Using Evidence-Based Counseling Interventions in the School Setting (Series Begins Jan. 16, 2025) – The Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc.

For this webinar series, participants will automatically be enrolled in all 5 sessions.

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Speaker

Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D., Hirshberg Behavioral Services, LLC

Description

Effective school counseling involves teaching concrete skills that help students better identify, communicate, and manage uncomfortable emotional states in the classroom. To accomplish this, school counselors must learn how to leverage evidence-based therapeutic interventions, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Motivational Interviewing (MI). This training series will provide an overview of these intervention strategies along with practical applications of these modalities in the school setting.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must attend all 5 sessions and successfully pass a quiz following Session 5. Following the live webinar, registrants will be emailed a link to view the recorded webinar. The recording will be made available for 7 days after each session. If you are not eligible for PDPs and/or CEUs, you may apply for a Certificate of Attendance.

This first session aims to create a common definition of the purpose of school counseling. We will discuss the differences between outpatient therapy and school counseling. Participants will learn how to examine their own practices to determine whether they are effective and efficient. Participants will also learn approaches to identify students who need additional support and when an evidence-based approach is necessary.

School counseling is unique in that many of the students we serve did not choose to receive counseling services. They also did not choose us as the counselor! This dynamic can put us at an immediate disadvantage as we attempt to work with the student to build new behaviors that are more adaptive for the school setting. This session will review Motivational Interviewing (MI) approaches to building intrinsic motivation as well as how to effectively utilize extrinsic reinforcement in the school setting to reward engagement and behavior change.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is one of the most studied and validated mental health interventions. This modality has been utilized to treat a range of symptom presentations. This session provides an overview of the CBT model and how to utilize CBT interventions to address a range of common school-related issues including separation anxiety, selective mutism, perfectionism, and low self-esteem/depression.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a variant of CBT that incorporates eastern philosophy and provides a concrete set of skills that can be used to manage emotions and interact effectively with others. This session will provide an overview of the different ‘modules’ of DBT and how they can be incorporated in the school setting.

The skills reviewed in the previous sessions can be essential for the students we work with. However, the challenge is helping our students to remember to use them in the moment. This is referred to as skill generalization. For these skills to come alive, teachers often need to provide in vivo reminders. This session will discuss how to work effectively with teachers to increase these support behaviors to improve skill generalization.

About the Speaker

Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D., Hirshberg Behavioral Services, LLC

Alex Hirshberg, Psy.D., (he/him) is the founder and executive director of Hirshberg Behavioral Health Services, LLC in Hadley, Massachusetts. Dr. Hirshberg is a clinical psychologist who provides behavioral consultation, professional development, and psychological assessment services to schools across Massachusetts. He also has a small outpatient therapy practice focused on using Cognitive Behavior Therapy for individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. His interest areas include Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) in schools, trauma informed practices, and developing in-district social-emotional programs.

Membership Information

Most MPY webinars are available ONLY to current staff from member districts and organizations. Public school memberships include police and fire personnel. Former and retired employees and members of committees, including but not limited to, PTO/PTA, PAC, School Improvement Councils, Health Councils, Drug/Alcohol Councils, and school volunteers, are not considered MPY members.

PDPs and CEUs

MPY is an approved Professional Development Provider through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (Provider No. F20180079). Professional Development Points (PDPs) are offered for most MPY professional development webinars. PDPs are issued in 10 hour increments, per DESE requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for clinical staff through the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association, Inc. (MaMHCA). The NASW and the MaMHCA approve each event individually. CEUs may be given in hourly increments.

To receive PDPs and CEUs, participants must pass the quiz following Session 5.

Event Cancellation Policy

If you are unable to attend a MPY webinar you must cancel, through Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org, one business day before the webinar.

For MPY hybrid conferences, the date in-person registration closes will be posted on MPY’s website. Virtual conference registration will close one business day before the hybrid conference. You cannot cancel or switch your registration from in-person to virtual after in-person registration closes. Please email Bonnie Mullen at bonnie@mpyinc.org with any questions regarding registration.

Enrollment in this course closed on 01/16/2025.

If you are seeking to receive CEUs and/or PDPs, please click Register Now. Once you complete the webinar series, you will be able to take quizzes for CEUs and/or PDPs. Upon completion of each quiz, you will receive a certificate.

All sessions are 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm.