Emerging practices such as psychedelic and animal-assisted therapies offer exciting possibilities and raise new ethical challenges. 

The Baby Boomers have emerged as the elders. Retirement, chronic illnesses, and even death are diminishing the boomers. Moreover, many boomers have lost loved ones prematurely. How are they dealing with grief and loss?

Ageism intersects with various mental health illnesses that were silenced, unseen (undiagnosed), and medicated. How do we understand the generation of Baby Boomers and their mental health? How do we treat them?

Social workers today face unprecedented challenges: a youth mental health crisis amid provider shortages, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, and shifting demographic and policy landscapes that strain the social safety net. This workshop will examine how these emerging issues intersect with social work ethics and boundaries. Together we will explore critical questions: How can we support youth mental health with declining resources? Is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool to increase productivity and efficiency or a new threat to youth and our profession? What is the role of social workers in responding to anti-DEI policies and other harms to vulnerable groups that our profession is committed to serving? Participants will leave with practical strategies for ethical decision-making and upholding professional boundaries in an era of uncertainty and change.