Social Work Month Learning Series
The Social Work Month Learning series is a collaborative endeavor led by the Social Work programs at the University of North Dakota and Bemidji State University to commemorate Social Work Month 2025, which has the theme – Social Work: Compassion + Action.
Earn up to 6 CEUs. Each session is approved for 1.5 CEUs by the ND Board of Social Work Examiners. Please confirm with your state licensure board acceptance of NDBSWE-approved CEUs. CEU Certificates or Certificates of Attendance will be sent out after the sessions.
About the Social Work Month Learning Series
The Social Work Month Learning Series is a multi-session virtual program focused on topics pertinent to social work and human services practice across the micro, mezzo, and macro spheres. The series is designed to provide competency-building and value-adding learning opportunities for social work and human service professionals and students.
Drawing on practice experience and research, the series promotes increased awareness and appreciation of topics including trauma/traumatic stress – the impact on clients as well as practitioners, gaps in social work education and training, etc., and organizational activities that empower social workers for effective and scalable practice.
The speakers' exploration of the topics reflect our region's unique context and addressed the remarkable variability of the social work profession and human services across different environments.
March 2025 Sessions
Jennifer Modeen, LMSW
March 5, 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
“People are opting out of vital conversations about diversity and inclusivity because they fear looking wrong, saying something wrong, or being wrong. Choosing our own comfort over hard conversations is the epitome of privilege, and it corrodes trust and moves us away from meaningful and lasting change.”- Brene Brown
Let’s celebrate Social Work Month by having an open and meaningful conversation about the work we do and our shared commitment to supporting our communities. Whether you're currently a student or a social worker specializing in micro, mezzo, or macro levels—perhaps even a mix of all three—your voice and actions are crucial.
This discussion will center on courageous conversations that lead to real change and foster deeper connections, no matter your role. We’ll also explore actionable strategies to combat compassion fatigue and, most importantly, emphasize hope—not just for our profession, but for the individuals, families, and communities we serve.
Join us to have a strength based discussion and find actionable steps that you can take away and use immediately in your professional life as a social worker.
Jennifer L. Fontaine Modeen, LMSW, is a dedicated mental health and social work professional with 30 years of experience in social-emotional support, behavior management, and case coordination across educational and community settings. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of North Dakota (2007) and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the College of Saint Benedict. (1994)
Jennifer currently serves as a Behavioral Support Specialist with the Area Special Education Cooperative, where she conducts assessments, develops behavior intervention plans, and provides training to families, teachers, and staff across 11 school districts. Her work focuses on trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, and culturally competent, strength-based strategies that empower families, educators, and multidisciplinary teams.
Jennifer is also the co-owner of Mentella Consulting, a business that helps schools foster environments prioritizing social and emotional learning (SEL) for students, teachers, and the broader community. Through Mentella Consulting, she has helped schools integrate SEL, promoting emotional well-being and academic success.
Throughout her career, Jennifer has demonstrated leadership, including her role as Mental Health Team Leader and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Coordinator at East Grand Forks Public Schools. There, she led SEL program integration, professional development, and trauma-informed care initiatives. As the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison, she specialized in serving youth and families in transition, advocating for marginalized and at-risk students and ensuring compliance with federal laws.
Jennifer has also taught as an adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota, developing and teaching graduate-level courses on Children’s Mental Health. Her work includes mentoring future social workers and fostering community partnerships to support mental health and behavioral interventions.
Jennifer is passionate about supporting vulnerable populations, advocating for systemic change in educational, social services, and community settings. She currently serves as a board member for the Minnesota School Social Work Association.
Jennifer is married to Nathan Modeen, LICSW, and they have three children: Hannah, Samuel, and Sophia. She is also a proud grandmother to Maximillian and mother-in-law to Cody.
Beth Ringer, MSW, LGSW
March 17, 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
RSVP for Session Zoom Link
Advocacy is how we put compassion into action. As social workers not only are we uniquely skilled to be effective advocates, but we are also called to advocacy in our Code of Ethics. In this session, we’ll talk about how social workers can embrace our responsibility for making positive change. We’ll also discuss ethical dilemmas that may arise when we advocate for change. You’ll leave this session feeling inspired and ready to take action.
Beth Ringer (she/her), MSW, LGSW, is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA). Beth has over a decade of experience in nonprofits in Minnesota, and her professional experience includes nonprofit management, community organizing, and advocacy. Prior to working with MSSA, Beth was the Director of Community Outreach and Engagement with NAMI Minnesota. Beth holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Minnesota. In her personal life, Beth enjoys running, hanging out with her corgi, and perfecting her chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Karen Goodenough, PhD, MSW, LGSW
March 31, 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
RSVP for Session Zoom Link
You should run for office (or help other Social Workers run!). Decision makers at every level of public service desperately need social work values at the table - whether it's City Council, School Board, County Board, State Legislature, or beyond. With practical advice to get you started and wild stories from knocking on 837 doors, Dr. Karen Goodenough will join us to demystify the process and share insights gained from her recent run for Cass County Commissioner.
