Live Learning Lab — Leena Said
Date & Time: Friday, May 22 | 12 - 2 PM CT
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Session Details: When clients struggle to make meaningful changes in their lives, the instinct of many clinicians is to inform, advise, and persuade. This instinct is understandable, but research consistently shows that directive approaches often produce the opposite of their intended effect, increasing resistance and undermining the therapeutic relationship. This workshop offers an introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI), an evidence-based, person-centered communication style built on the premise that the conversation itself can be the catalyst for change. Participants will explore the foundational spirit of MI alongside the clinical skills that bring that spirit to life in practice.
This training is designed for clinicians who want to move beyond information-giving and into genuine conversations about change. Drawing on MI's structured processes and core skills, participants will learn how to engage clients around ambivalence, support their own motivation for change, and adapt MI to the relational and behavioral demands of mental health treatment, including medication adherence and the integration of MI with approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Learners who attend will be able to:
1. Identify common change targets in mental health treatment when MI can be applied to resolve ambivalence and support behavioral change.
2. Describe how MI principles can be used to support medication management and other adherence-related challenges in clinical practice.
3. Explain how MI can function as a relation and conceptual framework that complements existing treatment modalities, including cognitive-behavioral approaches.
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886970186-1144) for 2 continuing education contact hours.
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Speaker
Jon Kratz, LCSW — MSW Program Coordinator & Clinical Associate Professor, the University of Oklahoma
Speaker Bio: Jonathan Kratz, MSW, LCSW is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma. He has an extensive background in forensic social work, clinical mental health, and school-based services with children and families. He teaches across the direct practice curriculum at OU including courses in mental health, group work, advanced clinical social work theories of practice, populations at risk, and the integrative seminar. His work at OU focuses on clinical pedagogy related to Motivational Interviewing, Suicide Risk Assessment, and Clinical Skill Development using standardized clients and artificial intelligence. Jonathan is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
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Live Learning Lab — Leena Said
Date & Time: June 18, 12 - 2 PM CT
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Session Details: Suicide is among the most serious challenges clinicians encounter, yet many practitioners report feeling underprepared to have direct, compassionate conversations with clients who may be at risk. This workshop provides a foundational framework for understanding and responding to suicide risk in clinical settings. Participants will begin with a grounding in the epidemiology of suicide in the United States, including prevalence, population-level risk factors, and current trends, before moving into the relational and clinical skills that make these conversations possible.
This training offers practical guidance for clinicians on how to initiate and sustain a therapeutic conversation about suicidal ideation, how to conduct a structured screening and assessment, and how to use clinical judgment to navigate disposition decisions. Rather than treating risk assessment as a procedural checklist, this workshop positions it as a clinical encounter rooted in relationships, curiosity, and collaboration. Participants will leave with both a conceptual framework and concrete tools they can apply immediately in their practice.
Learners who attend this workshop will be able to:
1. Describe a relational approach to engaging clients in conversations about suicidal ideation.
2. Apply a structured framework for conducting suicide risk screening and assessment.
3. Identify key factors that inform disposition of decisions following a suicide risk assessment.
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886970186-1332) for 2 continuing education contact hours.
Speaker
Jon Kratz, LCSW — MSW Program Coordinator & Clinical Associate Professor, the University of Oklahoma
Speaker Bio: Jonathan Kratz, MSW, LCSW is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma. He has an extensive background in forensic social work, clinical mental health, and school-based services with children and families. He teaches across the direct practice curriculum at OU including courses in mental health, group work, advanced clinical social work theories of practice, populations at risk, and the integrative seminar. His work at OU focuses on clinical pedagogy related to Motivational Interviewing, Suicide Risk Assessment, and Clinical Skill Development using standardized clients and artificial intelligence. Jonathan is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT).
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Live Learning Lab — Leena Said
Date & Time: July 23, 1 - 4 PM CT
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Session Details: Bias in Social Work Practice: Understanding, Addressing, and Mitigating Bias is a three-hour continuing education session designed to strengthen ethical and reflective practice among social workers. Participants will explore how cognitive, social, and structural biases shape decision-making, client engagement, and organizational processes. The first hour examines foundational concepts and types of bias that influence perception and behavior. The second hour applies theory through realistic case scenarios, promoting awareness of how bias surfaces in assessment and intervention. The final hour focuses on actionable strategies for mitigating bias, including structured decision-making, accountability frameworks, and perspective-taking. Grounded in the NASW Code of Ethics, this session emphasizes self-reflection, professional responsibility, and the pursuit of equitable outcomes. Through guided analysis and applied learning, attendees will leave with tools to recognize, address, and reduce bias in their professional roles while advancing social work’s commitment to dignity, justice, and integrity.
