Social Work Meetup: Let’s Brainstorm the Tough Cases

This week’s meetup will focus on the tough cases: those you may have a hard time working with, or because there’s limited rapport built with the client, or because of community or media attention. Come to the meetup with your tough case scenarios and we will brainstorm together how we might approach it to get over any barriers of mitigation development.

Stephanne Cline Thornton is the Clinical Director for the West Virginia Judicial and Lawyer Assistance Program, owner of Transform Legal, focusing on mitigation and training, and serves as the NAPD Social Work Resource and Training Coordinator. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Master Addiction Counselor focusing on access to trauma and substance use disorder treatment to ensure the health and well-being of affected individuals. Recognizing the prevalent intersection of stress, trauma, substance use, and mental health conditions with some practitioners of the law, Stephanne believes in health, sustainability, and mindful practices to ensure those in the helping professions care for themselves to better care for those they are serving.
Stephanne earned a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University Candler School of Theology in the Honors Program, and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Georgia. She has been clinically licensed as a social worker and addictions counselor since 2004 and additionally holds certificates as Certified Addiction Counselor Level III, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Certified Sex Offender Treatment Provider. Stephanne’s clinical training background is in trauma, and she is on the Trauma-Informed Care Network Speakers Bureau and presents on trauma, substance use, and self-care across the state and at national conferences.

Stephanne is a West Virginia State Advisory Committee Member to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, Chair of the Court Systems and Criminal Justice Populations Subcommittee to the Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, and is a Board Member on the West Virginia Board of Social Work and West Virginia Association of Addiction and Prevention Professionals. She resides in Charleston, West Virginia with her husband and their tiger tabby.