In trauma-responsive care, it is essential to recognize the impact of trauma on individuals and to approach each interaction with sensitivity and respect. Establishing clear and compassionate boundaries helps to foster trust, facilitate healing, and empower clients to engage in their own healing journey.  In this training we will explore the concept of professional boundaries and how we can achieve and sustain a healthy balance between our roles and responsibilities and the needs of those we support.  We will explore and identify risk factors for boundary violations and how we can reduce them.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the importance and key components of professional boundaries.  

2. Identify boundary red flags and violations. 

3. Identify ways to minimize the risk of boundary violations.  

Target Audience:

The target audience for this training includes substance use harm reduction, recovery, housing/homelessness, and treatment staff (non-clinicians), recovery coaches, recovery specialists, and other non-clinical professionals providing substance use services. 

This training may also be beneficial to:

Clinical Social Workers

This training will strengthen clinical social workers’ ability to establish and maintain clear, compassionate, and ethical professional boundaries within trauma-informed practice. Participants will develop skills to recognize boundary concerns and potential violations, understand factors that may increase risk, and identify strategies for maintaining appropriate boundaries while fostering trust, safety, respect, and effective therapeutic relationships. 

Macro-Focused Social Workers

This training will help macro-focused social workers understand the importance of professional boundaries in organizational and service settings. Participants will develop the ability to recognize boundary concerns and risk factors for violations and identify strategies, policies, and practices that promote healthy professional relationships, ethical practice, staff accountability, and trauma-responsive organizational environments.

Coffee will be provided as well as lunch in the afternoon.

Sponsored by:  MA Department of Public Health, Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Institute for Health & Recovery (IHR), & Adept Educational Institute, Inc.