For Professionals
To ensure that all whom we serve receive the best of care, JSSA is committed to providing a stimulating and
collaborative working and referral environment coupled with state-of-the-art training and
continuing education for its staff and for the professional community. We are proud of our vibrant and supportive organizational culture that for more than 100 years has been successful in attracting and retaining the brightest and most dedicated professionals and in caring for the thousands of community referrals JSSA receives each year.
Our staff are encouraged to develop professionally and to take advantage of monthly on-site clinical training as well as the resources and time that JSSA makes available to each employee for exploring other learning opportunities in the community. With our continuing growth, exciting and rewarding employment opportunities are always available.
In addition, JSSA provides its staff with regular supervision with master clinicians and counselors; monthly treatment planning and complex case consultations with area specialists; monthly in-services and, ongoing educational programs and annual professional development plans. Our staff development approach always focuses on the very latest evidence-based practice and cutting-edge research in child, teen, adult and senior-related issues.
JSSA's unwavering commitment to fostering staff knowledge, skills and competencies ensures that all of our clients receive the most appropriate and individualized care.
JSSA is rapidly becoming the employer, provider and educator of choice in our community. We invite you to learn more about our exciting employment opportunities, our wide range of services and our cutting-edge continuing education programs. Please call at 
301-838-4200 in Maryland or 703-204-9100 in Northern Virginia or send us an 
email inquiry.
Working with professionals in the community
Whenever a child, adult or family requires specialized help in meeting emotional, social or physical challenges, professionals refer to JSSA with confidence. Our professionals work in close collaboration with providers in the community to meet the individual and family needs of those they refer: supporting clients, answering questions and keeping referrers informed of progress and newly identified needs.
The JSSA professionals who provide our integrated array of services include exceptionally well-trained and experienced social workers, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, case managers, counselors, nurses, doctors and other practitioners.
The most satisfying gauge of our effectiveness is the results we deliver. JSSA has been helping people of all religious, ethnic and economic backgrounds - from the youngest child to the most fragile senior - across the Washington metropolitan area meet emotional, social, and physical challenges for more than 100 years by providing a wide range of expert and cutting-edge counseling, vocational, educational, in-home support, nursing and hospice care and social services.
To learn more about how our professionals can work with you, please call 301-838-4200 in Maryland or 703-204-9100 in Northern Virginia or send us an email inquiry
Continuing education
JSSA, as a leading provider of cutting edge mental health services and a highly respected learning institution, also reaches out to hundreds of mental health, medical and school personnel each year through its:
Graduate student social work and psychology internships
For many years, JSSA has been the training ground for graduate students in social work and psychology from local universities. JSSA continues to offer on-site teaching and training for social work students pursuing their master's, offering exciting clinical internships and supervisions with master clinicians.
For more information about JSSA's graduate internships in social work, please call Susan Loughman at 301-816-2617 or send an email inquiry. For more information about JSSA's graduate internships and externships for psychology please call Dr. Susan Van Ost at 301-838-4200 as of February 18 or send an email inquiry.
On-site training and education
JSSA provides its staff with regular supervision with master clinicians and counselors; monthly on-site clinical training; treatment planning and complex case consultations with area specialists; monthly in-services; and ongoing educational programs and annual professional development plans. Our staff development approach always focuses on the most recent evidence-based practice and cutting-edge research in child, teen, adult and senior related issues.
Symposia
JSSA traditionally holds two annual day-long professional symposia in Maryland and Northern Virginia for social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, counselors, educators and other health professionals.
The primary goal of these symposia is to improve the quality of mental health care by providing the latest available information and research to enhance treatment and service delivery. Not only do hundreds of professionals benefit from these annual events – many parents also participate, enhancing their understanding and skills in dealing with their own children.
JSSA's popular symposia always feature nationally renowned experts and cover current topics including:
- Understanding and Treating Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents -- Mary Fristad, Ph.D., ABPP, and Ellen Liebenluft, MD
- The Anxious Child -- Golda S. Ginsberg, Ph.D., Daniel S. Pine, MD, and John T. Walkup, MD
- Understanding and Treating ADHD in Girls: Clinical, Neuroscientific and Educational Aspects -- Martha Denckla, MD, Patricia Quinn, MD, and Laurie Cutting, Ph.D.
- Understanding and Treating Asperger's Syndrome and other Severe Social Disabilities -- Ami Klin, Ph.D.
- The Developing Adolescent Brain: Effects on Behavior, Cognitive Development, and Learning -- Jay Giedd, MD, Kurt W. Fischer, Ph.D., and Anu Lukk, LCSW-C
- Explosive/Noncompliant Students: Meeting the Needs of All Members of the Classroom Community and Understanding and Treating Explosive/Oppositional Children and Adolescents -- Ross W. Greene, Ph.D.
- Understanding and Treating Children Who Don't Fit In-- Marshall P. Duke, Ph.D.
- Social Skills Training for the Treatment of Clients with Asperger's Syndrome -- Ami Klin, Ph.D. and Carole Gray, Ph.D..
- Understanding and Treating Asperger's Syndrome and Other Pervasive Developmental Disorders in Children and Adolescents -- Ami Klin, Ph.D., Kenneth Towbin, MD, and Martha Mervis, LCSW-C.
JSSA's fall 2007 professional symposium was held on November 29, 2007, at Chevy Chase's 4-H Center and featured Dr. Michael Hollander, Dr. Anne Kendall and Dr. Georgia DeGangi speaking on "Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Emotional Dysregulation."
JSSA's spring 2008 professional symposium was held on Thursday, April 10 and featured Dr. Brenda Smith Myles, Dr. Ruth Aspy and Dr. Barry G. Grossman speaking on "Changing How We Think About Intervention for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Comprehensieve Planning for Home, School and Clinic Using the Ziggurat and CAPS Models."
JSSA is authorized by the Maryland State Board of Examiners of Psychology as a sponsor of continuing education. The Agency is approved by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners as a sponsor of Category 1 Continuing Education. The Virginia and D.C. Boards of Social Work usually recognize JSSA’s Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners provider status. In addition, a number of recent symposia were co-sponsored by the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Society of Greater Washington (CAPSGW) and Children's National Medical Center (CNMC), and were approved for continuing medical education credits (CMEs) and such approval is expected for future programs. Post-graduate programs
JSSA also offers six-month post-graduate courses in child, adolescent, and adult assessment and treatment. These courses emphasize the bio-psychosocial approach and are taught by an interdisciplinary faculty of expert psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers from area research, academic and care institutions. The curriculum of the child and adolescent course addresses normal child development, psychopathology, principles of assessment, techniques of psychotherapy, psychopharmacology and case presentations. The adult course covers biological research and etiologies of a range of mental disorders, assessment approaches, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy techniques and case presentations.
For more information on upcoming post-graduate courses, please contact Susan Loughman, LCSW-C, JSSA's clinical training director: 301-816-2617 or send an email inquiry.
View the 2008 Child Assessment and Treatment Post-graduate program brochure.
View the 2007 Adult Assessment and Treatment Post-graduate program brochure.
