Registration for Fall 2026 Workshops will open on August 20. All workshops are virtual-live online.
Compulsive Gambling: A Lived and Professional Perspective on Addiction and Recovery
Friday, October 16, 2026, 1 to 4 pm
3 continuing education hours for NYS licensed social workers
Instructor: Roger Keizerstein, LCSW
Workshop description: The presenter will integrate lived experience with professional expertise and the latest clinical research on the epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of gambling disorder. The workshop will also provide a historical perspective on problem gambling and addiction, examining how societal attitudes, industry practices, and advances in treatment have evolved. Participants will learn to identify and assess varying levels of gambling-related risk, utilize evidence-informed screening approaches, and connect individuals with appropriate resources and treatment options. The session will also explore the rapid expansion of sports betting and mobile wagering platforms, with particular attention to their impact on adolescents and young adults. As legalized sports betting becomes increasingly accessible, behavioral health professionals must be prepared to recognize emerging patterns of gambling-related harm, understand the unique vulnerabilities of younger populations, and apply current best practices for prevention, early intervention, and treatment.
Fee: $65; $55 for SSW alumni, SBU employees, veterans, or current practicum instructors
Trauma-Informed Nutrition in Substance Use Recovery
Friday, November 6, 2026, 1 to 4 pm
3 continuing education hours for NYS licensed social workers
Instructor: Elizabeth M. Madison, PhD, RDN, CDN, registered dietitian nutritionist, nutrition and wellness consultant, executive wellness coach
Workshop description: Many individuals in recovery have complex trauma histories that influence eating behaviors, body image, and food access. This training introduces a trauma-informed framework for discussing nutrition in substance use treatment settings. Participants will learn how to recognize trauma- related eating patterns, avoid triggering or stigmatizing food language, and support clients using a compassionate, harm-reduction approach consistent with OASAS trauma-informed care principles.
Participants will be able to:
- Define trauma-informed principles as they relate to food and eating behaviors.
- Recognize common trauma-related eating patterns in recovery populations.
- Demonstrate use of non-stigmatizing, non-triggering nutrition language.
- Apply harm-reduction approaches when discussing food with clients.
- Identify when clients may benefit from a referral to specialized nutrition or behavioral health.
Fee: $65; $55 for SSW alumni, SBU employees, veterans, or current practicum instructors
Understanding and Managing Anger: Evidence-Informed Strategies for Clinical Practice
Friday, November 20, 2026, 1 to 4 pm
3 continuing education hours for NYS licensed social workers
Workshop description: Anger is a normal human emotion, but when left unmanaged, it can significantly impact emotional well-being, relationships, and treatment outcomes. This workshop explores anger through the lenses of neuroscience and the Person-in-Environment framework, helping participants understand its biological, psychological, and environmental influences. Attendees will learn evidence-informed assessment and intervention strategies to help clients manage anger, while applying the same ideas to stay grounded and ethical in our social work practice.
Participants will learn:
- How to differentiate anger from related emotional states.
- Explore the neurobiology of anger and its effects on the brain and body.
- Apply a Person-in-Environment perspective to anger assessment and intervention.
- Identify evidence-informed strategies to help clients manage anger effectively.
Fee: $65; $55 for SSW alumni, SBU employees, veterans, or current practicum instructors
Countertransference in Challenging Times: Maintaining Therapeutic Presence
Friday, December 4, 2026, 1 to 4 pm
3 Continuing Education hours for NYS licensed social workers
Instructor: Ellen Blaufox. LCSW-R, founder, YOUR Gathering Space
Workshop description: When our socio-political environment is acutely challenging, both therapist and client are often navigating a similar internal and external crisis. Within the context of global stress, countertransference is heightened. Objective neutrality is replaced by our shared human experience of fear, anxiety, and loss of our sense of safety. Damage to our emotional, social, moral and physical safety creates intense vulnerability. In the therapeutic relationship, this vulnerability manifests in a variety of treatment-interfering ways such as: over-identification, emotional distancing, compassion fatigue, or the urge to "fix" the client. At these times, managing our own countertransference is paramount to best practice. This workshop will provide you with the tools you need to effectively use your own experience as clinical data, as well as to regulate your emotions and behavioral reactions to our clients while supporting them through challenging times.
Fee: $65; $55 for SSW alumni, SBU employees, veterans, or current practicum instructors
Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for social workers (#SW-0050).
If you would like to receive notification of upcoming workshops, please send an email to: socialwelfareced@stonybrook.edu.
