Professional Training Institute - a program of Family Service Society, Inc.

10/22/2025

CANNABIS USE IN THE ERA OF AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC

The cannabis landscape has dramatically changed. Are you equipped to support youth and young adults in this new environment?

Join Erin Parr, CASAC-M, for an essential training that will: ✅ Increase your cannabis IQ ✅ Explain its impact on the adolescent brain ✅ Cover crucial safety topics like fentanyl contamination risks and harm reduction

This training is strongly recommended for anyone supporting children and young adults in clinical, community, and academic settings!

📅 Tuesday, December 9, 2025 ⏰ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm EST 📍 Radisson Hotel, Corning, NY

REGISTRATION IS FREE! Seating is VERY Limited. Register early to secure your spot!

➡️ REGISTER NOW:https://www.familyservicesociety.org/12925-cannabis-use-in-the-era-of-an-opiate-epidemic.html

A $20 fee applies if you require an official CE certificate (for OASAS, NBCC, NY Social Workers, LCATs, LMHCs, and LMFTs).

Sponsored by the Human Services, Health & Education Committee of the Steuben County Legislature, funded through opioid settlement funds, in partnership with Family Service Society, Inc.

10/14/2025

Grief and Loss Practices - Then and Now: Clinical Applications of Grief Using Art Therapy and Creative Techniques

Mental health professionals, enhance your clinical toolkit! Join us for a continuing education webinar designed to explore the evolution of grief and mourning practices from the Victorian era to the present day. Clinicians will examine how cultural shifts have shaped the way individuals and communities experience and express grief, with particular focus on funerary art and symbolism.

Presenter Shannon Halligan, LCAT, a specialist in art therapy for grief and trauma, will equip you with creative, adaptable therapeutic strategies. She'll even be drawing on visual examples from Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester, NY) and Charter Street Cemetery (Salem, MA)!

Learning Objectives Include:
* Compare historical and contemporary grief practices and their clinical implications.
* Identify symbolic elements of funerary art and their psychological meanings.
* Apply art-based and creative interventions in grief counseling and therapy settings.

Webinar Details
Date: Friday, November 7, 2025
Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time)
Platform: Online via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes CE credits, if needed)

🚨 Special Discount: Use code FSSPTI5 for $5 off the registration fee!

Register Here! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/11725-grief-and-loss-practices-then-and-now-mdash-clinical-applications-of-grief-using-art-therapy-and-creative-techniques.html

Hosted by Family Service Society, Inc.'s Professional Training Institute

09/03/2025

Helping girls and young women develop a more positive relationship with their bodies is a crucial part of social work and counseling. But for those who have experienced s*xual trauma, this relationship can be especially complex.

Join us on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm EST, for an online professional training session led by Dr. Nicole Kelly. You'll learn practical strategies to help your clients improve their body image and acceptance.

This webinar will cover:

* Identifying risk factors for poor body image.
* Recognizing how trauma affects an individual's relationship with their body.
* Learning strategies to help girls and young women increase their body acceptance.

The registration fee is $49, which includes CE credits if needed. Use the code FSSPTI5 at checkout for $5 off your registration.

Register now and take the next step in supporting your clients. https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

CE credit available for NY Social Workers, LCATs, LMFTs, and LMHCs; NBCC, Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (through our NBCC approval), and NYS OASAS. Please see our website for more details.

08/06/2025

Ever feel like you're hitting a wall with hard-to-engage children and teens? You're not alone.

Join us for a powerful in-person training session with Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S, focused on "Innovative Techniques with Hard-to-Engage Children and Youth." This isn't just another talk-therapy workshop—you'll see real client session videos and participate in experiential activities to learn how to:

*Build rapport with resistant clients
*Understand the factors behind therapeutic resistance
*Implement creative, effective techniques

📅 Wednesday, November 12, 2025
📍 Radisson Hotel, Corning, NY
⏰ 9:00 am - 4:00 pm EST
💲 $109 (CEs included!) - Register today and use code LIANA for a $10 discount!

Register online: https://www.familyservicesociety.org/111225-innovative-techniques-with-hard-to-engage-children-and-teens.html

05/19/2025

Don't miss our upcoming webinar!

THE IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON YOUTH
Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kelly
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
Format: Live Interactive Webinar via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)

Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST https://tinyurl.com/3un2tk9y

The rising number of young people experiencing homelessness demands urgent attention. Join us for a powerful 3-hour training where we'll delve into the critical factors driving youth homelessness and its profound emotional, physical, and social consequences. More importantly, you'll gain actionable strategies to provide meaningful support to this vulnerable population.

This crucial training will equip you to:
*Identify key factors contributing to youth homelessness.
*Explain the diverse and significant ways homelessness impacts a young person's well-being.
*Implement practical strategies to effectively support a young person experiencing homelessness.

This webinar is essential for educators, social workers, mental health professionals, youth advocates, and anyone committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and gain practical tools for action!

Family Service Society, Inc. is a non-profit human service agency serving the Corning, NY, community since 1918. Our non-profit Professional Training Institute program has been providing training...

04/30/2025

AUTISM SPECTRUM: STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT YOUTH

Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kelly
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
Format: Online via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)
Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

Empowering neurodivergent youth starts with understanding. This webinar is designed for mental health and social service providers seeking to deepen their knowledge of autism and related conditions, which are being increasingly identified in children, teens, and adults. We'll move beyond diagnostic labels to explore practical, strengths-based approaches and cultivate a neurodivergent-affirming lens. Learn how to effectively connect with and support young people on the autism spectrum, fostering their growth and well-being.

