Preferred registration deadline: February 14th

3 CEs

Sex work is often considered the “world’s oldest profession” and those who engage in consensual sex work practices are often regarded as destitute, unbecoming, and immoral. This stigma, combined with the inherent risk factors of their profession, often exacerbates undesirable mental health symptoms such as depression, anxiety, substance use, and suicidal ideation. Most people who have done sex work hesitate to tell their therapists out of fear of judgment and therefore are unable to access the support they may need to take care of their mental health.

This training will provide psychoeducation about a marginalized population to promote a greater sense of cultural awareness among mental health professionals. Specifically, participants will be exposed to the realities of people engaging in consensual sex work practices, and by the end of the training be able to distinguish those practices from sex trafficking, survival sex, and sexual exploitation. Additionally, this training will highlight the importance of a trauma-aware approach to discussing sexual topics with clients. Participants will also engage in hypothetical skill rehearsal exercises to practice improving their language, challenging their biases, and developing a greater sense of empathy. 

Please note that all participants must be at least 18 years of age due to the sexually explicit imagery presented during the workshop.

This is an interactive synchronous distance learning course via Zoom. This workshop meets the licensure requirement for 3 hours of continuing education in diversity/cultural competency/humility.

General Admission: $65**

**Eligible discounts can be applied during checkout.

Class size is limited to 45

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Course Outline

Content Level: Intermediate

Target Audiences: Therapists and/or other mental health providers (Social work, counseling, psychology, etc.); and Social Policy Advocates 

Agenda:

• Introductions (20 min)
• Key Factors of sex work (20 min)
• Culturally Sensitive language to use with clients who engage in sex work (15 min)
• Clinical skills and strategies to challenge biases (30 min)
• In-depth Case Consultation and Skill Rehearsal Practice building on information taught during the first half of training (90 minutes)

*A 5-minute break will occur approximately halfway through the workshop.  

Learner Outcomes

• Examine key factors related to sex work, differentiating consensual sex work practices from survival sex and human trafficking.
• Develop culturally competent language to utilize with clients who engage in sex work, and demonstrate an understanding of the importance of that language through a skill-rehearsal exercise.
• Apply one case conceptualization strategy that is trauma-aware and culturally sensitive that will help challenge implicit biases held toward sex workers.

Course Completion Requirements:

• The Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, Professional Development, provider #2130, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 9/24/2024 – 9/24/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 cultural competence continuing education credits.

• The Brown School is also an approved provider of Social Work CEs in Missouri and Illinois.

• To earn ACE credit, attendees must arrive at the scheduled time, attend the entire course, and complete an online course evaluation. ACE credit is not provided for partial attendance.  However, you may still qualify for partial Social Work Missouri and Illinois CEs provided by the Brown School.

• Brown School CE Certificates will be available online within 10 business days of course completion by visiting your learner profile at https://ce.wustl.edu/portal/logon.do?method=load&parentSite=brown. You will receive an email notification with specific instructions for accessing the online certificate when it is available. ACE CE Certificates, if requested in your evaluation survey, will be emailed within 10 business days of course completion.

• For more information about CEs, accessibility, refund/cancelation policy, our grievance policy, or other inquiries please visit our About Us page or email brownprofdev@wustl.edu.