SPEAKERS
Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr.
New York Times Bestselling Author & James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Princeton University
One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political
commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex
dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including Democracy in Black: How Race Still
Enslaves the American Soul, In a Shade of Blue: Pragmatism and the Politics of Black America,
and his most recent, the New York Times bestseller, Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and
Its Urgent Lessons for our Own, takes a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in
the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy. In his writing and speaking,
Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson,
confronting history and bringing our nation’s complexities, vulnerabilities and hope into full view.
Hope that is, in one of his favorite quotes from W.E.B. Du Bois, "not hopeless, but a bit unhopeful."
Jonathan Singer, PhD, LCSW
Jonathan B. Singer, PhD, LCSW is an internationally recognized expert in youth suicide and social work technology. He is Professor of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, Past-President of the American Association of Suicidology, coauthor of two editions of the best-selling text Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner's Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention, co-lead of the Social Work Grand Challenge “Harness Technology for Social Good,” and founder and host of the award-winning Social Work Podcast, for which he was named an NASW Social Work Pioneer in 2023. He has chaired national committees for NASW and CSWE and served on youth advisory boards for Sandy Hook Promise, JED Foundation, Suicide Prevention Resource Center, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. He is the author of over 90 publications and his research has been featured in national and international media outlets like NPR, BBC, Fox, Time Magazine, and The Guardian. He lives in Evanston,
IL with his wife and three children and can be found on X/Twitter as @socworkpodcast and Facebook at facebook.com/swpodcast.
Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C
Chief Executive Officer
National Association of Social Workers
Anthony Estreet, PhD, MBA, LCSW-C, earned a bachelor’s in science in psychology from Bowie State University, an MSW at Virginia Commonwealth University, a doctorate in social work at Morgan State University, and an MBA at the University Maryland-College Park. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest intercollegiate African American fraternity.
He has been a professor and chair of the Master of Social Work Program at Morgan State University since 2013. Estreet is also founder and chief executive officer of Next Step Treatment Center in Baltimore, which provides substance use treatment and mental health services. He is an active member of the Council on Social Work Education and the National Association of Black Social Workers.
While at Morgan, Estreet was awarded more than $6 million in extramural grant funding for social work workforce development, research, and training. He also led the development and expansion of the first MSW program in the United States, and at a historically Black college or university, to have an area of specialized practice focused on addressing substance use disorders.
During his career, Estreet has also been tapped to turn around and expand an underperforming clinical program and speed up public health action to address HIV health disparities among men in Baltimore and Jackson, Mississippi. Estreet has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, is a prolific national conference presenter and keynote speaker, and has two published books.
Former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy
During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy was the lead author of the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law). In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of mental health care in America. In 2023, The Kennedy Forum launched the Alignment for Progress, a movement to align leaders from across industry and across the aisle to achieve 90/90/90 by 2033: 90% of all individuals will be screened for mental health and substance use disorders; 90% of those screened will be able to receive evidence-based treatment; 90% of those receiving treatment will be able to manage their symptoms in recovery. Kennedy’s second co-authored book “Profiles in Mental Health Courage” available April 2024 will delve into the compelling stories of a diverse group of Americans who have struggled with their mental health – many of whom are sharing their stories for the first time.
Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.
Maryum Ali
Social Worker, Activist & Author
When Maryum was a child, her father Muhammad Ali would often ask her, "What is your purpose?" She would give the same response, “I want to help people.” For over a decade, Maryum has worked with and provided services to youth and families in underserved communities.
She has been a Director of social services programs and a Regional Manager for the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction & Youth Development in Los Angeles. In 2016, the A&E Network heard about her work and invited her to participate in their ground-breaking docuseries, 60 Days In, where she spent two months in a real jail as an undercover inmate in order to make recommendations on jail reform.
