Andrea Murray, MSW, LICSW, Director, Office of Ethics and Professional Review, National Association of Social Workers

Terricka Hardy, MSW, LCSW, Owner, Terricka Hardy Consulting, LLC, Member, NASW National Ethics Commitee

Long COVID/PASC (post-acute sequalae SARS-COV-2 infection) is a new chronic illness that can develop after a COVID-19 infection and result in significant impairment and disability. Patient’s suffering from Long Covid/PASC have complex biomedical and psychosocial needs and require team based- approaches to care. The critical role of the social worker as part of the care team will be discussed, including salient interventions that incorporate psychotherapeutic treatments.

Aaron Braverman, LCSW-S, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Post Covid-19 Program, UT Health Austin | The University of Texas at Austin

Ongoing advances are reframing psychedelic medications as a valuable tool in the 21st Century; however, there has been little to no discussion of psychedelics within the social work profession.  The presenter explored the knowledge, attitudes, and professional considerations of clinical social workers towards psychedelic modalities. The study ultimately concluded that psychedelic-assisted treatments align with the ethical standards of the social work profession. The findings of this study lead to important implications relating to education, practice, stigma, and ethical decision making which will be reviewed in the presentation.

Joshua M. Ellow, Ph.D., CAADC, CCDP-D, Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselor & Educator, Assistant Visiting Professor, ENVS

Over the last few years, social work's professional organizations have emphasized such concepts as structural racism, White supremacy, whiteness, and anti-racism. While this is an important step toward highlighting relevant concepts to explain the current injustices against Black, Indigenous, People of color, (BIPOC), social workers must gain a macro-level understanding of these concepts in order to implement effective action steps toward eliminating racism and White supremacy. This presentation will offer macro-level definitions of racial concepts, highlight antiracism resources within the profession, and provide macro-level actions to support the anti-racism goals identified by the social work profession.

Todd Vanidestine PhD, MSW, MHR, Assistant Professor; Assistant Chair, Department of Graduate Social Work, West Chester University

Candida Brooks-Harrison, MSW, LCSW, Founder & Executive Director, The Village Enrichment

Using a reproductive justice framework, this presentation introduces the concept of self-managed abortion (SMA). Participants will learn about the practice and prevalence of SMA and how to help avoid client criminalization. The presentation will highlight how the social work code of ethics can inform practice when a client chooses to self-manage their abortion. With the recent decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade, restricting a woman’s right to abortion, it is urgent that social workers learn more about safe SMA.

Susan Yanow, MSW, Consultant, Women Help Women/SASS

Lauren Paulk, JD, Senior Research Counsel, If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice

Beginning decades before the global pandemic, international NGOs have been developing and increasing mental health responses to disasters, epidemics, and war. Social work’s holistic approach is uniquely suited to design and execute international programs with clinical excellence, social relevance, and cultural humility. Using the presenter’s experience in Doctors without Borders, the session will present examples of mental health projects around the world, and roles for social workers.

Athena Viscusi, MSW, LICSW, Psychosocial Care Specialist, Medecins Sans Frontieres/ Doctors without Borders

Behavioral health organizations must improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for their employees and for the individuals and families they serve. In the wake of the worst pandemic in our lifetime and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement there must be lasting change. The focus for organizations from the Boardroom to the individual needs to be on DEI to better deliver services that are culturally responsive as they change lives. But how do you begin to bring about this change? This presentation will discuss the current climate and how to foster DEI in behavioral health organizations.

Doris Nardelli, MPA, Director of Communications, Central Florida Behavioral Health Network

Marcia Gonzalez Monroe, LCSW, MBA, Community Liaison, Chrysalis Health

LeAnn Bruce, PhD, MSW, National Program Manager, Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program Care Management & Social Work (12CMSW) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW, Chief Executive Officer, NASW

Sandra A. Lopez, LCSW-S, ACSW, Diplomate in Clinical Social Work

This presentation introduces the concept of ‘Template Thinking’ and how when unchecked, can lead to moral erosion and polarization in society. Templates are generally thought of as cut-outs used as a pattern for processes such as painting, shaping, or drilling. Cognitive templates are thinking shortcuts or ‘cut-outs’ that allow our thoughts and perceptions to be easily understood. Social media is an example of how these templates warp and hijacks our thinking. To authentically help others, it is paramount that we transform template thinking. This conversation will explore several methods to shift templates and transform how we think personally and professionally.

Sean Pumphrey, MSW, LCSW, ECU Physicians & Comprehensive Therapy

Our communities have seen a drastic rise in programs which embed social workers in police and fire departments, widely known as co-response programs. Research has shown that embedding social workers into these first responder organizations has led to complex dynamics. As such, it is imperative to discuss the ethical implications of these programs to ensure we, as social workers, are upholding our Code of Ethics. This session will discuss the complex ethical issues that arise in this up-and-coming social work practice, how to understand the profession's role in these programs, and what is happening legislatively that we must be aware of to ensure we are prepared to practice ethically. The time is right to be ethical!

