Identifying and Treating School-Based Avoidance

This training will assist attendees in being able to identify anxiety and avoidant behaviors in clients as well as the motivation behind these behaviors. Attendees will gain knowledge of evidenced-based treatment modalities for decreasing school avoidance in order to assist clients in increasing their school attendance and staying in the classroom for longer periods of time.

Level: Beginner

Learning Objectives

After attending this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify patterns of anxiety and school-based avoidance in clients
• Identify interventions for school avoidance including CBT Interventions, parent interventions, and working with the school system to implement interventions
• Discuss and recognize the difference in motivation of school avoidance as well as the difference in intervention and treatment for neurodivergent clients.

Course Outline

9:30 am: Welcome and introduction

9:45 am: Identifying school avoidance and refusal as well as motivations for behaviors

10:15 am: Identifying the difference in behaviors for clients with traditional anxiety versus clients with diagnosis of Autism and ADHD

10:45 am: Treatment interventions and partnering with school and families/parents

11:15 am: Case discussion and review

About the Presenters

Nicole Harris is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees in social work and has been in the field for about eight years. She has experience with a range of services and populations including re-entry services for the Maryland prison system, youth and adult PRP, treatment foster care and outpatient SUD clinics. Most recently, Nicole has been working with Catholic Charities Villa Maria Behavioral Health as a school-based therapist. She is currently in her fourth school year working with children and families and treating many mental health and behavioral issues, including anxiety and school-based avoidance.

Registration & Info

This course is provided free to current Catholic Charities of Baltimore employees and for a fee to non-employees. Registration and additional information, including cost is available via Eventbrite. Registration closes at 11:59 pm on November 5, 2025 or when space is full, whichever comes first. Refunds may be requested via the Eventbrite platform until November 5, 2025 at 11:59 pm; after that date no refund will be given. Please contact Johanna Miller at jmiller@cc-md.org with any questions, concerns, or requests for special accommodations.

Course Completion & CE Info

Course completion requirements: Participants must attend the entire course and complete a course evaluation to earn CE credit. Certificates of completion will be e-mailed within 10 business days.

This course qualifies for 2 contact hours. See below for specific course approvals.

Associated Catholic Charities is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education learning activities and maintains full responsibility for this program. This training qualifies for 2 hours in Category 1 continuing education units.

Contact Information

Catholic Charities of Baltimore (Associated Catholic Charities)

2300B Dulaney Valley Road

Timonium, MD 21093

667-600-2000

info@cc-md.org

www.cc-md.org