For the past seven years, Maryum has been a Public Speaker for social and human services organizations and departments; sharing thought-provoking stories about working with people impacted by institutional disparities, high rates of violence and other social issues. As an advocate for Parkinson’s disease awareness and research, Maryum gives presentations about her father’s journey with Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Tara D. Wallace, MSW, LSCSW, CTF-CBT, RYT, SLC
Tara D. Wallace is a licensed clinical social worker, certified spiritual life coach, and registered yoga teacher in private practice. She volunteers on numerous community boards whose missions advocate for children and families in the state of Kansas. Tara is also the CEO of a non-profit, Lighthouse Therapeutic Community Outreach Foundation, which promotes holistic wellness in low income and low access communities. She holds national certifications in art therapy, maternal mental health, and trauma. As an adjunct professor, advocate, and public speaker, Tara promotes understanding of issues related to child welfare and foster care, cultural bias, and maternal mortality. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in community care and counseling with emphasis in traumatology from Liberty University.
Kayla Balensiefer, LICSW, LCSW
Kayla Balensiefer, LICSW, LCSW works as the owner and director of Saving Throw Therapeutics LLC. She graduated in 2013 from the University of Southern California with her MSW and has over 10 years of experience working with children and families. Kayla is a huge fan of tabletop role playing games, board games, Marvel, Harry Potter, video games, Pokémon, and Minecraft. She has been playing in a weekly Dungeons & Dragons campaign with the same friends since 2016. She also works on the podcast Full Metal RPG and is on the board of directors for the nonprofit Saving Throw Society, an organization dedicated to expanding access to gaming and gaming diversity. Kayla is also affiliated with Geek Therapeutics.
Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW
Chris Herman (she/her), MSW, LICSW, has served as Senior Practice Associate–Aging at the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) for 17 years. In that capacity, she analyzes and advocates for aging-related federal policy, develops resources to enhance social work practice with older adults, and provides technical assistance to NASW leaders, members, and other stakeholders. Chris also represents NASW in numerous national coalitions and initiatives focused on older adults; those specific to elder abuse include the National Center on Elder Abuse advisory board, the National Center for State and Tribal Elder Justice Coalitions advisory committee, and the Reframing Elder Abuse advisory committee. Before joining the NASW staff, Chris worked directly with adult clients for 15 years in various aging, disability, and health settings.
Bonnie Olsen, PhD
Bonnie Olsen, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience as a geropsychologist, working in academic medicine for over 20 years. She provides cognitive assessment and short-term mental health treatment in a collaborative geriatric primary care setting. As the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Family Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, Dr. Olsen is involved in a number of research and program grants that focus on interprofessional geriatric education and elder abuse education and prevention. She is particularly interested in elder mistreatment as it occurs in the context of dementia caregiving and understanding decisional capacity. In 2009, she was awarded the Gold Humanism Honor Society’s Gold Star Award for Humanism in delivery of health care and has remained dedicated to community service throughout her career. Dr. Olsen is a passionate advocate and expert for elder justice and the prevention of elder abuse and has guest lectured throughout the country on the topic.
Lori Mars, JD, LLM
Lori Mars, JD, LLM, is the Deputy Director of the National Center on Elder Abuse. She is an assistant professor of clinical family medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. After practicing law for over 20 years, Lori’s concentration lies in the area of elder abuse research and education. She is interested in scholarship at the intersection of law, aging, and elder abuse. Ms. Mars has a master’s in law in alternative dispute resolution and serves as a volunteer long-term care ombudsman. She is passionate about elder justice and advocating for the rights of all older adults to live with dignity and respect.
Mirean Coleman
Mirean Coleman is a professional social worker who is a licensed, independent clinical
social worker in Washington, DC. She has practiced in the field of social work for over 25
years as a clinician, supervisor, administrator, auditor, trainer, and consultant in a
variety of settings including psychiatric hospitals, community mental health, acute care
hospitals, long term care facilities, family service agencies, and private practice. She is
currently the Director of Clinical Practice at the national office of NASW.
