Ethics and Boundaries
Rooted in
Core Values
Enhancing care & career.
The long history of human services professionals is rooted in the core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity and competence. We strive to promote these core values in relevant Ethics and Boundaries continuing education offerings.
Trauma-Informed Ethics & Boundaries: Working with Triggers
October 18, 2024 (Virtual) OR
February 21, 2025 (Virtual)
8:30-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
This workshop is meant for all direct care professionals who want to understand how Trauma (Healing) Informed Care is Ethical Care. The direct care field includes many roles and is built on interpersonal interactions. This makes it imperative that professionals uphold ethical standards with participants, colleagues and within their profession. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and the 6 Key Principles to Trauma (Healing) Informed Care will be explored and aligned, with a specific look at responding to triggers with approaches that help prioritize impact over the intention. Attendees are invited to bring knowledge, experience, and challenges to share with their colleagues to apply real-world examples throughout. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Identify at least two of the six NASW Core Values
- Identify at least two of the six Key Principles of Trauma (Healing) Informed Approaches
- Identify at least one self-care strategy, along with at least two ways in which that strategy will benefit participants and/or others
Melinda Marasch
It has been Melinda's life’s passion to help others, first as a psycho-therapist and now as a consultant.She specializes in training (in-person and online) and supervising non-therapist direct care staff and helping direct care organizations be effective and efficient. She has expertise in many areas, including HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, criminal justice/law enforcement and much more.
Ethics and Boundaries: How to Thrive in a Generational Historical Pandemic
November 8, 2024 (Virtual)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
This workshop will compare and contrast how the pandemic and generational factors are in the fiber of the U.S. and is still impacting African American and Black people, discussing how these factors still impact them mentally, spiritually and physically. Participants will talk about how to navigate through this pandemic in order to thrive for success mentally, spiritually to prevent drug use and crime. This workshop will offer solutions and talk therapy role plays. The content is relevant for all ages, ethnic groups or social or economic status. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Learn from historical context about how systemic barriers influence some individuals to turn to drugs and alcohol
- Learn how to build rapport with clients, so that they feel more comfortable talking about historical trauma
- Gain a broad perspective by learning from your clients while growing awareness of unconditional positive regard
Clem Richardson, MS, ICS-IT, CSAC, MAC
In addition to private practice, Clem works with prison re-reentry at Project RETURN and WCS with men or women from urban, rural or suburban populations.Clem has lived experience with drugs, gangs and addictions he completed inpatient treatment over 26 years ago he has never looked back only to empower others. He earned an associate's degree in theology, an undergraduate degree in human services, and a graduate degree as a professional counselor.
Ethics and Boundaries: Exploring Racial Justice in Social Work - White Privilege & Allyship
December 13, 2024 (Virtual)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
This workshop will explore white privilege in social work through the lens of racial justice and the role allyship has in today's social work practice and what we as professionals can do to break down barriers of racial injustice. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Discuss white privilege in the context of modern social work practice and social justice
- Discuss allyship in the context of modern social work practice and social justice
- Challenge the concept of racial justice and allyship in your practice
Ricky Ferrari Traner
Ricky works as the Manager of the Prevention & Early Intervention Section with the Division of Safety & Permanence in DCF.He earned a bachelor’s degree in social welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ricky also co-chairs the statewide Trauma-Informed Care Action Team with the Office of Children’s Mental Health.
Sustainable Social Work: Ethics, Boundaries & Self-Care
January 10, 2025 (Virtual)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
This training is designed to explore ethics and boundaries from the perspective of sustaining oneself in practice. Participants will gain understanding on factors that relate to self-awareness, self-care and ethical practice. Strategies to promote healthy work environments and maintain a work-life balance will be presented. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Understand the connection between self-care and ethical practice
- Examine personal and environmental factors that influence self-awareness and self-care in practice
- Review boundaries as a primary component of self-care
Joan Groessl
Associate Professor & Chair, Social WorkJoan Groessl, MSW, PhD, LCSW, has extensive experience teaching ethics at the graduate level as well as continuing education programs in ethics and boundaries. Her research emphasis has been on ethical decision making and moral development.
Justine Terzinski
Licensed Clinical Social WorkerJustine Terzinski has experience in both case management and clinical mental health therapy. She also has a strong professional background in substance use treatment as well as working closely with community resources and grant funded opportunities.
Ethics and Boundaries: Embracing the Gray in Post Pandemic Practice
January 17, 2025 (Virtual)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
Boundaries have been blurred, the landscape of our professional practice have encroached upon our personal lives, and the relationships with our clients and colleagues have changed. The pandemic asked much of us by way of flexibility and adaptation; much of it to best serve our clients, but at what cost? Is virtual practice blending into your home life? Do you feel like the clear and rigid boundaries you once had created to protect dual relationships have crumbled or blurred? Have colleagues gotten a glimpse into your world via the virtual space, perhaps sharing more than what seems comfortable? We will explore all the new gray areas in our practice and collegial spaces. Uniquely, participants in the session will provide examples of ethical dilemmas they have faced and will walk through the challenges to learn how to best embrace, or color the gray, to improve ethical decision making when circumstances arise. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Explore and learn how to apply an ethical decision-making model in everyday practice
- Discover the importance of focus; learning to be fully present and request what you need to maintain healthy boundaries with clients and colleagues
- Recognize and embrace the gray of personal decision making when ethical dilemmas are presented
Dana Johnson
Dana Johnson is a career social worker, practicing in senior level management in state government, county human services, an educator in higher education.He also operates a consulting firm. His experience includes child welfare practice, policy, and reform, transformational organizational leadership and culture change, supervision of teams, continuous quality improvement, and dynamic equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts across micro, mezzo, and macro systems.
Ethics and Boundaries: Considerations with Supervision in Cross-Cultural Settings
February 7, 2025 (Virtual)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Fee: $109
Supervisors are responsible for several key factors in supervisees’ development and professional skills. Despite consultation and cultural competence being a standard for practitioners, supervisors are limited in how to provide adequate coaching and mentorship for supervisees from minoritized communities, thus exacerbating the power dynamics between supervisor and supervisee. This workshop will support supervisors with self-reflection and culturally-centered practices to improve the supervision process while reducing institutional harm. Cultural humility will be explored to address how personal identities show up in the workforce and how relevant sociocultural issues impact the supervisory space. Continuing Education: 0.4 CEUs/4 CEHs.
- Relate the impact of intersectional identities and its trauma on minoritized supervisees during the supervisory process
- Increase awareness on effective methods when supervising practitioners of color
- Facilitate brave spaces to explore supervisory experiences to reduce biases and microaggressions
Sheng Lee Yang
Sheng Lee Yang is a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker, President and Executive Director for Us 2 Behavioral Health Care.Her professional experiences include direct care and leadership positions in public, private, government and nonprofit institutions. Her personal and professional experiences helped cultivate a vision to integrate social justice and cultural humility into mental health. She teaches graduate level courses in clinical mental health and diversity and inclusion.
Special Topics
We also offer courses on special topics, developed to promote awareness and sensitivity of cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic and neurodiversity.
Need Guidance?
If you need additional guidance, please contact Kayle Petitjean, Office of Professional Continuing Education, at professionaled@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2642.