>   Events   >   NASW Conferences   >   2026 NASW National Conference   >   2026 Program Schedule

*Subject to Change

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 ▼
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Registration Open
8:30 am - 2:00 pm Day on the Hill: Advocacy Training & Capitol Visit

NASW Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill Program
Briefing: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 7:30-8:30 am (at the Marriott Marquis)
Buses to Capitol Hill: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 8:45 am
Hill Day: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 10:00 am-2:00 pm (on Capitol Hill)
Buses Return to Hotel: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 2:00 pm

As a social worker, you recognize the urgent need for action to improve compensation, ensure access to social work services, and address skyrocketing educational loan debt. Congress plays a crucial role in addressing these workforce issues.

Join your colleagues preceding the conference for an Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill when you can meet with your congressional representation and let them know the urgent need for their support. We cannot move our legislative agenda without your personal outreach. Lawmakers need to hear directly from constituents in their states and districts.

NASW will arrange all your appointments, provide transportation to Capitol Hill, train you on advocacy strategies, thoroughly brief you in advance, and provide all materials. We may also accompany you on your visits.

At your meetings with lawmakers and their staff, you will have the opportunity to tell your story about the crucial role of social workers in your community and in your setting.

Advance registration is required.

LaDroit/Shaw – M3

9:30 am - 12:30 pm Pre-Conference Institutes (Optional)
Please note: Pre-Conference Workshops have an additional fee
▶ PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
» From Vision to Visibility: Building a Private Practice that Feels Authentic to You | 3 Social Work CEs

This session will guide you through the essential steps of building a private practice that aligns with your values, clinical strengths, and authentic voice. From clarifying your vision and defining your ideal client to navigating how to market your practice and increase your brand visibility. You will gain actionable steps to creating a sustainable practice that honors your professional goals and core values. After this session, you will walk away feeling energized and empowered to build an impactful private practice.

Marline Francois-Madden, PhD, LCSW

Tulip


» Beyond the Burnout: Ethical Self-Care as a Professional Imperative | 3 Ethics CEs

"Social workers are experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout, compassion fatigue, and distress as they work within increasingly strained systems. The 2021 revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics formally established self-care as an ethical imperative, yet many practitioners still struggle to transform this into daily practice.

This highly interactive 3-hour workshop moves beyond the idea of self-care as a personal wellness activity and reframes it as a professional responsibility essential to competent, effective, and sustainable practice. Participants will examine how chronic stress, excessive workload, and distress can impair ethical decision-making, boundary setting, and professional judgment.

Through real-world discussions and practical tools, participants will learn how to operationalize ethical self-care both personally and professionally. The session will also explore the ethical responsibilities of organizations and leaders in creating sustainable work environments that support ethical practice.

Participants will leave with a practical framework and concrete strategies they can immediately apply to reduce ethical risk, strengthen boundaries, and sustain long-term effectiveness in the profession."

Terricka Hardy, LCSW, ACSW, BCD

Scarlett Oak


» Cultural Competence Standards and Indicators: Leading the Change You Want to Be as Social Work Practitioners| 3 Cross Cultural CEs

"This workshop session focuses on the importance of social work ethics and the responsibility of social work practitioners on the micro, mezzo and macro levels to consider when applying the Standards for Cultural Competence and Indicators to working with diverse populations. Emphasis is placed on equipping social workers with a strong foundation to effectively understand the standards and integrate them at their practice agency and/or organization. The session highlights the critical synergy between social work education programs and agency partnerships in preparing and sustaining workforce development pipelines.

Participants will be provided with a case example of how an agency has intentionally embedded the NASW Code of Ethics and the Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence into its policies, training frameworks, leadership development initiatives, and daily clinical operations over the past two years. Attendees will gain insight into practical strategies for aligning ethical principles with organizational practice. The session will also explore opportunities for social workers to engage at the NASW state and national levels to influence policy, practice, and systemic change for the advancement of the profession."

