Clinical supervision training
The VCU School of Social Work offers a variety of continuing education opportunities that are applicable for clinical practitioners and those who want training to provide clinical supervision.
Upcoming schedule
- The Creative Brain: How Expressive Arts Rewire Neural Pathways for Emotional Healing
6-8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 18, Zoom - Clinical Supervision Training
9-3:30 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 19-Saturday, Sept. 20, in-person - Recognizing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Social Work Practice
6-8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Oct. 23, Zoom - Culturally Adapting the CBITS (Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools), an Intervention for Youth Exposed to Trauma
6-8 p.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 13, Zoom - Clinical Supervision Training
9-3:30 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 6-Saturday, Feb. 7, Zoom
- 🧐 Presenter: Danielle Whalen, M.S.W., LCSW
- 🗓️ Date: 6-8 p.m. ET Thursday, Sept. 18
- 💰 Cost: $35 » Register
- 🛜 Location: Zoom
- 📚 CEUs: 2 hours
This workshop blends neuroscience and expressive arts interventions, demonstrating how Neurographic Drawing and other creative expressions rewire the brain to enhance emotional processing, trauma healing and cognitive flexibility. By integrating scientific research and hands-on expressive techniques, participants will learn how creativity activates neuroplasticity and supports emotional regulation in diverse client populations.
Learning objectives
- Explore neuroscientific research on creativity and its impact on emotional regulation
- Learn expressive arts intervention such as Neurographic Drawing, which activates neuroplasticity for emotional regulation.
- Apply Neurographic creative exercise to help clients process emotions non-verbally
- Develop personalized, strengths-based creative interventions for different client populations
About the presenter
Danielle Whalen is a licensed clinical social worker, educator and U.S. Coast Guard veteran with over 20 years of experience in mental health, crisis intervention and professional development. Known for her integrative and engaging approach, Danielle combines clinical insight, creativity and evidence-based practices to inspire growth across diverse settings. She has held a wide range of leadership roles, including clinical director, ministry leader and university faculty member. Grounded in faith and dedicated to service, she is passionate about fostering resilience and promoting wellness through meaningful education, connection and development.
- 🧐 Presenters: Cassie DeSena Jacobs, D.S.W., LCSW; Klara Prachar, M.S.W., LCSW
- 🗓️ Date: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET Friday, Sept. 19-Saturday, Sept. 20
- 📍 Location: Academic Learning Commons
- 💰 Cost: $210, lunch included ($175 for field liaisons/instructors and alumni) » Register
- 📚 CEUs: 14 hours
Clinical supervision training is designed to fulfill the Virginia Board of Social Work and Counseling’s requirement for Licensed Clinical Social Workers to provide clinical supervision to social workers and counselors pursuing their LCSW. This training is designed to offer high-quality, interdisciplinary and interactive supervision training through multiple learning modalities such as case study, didactics, videos, self-assessment and discussion.
Virginia LCSWs interested in providing clinical supervision are eligible to attend. Topics covered in the training include:
- The supervisory relationship
- Methods and techniques for supervision
- Models and theories of supervision
- Roles and functions of a supervisor
- Ethical and legal issues in supervision
- Tele-supervision
- Group supervision
- Assessment, evaluation and gatekeeping
- Critical cultural competence
This training session will be offered over two days (14 total hours) for LCSWs. This includes three hours of asynchronous engagement prior to the first synchronous training day. CEU certificates will be provided through National Association of Social Workers approval, and the total hours will include 2 ethics hours.
About the presenters
Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, D.S.W., LCSW, M.S., is an assistant professor in teaching and director of mental health initiatives at the VCU School of Social Work. She is a clinical social worker with over 18 years of experience in New York and Virginia. Cassie’s work has focused on trauma-informed, anti-racist and culturally competent care in various communities, including acute hospital work, community social work and direct practice in New York and Virginia.
Klara Pracher, M.S.W., LCSW, is an assistant professor in teaching at the VCU School of Social Work. She teaches clinical courses in the M.S.W. Program and has 15 years of experience working in community mental health, including crisis mental health, serious mental illness, trauma, substance abuse, incarcerated individuals and veterans. She currently serves on the NASW-Virginia Board of Directors and provides clinical supervision toward licensure.
- 🧐 Presenter: Livvy Gerrish, Ph.D., M.S.W., LCSW
- 🗓️ Date: 6-8 p.m. ET Thursday, Oct. 23
- 💰 Cost: $35 » Register
- 🛜 Location: Zoom
- 📚 CEUs: 2 hours
Gender-based violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking, while extremely common, is often missed or misnamed in clinical and social work spaces. This workshop allows participants to explore how these experiences present in practice. At times, we identify violence in the lives of our clients from direct disclosure, but often experiences are shared through behavior, silence or larger patterns. In this workshop, participants will explore how to ethically identify elements of victimization, assess risk, engage clients without causing harm and co-create safety plans that center clients’ identities, lived experiences and self-determination.
