Date: May 8, 2026
Time: 9 AM-12 PM
Modality: Zoom
Presenter: Charles “Chaz” Franke, LCSW
This is a virtual course, and will take place over Zoom.
A link to this virtual course will be sent one week prior to the event.
$45.00 SLU Alumni and pre-registered SLU practicum instructors
$65.00 All others
Title: The Lonely Social Work Career Path: Coping with Ambivalence and Isolation in Private Practice
(meets criteria for 1 hour diversity & 1 hour ethics )
Learning Objectives:
Identify at least three common sources of professional isolation and ambivalence in private practice settings.
Analyze the impact of isolation on clinical decision-making, ethical boundaries, and emotional well-being.
Apply evidence-informed strategies to mitigate loneliness and foster professional connection and support.
Reflect on personal values and motivations in private practice to realign with the broader mission of social work.
Demonstrate culturally responsive supervision practices that support diverse supervisees and promote equity.
Develop a personalized action plan to enhance professional support, supervision, and self-care.
Course description: Private practice offers social workers autonomy and flexibility, but it can also lead to emotional and professional isolation. This CE course explores the psychological, ethical, and cultural challenges of working in private practice, with a special focus on the experience of supervising others. Participants will examine how isolation can impact clinical judgment, cultural humility, and supervisory relationships. The course emphasizes strategies for fostering connection, ethical clarity, and cultural responsiveness in both solo practice and supervisory roles. This course is ideal for licensed clinical social workers, therapists, and supervisors in private or small group practices who seek to enhance their professional resilience, cultural competence, and supervisory effectiveness.
Bio: Charles “Chaz” Franke, LCSW is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work is a therapist and clinical supervisor for Light Source, a small group practice in Belleville, Illinois, He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from McKendree University, and a Master of Social Work degree from SLU. Mr. Franke has been practicing therapy full-time since 2007. Since the beginning of his career as a therapist, he has worked with trauma and its long-reaching effects. This work has included extensive work of all ages and all walks of life. He specializes in self-compassion and integrating Eastern thought and philosophy into the therapeutic process. Chaz provides both clinical and reflective supervision to clinicians across many settings to help further their ability to find their voice in the field and maintain engagement in their work.
Price:
$65.00