Milagros Marrero-Johnson, MSW

Silver Linden


» Reading the Room: Applying Intersectionality to Navigate Bias and Power in Social Work Practice | 3 Cross Cultural CEs

This interactive workshop introduces participants to the practical application of intersectionality as a tool for "reading the room" in social work practice. Grounded in the foundational work of Kimberlé Crenshaw, participants will explore how overlapping identities, systems of power, and implicit biases shape interactions across micro, mezzo, macro, and international contexts. Through guided reflection, case scenarios, and group discussion, attendees will examine how their own implicit biases influence engagement with individuals, families, and communities — with an emphasis on real-time assessment skills to recognize dynamics of privilege, oppression, and cultural context in practice settings. Participants will leave with concrete strategies to enhance culturally responsive practice, strengthen ethical decision-making, and improve outcomes across diverse populations

Karessa Proctor, BSW, MSW

Dogwood

2:30 pm - 2:50 pm
2:50 pm - 4:20 pm
4:20 pm - 4:30 pm 		2 Social Work CEs

CEO Welcome Address

Opening Keynote: "What's Broken and What We Can Rebuild"
Michael Eric Dyson
Marquis Ballroom – M2

We are living in a moment of fracture. Systems meant to protect, heal, and sustain communities are under extraordinary strain, and the social workers navigating that reality know it better than anyone. In this opening keynote, renowned scholar, author, and public intellectual Dr. Michael Eric Dyson offers a frank and unflinching assessment of what has broken in American society, and a powerful case for what we can still build from what remains.

Drawing on decades of scholarship and moral advocacy at the intersection of race, justice, faith, and culture, Dr. Dyson challenges us to move beyond exhaustion and into purpose. To name what has failed us honestly, and then to do the harder, more essential work of reimagining connection, community, and care. His address sets the tone for everything that follows at this conference: that the breaking point is not the end of the story. It is, in fact, where the real work begins.


Awards Spotlight I
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm Plenary: "The State of Social Work: Crisis, Opportunity, and the Future of the Profession" (1.5 Social Work CEs)
Marquis Ballroom – M2
The fractures have been named. Now we turn the lens on our own profession. This plenary takes an honest look at where social work stands today: the workforce shortages, the policy threats, the burnout, and the extraordinary moment of possibility that exists inside all of it. As the day comes to a close, we ask not just what is breaking, but what we are prepared to build.

Panelists

  • Anthony Estreet, PHD, MBA, LCSW-C, LLD
  • Halevalu Vakalaki, PhD, MSW, MeD
  • Stacey Hardy Chandler, PhD, JD, LCSW, PGDip
  • Sandra Crespo, LICSW, Doctoral Candidate
  • Jasmine Smith, DSW, LCSW
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm NASW Foundation Reception - Ticketed Event - SOLD OUT
LaDroit/Shaw – M3
Thursday, June 11, 2026▼
7:30 am - 8:15 am Unburdening the Body: A Somatic Reset for Helpers (Optional/Not CEU Eligible)
Treasury – M4
8:30 am - 8:45 am Awards Spotlight II
8:45 am - 10:15 am Keynote: "Purpose as Resistance" (1.5 Social Work CEs)
Maya Wiley
Marquis Ballroom – M2
Power is not something that happens to communities. It is something that is built, reclaimed, and wielded with intention. On Day 2 of our conference, civil rights attorney, policy leader, and activist Maya Wiley brings that conviction to the center of our work together, challenging social workers to see themselves not just as responders to broken systems, but as architects of better ones.

Wiley’s career has moved fluidly between law, government, academia, and advocacy because she has always understood that lasting change requires presence in all of those spaces. From her groundbreaking tenure as the first Black woman counsel to the mayor of New York City, to chairing the Civilian Complaint Review Board during one of the most consequential moments in the history of police accountability, to founding the Digital Equity Laboratory at The New School, she has consistently operated at the intersection of race, justice, and public policy.

In this keynote, Wiley invites us to reconnect: to the purpose that brought us to this work, to the policy levers that can move systems, and to the collective power that emerges when communities and their advocates stand together. Beyond the breaking point, there is still work to do. And she knows how to do it.

10:15 am - 11:45 pm Plenary Session: "AI, Tech, and the Future of Mental Health: Disruption or Transformation?" (1.5 Social Work CEs)
Marquis Ballroom – M2

We have spent the morning reconnecting to power and purpose. Now we examine one of the most pressing forces reshaping both: technology. Joined by the chief executives of NASW, NAMI, and APA, this plenary gets honest about what artificial intelligence and venture-backed platforms actually mean for mental health care and the workers who deliver it. Is technology expanding access to care or replacing the clinicians communities depend on? Who bears the risk when algorithms carry bias, privacy erodes, and profit drives clinical decisions? And what does the digital divide mean for the communities social workers serve? The answer to all of it depends on who is in the room when decisions get made, and whether social workers are willing to claim that seat.

