New Strategies for Substance Use Assessment

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 - 12:00PM to 2:00PM EST

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Live Webinar

February 27, 2019

12-2pm EST

2 CEU for LMSWs, LCSWs, and LMHCs

Contrary to popular belief, while personal efforts can contribute to one’s attendance to appointments, groups, and to one taking medications as prescribed, addiction or substance use disorders are caused by a combination of bio-psycho-social and cultural factors, and the treatment also requires the same multidimensional approach. As clinicians, it is our role and duty to follow this framework in our assessment, treatment, and approach with our patients and clients, and especially in how we communicate with them and talk about them and about addiction, as a whole.

AT THE END OF THIS WEBINAR, YOU WILL:

  • Learn and Master critical thinking in clinical care
  • Learn and Master the principles and techniques of new strategies for substance use assessment
  • Master the do's and don'ts of the new strategies for substance use assessment
  • Role play, practice, and implement new strategies new strategies for substance use assessment
  • Identify your areas for improvement and feel empowered to start implementation in your clinical practice
  • Learn the reasons Why of mastering the new strategies for substance use assessment (It’s beyond what you may think!) and be inspired
  • Immerse yourself in the Socratic Method, the Desire Method, and the Collective Learning experience and enhance your ability to provide excellent care, prevent burnout and promote self-care

This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers (Approval # 886783231-0319) for 2 continuing education contact hours. Additionally, Dr. Sidor Psychiatric Services, PLLC is recognized by the New York State Education Departments State Board for Social Work and Mental Health Counseling as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (#SW-0471) and licensed mental health counselors (#MHC-0127)


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84% of people reported feeling more empowered after participating in a SWEET seminar

Your Facilitator and Co-Facilitator


Mardoche Sidor, MD & Karen Dubin, PhD, LCSW
Mardoche Sidor, MD & Karen Dubin, PhD, LCSW

Mardoche Sidor, MD is a quadruple board certified psychiatrist, with board certifications in Psychiatry and Neurology (General Adult Psychiatry), Child and Adolescent, Addiction, and Forensic, Psychiatry. He has training in public and community psychiatry, psychopharmacology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He also has training in Motivational Interviewing, psychodynamic psychotherapy, play therapy, and family and couples therapy. He has clinical, teaching, and supervision experience; he has mentorship, coaching, and management, skills; and he has experience as a primary care physician, in public speaking and writing. Dr. Sidor also has skills in leadership, research, program development and project management. His overall goal is to help all health professionals, throughout the United States and globally, access the tools they need to feel empowered to provide excellent patient care while also promoting their own self-care and burnout prevention. He is the main facilitator for the SWEET Institute, and he is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University.Dr. Sidor was recently the Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer for CASES (Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services) where he continues to provide psychiatric care. He speaks and writes fluently in four (4) languages—French, English, Spanish, and Creole, with intermediate proficiency in Portuguese and Italian.

Karen Dubin-McKnight, PhD, LCSW, has wide clinical, teaching, supervision and mentorship experience that spans 18 years. She also has a vast experience working in the criminal justice system, in community mental health, in teaching, and in management. Her added passion is in education, coaching, public relations, and mediation. Her goal is to ensure that social workers and other non-medical practitioners feel empowered and have a voice “at the table.” Dr. Dubin-McKnight is the co-facilitator for the SWEET Institute. She was most recently the Court Operations Director at CASES. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work and Adelphi University School of Social Work. She is also a trainer at the CUCS Academy, and Howie T. Harp. She has a private practice for people impacted by loss and trauma and also provides clinical supervision.


"This webinar broke down a very difficult topic."

-Ellen, LCSW

"Mardoche and Karen were both encouraging and engaging instructors. Thanks!"

-Debby, LCSW

What worked: "Attentiveness of staff to help me get established and to respond to my needs; The interaction with the class; The team approach with the presenters; The PowerPoint; The expanse of the learning materials."

-Stephen, LCSW


"Facilitators were very engaged with participants; it felt like we were all in a conference room together."

- Jessica, LMSW

Frequently Asked Questions


I see you have a membership. What do I get with it?
A SWEET Membership entitles you to: two (2) live webinars per month; unlimited access to our library of pre-recorded webinars; and access to 8 new SWEET articles each month. A SWEET membership also entitles you to: 1 clinically-driven, pre-recorded discussion and demonstration webinar each month; discounted rates for in-person seminars (currently only available in New York City), in addition to discounts to annual conferences, networking events, and opportunities to be connected with other like-minded individuals around the world!
What is the SWEET Institute?
SWEET Institute is a community of clinicians and advocates who believe that systemic change is only possible when we all come together, fight for a variety of social justice causes, and do so by investing in a collective learning process that empowers, fosters reflection, critical thinking, and the implementation of skills acquired during our seminars. At SWEET, we emphasize “the Why, the How, the What, and Then What, while using the Socratic and Desire Methods. We are a community united in vision and purpose towards bringing the needed changes. This can be accomplished through solidarity, empowerment, and education. By focusing on and developing the strengths, drives, passions, and skills of clinicians and advocates, we can all make a transformative impact in the lives of our patients and clients and the system as a whole.
Are different are these seminars? Will I be able to interact with the Course Facilitator(s)?
Absolutely. One of the keystone paradigms of the SWEET Institute is the collective learning process. This is accomplished using the Socratic Method and is based on the most up-to-date adult learning theories. Integrating this process into our in-person seminars and live webinars creates a unique and dynamic learning experience for all of us. It is essential to us that a comfortable learning environment is created, so that anyone who attends our webinars or in-person seminars participate and are able to take risks and push themselves to gain deeper knowledge. In our webinars, this will be done through our chat feature. Also, both Mardoche and Karen are available for consultation and clarification following webinars and in-person seminars or by email at [email protected].
How will I get CEUs?
At the end of the webinar, you will be required to complete a post-webinar exam for online learning, and an evaluation of the course. Once complete, you will be able to download your certificate.
Are you available for in-person or online training for agencies, including those outside New York?
We are! We will first need to learn more about the specific needs of your agency/organization. This way we are able to customize our seminars/webinars to ensure that it is the best fit possible for the staff.
I’m an LMHC, do you provide CEU credits?
SWEET is currently approved by the New York State Office of Professions to provide CEU credits to LMSWs, LCSWs, and LMHCs. Please check with your state to determine if the CEUs are transferrable. We are able to provide CEUs for social workers throughout the US.

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