Participants will gain the ability to:
*Pinpoint early signs of autism in the crucial 12-24 month developmental window.
*Apply concrete strategies to enhance your support for youth with autism.
*Explain the significance of a neurodivergent-affirming perspective in your professional practice.

04/30/2025

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF TERMINATION AND ENDINGS

Presenter: Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:15 PM (Eastern Standard Time)
Format: Online via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.25 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)
Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

All therapeutic relationships come to an end, but exactly how should that happen? Clinicians should take care to avoid abandoning clients, and instead engage in ethical termination. This workshop will distinguish between termination and abandonment from an NASW ethical perspective. Common mistakes in endings and key recommendations will be shared, as well as clinical resources to enhance therapeutic endings. Case studies will highlight complexities that clinicians should assess in their termination process with clients. Learners will feel more informed about what constitutes ethical termination and be prepared to engage in ethical termination practices with clients and avoid unethical abandonment.

Learning Objectives:
• Identify and classify ethical responsibilities of therapeutic termination with clients.
• Describe examples of unethical abandonment and distinguish from ethical termination.
• Discover methods of engaging in ethical termination practices and minimizing unethical abandonment of clients.

04/30/2025

SEXUALITY: COMMON MYTHS THAT UNDERMINE TREATMENT

Presenter: Dr. Marty Klein
Date: Monday, October 6, 2025
Time: 1:00 AM - 4:00 PM (EST)
Format: Online via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)
Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

Untrained in s*xuality, therapists risk harming clients with stereotype-driven interventions. Award-winning s*x therapist Dr. Marty Klein's webinar reveals surprising myths about po*******hy, desire, and infidelity that lead to clinical errors. Gain accurate insights into the s*xual dimensions of intimacy, power, and self-esteem, and challenge your hidden biases. Prepare for an engaging and humorous learning experience.

04/30/2025

STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN WITH BODY IMAGE ISSUES

Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kelly
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
Format: Live Interactive Webinar via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)
Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

Many girls and young women navigate the complexities of their relationship with their bodies. For those who have experienced s*xual trauma, this relationship can be even more challenging. This powerful 3-hour training will explore the intricate connection between trauma and body image and provide you with actionable strategies to foster greater body acceptance in the young people you support.

This crucial training will equip you to:

*Identify key risk factors contributing to poor body image in girls and young women.
*Explain significant ways trauma can affect an individual's relationship with their body.
*Implement practical strategies to help girls and young women cultivate increased body acceptance.

This webinar is essential for educators, social workers, mental health professionals, youth advocates, and anyone dedicated to empowering girls and young women. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and gain practical tools for positive impact!

STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN WITH BODY IMAGE ISSUES ​Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kelly ​ Tuesday, September 16, 2025 ​ 9:00 am - 12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time) -Online via Zoom ​...

04/30/2025

THE IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON YOUTH
Presenter: Dr. Nicole Kelly
Date: Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
Format: Live Interactive Webinar via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes 3.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)

Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

The rising number of young people experiencing homelessness demands urgent attention. Join us for a powerful 3-hour training where we'll delve into the critical factors driving youth homelessness and its profound emotional, physical, and social consequences. More importantly, you'll gain actionable strategies to provide meaningful support to this vulnerable population.

This crucial training will equip you to:

*Identify key factors contributing to youth homelessness.
*Explain the diverse and significant ways homelessness impacts a young person's well-being.
*Implement practical strategies to effectively support a young person experiencing homelessness.

This webinar is essential for educators, social workers, mental health professionals, youth advocates, and anyone committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. Don't miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and gain practical tools for action!

04/24/2025

INTRODUCTION TO THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE
Presenters: Dr. Cynthia Gee, Psy.D., LMHC-D and Rebecca Moss, MA
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (EST)
Format: Live Interactive Webinar via Zoom
Cost: $25 (Includes 2.0 Contact Hours of Continuing Education Credits - NY Social Workers, LMHCs. LCATs, LMFTs, NBCC, OASAS)

Register Now! https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

​​Join us for an insightful 2-hour training session on N.E.A.R. Science, where we will explore the interconnected fields of Neurobiology, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and Resilience. This training examines how early life experiences shape brain development and genetic expression, influencing health and well-being across generations. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of ACEs and discover practical strategies to foster resilience in individuals and communities. Ideal for all human service providers and professionals, this training provides 2.0 Continuing Education credits and is available for $25 per person.

This training is perfect for social workers, educators, mental health providers, healthcare professionals, and anyone working in human services. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge and enhance your trauma-informed practice!

04/23/2025

UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF BOYS AND MEN'S MENTAL HEALTH

Presented by: Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW
When: Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 9:00 am - 12:15 pm (EST)
Where: Online via Zoom
Cost: $49 (Includes applicable CE credits)
Register Now: https://www.familyservicesociety.org/professional-training-institute.html

To truly connect with and support the mental well-being of boys and men, a culturally aware perspective is essential. This insightful training will delve into the complexities of masculinity, challenge prevalent misconceptions, and illuminate the unique mental health challenges faced by this population. Discover practical ways to foster open conversations, reduce stigma, and provide impactful support. Through relevant assessment strategies and real-world case studies, you'll gain the skills and understanding needed to make a real difference in the lives of your male clients.

Family Service Society, Inc. is a non-profit human service agency serving the Corning, NY, community since 1918. Our non-profit Professional Training Institute program has been providing training...