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Continuing Education Courses About Families

At Free State Social Work, we provide great online continuing education about families for social workers, counselors, and therapists!

All of our courses are $5.99 per credit hour. We also offer an unlimited package! One year of unlimited courses is $74.99 and two years are $124.99.

Click here for more details about our unlimited packages.

Click here for more information about how to get started.


Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Family Therapy Part 1 (6 credit hours)

Program Summary:   This course examines the benefits and challenges of family therapy in SUD treatment.  The course explores how substance misuse can impact family systems, how family systems can impact substance misuse, and and the value of family involvement in SUD treatment.   Common family dynamics and terminology are discussed including rules, roles, boundaries, and power structures.  An overview of different family counseling approaches is given.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists.

Read the complete description of this course…..


Working with LGBTQ+ Families in Foster Care and Adoption (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:   This course examines supportive practices for working with LGBTQ+ families in foster care and adoption and offers guidance for building trusting and successful relationships. The course describes the advantages and challenges of engaging, recruiting, and helping LGBTQ+  families and aims to strengthen cultural competence for child welfare professionals.  Suggestions for creating a welcoming and affirming agency are given.

This course is recommended for social workers and counselors and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.   Read the complete description of this course…..


Preventing the Use of Marijuana: Focus on Women and Pregnancy (2 credit hours)

Program Summary:   This course offers an overview of marijuana use during pregnancy and includes a discussion of contributing socioeconomic, personal, and risk factors.  Potential harms are examined.  The course explores broader evidence-based practices that focus on preventing substance misuse, including SBIRT, integrated clinics, health communication campaigns, contingency management, postpartum home visits, and policies.  Six effective prevention programs are highlighted.

This course is recommended for social workers and counselors and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  

Read the complete description of this course…..


Building Partnerships to Support Stable Housing for Child Welfare-Involved Families and Youth (1 credit hour)

Program Summary:  This course explores the overlap between housing instability and child welfare involvement and examines how providing housing-related services to youth and families can support the goals of child well-being and safety.  An overview of housing programs and services is provided and includes a discussion of Continuums of Care, Housing First, Rapid Housing, and Public Housing Authorities.   The course offers guidance for how to collaborate with housing and homelessness services.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists and it is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  

Read the complete description of this course…..


Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Working with Families (2 credit hours)

Program Summary:  This course explores family counseling in SUD treatment and provides an overview of family-based counseling interventions.  Common family characteristics are examined using a systems perspective.  Four main family-based models are discussed in this course: the chronic disease model disease, family systems theory, cognitive-behavioral theory, and multidimensional family therapy.  Benefits and challenges of family counseling in SUD treatment are discussed.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists and it is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  

Read the complete description of this course…..


Preparing Adoptive Families (2 credit hours)

Program Summary:  This course explores the importance of preparing and supporting parents, children, and youth for adoption.  It offers guidance and strategies for those who work with adoptive families and includes information on trauma, attachment, self care, financial considerations, and preplacement visits.  The course also explores the impact of adoption and 7 core issues including loss, rejection, shame, grief, identity, intimacy, and mastery and control.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists and it is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.   Read the complete description of this course…..


Child Protection in Families Experiencing Domestic Violence 2nd edition (6 credit hours)

Program Summary:  This course explores the co-occurrence of child maltreatment and domestic violence and provides guidance for child welfare workers and domestic violence advocates who work with families experiencing domestic violence.  It highlights the tactics of abuse, common characteristics of perpetrators, key characteristics of adult survivors, the effects of domestic violence on children, risk and protective factors, the child protection process,  safety assessment, safety planning, developing the family plan, documentation, enhancing worker safety, and collaboration.   Case examples are given.  Emphasis is placed on survivor safety and perpetrator accountability.

This course is recommended for social workers, counselors, and therapists and appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice. Read the complete description of this course…..


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