Rachel Forbes, MSW
Rachel Forbes, MSW, is an associate professor of the practice of social work and the Western Colorado MSW program director at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work. She is an appointed member of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Educational Policy, the inaugural cochair of the CSWE Committee on Environmental Justice, and a former member of CSWE’s Council on Global, Learning and Practice. Rachel was the taskforce cochair for the CSWE Curricular Guide for Environmental Justice (2020). She is co-editor of the book Ecosocial Work: Environmental Practice and Advocacy (2023) and co-author of the book The Intersection of Environmental Justice, Climate Change, Community and the Ecology of Life (2021). Rachel is an elected member of the Colorado Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Board of Directors. She has taught coursework on sustainability, ecological justice, culture and place-based equity, and fostering sustainable behavior across undergraduate and graduate programs for over 10 years. Rachel’s current research and teaching looks at the impacts of climate change on mental health and ecological justice social work practice. Her work has been published in Environmental Justice and has been funded by the CSWE Katherine A. Kendall Institute for International Social Work. Rachel lives in Glenwood Springs, Colorado where she advocates for environmental justice in mountain communities across Colorado’s Western Slope.
Ande Nesmith, PhD, MSW
Ande Nesmith is School of Social Work Director and Professor at the University of St. Thomas in the Morrison Family College of Health. Her passion is environmental justice. She has developed curricular tools to integrate this into the classroom and community. Dr. Nesmith serves on the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Committee on Environmental Justice and the CSWE Commission on Global Social Work Education. Dr. Nesmith also studies outcomes for youth and young adults in foster care and juvenile justice. She was recently awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study child welfare in the Czech Republic.
Monica Barrera
Monica is Hub's Chief Managing officer and leads the Hub’s strategic organizational planning efforts. As part of the executive leadership team, she helps drive the organization’s overall strategy and oversees the Hub’s leadership development programs. In her previous role as the Hub’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, she led efforts to cultivate and strengthen partnerships in and outside of the immigrants' rights movement to leverage a broader base of support for pro-immigrant policies. Prior to joining the Hub, Monica served as a senior advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid on legislative and policy developments impacting Latino and AAPI communities, including immigration policy. Monica also served as the Senior Policy Advisor for Latino Affairs to Senator Bob Menendez in the years during and following the establishment of DACA and the Senate fight to pass comprehensive immigration reform. She began her work on Capitol Hill as a postgraduate legislative fellow in the office of Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard and has worked in DC on policy advocacy benefiting immigrant communities for more than a decade. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., Monica worked at the Women of Color Policy Network at NYU Wagner and advanced the policy institute’s legislative priorities in the areas of economic security, social equity, and immigration reform. Monica is a Peace Corps alumna (Dominican Republic) and a graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia University School of Social Work.
Ben Fulgencio-Turner, MPP
Ben Fulgencio-Turner leads the Climate for Health program, a national initiative to build climate leadership and action in the health sector, advancing solutions that protect personal and community health. Ben started his career as a community organizer in New Orleans, supporting neighborhood leaders and building power in communities recovering from Hurricane Katrina. He has studied and worked within systems of safety-net health care for over fourteen years, developing cross-sector partnerships to address root causes of health inequities. He received a BA from Tulane University and a MPP from Georgetown University.
Leslie M. Proll
Leslie Proll is the Senior Director for Voting Rights at The Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights coalition. She helps lead the national voting rights coalition in working to strengthen our democracy by ensuring that all voters, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or ability, can fully participate in the political process. Leslie served as Director of the Departmental Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Obama, where she advised the Secretary of Transportation on civil rights matters. For many years, she served as Policy Director of the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, where she worked extensively on Congressional reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act in 2006 and on legislation responding to the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder. Leslie began her civil rights career in Birmingham, Alabama. She litigated class actions and jury trials in the areas of voting rights, housing discrimination, employment discrimination, and higher education school desegregation. Leslie served as a law clerk to the late Chief Judge Sam Pointer, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. A native Californian, Leslie is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of California at Davis School of Law.