Panelists

  • Dan Gillison, CEO NAMI
  • Anthony Estreet, CEO NASW
  • Arthur Evans, CEO APA
  • Marketta Wills, CEO APA
  • Ebony Middleton, LMSW, CSM, PMP, CCMP
11:45 am - 1:45 pm

Opening of Exhibit Hall & Lunch on Your Own

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm Break
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 101: CEO Speaker Series - Healing While Black: From Survival to Liberation for Black Men and Boys
    (Social Work CE)
    Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C; D'Wayne James, PhD, LCSW; Paul Bashea Williams, LCSW-C, LICSW; Brandon Frame, EdD
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 102: The Scope and Influence of Social Workers’ Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Panel Discussion
    (Social Work CE)
    Michael LaSala, MSW, PhD, LICSW; Kim Anderson, PhD
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 103: Good Grief: Destigmatizing Death, Dying, and Loss Among Older Adults
    (Clinical CE)
    Anabelen Diaz, MSW, MPH, LCSW; Shawn Parra, MA, MSW, LCSW
    Salon 12/13 - M2


  • 104: Enhancing Knowledge of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Among Social Workers and Counselors
    (Substance Use Disorders CE)
    An-Pyng Sun, PhD, MSW, LCSW, LCADC; Tracy Liu, DO
    Supreme Court - M4
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 105: Beyond the Breaking Point: Ethical AI and Humanity-Centered Social Work in Rural Communities
    (Ethics CE)
    Mohit Prodhan, DSW, MSW
    Capitol - M4

  • 106: What We Carry: Professional Grief and Identity in Social Work
    (Social Work CE)
    Julie Fanning, DSW, LCSW, CDVP
    Monument - M4

  • 107: Strengthening Medical Care Delivery: How Social Workers Lead in Integrated Harm Reduction, SDOH, and Technology Systems
    (Substance Use Disorders CE)
    Orlando Wright, PhD, LCSW-C
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 108: Radical Preservation™: Moving Beyond Burnout — Reclaiming Purpose, Power, and Peace in Social Work Practice
    (Social Work CE)
    Sherronda Banks, DSW, LCSW, LISW-CP
    Archives - M4

  • 109: Integrated Safety Planning for Suicide and Overdose: A Unified, Evidence-Informed Clinical Framework
    (Clinical CE)
    Virna Little PsyD, LCSW-R, SAP, CCM
    Union Station - M3

  • 110: “We Love You, But…”: The Unacknowledged Trauma of Coming Out in Black and Brown Communities
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Julie Orozco, LICSW; Emily Henderson, LMSW, LADC
    Chinatown - M3

  • 111: Embodied Liberation: Integrating Sex Therapy, Somatic Practice, and Social Work for Healing and Justice
    (Social Work CE)
    Christa McCrorie LICSW-S, PIP, CD (DONA), CST
    Salon 15 - M2

  • 112: Ethical Self-Care and the Art of Saying "No"
    (Ethics CE)
    Adrianne Sturtevant, LICSW
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm

Break

3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 113: Cultivating Thought Leadership: Bridging Generations to Strengthen Democracy and Serve Vulnerable Populations
    (Macro Social Work)
    Goutham M. Menon, PhD, MA, MBA; Victor Manalo, MSW, PhD; Kathryn Wehrmann, MSW, PhD; Philip Hong, MSW, PhD
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 114: From Shelves to Support: Reimagining Libraries as Partners
    (Social Work CE)
    Ashley Cedeño, MSW; Lee Patterson, LMSW; Sharita Sims, MSW, CCHW
    Salon 12/13 - M2

  • 115: From Burnout to Balance: Ethical, Relational, and Justice-Informed Supervision for the Social Work Workforce
    (Ethics CE)
    Natosha LaCour, LCSW; Denice Green, LISW
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 116: Expanding Self-Directed Home Care at the US Department of Veterans Affairs
    (Social Work CE)
    Margaret Kabat, LCSW-C, CCM; Alicia Oehmke, MPH, MSW; Leah Christensen, LCSW
    Supreme Court - M4
3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 117: Supporting Undocumented Individuals Navigating Justice System Involvement
    (Social Work CE)
    Johnny Alexander, MSW, JD, LCSW
    Archives - M4