Kaitlyn Goubeau, DSW, MSW, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Center for Justice Social Work

Jill Malone, MSW-C, MA, SUDP, Center for Justice Social Work

The time is now to reevaluate modern conceptions of the environment in social work practice, going beyond the psycho-social relationships that have typically shaped the person-in-environment perspective. In this interactive session, we invite practitioners into our strengths-based process as an Equine Assisted Services (EAS) provider, centered around our equine partners. Participants will be able to pinpoint at least three strengths in their environments, identify theoretical approaches that advocate for the inclusion of the environment in practice, and envision possible applications and outcomes of this holistic environmental approach in their respective practices.

Dana Spett, MSW, Executive Director, Pony Power Therapies

Due to unforeseen circumstances this session has been cancelled. Please log in to the Attachment Informed Grief Therapy: Identifying and Addressing Complications in Bereavement breakout session at https://naswvirtual.socialworkers.org/products/breakout-4b-attachment-informed-grief-therapy-identifying-and-addressing-complications-in-bereavement. Please know that a recording of an alternative session will be available to you on-demand for CE credit a few weeks after the virtual forum. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Overview

Developing resiliency is vital to the health of students who have experienced trauma due to long absences from school and pandemic-related traumas. While schools are grappling with how to respond to the needs of these students, school social workers are poised to make the change students and educators need. This session will provide social workers with specific brain aligned and trauma informed strategies to collaboratively transform classroom and school experiences for diverse students across grade levels.

Speaker(s)

Melissa Castor, LCSW, Brain Aligned Learning

As the name of the approach suggests, Attachment Informed Grief Therapy is grounded in a set of assumptions about the central role of attachment in how people form relationships, how they grieve, and how grief therapy helps them manage the dysregulating impact of bereavement and integrate their loss.  Using examples from her own practice, the presenter will illustrate how sensitivity to variations in client attachment experience and attachment related needs makes for a more robust, trusting client-therapist relationship, reduces the likelihood of relational rupture, and supports the achievement of therapeutic goals.

Phyllis Kosminksy, DSW, LCSW, Private Practice

Due to unforeseen circumstances this session has been cancelled. Please log in to the Attachment Informed Grief Therapy: Identifying and Addressing Complications in Bereavement breakout session at https://naswvirtual.socialworkers.org/products/breakout-4b-attachment-informed-grief-therapy-identifying-and-addressing-complications-in-bereavement. Please know that a recording of an alternative session will be available to you on-demand for CE credit a few weeks after the virtual forum. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Overview

Forced displacement of individuals and families is a very stressful human event. Even more so if one is a member of the LGBTQIA+ immigrant community. In this session we will explore the impact of wellbeing equity on the LGBTQIA+ immigrant communities and the importance of utilizing trauma informed and strength-based practices. It is paramount for social workers practicing in these communities to be culturally competent and proficient, and mindful of factors influencing these community members.

Speaker(s)

M Pacheco-Espinoza, MSW, Founder & Executive Director, Chingonx Counseling & Consulting

Laura Burney Nissen, PhD, MSW, Professor, School of Social Work, Portland State University

Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW, Chief Executive Officer, NASW

1.5 Cross Cultural Credits

Importance of Providing Culturally Relevant and Affirming Care to Members of the LGBTQ+ Community
Presenter: Steven Haden

This workshop is designed to help mental health clinicians and administrators develop new skills and gain critical knowledge to enhance the delivery of quality, culturally relevant and affirming behavioral health interventions for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Topics include: Spectrums of sexuality and gender; using inclusive and affirming language; intersectionality; the history of LGBTQ+ behavioral health care; barriers to treatment; health and mental health disparities; population-specific competencies; cultural relevancy; trauma-informed care; effective treatment models; coping skills; systemic biases; internalized oppression; coming out; gender dysphoria; administrative inclusiveness; and population-specific barriers to care.

This session from the NASW National Conference is offered as a replacement for a virtual forum session that was cancelled.

1.5 Clinical Social Work Credits

Change is One of the Hardest Things We'll Do

Presenter:
Isis Bey, LCSW, CCTP II

How many times have you heard someone make a New Year's Resolution, Try to lose weight, or stop drinking coffee? Oftentimes, as helping professionals, we forget how difficult it is to change. It’s a Brain Thing. Change doesn’t happen in a linear process. YET, it is a PROCESS. This workshop helps professionals to further understand the change process  and how to support those they serve through this challenging journey."

Creating Social Worker Resilancy through Trauma Informed Supervision
Presenter:
Virginia Lee Bagby, LMSW

This presentation will provide attendees with knowledge and concepts for the practice of Reflective Supervision in Trauma Informed Programs. The workshop provides training in evidence-informed supervision practices, and tools to enhance staff engagement, prevent and identify vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, and creating collaborative and protected professional space for the supervisor and staff member to process the work. The presentation  emphasizes the use of agency/organization mission and Trauma Informed tenets in the establishment of Reflective Supervision (RS) Practices in Social Work programs and provides lessons learned from implementing RS at the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline.

This session from the NASW National Conference is offered as a replacement for a virtual forum session that was cancelled.