Continuing Professional Education
For: Professionals and students seeking to expand their educational training in the mental health field. Service description: JSSA, as a leading provider of sophisticated mental health services and a highly respected learning institution, reaches out to hundreds of mental health, medical and school personnel each year through its:
JSSA's continuing professional education programs disseminate the most current research findings from the fields of neurology, psychiatry, clinical and developmental psychology, pediatrics and social work and introduce participants to the rapidly advancing knowledge base in the biological, genetic and psychosocial aspects of child, adolescent and adult mental disorders. In addition, these programs enable practitioners to learn the latest research and evidence-based treatment techniques and approaches.
JSSA’s continuing professional education programs are recognized for presentations that translate highly technical research findings on etiology and treatment into accessible and understandable information for practitioners in the field.
Service providers: JSSA's symposia feature nationally renowned experts in the mental health field. Our post-graduate programs and on-site training and education include a diverse faculty of regional experts in psychiatry, psychology, a wide range of other medical specialties, social work and special education from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community.
Service location: Graduate internships are available on-site at JSSA's Rockville - Wood Hill Road and Northern Virginia locations. JSSA symposia are held annually at the 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, Md., and at the Annandale campus of the Northern Virginia Community College. JSSA's post-graduate programs and on-site training and education are held at our Rockville, Montrose Road office location.
Payment: Information about JSSA's fees and charges for our post-graduate programs and symposia is available upon request.
Graduate student social work internships
For many years, JSSA has been the training ground for graduate students in social work 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 supervision with master clinicians.
For more information about JSSA's graduate internships, please call Susan Loughman, LCSW-C, JSSA's clinical director of training at 
301-816-2617 in Maryland or 703-204-9100 in Northern Virginia or send an 
email inquiry.
Post-Graduate Programs
JSSA 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 2007 Adult Assessment and Treatment Post-graduate program brochure.
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 Explosive/Oppositional Children and Adolescents -- Ross Greene, Ph.D.
- 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 Addressing the Needs of Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities -- Marshall P. Duke, Ph.D.
- Social Skills Training for the Treatment of Clients with Asperger's Syndrome -- G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D., Larry B. Silver, MD, and Ruth Spodak, 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 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." The event will be held at the Ernst Community Cultural Center at the Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Virginia.
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.
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.