Dr. Karen E. Goodenough, PhD, MSW, LGSW, has been Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers - Minnesota Chapter since 2018. She received her BSW from St. Olaf College, MSW from Augsburg University, and PhD in social work from the University of Minnesota. Previously, Dr. KG worked in direct practice, non-profit program management, and has been a consultant in evaluation, data utilization, and strategic planning. She has also served as adjunct faculty in numerous BSW and MSW programs throughout Minnesota. Dr. KG is a skilled supervisor, trainer, and macro practitioner. She has supervised, coached, and trained interns, volunteers, contractors, board members, and staff from various professional backgrounds, and has provided hundreds of hours of training in such areas as supervision, ethics, policy advocacy, leadership, budgeting, evaluation, and research. Dr. KG is District 3 representative on the Cass County Health, Human, and Veterans Services Advisory Committee, Board Member for the Pine River-Backus Family Center, and a proud coach of the recently re-established Pine River-Backus High School Cheer Team.
Previous Recordings
Jessica Hublit, Sanford Behavioral Health
March 1, 2024
Passcode: RPc8&Y@m
This session is intended to empower social workers to be able to buffer, recognize and respond to symptoms of secondary traumatic stress for themselves, coworkers, and advocate for trauma informed agency response. Between 40% and 85% of “helping professionals” develop vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and/or high rates of traumatic symptoms, according to compassion fatigue expert Francoise Mathieu (2012). The goal of this presentation to provide tools and start conversations which can be used as individual prevention as well as share ways to empower organizations to create supportive work environments that offer interventions, prevention, and sustainability processes to ensure wellness of organization as a whole and allow ability to provide effective services to communities.
Jessica Hublit has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work and Psychology from Loras College in Dubuque, IA and a Master of Science Degree in Counseling and Student Personnel from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is licensed in the state of Minnesota as an bachelor's level social worker and a board approved supervisor for other bachelor's social workers. She has worked since 2013 in direct service and as a team leader in the Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS) program and is a manager over Community Based Mental Health Programs and Internships within Sanford Behavioral Health in Bemidji. As a part of her experience at Sanford, Jessica has provided assessments and interventions within the mobile crisis team in the community and emergency room setting.
Dr. Jennifer Schlinger, University of North Dakota
March 11, 2024
Passcode: .h9cJES+
This session on trauma-informed care, tailored for those dedicated to empowering individuals, will provide a framework for understanding and addressing trauma within social work practice. The session will offer foundational knowledge and awareness as well as a deeper understanding of trauma as we explore its diverse and various forms. Uncovering how the brain responds to trauma is essential for identifying effective interventions and supports so we may make a difference in the lives of those impacted by trauma. This presentation will also explore factors known to promote resilience and well-being by examining practical techniques to prioritize self-care.
Dr. Jennifer Schlinger has over 20 years of social work practice and teaching experience and has worked in a variety of settings including higher education, medical, military, state government, private, and non-profit. Jennifer graduated from the University of North Dakota with both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work. She completed her EdD in Educational Practice and Leadership and her dissertation addressed trauma education in social work curricula. Dr. Schlinger started in the Social Work Department at UND in 2016 as an Adjunct Professor and has been an Assistant Professor since 2020. In addition to teaching, she also serves as a Field Coordinator, Liaison and Supervisor for students in and entering their field placements.
Dr. Sue Rickers, Bemidji State University
March 18, 2024
Passcode: w9RPp@vT
This training examines empowerment from the perspective of what human service employers do to foster resilience among employees. The interactive talk shifts the conversation from an emphasis on individual responsibility for developing resilience to the role of employers in creating a resilient culture alongside their employees. This presentation highlights findings from a qualitative study on what organizations currently do to foster resilience among employees in human service settings. Organizations empower social workers through focus on the importance of functional tasks, relationship-building, and intentionally valuing employee contributions. This talk also provides feedback from supervisors on how to further empower a resilient human service workspace. Opportunity will be provided for participants to share current and possible strategies on the co-creation of resilience.
Dr. Sue Rickers is an Associate Professor and Department Chair in Social Work. She enjoys teaching a variety of courses at BSU and interacting with future social workers. Sue has a range of work experiences working with diverse populations and in a variety of settings. Sue is interested in the experiences of social work practitioners, social work education, and holistic approaches to well-being.
Dr. Joan Blakely, University of Minnesota
March 29, 2024
Passcode: 5JZx^+*?
Too often, diversity, equity, and inclusion are reduced to outward differences such as race or ensuring we have representatives from different groups. However, we often want those representatives to think similarly. True diversity, equity, and inclusion are making space for differences of thought, which is the hallmark of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We all have different life experiences and ways of seeing the world that are informed by various things. The best solutions to problems are those in which we make space for differences of thought so we can embrace new ways of seeing and more inclusive ways of solving the problem. This talk is about how we, as social workers, empower change by embracing and celebrating our differences.
Dr. Joan Blakey holds a BS and MSW from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in social work from the University of Chicago. Her areas of expertise include child advocacy, protection, and welfare; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); justice and corrections; substance use and substance use treatment; and trauma and trauma-informed care. She also focuses on anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice within the social work profession.