  • 118: The Personal Price: How Domestic and Sexual Violence Work Shapes Providers’ Romantic and Sexual Lives
    (Social Work CE)
    Jonna Green, LICSW, CST
    Monument - M4

  • 119: Unspoken Truths: Navigating the Silent Struggles of Older Adults with Purpose, Dignity, and Connection
    (Social Work CE)
    Felicia Wilson, LCSW
    Capitol - M4

  • 120: Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Strategies in Schools
    (Social Work CE)
    Cynthia Franklin, PhD, LCSW-S
    Chinatown - M3

  • 121: The Hidden Cost of Inaccessibility: Burnout, Belonging, and the Future of Care
    (Social Work CE)
    Zibora Gilder, MSW, PhD Student
    Union Station - M3

  • 122: Clinical Social Work Assessment and Interventions in a Digital World: Exploring the Effects of Social Media on Mental Health
    (Clinical CE)
    Jessie Quintero Johnson, PhD, LICSW
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3

  • 123: Connecting IRL? Cringe! Developing Effective Group Counseling for (Reluctant) Gen Z Clients
    (Social Work CE)
    Miki Beach, LICSW, CPHQ
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 124: The Changing Faces of Homelessness: Stories of Resilience, System Failure, and the Power of Human Connection
    (Social Work CE)
    Shawn Walker, BSW, MSW Candidate
    Salon 15 - M2
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm PACE Reception
Foyer 2nd Floor

NASW-PACE Celebrates 50th Anniversary with a Members-only Fundraiser
Tickets: $50; additional donations of $100, $150, $200, and more are welcome

During the 2026 Election Year, NASW’s political action committee, PACE (Political Action for Candidate Election) is celebrating 50 years of harnessing social workers’ political voice through endorsements of and contributions to federal candidates who support social work priorities.

Members can join their colleagues at this evening event to hear from past and present PACE Board Trustees, board chairs, and more special guests. There will be opportunities to learn about the history of PACE and how member donations are used to achieve great things during elections and beyond.

The 2026 election is crucial and NASW knows it has a responsibility to represent members and all social workers with our endorsements to ensure the right people are elected to support legislation that protects and uplifts all social workers.

Friday, June 12, 2026▼
7:30 am - 8:15 am Reclaiming Joy: Mindfulness for Inner Brightness (Optional/Not CEU Eligible)
Treasury – M4
8:30 am - 8:45 am Awards Spotlight III
8:45 am - 10:15 am Plenary: "Beyond Silos: Building Coalitions that Actually Shift Power" (1.5 Social Work CEs)
Marquis Ballroom – M2
Social change has never been won in isolation. This panel moves beyond traditional dialogue toward a deeper, more honest exploration of what coalition building actually requires: challenging silos, centering equity, and interrogating how power is shared, shifted, and sustained across systems. National community organizers and union leaders offer real-world insights on cross-sector collaboration, what truly works in building coalitions that influence policy, practice, and community outcomes, and how to move a profession from alignment to action. Because beyond the breaking point, there is no path forward alone.

Panelists

  • Anthony Estreet, PHD, MBA, LCSW-C, LLD
  • Nadine Smith
  • Kica Matos, MA, JD
  • Korey Johnson, PhD, Esq
10:15 am - 11:15 am Plenary: "The Work of Democracy: Civic Participation, Policy Power, and the Dignity of Every Person (Senators Session)" (1 Macro Social Work CE)
Marquis Ballroom – M2
Democracy is more than a system of government. It is a reflection of our collective commitment to participation, equity, justice, and human dignity. At a time of profound social and political change, this timely keynote and panel discussion will bring together influential leaders from public policy, advocacy, community engagement, and social impact sectors to examine the challenges and opportunities shaping our democratic future.

Through a dynamic conversation, panelists will explore strategies for strengthening civic participation, protecting access to democracy, advancing equity through public policy, and building broad-based coalitions capable of creating meaningful and lasting systems change.

Topics will include:

  • Strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement
  • Protecting voting rights and expanding access to democracy
  • Leveraging public policy to advance equity and human dignity
  • Building collective power through coalition-building and community action

As a profession rooted in service, social justice, and the importance of human relationships, social workers understand that democracy extends beyond politics—it directly influences community well-being, access to opportunity, and the dignity of every person. This engaging discussion will challenge attendees to think boldly about civic leadership, collective responsibility, and the role each of us plays in shaping a more just and inclusive society.

