Ethical DSM-5-TR Diagnosis and Preventing Misdiagnosis in Mental Health
In-Person • Intermediate Level • 3.0 CE Credits
2 Clinical Credits • 1 Social and Cultural Competence Credit
Presented by Christine Matthews, LCSW, MBA, CCTP, BSP
Never Journey Alone Continuing Education | ASWB ACE Provider #2952
2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Accurate diagnosis is the cornerstone of ethical and effective clinical practice. This intermediate-level continuing education course is designed to strengthen social workers’ diagnostic reasoning by integrating DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, cultural humility, trauma-informed assessment, and ethical decision-making. Participants will examine factors that contribute to diagnostic errors, including implicit bias, social determinants of health, and cultural influences, while developing practical strategies to improve assessment, treatment planning, and client outcomes.
3. COURSE DETAILS
| Registration Opens | September 8, 2026 |
| Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Doors Open / Registration & Sign-In | 8:45 AM ET |
| Instructional Course Time | 9:30 AM–1:00 PM ET |
| Delivery Format | In-Person |
| Content Level | Intermediate |
| Instructional Credit | 3.0 CE Credits / 180 instructional minutes |
| Credit Designation | 2 Clinical Credits + 1 Social and Cultural Competence Credit |
| Required Evaluation | Begins after instructional course time at 1:00 PM; evaluation time is not included in CE credit hours |
| Location | Never Journey Alone, LLC 2303 N. Broad Street, Suite #4 Colmar, PA 18915 |
| Provider | Never Journey Alone, LLC |
IMPORTANT ARRIVAL & ATTENDANCE NOTICE: Doors open at 8:45 AM for check-in and registration. The course will begin promptly at 9:30 AM. Full attendance is required to receive continuing education credit. No partial credit will be awarded.
4. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Differentiate between common mental health disorders using the DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria and principles of differential diagnosis.
- Analyze how trauma, cultural factors, implicit bias, and social determinants of health influence diagnostic decision-making and contribute to misdiagnosis.
- Apply culturally responsive and evidence-informed assessment strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning for diverse client populations.
- Integrate ethical decision-making and critical thinking into the diagnostic process to reduce diagnostic errors and promote equitable mental health care.
5. WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Social workers and other behavioral health professionals seeking to strengthen diagnostic accuracy, ethical practice, culturally responsive assessment, and clinical decision-making. Participants outside of social work should confirm continuing education acceptance with their applicable licensing board.
6. INSTRUCTOR
Christine Matthews, LCSW, MBA, CCTP, BSP
Founder & Clinical Director, Never Journey Alone, LLC
Christine Matthews is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than two decades of behavioral health experience, including outpatient therapy, managed care, and mental health leadership. She is a Certified Trauma Professional and Certified Brainspotting Clinician and provides education and consultation focused on ethical, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and evidence-informed practice.
7. TIMED AGENDA — FINAL 11/7/26 SCHEDULE
| Time | Topic / Activity | Instructional Method | Credit Category |
| 8:45–9:30 AM | Doors Open, Registration and Sign-In | Administrative | N/A |
| 9:30–9:45 AM | Welcome, Introductions, Course Overview, Learning Objectives | Interactive lecture & discussion | Clinical |
| 9:45–10:15 AM | Ethical Foundations of DSM-5-TR Diagnosis and Diagnostic Reasoning | Lecture & guided discussion | Clinical |
| 10:15–10:45 AM | Differential Diagnosis in Practice: Rule-In/Rule-Out Reasoning, Symptom Overlap, and Diagnostic Error Risks | Lecture, case examples & discussion | Clinical |
| 10:45–11:00 AM | BREAK — Not included in instructional time | Break | N/A |
| 11:00–11:30 AM | Trauma, Implicit Bias, and Diagnostic Decision-Making | Interactive lecture & case discussion | Social & Cultural Competence |
| 11:30 AM–12:00 PM | Cultural Humility, Social Determinants of Health, and DSM-5-TR Cultural Formulation Interview | Case-based learning & guided discussion | Social & Cultural Competence |
| 12:00–12:15 PM | BREAK — Not included in instructional time | Break | N/A |
| 12:15–12:45 PM | Culturally Responsive & Evidence-Informed Assessment Strategies; Clinical Formulation and Treatment Planning | Interactive lecture & applied case exercise | Clinical |
| 12:45–1:00 PM | Ethical Decision-Making, Documentation, Consultation, Diagnostic Error Reduction, Course Integration & Q&A | Case application, discussion & Q&A | Clinical |
| Beginning at 1:00 PM | Required Course Evaluation, Attendance Verification & Certificate Instructions — after instructional course time | Administrative / Evaluation | N/A |
Instructional time totals exactly 180 minutes (3.0 CE credits). The two 15-minute breaks are excluded. The required evaluation begins after the promoted instructional course end time and is not counted toward CE credit.
8. REGISTRATION & PRICING
Registration Opens: September 8, 2026
Early Registration: $99 — September 8 through October 7, 2026
Standard Registration: $119 — beginning October 8, 2026
3.0 CE credits are included in the registration fee.
Registration is subject to course capacity and any final registration cutoff established by Never Journey Alone, LLC.
9. COURSE COMPLETION & IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE
Participants must sign in upon arrival and sign out at the conclusion of the course. Never Journey Alone, LLC will monitor attendance. Participants must attend the full educational activity and complete all required course-completion requirements to receive continuing education credit. No partial credit will be awarded.
To receive continuing education credit, participants must attend the entire instructional course, participate in required learning activities, complete attendance verification procedures, and complete the required course evaluation after the promoted course end time.
10. CERTIFICATE OF CREDIT
CE certificates are issued only after Never Journey Alone, LLC verifies that all attendance and course-completion requirements have been satisfied. Certificates will be issued electronically in accordance with the timeframe communicated in the course registration and participant materials.
11. CE POLICIES
CE Policies: Registration for this course is subject to Never Journey Alone Continuing Education’s attendance, course completion, refund/cancellation, accessibility, certificate, and grievance policies. Please review the Continuing Education Policies & Participant Information before registering.
12. ACCESSIBILITY
Never Journey Alone, LLC is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive learning experience. Participants who require accommodations due to a disability should contact Never Journey Alone Continuing Education at least fourteen (14) days prior to the course so that reasonable arrangements can be made. Requests received with less notice will be reviewed, and reasonable efforts will be made to provide accommodations when possible.
Accommodation requests: cmatthews@neverjourneyalone.org | 267-281-4319
13. ACE PROVIDER APPROVAL STATEMENT
Never Journey Alone, LLC, #2952, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 08/12/2026–08/12/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 3.0 total credits including 2 Clinical and 1 Social and Cultural Competence continuing education credits.
14. CONTACT
Never Journey Alone Continuing Education
2303 N. Broad Street, Suite #4, Colmar, PA 18915
267-281-4319 | cmatthews@neverjourneyalone.org
www.NeverJourneyAlone.com