On-Demand CE Training
ODL 445: Beyond Fall Prevention: Ethical Risk Assessment and Discharge Planning for Older Adults
Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credit for an asynchronous course. Some state boards may place restrictions regarding the modality of training required for ethics credits to be awarded. If this training indicates ethics credits are available, please verify that your state allows them to be earned through an on-demand course format.
Please note: This on-demand webinar is a replay of a live CE event. The format reflects the original presentation and may include live Q&A, transitions, and intermittent audio/visual fluctuations typical of a live recording.
2 CREDIT HOURS APPROVED FOR:
Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 2 Clinical CE credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 2 Contact hours
Psychologists
APA – 2 CE credits
Counselors 2 Contact hours
NBCC ACEP – 2 Contact hours
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 2 Contact hours
Addiction Professionals
NAADAC – Not eligible for Contact hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 2 Contact hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 2 CE Contact hours
Created On: 10/09/2026
Target Audience:
This course is targeted for social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses and case managers.
Instructional Level:
Beginner
Overview:
Falls among older adults are often treated as a simple safety issue, but for social workers, case managers, and discharge planners, fall risk frequently reflects more complex psychosocial, ethical, environmental, and systems-level concerns. This training explores fall prevention within the broader context of safe transitions of care, aging in place, client self-determination, caregiver capacity, and interdisciplinary discharge planning. Participants will examine how to assess fall-related risk without reducing clients to safety concerns alone, how to respond when clients refuse recommended services, and how to support ethical, person-centered planning that balances autonomy, protection, and professional responsibility
Course Objectives:
By the end of the session, the participant will be able to:
- Identify psychosocial, environmental, and care-transition factors that contribute to fall-related risk among older adults.
- Analyze ethical tensions that arise when client self-determination conflicts with safety recommendations.
- Apply case management and discharge-planning strategies that support risk reduction, interdisciplinary collaboration, and person-centered care.
Presenter:
Sara J. English, PhD, LMSW, CPG, and Associate Professor of Social Work at Winthrop University
Dr. English is an Associate Professor of Social Work and the faculty advisor for the Gerontology Minor Program at Winthrop University. She is a Certified Gerontology Professional (CPG) and AGE-SW fellow, and has presented her research at local, national, and international venues, including at the University of Bath and the University of Iceland, as well as in South Africa and New Zealand. She serves as the NASW-SC representative to the Alzheimer’s Advisory Board for the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging and was recognized by the NASW-SC as the Social Work Educator of the Year for 2022. Dr. English is the faculty representative for Phi Alpha social work honor society and serves as president of Winthrop’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society.
Dr. English studies the power of non-familial relationships among staff and residents of institutional settings. Dr. English also explores how simple mindfulness practices can enhance mental health and well-being, and was selected as Winthrop University’s Thompson Scholar for the academic year 2023-2024, creating a student-focused mindfulness program. She is passionate about utilizing the arts and mindfulness practices to enhance the lives of older persons and those who love them.