Category: Education, Training, and Supervision - Graduate / Undergraduate/ Postdoctoral

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion 1 - Social Work Training in CBT: The Columbia DBT Training Program

Keywords: DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) | Education and Training - Graduate
Presentation Type: Panel Discussion

Panelist(s)

• JS

  Jennifer Stefanik, MSW

  Columbia University School of Social Work

  Nothing to disclose
• JS

  Jacquelyn Smith, MSSW, LCSW-R

  Columbia School of Social Work, DBT Training Program and Lab/Cognitive Behavioral Consultants of Westchester and Manhattan

  Nothing to disclose
• LB

  Lauren Bochicchio, MSW

  Columbia University School of Social Work

  Nothing to disclose
• NR

  Nancy Ring, MSW, LCSW-R

  Columbia School of Social Work, DBT Training Program & Lab/East West DBT

  Nothing to disclose
• HF

  Hilary Ferris White, MSW

  Clearwater Counseling and Assessment Services

  Nothing to disclose

Moderator(s)

• AI

  Andre Ivanoff, Ph.D.

  Columbia University/Linehan Institute

  Nothing to disclose

Social workers are traditionally trained in two year MSW programs with clinical methods frequently taught as survey courses covering a broad range of approaches to practice.  These approaches range from those particular to social work, e.g., the ecosystems approach, to psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, CBT and evidence-based models.  The consequence of this type of training can be an inability to specify a chosen model of practice coupled with an inability to demonstrate clinically competent skills.

The Columbia University DBT Training Program was designed to train MSW students in a model of evidence-based practice that would transfer to complex and severely disordered clients in diverse practice settings.  The program was developed in collaboration with Marsha M. Linehan, PhD, ABPP, and is to date, the first and only DBT training program within a School of Social Work. 

The program is 12 months long, from May of the first year, through graduation a year later. It is comprised of a rigorous academic curriculum, and paired with field-based DBT internship experiences that take place under experienced, intensively trained, and certification eligible supervisors. In addition to proscribed academic requirements, students participate in online study and preparatory classes from May through August of the first summer.  Ten days of DBT Intensive Training are provided by the Linehan Institute Behavioral Tech, LLC.,  founded by Dr. Linehan. Five training days in August prior to the start of the academic year and five during the January holidays.  A 2.5 day workshop seminar in Suicide Risk Assessment and Management is also required.

The panelists include faculty, alumni, and current PhD and MSW students. They will discuss several topics related to the design, structure and formative evaluative feedback received to date on the program including the application and admissions process, academic curriculum, DBT specific extra-training, internship site and supervisor criteria, assignments and outcome/evaluation requirements. 

Learning Objectives:

• Identify barriers in social work curricula that may prevent adequate training in CBT.
• Describe the curriculum, internship and special training in DBT to enhance skills and knowledge in an EST.
• Review challenges and suggest remedies for scaling and broadening training in social work for competent CBT practice.