Program Summary:  The following course highlights research with military Veterans, and information for this course is provided by the National Center for PTSD and the US Department of Veterans Affairs.  This course explores PTSD in older adults and at the end of life and identifies clinical considerations for assessment and treatment.  The course describes how PTSD and aging may interact in new and challenging ways, resulting in the potential for older adults to experience an exacerbation of symptoms for several reasons.  Implications for end of life care are considered and strategies for the management of PTSD symptoms are included.

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

Read the complete description of this course…..

Program Summary:   This course explores Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and offers an integrative, multifaceted approach to dementia care.  The course highlights multiple factors that may improve care and quality of life, including the benefits of exercise, music, art, nutrition, cognitive behavioral therapy, and acupuncture.  An overview of Alzheimer’s disease and the brain is given, with a discussion of signs, symptoms, stages, diagnosis, treatment, and support.

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

Program Summary:  This updated course explores communication in cancer care and highlights the importance of effective, high-quality, bidirectional communication for patients and families.  The course examines the challenges involved in cancer-related communication and acknowledges that better models and strategies are needed.  Research findings, communication models, and demographic and cultural considerations are discussed.

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…..

Program Summary:  This course explores evidence and practice issues related to grief, bereavement, and coping with loss.  The course compares different types of grief reactions and includes models of normal grief, patterns of complicated grief, and risk factors for complicated grief. Using the DSM-5, the course differentiates a normal grieving process from a major depressive episode.  Treatment considerations are discussed.  In addition, the course looks at the grief experiences of medical providers as well as grief in children.

The new diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) with diagnostic criteria was added to the DSM-5-TR in March of 2022.  It is classified as a trauma and stressor related disorder and characterized by “intense longings for the deceased or preoccupation with thoughts of the deceased.”(Please see APA Offers Tips for Understanding Prolonged Grief Disorder for more information).  The diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder has supporters and critics.  Supporters contend that a DSM diagnosis allows for important treatment, research and funding; critics voice concerns related to pathologizing a human emotional response.

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…..

Program Summary:  This course explores the different types of dementia and includes an overview of Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal disorders, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia.  Causes, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, and management are discussed.  The course includes research supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute on Aging.

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

Program Summary:   This course explores the unique needs and challenges of older adults with serious mental illness and provides an overview of evidence-based psychosocial interventions.  Five interventions are examined including Assertive Community Treatment, Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training, Functional Adaptation Skills Training, Integrated Illness Management and Recovery, and Helping Older People Experience Success.  The course offers guidance for selecting and implementing evidence-based practices.

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…..