Self-Care: Our Ethical Responsibilities to Our Clients. You Cannot Pour Water from an Empty Glass

Self-Care: Our Ethical Responsibilities to Our Clients
You Cannot Pour Water from an Empty Glass

Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM ET
Format: Live Virtual Training
CEs: 3 Category I Ethics CEs

Self-care is more than a personal wellness practice—it's an ethical responsibility. The NASW Code of Ethics recognizes that social workers must maintain their personal and professional well-being to provide competent, effective, and ethical services to clients.

Join us for this thought-provoking and practical workshop exploring the critical connection between self-care and ethical social work practice. Participants will examine the impact of workplace stress, trauma exposure, compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma on professional effectiveness and client outcomes.

Through guided reflection and discussion, attendees will explore strategies for building resilience, strengthening support systems, and developing sustainable self-care practices that support both personal well-being and ethical service delivery.

What You'll Learn:

• Identify ethical issues related to self-care and professional practice
• Define and distinguish primary traumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and burnout
• Explore the relationship between compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue
• Recognize signs of stress, barriers to recovery, and risk factors for professional burnout
• Develop an individualized ethical self-care plan that supports long-term well-being and effective client outcomes
• Assess organizational factors that contribute to staff wellness and ethical practice

This training will explore key sections of the NASW Code of Ethics, including professional responsibility, self-care, competence, informed consent, and professional collaboration.

Presenter: Gisele Ferretto, MSW, LCSW-C, Clinical Instructor, UMSSW

Gisele Ferretto is a licensed clinical social worker and Clinical Instructor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She is an experienced practitioner, educator, and trainer dedicated to supporting social workers in developing sustainable practices that promote ethical, effective, and compassionate care. Her work focuses on professional resilience, trauma-informed practice, and helping practitioners maintain personal and professional well-being while navigating the demands of the profession. Through her teaching and training, Gisele helps social workers build practical strategies that support both workforce sustainability and positive client outcomes.

Registration Fees:

• Members: $50
• Non-Members: $75

CE Information:

• 3 Category I Ethics CEs
• Available for self-study access for five months following the live training

Register today!