Learning objectives
- Identify how gender-based violence may present in social work contexts
- Apply trauma-informed, anti-oppressive and intersectional frameworks in responding to client victimization
- Collaborate with clients to build safety plans that center self-determination, identity and context
About the presenter
Livvy (Olivia) Gerrish is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Work at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where she also directs the M.S.W. Practicum Education Program. With a background in advocacy, counseling, education and community organizing, she approaches her work with a trauma-informed, justice-oriented perspective. Gerrish’s research and practice focus on the intersections of gender, power and trauma. She examines gender-based violence as well as broader patterns of patriarchal harm. Concepts of identity deeply inform her work as she explores how gender and socialization shape identity, relationships and vulnerability to violence. Across all areas of her work, she is committed to prevention, healing and systems change. Through research, mentorship and community collaboration, Gerrish works to advance the field of social work and support the development of ethical, engaged and compassionate practitioners.
- 🧐 Presenter: Chanda Bass, D.S.W., LCSW, C-SSWS, CCTP, CATP
- 🗓️ Date: 6-8 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 13
- 💰 Cost: $35 » Register
- 🛜 Location: Zoom
- 📚 CEUs: 2 hours
The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) is a widely utilized, evidence-based group treatment that has been adapted for use with students from various cultural backgrounds. Input from school staff members, parents and clinicians in the Richmond, Virginia, area was utilized to update and adapt the CBITS to reflect the cultural identities and experiences of local students. The modified intervention, the RVA CBITS Update, will be discussed, and suggestions for implementing similar adaptations in other localities will be shared.
Learning objectives
- The participant will be able to describe general methods for culturally adapting an evidence-based intervention for youth.
- The participant will be able to describe the general format, purpose and strengths of the CBITS group intervention for youth.
- The participant will learn two tenets of community-based participatory methods aimed at engaging community stakeholders in trauma-informed school based approaches.
About the presenter
Dr. Chanda Bass has worked in public schools for the past 27 years as a school social worker. She is a recent graduate of the Doctor of Social Work program at California Baptist University. She completed her final research project on culturally adapting an evidence-based trauma intervention for use in schools in her region. She earned a Master of Social Work degree in 1998 from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Bass served as a subject matter expert for the national certification program, Culturally Informed Responses to Grief and Loss. Dr. Bass enjoys educating and supporting social work students.
- 🧐 Presenters: Cassie DeSena Jacobs, D.S.W., LCSW; Klara Prachar, M.S.W., LCSW
- 🗓️ Date: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 6-Saturday, Feb. 7
- 🛜 Location: Zoom
- 💰 Cost: $210, lunch included ($175 for field liaisons/instructors and alumni) » Register
- 📚 CEUs: 14 hours
Clinical supervision training is designed to fulfill the Virginia Board of Social Work and Counseling’s requirement for Licensed Clinical Social Workers to provide clinical supervision to social workers and counselors pursuing their LCSW. This training is designed to offer high-quality, interdisciplinary and interactive supervision training through multiple learning modalities such as case study, didactics, videos, self-assessment and discussion.
Virginia LCSWs interested in providing clinical supervision are eligible to attend. Topics covered in the training include:
- The supervisory relationship
- Methods and techniques for supervision
- Models and theories of supervision
- Roles and functions of a supervisor
- Ethical and legal issues in supervision
- Tele-supervision
- Group supervision
- Assessment, evaluation and gatekeeping
- Critical cultural competence
This training session will be offered over two days (14 total hours) for LCSWs. This includes three hours of asynchronous engagement prior to the first synchronous training day. CEU certificates will be provided through National Association of Social Workers approval, and the total hours will include 2 ethics hours.
About the presenters
Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, D.S.W., LCSW, M.S., is an assistant professor in teaching and director of mental health initiatives at the VCU School of Social Work. She is a clinical social worker with over 18 years of experience in New York and Virginia. Cassie’s work has focused on trauma-informed, anti-racist and culturally competent care in various communities, including acute hospital work, community social work and direct practice in New York and Virginia.
Klara Prachar, M.S.W., LCSW, is an assistant professor in teaching at the VCU School of Social Work. She teaches clinical courses in the M.S.W. Program and has 15 years of experience working in community mental health, including crisis mental health, serious mental illness, trauma, substance abuse, incarcerated individuals and veterans. She currently serves on the NASW-Virginia Board of Directors and provides clinical supervision toward licensure.