Advanced SIFI Seminars
Fall, 2009

Skills & Strategies for Facilitating Challenging Dialogues in Field Education

Cheryl Franks, Ph.D & Ovita Williams, LCSW-R
Tuesdays, June 9th, 16th, and 23rd, 2009
9am-1pm, Room 406

You’ve been there before. You’re in a supervisory session, staff meeting or training session and someone mentions race, or perhaps sexual orientation, and the conversation becomes awkward and tense. You hold your breath, wondering what’s going to happen next. Silence, and then the conversation moves on to another topic. Patricia Williams, Columbia University Law professor, calls this moment the piece of furniture in the middle of the room that we ignore, walk around, and pretend doesn’t exist.

This Advanced SIFI workshop will be both a didactic and experiential seminar; it will equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully facilitate difficult conversations around race, class, and diversity. Utilizing theories of group work, conflict resolution, and cultural competence, participants will leave with increased comfort and ease facilitating challenging dialogues in a host of organizational settings that serve as field sites for students. Participants are encouraged to bring examples from experiences as field instructors or in other professional roles.

Note: This workshop is currently full, but it will be offered again in the fall. Please check back in early September.

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All workshops will be held at Columbia University School of Social Work, 1255 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027

To register for any of these seminars, please complete this form.