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About CHI
CHI professional Development, provides continuing education to social workers, mentally health counsellors and substance abuse counsellors so they may provide the best care for those they serve.
It is no secret that our field is constantly evolving.
New research and treatment methods help us assist those struggling with homelessness, mental health issues, and substance abuse every year. As a licensed clinical social worker, I know how difficult it is to juggle professional and personal responsibilities. I also know how easy it is to lose ourselves when working with those struggling so much more.
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I founded Chi Professional Development to simplify professional development for my fellow mental health professionals.
Hello!
My name is Michael Chiappone, LCSW. For more than two decades, I have served my community as a social worker. In an often high-pressure profession like ours, balancing professional obligations and personal needs can be difficult. We have other people’s well-being and lives in our hands every day, so forgetting about our own is common. That is why I have made it part of my mission to make self-care an intricate part of our work. “By taking better care of yourself, you can take better care of those you serve.”
Michael's devotion to the social work profession began long before CHI Professional Development, Inc. Most of his career was spent at Hope House Ministries — a highly respected, not-for-profit agency. There, he first held the role as Director of Project Hope II — a program dedicated to addressing the chronic homeless population in the area. Later, he assisted in developing and implementing Hope Academy — a unique long-term treatment facility to treat individuals with Substance Use Disorder. Currently, he serves as the full-time Coordinator at a SUD treatment facility in Suffolk County, NY, and CEO of CHI Professional Development, Inc..
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His comprehensive understanding and practical knowledge in confronting and overcoming obstacles have earned him the prestigious Healthcare Hero award and the IRCares Scholarship Award. He has been blessed beyond measure and believes in passing along his good fortune through education, professional training, and advocating for social justice.
​As an Adjunct Professor at the School of Social Welfare at Stony Brook, he developed two college courses. The first was on the correlation between spirituality and healing from addiction, the second being self-care for the Social Worker. He also led a foundational course on Human Behavior and the Social Environment.
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Thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience, Michael has been invited to sit on a variety of committees, including the Gordon Heights Clerical Council and the Suffolk County Sheriff Citizen Advisory Board Meetings, and the Suffolk County Opiate Task Force.
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Michael has committed his life to engaging others and assisting them in their journey toward becoming the best version of themselves.
Why I Founded
CHI professional Development, Inc
At CHI Professional Development, we make it easy to find courses on the specific topics relevant to your daily work. I believe our time is too precious to be spent searching for information. I wanted to create a platform teaching practical skills, therapeutic practices, and valuable knowledge specifically for our field.
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However, managing a full-time job as a social worker and following courses is not always simple. That is why we are dedicated to offering formats like self-study and interactive live-online classes. These formats are designed to be easier to fit into a busy schedule: Enjoy the same level of interaction as in-person classes, but avoid the commute by attending from home. Our vision is to improve the quality of continuous education without taking more of your time.
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Our dedication to providing top-of-the-line education courses has made CHI an Approved Continuing Education (ACE) Provider by the Association of Social Work Boards. We also maintain our provider status in New York State for Social Workers, Licensed Mental Health Counselors, and Substance Use Disorder counselors.
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CHI Professional Development is Here for You!
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Whether you have recently graduated or a seasoned mental health provider, we have live-online interactive classes for you.
Our Team
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NYS Allows DASA Course Entirely Online
Due to COVID-19, the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) course is now available entirely online. You can find the DASA course here.
From the NYS Office of the Professions Social Work Continuing Education Requirement
Beginning January 1, 2015, each Licensed Social Worker (LMSW) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) must complete 36 hours of approved continuing education courses for each triennial registration period. No more than 12 hours of continuing education activities in any 36 month period, or one-third of the total hours in periods of other length, may consist of self-study educational activities from New York State Education Department approved providers.
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The link below will open a new page (to make it easy for you to come back and register) directing you to the NYS Office of Professions. The site offers information for licensees and entities seeking to be designated as an approved provider of continuing education coursework for licensed master social workers and licensed clinical social workers.
Providers Approvals
CHI Professional Development, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0538
CHI Professional Development, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider for continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0173
CHI Professional Development, Inc. is OASAS certified to provide CASAC renewal and CPP/CPS hours #1343
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Provider
CHI Professional Development, Inc. is an approved provider of Coursework or Training in Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) DASA-#0178