New York, NY, April 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) announced that the organization has developed funding for a mental health department. This department will be offering continuing education courses for New York State licensed mental health professionals in the clinical area of multicultural disability competence.

CIDNY is launching a new initiative offering multicultural Disability competence continuing education courses to licensed mental health professionals in New York State. The program will begin offering accredited courses to those licensed practitioners holding LMSW, LCSW, LMHC designations. The program is expected to expand credit offerings to Licensed Psychologists and offer additional courses for Licensed Psychologists (LP) in the near future. The courses, instructed by New York State licensed professionals, at CIDNY, will count towards satisfying the 36-credit-hour continuing education credits that are required by the New York State Licensure Board for triannual renewal for licensure.

“I am so excited to see how my research can be put into clinical practice. My nation-wide dissertation in 2012, on Multicultural disability competence (MDC), found that licensed psychologists across the country could benefit from learning more about multicultural disability competence to further assist clients/consumers with their psychological distress. It is important for clinicians to understand how the intersectionality of disability can affect a person’s psychological symptomatology. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the rights of people with both physical and mental disabilities. Thus, it becomes efficacious for all mental health clinicians to learn MDC and the skills needed to work with this population,” said Sharon McLennon Wier, Ph.D., MSEd., CRC, LMHC, Executive Director of CIDNY.

More information about the continuing education courses can be found on CIDNY’s website at www.cidny.org/ce.

About Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY):
The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) is a leading advocate for people with disabilities in New York City. It was founded in 1978 to ensure full integration, independence, and equal opportunity for all people with disabilities by removing barriers to the social, economic, cultural, and civic life of the community. For more information, visit www.cidny.org.

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