The Ferentz Institute offers Level I twice yearly:

September-December (Fall Series) and March-June (Spring Series).

Classes will take place this fall, 2023, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Owings Mills, MD.

  • Registration and breakfast are open at 8:15 am (ET).
  • Classes are held from 8:45 am (ET) through 4:15 pm (ET).

Please note that Level I Spring 2024 will be offered again online in real-time.


Fall 2023 Level I Schedule

PART I:
Understanding Trauma
and its Reverberating Effects
Part II:
Creatively and Effectively
Treating Trauma
Part III:
Trauma and the
Therapeutic Alliance
Wednesday, September 6Thursday, October 19Monday, November 27
Friday, September 22Wednesday, November 1Thursday, December 7
Monday, October 9Tuesday, November 14*Tuesday, December 19**

*Nov. 14 will cover: The Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety and Depression

**December 19 will also include: Ethics, Reporting, Deviations in the Standard Care and Termination (3 Ethics CEUs)

You must participate in all nine classes to receive your final certificate at the end of the semester.

You must also pass a final, open-book multiple-choice exam given to ALL participants the week between the 8th and 9th classes.

Learning Opportunities

Clinical social workers and other mental health professionals will gain an in-depth understanding of the myriad dynamics related to trauma and its reverberating effect on clients’ cognitions, affect, social functioning, and behavioral choices. The philosophical underpinning of the program is a depathologized, strengths-based approach to the assessment and treatment of adolescent and adult survivors of trauma, abuse, and neglect.

Symptoms will be reframed as inevitable, creative coping strategies that “make sense” when put into the historical context of trauma or a dysfunctional family of origin. Practitioners will learn many creative, effective, and empathic ways to help clients reclaim a sense of healthy empowerment, achieve a much higher level of functioning, and integrate the resources necessary for genuine healing.

Additionally, practitioners will explore issues of counter-transference and vicarious traumatization and will learn how to engage in self-care, enhance boundaries, and work in ways that improve efficacy and reduce professional burnout.

The Certificate Program will also explore the challenges of teletherapy and how to navigate safe, trauma-informed care while staying mindful of the inherent limitations of online therapy. Issues including privacy, boundaries, self-disclosure, Zoom fatigue, a lack of attunement and energetic connection will be explored. If dynamics related to the Pandemic are still impacting our communities we will also address the triggers that are specific to traumatized clients.

Methodology

All classes will be held live and in-person at the Hilton Garden Inn, Owings Mills. Participants will receive Category I CEUs for all content. Participants will learn on both didactic and experiential levels. PowerPoint slides and handouts will be e-mailed in advance. Videotapes, experiential art and writing exercises, and a wide range of case presentations will all be incorporated into the program, thus accommodating a variety of learning styles.


Program Cost

The cost for the entire training is $2,450.00, which includes a $50 NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSIT to secure your spot. A minimum of $50 must be paid upon registration. The balance due will be automatically debited from your credit card in three installments on the following dates:

  • Thursday, August 30 – $800
  • Thursday, October 12 – $800
  • Monday, November 20 – $800

PLEASE NOTE: If you register after Thursday, August 30, you must make a minimum payment of $850, which is equal to your $50 deposit and the first $800 installment.

Individuals signing up for the training must pay by credit card. The three installment payments will then be automatically debited from your card on the dates listed above. If you intend to use a different credit card for any of the installments, you must contact us prior to the payment date.

DISCOVER EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS: Inquire about our special rates designed for agencies enrolling four or more participants. Plus, we’re proud to honor those who serve in the military with additional reduced rates. Don’t miss out on these special opportunities!

Agencies that register staff may:

  • Register as a Group (see instructions on the registration form)
  • Pay by credit card or check made payable to The Ferentz Institute
  • Pay in full at registration or by the first class or by the three installment dates listed above

For agencies that split the tuition with their staff, the agency is ultimately responsible for all registrant balances not paid in full by the third installment date.

If you’re coming in from out of town and plan to stay overnight, we suggest staying at the Hilton Garden Inn in Owings Mills, MD where the classes are held. Enter Corporate ID 3217291 when you reserve a room to get our corporate rate.


CEUs, Requirements, and Registration

The certificate program is comprised of 54 Category 1 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). This also includes three credit hours in Ethics, which can be used to meet the mandatory requirement in Ethics training.

This program has been approved by the Board of Social Work Examiners, the Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists, and the Board of Examiners for Psychologists in Maryland. Reciprocal approval is also granted to all mental health professionals in Washington D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan and Texas.

Participants who work in states other than those noted above will receive a Certificate of Attendance unless they can corroborate that their state board will offer reciprocity as well.

Participants must have an MSW, or a comparable clinical degree, or currently be enrolled in graduate school, pursuing a clinical degree. The program is also open to professionals who interface with traumatized clients, including victim advocates, clergy, and police officers.

All handouts will be emailed to participants several days before each class and will not be available on-site. You are welcome to print them out yourself to bring with you or rely on the projected handouts during class. You are also invited to bring a fully-charged laptop or tablet to use during class if you wish. Outlets for chargers will not be available. So you may want to consider bringing a portable charger with you as well.

Cancelation Policy

Participants who wish to withdraw from the Level I training must notify The Ferentz Institute in writing via email or U.S. Postal Service.

Participants who withdraw from the program prior to the date of an installment payment (see Program Cost) you will not be charged that payment or any subsequent payments.

Installment payments will not be refunded after they are charged to a participant.  If a participant needs to drop out of the program at any time after it begins, he or she can use the payment, or payments, towards future attendance in the Level I or II program and will be guaranteed a seat. The participant will then be obligated to pay any outstanding installment payments not paid during the session from which he or she originally withdrew.

In order to receive the Certificate in Advanced Trauma Treatment:

  • ALL participants are required to pass an open book, untimed, multiple-choice exam that is administered online.
  • Participants must attend all nine classes on the indicated training dates
  • Missed classes can be made up by watching a previously recorded session and successfully completing a related quiz. If you choose this option, you will receive Category 2 CEUs. You must make up any missed classes no later than December 28. Please note that certificates will only be issued upon completing all nine classes.