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OCD-Informed Practice: Helping without Hurting

OCD Informed Practice: Helping without Hurting is a specific method of identifying and interacting with individuals experiencing early or late onset OCD without requiring expert knowledge of the disorder or its treatment. Grounded in universal screening and a staged model of care, OCD Informed Practice meets both the client and social worker wherever they are in their current knowledge of OCD, empowering both parties to make fully informed treatment decisions without causing undue harm to the client.

The Agenda Register Now

OCD-Informed Practice: Helping without Hurting

OCD Informed Practice: Helping without Hurting is a specific method of identifying and interacting with individuals experiencing early or late onset OCD without requiring expert knowledge of the disorder or its treatment. Grounded in universal screening and a staged model of care, OCD Informed Practice meets both the client and social worker wherever they are in their current knowledge of OCD, empowering both parties to make fully informed treatment decisions without causing undue harm to the client.

The Agenda Register Now

Learning Objectives

THIS COURSE IS ELIGIBLE FOR 7 CEs

1.
 Identify contradictory treatments that can hinder OCD recovery

2.
Create a disclosure-friendly system to support OCD-Informed Practice

3.
Prepare to support an individual who screens positive for OCD, without using ERP, and why it matters

4.
Differentiate between anxiety and OCD and learn why this distinction is important for client success

ACE Approval Statement

OCD Informed Practice: Helping without Hurting, (ACE course number 6169), is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by Merrisa Little as an individual course. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: [6/23/2025-6/23/2027]. Social workers completing this course receive 7 total credits including 2 general and 5 clinical continuing education credits.

Registration

Register online for the next OCD-IP in-person training session

Location: OCD North (125 Bell Farm Road, #205)
When: COMING SOON
Registration deadline: COMING SOON
Fees: $300 per person, includes course material and OCD-Informed Practice Manual

Register Now

Synchronous distance learning course

When:
January 27th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
February 24th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
March 23th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
April 23rd, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
May 14th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
June 25th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
September 17th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
October 22nd, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST
November 24th, 2026 from 8:45 am to 2:30 pm EST

Course Interaction & System Requirements:
This live webinar takes place on Google Meets and is fully interactive.  Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions.

System requirements:

  • Operating systems: Windows XP or higher, MacOS 10 or higher
  • Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 9.0 or higher, Google Chrome, Firefox 10.0 or higher
  • Broadband internet connection: high-speed and Fibre optic or medium internet that is accessible
Register (EST)

Instructor Biography
Merrisa Little is the CEO and founder of OCD North

Responsible for ensuring all social workers meet the highest level of competency standards, Merrisa’s role encompasses the growth and development of expert-level practitioners.

Through her MSW studies at the University of Toronto, Merrisa discovered a dearth of resources available for those living with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and unable to obtain training in Canada at the time, Merrisa sought certification in Exposure and Response Prevention from the University of Pennsylvania, becoming one of the first in Canada to do so.

Merrisa is passionate about increasing access to care. OCD-Informed Practice is a result of listening to individuals, families, and children who have been unable to find help for OCD.

The Agenda

8:45 – 9:00 am

Registration & Welcome

9:00 – 9:45 am

Instructor Bio
Engagement Questions

9:45 – 10:15 am

Brief review of OCD: What it is and how it functions
What is OCD-Informed Practice
Rationale

10:15 – 10:30 am

Goals
Principles

10:30 – 10:45 am

— Break —

10:45 – 11:30 am

Intervention
Creating a Disclosure Friendly System
Universal Screening
Screening Measures
Organizational Policies and Procedures: Understanding Risk from an OCD-IP lens

11:30 am – 12:15 pm

The Role of the Social Worker: OCD-IP Experiential Case Study
Fred’s Case Presentation
— OCI-R Responses
— Experiential Activity
Differentiate between anxiety and OCD
Normalize Symptoms without reassurance
Dealing with Taboo Symptom Disclosure

12:15 – 1:00 pm

— Break —

1:00 – 1:30 pm

OCD-IP Experimental Case Study Continues
Choosing to use OCD-IP language
Intrusive thoughts
Taboo Symptom Disclosure
Reassurance seeking

1:30 – 2:00 pm

Contradictory Interventions for OCD & What to do instead
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Arousal Reduction
Talk Therapy

2:00 – 2:15 pm

Review: Why OCD-IP is Important

2:15 – 2:30 pm

Reflection Questions
Presentation Questions
Link for Anonymous Course Feedback

2:30 pm

— End —

 

Refund & Cancellation Policy

 Requests for refunds must be made in writing to Heather Armstrong, Course Contact. Refunds will be issued in full (100% refund) when requested in writing up to two weeks prior to the start of the course. Requests for refunds received within two weeks of start of the course will not be issued.

Refund & Cancellation Policy

 Requests for refunds must be made in writing to Heather Armstrong, Course Contact. Refunds will be issued in full (100% refund) when requested in writing up to two weeks prior to the start of the course. Requests for refunds received within two weeks of start of the course will not be issued.

Accessibility Requests

We are pleased to accommodate requests for accessibility. Please email the Course Contact, Heather Armstrong, at: info@ocdnorth.com for assistance.

Course Completion Requirements

Social workers are required to sign in and out of the course and complete a course evaluation to be eligible for continuing education credits and certificate of completion. Synchronous course attendance will be monitored using the attendance tracking feature through Google Meets. Attendees who log in at the start of the course and log out at the end of the course will be issued a course completion certificate.

Certificate of Completion

ACE requires the completion of a course evaluation to award CE credit to social workers. Social workers who complete the full day of the course, as demonstrated by signing in and out of the course (or through the Google Meet attendance log) at the beginning and end of the day, will be emailed a certificate of completion within 30 days of the course completion.