FREDONIA — The Chautauqua Alcohol and Substance Abuse Council is offering an educational session for community members and professionals entitled “Mindfulness Practice: Enhancing Self-care & Client Outcomes.”

Elaine K. Hammond will present this session from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, Sept. 29, at the First Presbyterian Church, 219 Central Ave., Fredonia.

The workshop will give practitioners working throughout the scope of addictions treatment foundational knowledge in mindfulness interventions to allow them to explain the rationale to client systems, tailor interventions to meet individual client needs and monitor efficacy. Beginning with established and emerging evidence of the biological implications of mindfulness practices, especially within stressed, potentially traumatizing systems, participants will have opportunities to experience mindfulness activities for themselves and discuss implementation issues with colleagues as the morning progresses. Consideration will be given to specialized issues of mindfulness in policy practice, self-care and social media.

Hammond is in her 40th year of social work practice, with experiences ranging from child welfare/protection to mediation/arbitration, and non-profit administration to clinical practice. She began teaching as an adjunct at the UB School of Social Work 14 years ago and was a member of the school’s Staff as coordinator of the Jamestown Extension Program for several years. She now focuses on teaching and training within a contemplative, integrated, trauma-informed paradigm, adding the UB Law School to her bubble and chocolate distribution schedule seven years ago. Her training experiences include integrating spirituality in clinical interventions, the biology of trauma, reconciliation traditions, and both basic and advanced mindfulness techniques. She has a passion for helping caregivers of all kinds learn to better care for themselves. Hammond has a small private practice currently working with adults who experienced traumatic events in early childhood and she donates services to veterans and their families through Give an Hour.

Those who can benefit from the training are those living with trauma and addictions and those who care about and work with them. As a result of this training, participants will come away with a de-mystified understanding of mindfulness, its basic neurobiology and practical application to the treatment of addictions, clients living with trauma and its after effects and clinician self-care.

The course is also suitable for those seeking professional credentialing as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), Credentialed Prevention Professional (CPP) or Credentialed Prevention Specialist (CPS). The 3 CPP (Section 4) hours are approved for initial credit hours and for CPS/CASAC renewal by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services.

The fee is $50 and pre-registration is required. To register, contact CASAC or Kathleen Colby, director of training services, at 664-3608, email kjcolby@casacweb.org or visit www.casacweb.org.