Continuing Education

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For human services professionals, continuing education is vital to maintaining high standards of care, adapting to evolving challenges, and ensuring the well-being of their clients. It supports professional growth, enhances job satisfaction, and ultimately contributes to more effective and impactful human services. Continuing education is particularly important for human services professionals due to the dynamic and complex nature of their field.

The Beaufort County Human Services Department offers free continuing education opportunities virtually on the third Thursday of each month from January through November, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM ET. These events are designed to educate local professionals and volunteers about relevant information, resources, and best practices. Continuing education hours are available for Social Workers.

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Key reasons why continuing education is crucial:

1. Keeping Up with Changing Regulations and Standards

  • Legal and Ethical Compliance: Human services professionals must stay informed about new laws, regulations, and ethical standards to ensure they provide services that are legally compliant and ethically sound.
  • Best Practices: Regular updates on best practices help professionals deliver the highest quality of care and support to their clients.
2. Enhancing Skills and Knowledge
  • Specialized Training: Continuing education offers opportunities to gain specialized knowledge and skills in areas such as mental health, addiction, child welfare, and more.
  • Evidence-Based Practices: Staying current with research and evidence-based practices ensures that interventions and services are effective and grounded in the latest scientific findings.

3. Improving Client Outcomes

  • Quality of Service: Ongoing education equips professionals with the tools and knowledge to improve the quality of care they provide, leading to better outcomes for clients.
  • Innovative Solutions: Exposure to new theories, techniques, and technologies allows professionals to apply innovative solutions to complex problems.
4. Professional Growth and Career Advancement
  • Career Mobility: Continuing education can open up new career paths, opportunities for advancement, and higher earning potential.
  • Professional Credibility: It enhances professional credibility and demonstrates a commitment to the field, which can be beneficial for career advancement and networking.
5. Personal Fulfillment and Job Satisfaction
  • Lifelong Learning: Engaging in lifelong learning can lead to personal fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment.
  • Preventing Burnout: Staying engaged and continuously learning can help prevent professional burnout by keeping the work interesting and motivating.

References

National Association of Social Workers. (2021). NASW code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ethics/code

National Organization for Human Services. (n.d.). Standards for human service professionals. Retrieved from https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards-for-hs-professionals

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (n.d.). Evidence-based practices resource center. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center

Social Work Policy Institute. (2012). High caseloads: How do they impact delivery of health and human services? Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=6gTYPWk7EDY%3D&portalid=0

American Counseling Association. (2014). ACA code of ethics. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Council on Social Work Education. (2015). Educational policy and accreditation standards. Retrieved from https://www.cswe.org/getattachment/Accreditation/Accreditation-Process/2015-EPAS/2015EPAS_Web_FINAL.pdf.aspx

National Association of Social Workers. (2019). Career development. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/Careers/Career-Development

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016). Understanding the burnout experience: Recent research and its implications for psychiatry. World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103-111. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

Gaugler, J. E., & Kane, R. L. (2015). Informal and formal care for older adults with dementia: The CARE-IDEAS study. Gerontologist, 55(2), 246-257. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnu113