinical Practice for CYF - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Susan Lee Tohn, MSW, LICSW
Solution-Focused Therapy for Adults, Part 1
(Part 2 to be offered during Summer 2025 Social Work Workshops Series)
Solution-focused work is ideal for these challenging times as the model meets the client's needs in fewer sessions than traditional models and applies to a culturally diverse clientele. Solution Focused Brief Therapy focuses on "change" not "problems" and applies to both the micro and macro levels of working with individuals, families, and groups. Solution Focused Therapy empowers people to create and realize their solutions, and emphasizes strong rapport and active participation by both client and therapist. The training will challenge participants to explore their assumptions and provide them with many hands-on techniques they will be able to incorporate immediately into their work. This Part 1 (of 2 parts) training will include: the miracle question, exceptions, and scaling for an initial session.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to explain the 13 Solution Focused assumptions.
- Participants will be able to explain the unique paradigm for “cooperating with clients.”
- Participants will be able to demonstrate an amplifying exception question.
- Participants will be able to demonstrate asking the miracle question.
- Participants will be able to describe the three types of exception questions.
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Nicki Roth, LICSW
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Children, Youth, and Families
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral treatment that aims to replace ineffective or maladaptive behavior with skillful responses, and helps clients become more comfortable with change. The term “dialectical” means a synthesis or integration of opposites; the primary dialectic within DBT is between the seemingly opposite strategies of acceptance and change. This course provides an orientation and overview of DBT and teaches how to implement skills training into clinical practice. Participants will learn Acceptance-Oriented and Change-Oriented Skills for individual and group therapy, and explore interventions focused on developing Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness skills. Through case studies, interactive discussions, role-plays, and worksheets, you will take away practical strategies to use immediately with any client, including teens and families.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn to describe the primary dialectic of DBT.
- Participants will be able to name a treatment function of DBT.
- Participants will be able to describe the components of a behavioral chain analysis.
- Participants will name the DBT skills modules and identify their primary functions and corresponding skills.
- Participants will be able to name commitment strategies to engage clients in treatment and encourage skills usage.
CYF
Advanced Clinical Practice for CYF - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Jennifer Roman-Martin, LICSW
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma-informed care is a commonly used term that is not often clearly defined and can lack clear guidance on implementation. This course will explore how to embody the principles and practices of trauma-informed care to actively resist the risk of re-traumatization and promote healing and stabilization. Participants will develop an understanding of ways to enact trauma-responsive social work practice to support varied and individualized paths towards well-being across the lifespan. Throughout, we will explore how to respond to overwhelm and trauma in practice settings, as well as how to be effective advocates for healing-centered practice.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will understand the current conceptualization of trauma, traumatic stress, and related symptoms within and beyond the DSM-V.
- Participants will learn trauma-responsive intervention strategies for social work practice, starting from intake and assessment and throughout treatment.
- Participants will examine the role of the practitioner in the healing system that can be developed with the client.
- Participants will identify and respond to vicarious traumatization and secondary traumatic stress as it presents in interactions with clients, provider teams, and systems.
CORE
Advanced Clinical Practice - Core Course
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructors: Greg Bodine, LICSW, and Matt Mooney, MSW, LICSW
Narrative Therapy for Adults
This course will introduce students to Narrative Therapy’s collaborative, respectful, and socially just ways of understanding people and problems. An examination of the distinction between Narrative and Normative Worldviews will be followed by examples of Narrative Therapy in practice and opportunities for experiential learning. The intention of this course is to offer participants a taste of the politics and ethics that guide Narrative Therapy practices. Participants will learn about approaches that narrative therapists take in working with people who are experiencing problems in their lives and relationships.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn how the ideas, values, and relational ethics of the Narrative Worldview differ from those of a Normative Worldview.
- Participants will understand the significance of stories and cultural norms in shaping people’s identities and understandings of problems.
- Participants will become acquainted with the “de-centered but influential” stance of the narrative practitioner.
- Participants will consider the ways therapists are positioned within the helping contexts, with particular emphasis on how various ways of relating might affect those seeking their help.
- Participants will have the opportunity to witness and reflect on examples of Narrative Therapy in practice.
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Modality Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Online via Zoom • 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)
Instructor: Kimberly Knowles, LMHC, ATR
Trauma and Interpersonal Violence for Adults
This course will explore the psychological impact that interpersonal violence has on adults. We will formulate the underlying issues that drive complex trauma symptoms, and discuss trauma assessment, the psychological defense system, and dissociation. We will focus on what life is like after trauma, specifically the impact it has on body, mind, and spirit. Participants will learn about trauma-informed best practices, interventions, and treatment planning. We will honor resilience, survival, and self-preservation. Throughout this course, participants will learn about trauma-informed interventions and understand the importance of viewing symptoms through a trauma lens.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn to recognize trauma-related symptoms.
- Participants will learn the effects of trauma on the body and mind.
- Participants will understand the complex survival system.
- Participants will learn skills to stabilize and treat clients in a trauma-sensitive way.
- Participants will learn about vicarious trauma exposure, and practice creating a plan of proactive care (including mindfulness, self-compassion, and support).
Adult
Advanced Clinical Practice for Adults - Treatment Focus Elective
Course Fee: $150
CEUs: 6
Certificate Program Instructors
General Admission
General Admission for each certificate course is $150.
Spring Semester Savings!
1 Course = $150
2 Courses = 10% Discount Each
3 Courses = 15% Discount Each
4 Courses = 20% Discount Each
General Information:
You must be at least 18 years old to participate in the Advanced Clinical Practice courses. All sales are final; we are not able to offer refunds. Registrations may not be transferred to another person or to another course, workshop, or program.
Online registration is required to participate in a course. Tuition for each certificate course is to be paid by debit or credit card. Registrations will be processed upon receipt of payment. Payment is due in full in order to enroll.
These courses are approved for CEUs for Social Workers in MA, CT, RI, and VT. They meet the requirements for Continuing Education Hours established by the State Board of Social Worker Licensure in ME. If your state is not listed, please check with your local state licensing board to ensure the course meets state requirements prior to registering.
Boston College Continuing Education is required to ensure attendance to award CEUs. Participants must attend the complete program(s) they register for to receive CEUs; we are not able to award partial CEUs. Those who arrive late, leave early, or do not attend the entire program will be unable to receive CEUs.
Getting to Campus
Parking is available at the nearby Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue Garages. Discounted parking passes are available upon registration.
Boston College is also accessible via public transportation (MBTA B Line - Boston College).