Vaccine Confidence Trainings


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A centerpiece of the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative is providing accurate information to social workers about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines, including vaccine safety and effectiveness, barriers to vaccination (e.g., mis/disinformation, logistical challenges, psychosocial and social care considerations, etc.), and the role of social workers in supporting clients in informed decision making regarding COVID-19 vaccination.

Key to the initiative are national, interactive trainings on the use of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and other evidence-based, culturally competent, public health and social work informed frameworks for helping clients process decisions regarding their health. A primary focus is on populations with low vaccination rates and greater vulnerability to severe forms of infection.

Past Mississippi Webinar

Using Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to Support Clients in COVID-19 Vaccine Decision Making

Thursday, March 17 and Friday, March 18
11:30 AM to 2:30 PM (CT) each day

6 Complimentary CEUs | Complimentary Registration

This interactive training will introduce motivational interviewing (MI) and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT), and how these evidence-based modalities can be effectively deployed to help guide collaborative conversations with clients about COVID-19 vaccine decision-making.
MI is a collaborative conversation approach that develops and strengthens a client’s motivation for and commitment to change around health-related behavior(s). The MI framework recognizes the client as the expert in their own lived experience. Research on MI has demonstrated its benefits with marginalized populations who have not necessarily received equitable and affirming experiences in care and health settings. Topics will include the MI spirit and MI core skills to help clients resolve ambivalence towards positive change. The training will also introduce SBIRT, a five-step model for working with clients with substance use disorders which can be adapted for use in supporting vaccine decision making.
The training is provided through Connect to End COVID-19, an initiative of NASW, the NASW Foundation and the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information about this effort, visit NASW National Office's page.

Speakers:

  • Mary Marden Velasquez, PhD-Centennial Professor in Leadership for Community, Professional and Corporate Excellence; Director, Health Behavior Research and Training Institute; The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work
  • Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW-Senior Research Project and Training Coordinator; Health Behavior Research and Training Institute; The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Note: The training will not be recorded; participants must attend session 1 in order to attend session 2. Space is limited so please do not register unless you can definitely attend.


Past Webinars: Register For Complimentary Self-Study

Extreme Inequities in Maternal Care: The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Health Outcomes

August 16, 2023, 1:00-2:30 PM (EST) – 1.5 Complimentary CEUs

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, inequities in maternal health outcomes were a result of a variety of systemic, social, and community factors. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated those glaring inequities. Now, three years after the height of the pandemic, communities, specifically Black women are continuing to feel the impact of the pandemic, compounded with the systemic, social, and community factors. As maternal health outcomes are addressed, the COVID-19 impact must be included in the discussion.

Learning Objectives:

To describe the early COVID-19 data, guidelines, and information from the PRIORITY Study and workshop presenter’s role on the CERISH Community Advisory Board.

  • To understand the intersection between COVID-19 during pregnancy and mental health, lack of resources, and lack of access to necessary health service.
  • To identify a pathway forward to addressing inequities and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To identify strategies for vaccine confidence among pregnant women from a community-based perspective.

Speakers:

  • Dr. Nakeitra Burse, Owner / Principal Strategist, Six Dimensions, LLC
  • Barbara Bedney, PhD, MSW, NASW Chief of Programs, and Connect to End COVID-19 Principal Investigator
  • Moderator: Gwen Bouie-Haynes, PhD, LMSW, Connect to End COVID-19, Special Populations Coordinator

Register for complimentary self-study webinar, "Extreme Inequities in Maternal Care: The Impact of COVID-19 on Maternal Health Outcomes"

This, and other webinars listed below, are provided by NASW and the NASW Foundation as part of the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative. The initiative is in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To view recordings of previous national webinars offered through this initiative (and earn complimentary CEUs), follow the links below.

This project and webinar presentations are supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3.3 million with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.