Join social workers, educators, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders from across the country for an inspiring conversation about the future of democracy and the power of civic engagement to drive meaningful change.

Panelists

  • Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester
  • Ja'Bree Harris
  • Marla Blunt Carter
  • Anthony Estreet
11:15 am - 11:30 am Break
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Plenary: "Educating the Next Generation: Reimagining Social Work Education" (1 Social Work CE)
Marquis Ballroom – M2
The research exists. The question is whether we are using it, and whether academic institutions are showing up to the fight. Deans and directors of social work programs from across the country join NASW leadership for a frank conversation about a growing concern: that schools of social work have remained too quiet on the critical issues shaping the profession and the communities it serves. This plenary is a direct call to action, to elevate the research being developed inside universities, translate it into practice and policy in real time, and re-engage academic institutions as active, vocal partners in shaping the future of social work. The profession needs its scholars in the arena, not just in the classroom.

Panelists

  • Anthony Estreet, PHD, MBA, LCSW-C, LLD
  • Sebrena Jackson, PhD, MSW, BSW
  • Kirk Foster, PhD,MSW, Mdiv
  • Michael Lindsey, PhD, MSW, MPH
  • Janet Shapiro, PhD, MSW, MA
  • Dexter Voisin, PhD, MSW, LCSW
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Exhibit Hall /Lunch Break on Your Own

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 201: From a Moment to a Movement: Macro Matters More Than Ever!
    (Macro Social Work)
    Terry Mizrahi, PhD, MSW; Isabel Lee, PhD; Darlyne Bailey, PhD
    Salon 12/13 - M2

  • 202: The Crossroads of Purpose and Power: Legal and Ethical Trends Social Workers Should Be Thinking About
    (Ethics CE)
    Andrea Murray, MSW, LICSW; Ashlee Fox, JD, MSW
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 203: Social Work Power in Redefining Police-Mental Health Crisis Response
    (Social Work CE)
    April Christman, MSW, LCSW, CCTP; Benjamin Dobrin, MSW, PhD
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 204: A Missing Piece of the Pipeline: Centering Disability and Trauma in School Discipline Reform
    (Social Work CE)
    Natalie Beck Aguilera, DSW, LCSW-S; Neftali Guzman, BSW student; Lily Grant, BSW student
    Supreme Court - M4

  • 205: From Crisis to Connection: Transforming Mental Health Practice with Autistic and Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled Clients
    (Clinical CE)
    Maleita Olson, LCSW; Timothy Olson
    Archives - M4
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 206: Healing at the Edge: Rage, Resistance & Wellness in Crisis
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Mollie Innocent-Cupid, LCSW, PhD
    Salon 15 - M2

  • 207: Portals Into Their World: Social Media and Technology's Impact on Kids and Teens
    (Clinical CE)
    Eugene Canotal, LCSW
    Capitol - M4

  • 208: Children of Parents with Mental Illness: An Invisible and Underserved Population
    (Social Work CE)
    Cynthia Collea, M.Ed, MSW, LICSW
    Chinatown - M3

  • 209: Engaging Black Men in Social Work and Therapy
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Gary Taylor, LCSW, DSW
    Union Station - M3

  • 210: Become a Social Worker in Public Office
    (Macro Social Work)
    Ayesha M. Wilson, MSW
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 211: Supporting Queer/LGBTQIA+ Survivors of Domestic Violence
    (LGBTQ CE)
    Kaytee Gillis, LCSW
    Monument - M4

  • 212: The Spectrum of Suicide Risk
    (Clinical CE)
    Sarah Haberbosch, LCSW-C, LCSW
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm

Break

3:45 pm - 5:15 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 213: Beyond Borders: Educating and Supporting Migrant Children in the United States
    (Social Work CE)
    Christiana Best-Giacomini, PhD, LMSW; Kristiana Beho, LCSW; Elaine Aboni, MSW, LMSW
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 214: From Crisis to Connection: A Multilevel Framework for Regulating Children, Families, and Systems
    (Social Work CE)
    Tai Cole, LCSW-QS, MDiv, MACE; Savannah Collier, LCSW, MSW
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 215: Challenging the Silencing: Banned Books, Intellectual Freedom, and Social Work Ethics
    (Ethics CE)
    Dorri C. Scott, MSW, EdD
    Salon 12/13 - M2