Hsun-ta Hsu, PhD, MSW
Dr. Hsun-Ta Hsu is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Social Work and School of Data Science in Society. His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence in promoting health and housing outcomes among individuals experiencing homelessness. His most recent work uses a community-engaged machine learning approach to connect individuals with rural housing resources fairly and efficiently.
Jamie Sundvall, PhD, LICSW
Dr. Jamie Sundvall, PhD, LICSW, BCD is the Director of Online Education for the MSW program at Touro University. She has been a leader for clinical and advanced generalist program development, implementation, and oversight, supporting various institutions of higher education in online education and in clinical practice. She holds a CSWE-accredited MSW, with dual concentrations in Clinical Practice and Gerontology. She earned a research-based PhD in International Psychology specializing in Trauma Services. Dr. Sundvall completed a prestigious two-year, post-graduate trauma fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and served as Medical Service Corps Officer in the United States Navy, holding various leadership positions. She is an expert in online clinical care and educational program delivery. She engages in cutting edge technology and online practice to support and advance training within the profession. Dr. Sundvall believes in harnessing the power of technology to build better programming, improve professional training and competency, and improve access to care in a rapidly advancing digital world. She emphasizes the importance of boundaries, ethical awareness, and responsibility for professionals on the front lines.
Meredith Powers, PhD, MSW
Dr. Meredith C.F. Powers (she/her) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work at UNC Greensboro, in North Carolina, USA. She teaches, facilitates community-engaged, action-research, and has co-authored and co-edited a growing body of open-access work on topics of climate justice, climate migration, ecosocial worldviews, eco-therapeutic practices for healing, ecosocial work, and justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Dr. Powers is the founding Director of the Climate Justice Program of the International Federation of Social Workers. With this role, she also produces and co-hosts a new podcast project, JAM Sessions. She established and co-administers the global Green / Environmental Social Work Collaborative Network. Her local, community-engaged, action research projects include: “Parks for All People”, for the extensive enhancement of outdoor recreation spaces; “Climates of Inequality: Stories of Environmental Justice”, focused on global and local climate migration and resettlement; and, most recently, “All That We Share”, an inclusive, community public art project that serves to enhance the community as we celebrate diversity and strengthen our bonds to each other and our environment
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator
State of Michigan
“Made in Michigan” through and through, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow continues to lead on public policy and improve the lives of the people of Michigan and Americans across our country. Her leadership is characterized by an unrivaled work ethic, the ability to build bipartisan coalitions to get things done, and a commitment to public service that has set the standard for constituent service.
Throughout her years in public service, she has blazed trails and opened doors for women and girls. Among her many “firsts” – she was the first woman elected to the United States Senate from Michigan.
Senator Stabenow is the leader in the United States Senate in the movement to improve access to mental health and substance abuse services. In 2014, her bipartisan Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act created a new, transformational system that funds community behavioral health services the same way we fund physical health services. Senator Stabenow is also the leader in strengthening school-based health services including behavioral health. Senator Stabenow is a champion for behavioral health care providers as well. With her bipartisan Improving Access to Mental Health Act, she has been leading the effort to increase Medicare’s reimbursement rate for clinical social workers and ensure they can provide their full range of services to Medicare beneficiaries.
As Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Stabenow has been the leader for protecting and strengthening national food assistance programs and child nutrition initiatives, so that children have access to healthy meals at school. She is also the author of the new permanent summer meals program for children.
As a state representative in Michigan in the 1980s, Representative Stabenow chaired the Mental Health Committee. Among many laws enacted to improve the lives of Michiganders, she authored the Children’s Mental Health Act and the Family Support Subsidy Act to help families caring for severely disabled children at home.
Senator Stabenow received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Michigan State University. She is a proud member of the Congressional Social Work Caucus.