COVID-19: New Vaccines, Updated Boosters, and Living with a (Controlled) Pandemic

September 29, 2022 - 1.5 Complimentary CEUs

Interactive webinar, offered through NASW’s Connect to End COVID-19 initiative, includes the following discussion and topics:

  • New COVID-19 vaccines
  • Updated booster formulations
  • What we’re learning about Long COVID
  • Living with a controlled (versus an urgent) pandemic
  • Special considerations for mental and behavioral health providers
  • Constructively navigating uncertainty

Speakers:

  • Mona Gahunia, D.O., Associate Medical Director, Operational Excellence, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG)
  • Anna C. Mangum, MSW, MPH, Senior Policy and Practice Consultant

Webinar materials include:

COVID-19: New Vaccines, Boosters and Living With a (Controlled) Pandemic

Register for complimentary self-study webinar, “COVID-19: New Vaccines, Updated Boosters and Living with a (Controlled) Pandemic”

This webinar is provided by NASW and the NASW Foundation as part of the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative. The initiative is in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To view recordings of previous national webinars offered through this initiative (and earn complimentary CEUs), follow the links below.


What’s Next in the Pandemic, Through a Social Work Lens

February 24, 2022 - 1.5 Complimentary CEUS

At this webinar, hear from social work and infectious disease experts about the evolving COVID-19 landscape, what’s on the horizon, and how social workers can continue to play a role in vaccine uptake, especially among special populations. This is the third in a three-part series offered through the Connect to End COVID-19 initiative in which NASW is partnering with the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

Speakers:

  • Mona K. Gahunia, D.O., Associate Medical Director, Infectious Diseases/Internal Medicine, Kaiser Permanente
  • Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH, Deputy Director of Programs, National Association of Social Workers
  • Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Social Workers

Webinar materials include:

Register for complimentary self-study webinar, "What's Next in the Pandemic Through a Social Work Lens"


COVID-19 Vaccines Through a Social Work Lens: Supporting Informed Client Vaccine Decision Making Through Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

January 12, 2022 – 2 Clinical Complimentary CEUs

At this interactive event, participants learned how to apply MI and SBIRT frameworks in supporting clients in their decision making around the COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. The complimentary webinar and CEUs are available for self-study.

This webinar is the second in a series of three webinars that are part of NASW’s Connect to End COVID-19 initiative, undertaken in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The third webinar in the series, “Supporting Special Populations in Vaccine Decision Making,” will be conducted February 24, 2022.

Speakers:

  • Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW – CEO, National Association of Social Workers
  • Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH – Deputy Director of Programs, National Association of Social Workers
  • Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW-S – Senior Research Program and Training Coordinator, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin
  • Stéphanie Wahab, PhD, MSW – Professor, School of Social Work, Portland State University

Webinar materials include:

Register for complimentary self-study webinar "Supporting Informed Client Vaccine Decision Making"


COVID-19 Vaccination Through the Social Work Lens: Myths and Facts

November 9, 2021 – 1.5 Complimentary CEUs

As part of the NASW 2021 Virtual Forum: Reimagining Social Work In Health, a complimentary webinar, COVID-19 Vaccination through a Social Work Lens: Myths and Facts, was offered. The complimentary webinar and CEUs are available for self-study.

Millions of people are becoming partially or fully vaccinated each day. However, there are many others who have not gotten vaccinated, despite the demonstrated safety of the vaccines and their high degree of effectiveness in preventing severe illness and death. At this webinar, learn more about the vaccines, including myths and facts, and special considerations for social workers.

Webinar materials include:

Register for complimentary self-study webinar “Covid-19 Vaccination through a Social Work Lens: Myths and Facts”

Connect to end COVID-19, overlapping speech bubbles, social workers support informed vaccine decision making

Join NASW’s national Connect to End COVID-19 effort, a CDC-funded initiative to support social workers and their clients in informed vaccine decision-making. Free webinars and CEUs available.

Learn about Connect to End COVID-19


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COVID-19 Resources

Social workers support informed decision making about important healthcare choices, provide health information from credible sources, and address mental and behavioral health concerns arising as a result of this public health crisis.

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