  • 216: Three Roads, One Profession: Clinical Practice, Leadership, and Academia in Social Work
    (Social Work CE)
    Kay Gresham PhD, LCSW; D'Netra Young-Lawal DSW, LCSW; Deborah Sills PhD, LCSW, MAC; Jimmy McCamey PhD, LCSW, LPC, BCD
    Chinatown - M3

  • 217: One License, Many Doors: The Social Work Interstate Compact
    (Macro Social Work CE)
    Karen Goodenough PhD, MSW, LGSW
    Archives - M4
3:45 pm - 4:45 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 218: Social Workers as Civic Powerhouses
    (Macro Social Work)
    Denetria Brooks-James, DSW, LCSW
    Supreme Court - M4

  • 219: Promoting the Multifaceted Landscape of Social Work Practice in the Face of Adversity: A Black Leadership Initiative
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW, APSHW-C, FGSA; Paula Coutinho, MSW, LICSW; Whitney Irie, PhD, MSW
    Monument - M4

  • 220: Trauma and Substance Use Disorder: The Rule Not the Exception, Connection, Clinical Practice, and the Path to Recovery
    (Substance Use Disorders CE)
    Darla Belflower, LCSW, LAC, TTS
    Capitol - M4

  • 221: Saved and Still Searching: How Black and Brown Communities Manage Trauma, Tradition, and Truth in Their Faith Spaces
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Charise Breeden-Balaam, MSW, LSW, EdD
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3

  • 222: Recommendations for a Mission of Healing: Incorporating Trauma-informed Principles, Military Values, and Gender-Responsive Strategies with Justice-Involved Female Veterans
    (Social Work CE)
    Isabelle Valeus, DSW, LCSW, MA, BCD
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 223: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Parents and Caregivers of Trans and Gender Diverse Youth
    (Clinical CE)
    Syd LaBonte, LICSW, C-ACYFSW
    Union Station - M3

  • 224: Beyond the Clinic Walls: How Social Work Powers Community-Led Integrated Care
    (Social Work CE)
    Nicole Milano, LCSW
    Salon 15 - M2
5:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Exhibit Hall Closing

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Dinner Break on Your Own
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm NASW Film Screening
2 CEs
"Il Mio Posto a Tavola – My Place at the Table"
Marquis Ballroom – M2
Saturday, June 13, 2026▼
7:30 am - 8:15 am Returning to Yourself: Mindfulness for Boundaries & Renewal (Optional/Not CEU Eligible)
Treasury – M4
8:30 am - 8:45 am Awards Spotlight IV
8:45 am - 10:15 am Closing Keynote: "The Power of Purpose" (1.5 Social Work CEs)
Karen Bullock, NASW President Elect
Marquis Ballroom – M2

Four days ago, we named what is broken. We explored how power is reclaimed, how coalitions are built, and what it means to stay in this work when the weight of it is real. Now, as we prepare to leave Washington and return to our communities, our clients, and our caseloads, NASW President-Elect Dr. Karen Bullock asks the question that makes all of it matter: what keeps us going?

A clinician, researcher, and nationally recognized leader in health equity and serious illness care, Dr. Bullock has spent her career at the intersection of science and humanity, bringing rigorous scholarship to the most tender moments of human experience. She understands, perhaps better than anyone, what it means to show up with purpose when systems are strained and stakes are high.

In this closing keynote, Dr. Bullock ties the threads of our time together into a charge: that purpose is not a feeling we wait for, but a practice we choose. And that the social work profession, at its best, has always led from that place.

10:15 am - 11:15 am Closing Plenary: "Defending Equity and Inclusion: Social Work’s Role in Advancing Anti-Racism, Collective Liberation, and Justice-Centered Leadership" (1 Social Work CE)
Marquis Ballroom
We close the MainStage where the moment demands we stand. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are not buzzwords. They are the foundation of ethical social work practice, and right now that foundation is under deliberate and sustained attack. This plenary brings together leaders committed to naming what is happening, understanding what is at stake, and equipping the profession with the clarity and resolve to fight back. We came to Washington beyond the breaking point. We leave with a mandate.

