NASW-NY Continuing Education • Depression / Bipolar / Mood Disorders
Live webinar • 1 CEU credit Monday, November 9, 2026 • 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
REGISTER Workshop Description
This continuing education course explores the complex clinical overlap between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder, with a focus on accurate assessment, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning across the lifespan. Participants will review diagnostic criteria and phenomenology of Bipolar I, Bipolar II, ADHD, and Major Depressive Disorder, emphasizing distinctions in mood dysregulation, impulsivity, sleep disturbance, and cognitive functioning relevant to clinical social work diagnosis.
The course addresses core Practice Areas including biopsychosocial assessment, suicide risk evaluation, comorbidity management, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Diversity Arenas are integrated through discussion of gender differences, developmental trajectories, cultural stigma, shame, and barriers to care that influence presentation and treatment engagement. Evidence-based clinical interventions are examined, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness-based strategies, and the central role of the therapeutic relationship.
Participants will apply suicide risk research and the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior to clinical decision-making. Psychopharmacological principles are reviewed to support informed collaboration with prescribers. The course emphasizes ethical, person-centered, and recovery-oriented principles of clinical social work practice and psychotherapy.
Learning Objectives
Following this course, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder, and Major Depressive Disorder by analyzing symptom presentation, course, and contextual factors relevant to clinical social work diagnosis.
- Apply evidence-based assessment strategies to evaluate comorbidity, suicide risk, and functional impairment in clients presenting with overlapping ADHD and mood disorder symptoms.
- Analyze the impact of developmental, gender, and cultural factors on diagnostic formulation, treatment engagement, and stigma related to ADHD and Bipolar Disorders.
- Select and apply appropriate evidence-based clinical interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and mindfulness-based approaches, to support emotional regulation, safety, and functioning.
- Integrate psychopharmacological principles and suicide risk models into interdisciplinary treatment planning while adhering to ethical and person-centered principles of clinical social work practice.
Continuing Education
1 CEU credit
This workshop is approved for licensed social workers.
Fees
For Credit
- $15.00NASW-NY Member
- $25.00Other Chapter Members (e.g., NASW-NJ, etc.)
- $30.00Non-Member
No Credit
- $0.00NASW-NY Student and Transitional Member (Non-CE Eligible)
Faculty
Dr. Roberto Olivardia
Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Associate at McLean Hospital, and Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He maintains a private practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He also specializes in the treatment of eating disorders in boys and men.
He is co-author of The Adonis Complex, a book which details the various manifestations of body image problems in males. He is on the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude, a publication and website serving the needs of individuals with ADHD and Learning Disabilities, and sits on the Professional Advisory Boards for Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) and the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), and is a Featured Expert for Understood.
He has appeared in publications such as Time, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and has been featured on Good Morning America, Extra, CBS This Morning, CNN, and VH1. He presents at many conferences, podcasts, and webinars around the country. Dr. Olivardia also has lived experience, as someone with ADHD.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE credits does this course offer?
This course offers 1 CEU credit and runs for 1 hour, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, November 9, 2026, as a Lunch & Learn session.
Who is this course appropriate for?
Social workers and mental health clinicians at all practice levels — Advanced (Expert), Emerging (Beginner), Mid-Career (Intermediate), and Student.
What will I learn in this course?
You will learn to differentiate ADHD from Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Major Depressive Disorder; apply evidence-based assessment for comorbidity and suicide risk; account for developmental, gender, and cultural factors in diagnosis and stigma; apply CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based interventions; and integrate psychopharmacological and suicide-risk considerations into treatment planning.
Is this a Lunch & Learn session?
Yes. This is a 1-hour Lunch & Learn course, running from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM Eastern Time.
Can I access a recording after the live session?
Yes. Recorded access to this session remains available through November 24, 2026.
How much does this course cost?
For CE credit: $15.00 for NASW-NY members, $25.00 for members of other NASW chapters (e.g., NASW-NJ), and $30.00 for non-members. NASW-NY Student and Transitional Members may attend for $0.00 without CE credit.
Is this course approved for social work continuing education credit in New York State?
Yes. NASW-NY is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers (Provider ID #0014), and this course's 1 CEU credit counts toward your general New York CE requirement.
Does this course satisfy New York's mandatory Professional Boundaries or Child Abuse Identification CE requirements?
No. This course covers depression, bipolar, and mood disorder topics and counts toward your general 36-hour New York CE requirement, but it does not satisfy the state's separate mandatory 3-hour Appropriate Professional Boundaries or one-time 2-hour Child Abuse Identification and Reporting requirements.