School for Social Work > For Alumni > 90th Anniversary Celebration > At-a-Glance > Saturday Panels and Workshops

Panel and Professional Development Workshop Descriptions

Saturday, July 19
10:00am-12:00pm - Professional Development Workshops (Morning)

Joanne Corbin, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Smith College School for Social Work
Non-western Cultural Orientation: Implications for Western Practice
This workshop will explore three concepts in non-western cultural orientation that influence practice with clients: spiritual nature of life, collective identity, and the interconnection of the natural and spiritual worlds. The work draws from Dr. Corbin's research in Uganda; however, these concepts are relevant more broadly for populations from other non-western cultures. She will examine the strengths of these non-western cultural worldviews and the challenges of individuals and families who maintain their cultural orientation in the U.S., with implications for cultural practice.

James W. Drisko, M.S.W. '77, Ph.D. - Professor; Co-Director of the Doctoral Program, Smith College School for Social Work
Reactive Attachment Disorder in Children: How to Understand it and How to Treat it
This workshop will open with a review of DSM adn other approaches to assessing reactive attachment disorder, followed by discussion of how best to treat it in today's practice settings. Case examples will be used to illustrate key issues; matters of age variation, theoretical orientations, cultural differences and duration of treatment will be addressed along with issues raised by participants.

Mary Hall, M.S.W. '66, Ph.D., L.I.C.S.W. - Professor, Smith College School for Social Work
Substance Abuse in Women
Historically in this society substance abuse treatment programs have been less likely to recognize the forms that chemical dependency take in women. Most alcohol and drug treatment programs continue to be designed by men, for men. Thus, women tend to either underutilize these services or are treated as though their needs are the same as men when they do attend (a.k.a., Adam's Rib Syndrome). This session will review what we have learned over the past few decades about the dilemmas and design of gender-sensitive treatment programs for women substance abusers and brainstorm with participants concerning new avenues of advocacy.

Dennis Miehls, Ph.D. '89 - Associate Professor; Chair, Human Behavior in the Social Environment Sequence, Smith College School for Social Work
Relational Theory
This workshop will explore the influence of contemporary relational theory on social work clinicians. The participants will learn how relational theory is changing the face of social work supervision, social work professional identity, and clinical relationships. Clinical illustrations will be utilized to demonstrate theoretical constructs.

Yoosun Park, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Smith College School for Social Work
Facilitating Injustice: The Role of Social Workers in the World War II Internment of Japanese Americans
Nearly the whole of the Japanese American population of the U.S. was incarcerated by the federal government during WWII and social workers facilitated all aspects of the process. While the internment is a well documented history, as is true of much of its history with immigrants and minority populations, social work's involvement in this history remains an unexamined subject. This workshop will examine this forgotten history as an avenue to aid us in reconsidering how social work has made sense of its professional obligations via a vis its professional ethics, and how it should, today, conceptualize its role as facilitators of problematic social policies.

Delia J. González Sanders, Ph.D. '07, L.C.S.W. - Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work - Vance Academic Center, School of Education adn Professional Studies, Central Connecticut State University
Latino Cultural Values and Dementia Caregiving
The framework of care within the Latino culture places strong emphases on the family. Implicit in the strong Latino family cultural value is adherence to specific roles, obligations and responsibilities. There are essential culturally attuned skills necessary for social workers to develop to ensure cultural competency and help reduce health disparities along Latino caregivers caring for a family member afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and related irreversible dementia.

Cheryl Springer, Ph.D. '91, L.I.C.S.W. - Director, Salem State College School of Social Work
Changes in Clinical Practice
Social work practitioners have always focused on preventing and reducing human suffering. Yet many dimensions of clinical social work practice have changed significantly over the past 90 years and, often, in response to human suffering. This workshop is designed to create an opportunity for practitioners to consider past, contemporary, and anticipated changes in social work practice for themselves and the profession.

Saturday, July 19
12:30pm-1:45pm - Panels (Afternoon)

* Continuing Education six-hour seminars will occur on Thursday, 7/17 and Saturday, 7/19/08 from 9:00am - 4:00pm. These events will have separate registration procedures and fees.

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General Information

At-a-Glance Schedule of Events

Panel and Workshop Descriptions
Friday
Saturday

Keynote Speaker

Housing & Accommodations

Shuttle Service Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Faculty/Alumni Booksigning: Books for Sale

Map (pdf requires Adobe Acrobat)