Panelists

  • Kathy Lopes, MSW, LICSW
  • Nathaniel L. Currie, DSW, MSW, LCSW, CCPT-II
  • Milagros Marrero-Johnson, MSW
  • Kary Stone, MSW
11:15 am - 12:15 pm

Lunch Break on Your Own

12:15 pm - 1:45 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 301: CEO Speaker Series- Interrupting Violence, Investing in Healing: The Role of Social Work in Community Safety
    (Social Work CE)
    Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C; Kim Young, MSW, LCSW; Marcel "Trey" Crooks, DSW, LMSW; Lakesha Eure, LCSW
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 302: AI Tools for Social Work Practice: Supporting Practitioners and Clients
    (Social Work CE)
    Marina Badillo-Diaz, DSW, LCSW
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 303: Frontline Solutions: Addressing Behavioral Health Needs in Pediatric Emergency Care Through a Social Work Lens
    (Social Work CE)
    Mary Mathews, LCSW; Emilly Jackson, LCSW; Katricia Thompson, LCSW
    Salon 12/13 - M2

  • 304: Building Resilience: Therapist Insights for Supporting Immigration Advocates and Activists
    (Social Work CE)
    Monica Romo, LCSW-S; Sandra Olarta-Hayes, LCSW
    Union Station - M3
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 306: The DIGNITY Framework: Ethical Leadership for AI’s Impact on Mental Health
    (Ethics CE)
    Natalie Gidney-Cole, MSW, LCSW, BCD
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3

  • 307: Healing Beyond Bars: Addressing Post-Incarceration Syndrome Through Purpose, Connection, and Power
    (Social Work CE)
    Nicole Wiesen, PhD, LMSW, CCTS-I
    Chinatown - M3

  • 308: The S.P.I.C.Y. Leader: Foundations of Wellness-Centered Leadership
    (Social Work CE)
    Sandra Crespo, LICSW
    Salon 15 - M2

  • 309: The 4D Advocacy Framework: A Mission-Focused Approach to Driving Lasting Policy Change
    (Macro Social Work)
    Sabrina Gillan, MSW
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 310: Community Trauma, Collective Healing: Breaking the Cycle of Violence
    (Macro Social Work)
    Kimberly Ward, LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, RPT
    Archives - M4

  • 311: Unspoken Wounds, Unseen Barriers: Advancing Men’s Healing Beyond the Breaking Point
    (Clincal CE)
    Andre Charley, LMSW
    Capitol - M4
1:45 pm - 2:00 pm

Break

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1.5 CEs.
  • 312: Creating Connections That Matter: How Caring Adults Support Adolescents in Schools
    (Social Work CE)
    Javalda Powell, MSW, MABA, LSW; Chelsea Taber-Cory, DSW, LCSW, PPSC; Ana Mendez Valencia, LCSW, LMSW
    Salon 1/2 - M2

  • 313: Building a Community Through Gardening: Community Healing, Leadership, and Food Justice in Social Work Practice
    (Social Work CE)
    Faith Bailey, DSW, LCSW; Giulia Gambale, AMG; Marta Kostecki, LCSW
    Salon 3/4 - M2

  • 314: Unleashing Best Practices for Veterinary Social Work
    (Clinical CE)
    Aviva Vincent, PhD, LMSW; Augusta O'Reilly, MSW, LCSW
    Salon 12/13 - M2
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
▶ Concurrent Breakout Sessions
Choose from multiple session topics across the social work spectrum and earn 1 CE.
  • 315: Healing Beyond Stigma: Integrating Cannabis Conversations into Clinical Social Work Practice
    (Social Work CE)
    Paulette Smith, DSW, LCSW-C
    Union Station - M3

  • 316: Beyond Strong: Dismantling the Superwoman Schema and the Weathering Effect to Transform Mental Health Outcomes for Black Women
    (Cross Cultural CE)
    Brittany Harris, MSW, LCSW-C
    Capitol - M4

  • 317: Purpose And Power: How Our Code of Ethics Prevails
    (Ethics CE)
    Eileen Mayers Pasztor, DSW
    Archives - M4

  • 318: Social Workers’ Role in Addressing Harmful Substance Use
    (Clinical CE)
    Nick Szubiak, MSW, LICSW
    Chinatown - M3

  • 319: Proposing, Writing, and Publishing Your Social Work Book
    (Macro Social Work)
    Rachel Meyers, BS
    Salon 14 - M2

  • 320: When Your Clients Can’t Sleep: Incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) into Clinical Practice
    (Clinical CE)
    Luisa Palloni, LICSW
    Shaw/LeDroit - M3