Category: Social Work Practice
Build the skills you’ll actually use with clients through practical, case-driven continuing education. Learn assessment, intervention, and communication approaches that enhance client outcomes.
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How to Build a Therapeutic Alliance Through a Screen
Read more: How to Build a Therapeutic Alliance Through a ScreenThis is an excerpt from SWTP CEU’s 3-CE Telehealth in Social Work Practice course. The first time you meet a new client via video, you’ll notice something feels different. Not worse, not better—just different. You can’t read their full body language. You can’t gauge how they fill the physical space of your office. You don’t…
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Why Family Systems Matter in Substance Use Treatment
Read more: Why Family Systems Matter in Substance Use TreatmentThe following is an excerpt from the 6-CE SWTP CEUs course, Substance Use in Families: Beyond the Identified Patient. The intake form says Miguel Torres, age 16, marijuana use. His school social worker made the referral after the third time he showed up high to class. You’re three minutes into the family session when you…
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Myths vs. Facts About Suicide
Read more: Myths vs. Facts About SuicideThis is excerpted from the SWTP CEU course, Suicide Risk Assessment and Intervention. Given the scope and complexity of suicide as demonstrated by these epidemiological patterns, it becomes crucial to address common misconceptions that can interfere with effective prevention efforts. Understanding and dispelling common myths about suicide is essential for effective social work practice. These…
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Why Spirituality Matters in Social Work Practice
Read more: Why Spirituality Matters in Social Work Practice(This is an excerpt from the SWTP CEU course, Religious and Spiritual Competency for Social Workers.) A client sits across from you, grieving the sudden death of her husband. She keeps saying, “I just don’t understand why God would do this to me.” You nod, validate her pain, ask about her support system. But you…
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You Have Bias. Now What?
Read more: You Have Bias. Now What?Excerpted from SWTP CEU’s Recognizing and Managing Bias 4.5 CE course.) You’re reviewing your case notes from this week. One client—a Black woman in her 30s—you described as “guarded” and “resistant to engaging in treatment.” Another client—a white woman, same age, similar presentation—you described as “appropriately cautious” and “taking time to build trust.” Same behavior.…
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Immigration Status on Intake Forms: What Social Workers Need to Know
Read more: Immigration Status on Intake Forms: What Social Workers Need to KnowAdapted from the SWTP CEUs course, Immigration Status & Social Work Practice. Your intake form has a dropdown menu labeled “Citizenship Status” with options: U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, Work Visa, Student Visa, Other, Prefer Not to Answer. The field is marked with a red asterisk—required. You can’t move forward in the electronic health record without…
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How Social Workers Integrate CBT with Social Justice Values
Read more: How Social Workers Integrate CBT with Social Justice ValuesAdapted from the SWTP CE course Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Social Workers. One of the most common questions social workers ask about CBT is whether it truly fits our profession’s values. If social work is rooted in social justice, how does a method focused on changing individual thoughts and behaviors help dismantle systemic oppression?…
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Know the Signs: Types and Indicators of Child Abuse
Read more: Know the Signs: Types and Indicators of Child AbuseWhen you walk into the community center that Thursday morning, you immediately notice Keisha sitting alone in the corner. She’s twelve—usually lively and full of conversation—but today she seems smaller somehow. As you get closer, you see what looks like a healing cut on her lip and faint scratches on her forearms. “What happened, Keisha?”…
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Motivational Interviewing for Social Workers
Read more: Motivational Interviewing for Social WorkersMotivational Interviewing (MI) has become one of the most powerful ways social workers help clients move from ambivalence to action. Whether you’re supporting behavior change, addressing substance use, or improving engagement, MI’s collaborative, client-centered approach works across settings. In 2025, with growing attention on burnout and resistance, MI matters more than ever—for clients and for…