Learners who attend this workshop will be able to:
1. Identify and define cognitive, social, and structural biases and explain how each influences perception, judgment, and professional decision-making in social work contexts, consistent with the ethical principles outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics.
2. Analyze real-world case scenarios to identify where bias influences assessment, client engagement, and intervention—and reflect on their own potential biases through guided discussion and self-assessment exercises.
3. Apply structured decision-making tools, accountability frameworks, and perspective-taking strategies to reduce bias in professional practice, promoting ethical, equitable, and client-centered outcomes.
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886970186-1492) for 3 Ethics CEUs.
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Speaker
Anthony P. Natale, MSW, PhD — PhD in Social Work Chair & Director of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, the University of Oklahoma
Speaker Bio:
Anthony P. Natale, PhD, MSW, serves as Director of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies. In addition, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, joining the faculty in 2005. Dr. Natale teaches across the social work curriculum, including courses in Human Diversity and Societal Oppression, Human Services Administration, Social Welfare Policy Analysis, Community Organization and Development, Human Lifespan Development, and Human Sexuality. He was inducted into the Social Work Hall of Fame for Teaching Excellence in 2015 and awarded the University of Oklahoma Regents Award for Superior Teaching in 2019.
Dr. Natale's distinguished research record has evolved into four themes: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Belonging (IDEA-B) in higher education, HIV/AIDS health disparities among minoritized populations, trauma-informed interventions in social work practice, and social work with LGBTQQIPA2+ people.
Dr. Natale had held several administrative roles before his appointment in SWCHRS, including Social Work Graduate Coordinator, Assistant Director of the School of Social Work, and Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence at the University of Oklahoma Graduate College. As a social worker, Dr. Natale has committed his professional and academic career to advancing social, political, economic, and environmental justice for systemically and systematically marginalized and oppressed people.
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Live Learning Lab — Leena Said
Date & Time: August 20, 1 - 4 PM CT
Location: Virtual (Zoom)
Session Details: Trauma does not begin and end with one generation. Earn your required Social Work Ethics CEUs through this engaging 3-credit session exploring the intersection of epigenetics, chronic stress, intergenerational trauma, and ethical social work practice. Participants will examine how historical trauma, environmental stressors, systemic inequities, and adverse life experiences influence physical, emotional, and behavioral outcomes across generations. The session introduces current research on stress biology and epigenetics and connects these concepts to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and ethically grounded social work practice.
Through discussion and applied learning, participants will explore how social workers can ethically respond to trauma and chronic stress in individuals, families, and communities. The session emphasizes resilience-centered interventions, advocacy, systems-level awareness, and the importance of creating environments that support healing and long-term well-being. Participants will leave with practical insights into how emerging research on stress and trauma can strengthen ethical decision-making and enhance social work practice across settings.
Learning Objectives
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Explain the relationship between epigenetics, chronic stress, and intergenerational trauma within a biopsychosocial and person-in-environment framework.
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Analyze how social, structural, and environmental factors such as, poverty, violence, and displacement may contribute to trauma and biological stress responses across generations.
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Apply NASW ethical values and trauma-informed principles to evaluate ethical concerns related to epigenetics, stigma, and biological determinism in social work practice.
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Develop strengths-based, trauma-informed, and ethically grounded social work interventions that promote resilience, empowerment, advocacy, and systemic change.
This program is Approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval #886970186-6192) for 3 Ethics CEUs.
Speaker
Anthony P. Natale, MSW, PhD — PhD in Social Work Chair & Director of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies, the University of Oklahoma
Speaker Bio: Anthony P. Natale, PhD, MSW, serves as Director of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies. In addition, he is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, joining the faculty in 2005. Dr. Natale teaches across the social work curriculum, including courses in Human Diversity and Societal Oppression, Human Services Administration, Social Welfare Policy Analysis, Community Organization and Development, Human Lifespan Development, and Human Sexuality. He was inducted into the Social Work Hall of Fame for Teaching Excellence in 2015 and awarded the University of Oklahoma Regents Award for Superior Teaching in 2019.
Dr. Natale's distinguished research record has evolved into four themes: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Belonging (IDEA-B) in higher education, HIV/AIDS health disparities among minoritized populations, trauma-informed interventions in social work practice, and social work with LGBTQQIPA2+ people.
Dr. Natale had held several administrative roles before his appointment in SWCHRS, including Social Work Graduate Coordinator, Assistant Director of the School of Social Work, and Faculty Fellow for Inclusive Excellence at the University of Oklahoma Graduate College. As a social worker, Dr. Natale has committed his professional and academic career to advancing social, political, economic, and environmental justice for systemically and systematically marginalized and oppressed people.
Register Now