The Time Is Right for Social Work

Speakers:
Beryl Cohen, MSW
Katie Lugar, DHSc,LSW, CNP

As social workers, there are times when our personal beliefs conflict with what we think is “best” for our clients, or the expectations set by The NASW Code of Ethics, and/or state and federal statute. These conflicts can create dissonance in our personal and/or professional lives, making already challenging jobs even harder. Join our panel as they discuss current events that are creating some of these conflicts, including the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida, the banning of trans-girls from girls sports in Indiana, and Texas and Mississippi laws that limit access to reproductive health services. Our beliefs don’t always agree with The NASW Code of Ethics or Social Work Speaks, but our profession expects us to support a client’s right to self-determination. How do we to separate personal beliefs from our work as social workers and how do we deal with some of the conflict and dissonance we all experience?

Speakers:
Will Francis, LMSW
Katie Lugar, DHSc,LSW, CNP
Angela Reese, MSW, LSW
Lee Westgate, MBA, MSW, LCSW-C

The focus of the presentation involves a social worker’s role in the evaluation of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) community based intervention. CIT is a “first responder model of police-based crisis intervention with community, health care, and advocacy partnerships…and provides the foundation necessary to promote community and statewide solutions to assist individuals with a mental illness” (Dupont et al., 2006, p. 3). The presenter’s work with CIT began in August 2016, resulting in five law enforcement trainings and published research (Todd et al., 2022). The Memphis CIT model is an evidence-based community based practice approach to training law enforcement in mental health issues, and forms the basis for the CIT process and weeklong training used throughout the country (University of Memphis, 2017). This macro social work practice activity effectively impacts mental health and crisis response events in communities. Research related to CIT activity has proven effectiveness related to community impact and post-training objectives (Watson, 2010; Todd et al., 2022). In this presentation, CIT related evaluation and training outcomes will be examined in order to further explore this type of intervention. Five evaluation strategies will be discussed in relation to social work practice and participants will be encouraged to apply these strategies to their own practice.

Speakers:
Jennifer Todd, DHSc., MSW, LCSW
Kara Ooms, MSW, CTRS

Youth victimized through commercial sexual exploitation experience a significant number of traumas and chronic stress during their lives before the commercial sexual exploitation. Commercial sexual exploitation then creates an additional layer of complexity. The purpose of the presentation is to describe the complexity of trauma experienced by victims of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) in addition to the layered dynamics of their various family systems. The presentation utilizes a review of over 150 psychological evaluations to identify trauma, chronic stress, critical social history, and critical family dynamics for youth with complex trauma. Throughout the presentation are interactive group activities centered on designing a treatment plan for youth and their families.

Speakers:
Trisha Prickett, LCSW, LMSW
Hugh Hanlin, PhD, HSPP, CSAYC

Over 10,000 Americans become eligible to enroll in Medicare each day. Many of them make expensive mistakes because they don’t understand Medicare benefits and their enrollment options. Some don’t know where to turn for help when they feel “lost in a sea of health insurance”. Indiana’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides no-cost and impartial health insurance education and counseling to Hoosiers who are eligible for Medicare.

Speaker:
Ben Hudson, BS

LGBTQ+ clients are negatively impacted daily by minority stress. Minority stressors are stresses based on their identity as minoritized individuals. The presentation will teach practitioners about minority stress, how it affects LGBTQ+ individuals’ lives and what providers can do to help LGBTQ+ clients build resiliency against these stressors.

Speaker:
Richard Brandon-Friedman, PhD, LCSW, LCAC

As a caregiver tries to manage life with a child diagnosed with Autism, it may seem overwhelming. With the increase in Autism diagnoses (1 in 44 children), doctors have been exploring the advancement of treatment and therapies to enhance the relationship between the caregivers and the child. The PLAY Project (PP), an Early Autism Intervention method, is one of those ground-breaking therapies. Beginning early, 18 months to 6 years of age, this therapy brings the social worker, caregiver, and child together with an individualized plan based on where the child is at developmentally. Research shows this therapy helps the child and caregiver interact with each other and society (school, community, recreational activities, etc.), providing resources to families in crisis. The PP is an evidence/outcome-based program with the goal to improve the child’s development and social interactions, while teaching parents through direct practice and video feedback. This therapy has become internationally recognized as a model of coaching, principles, modeling techniques, and activities to help the caregiver and child grow together in their journey. The PP provides opportunities to nurture growth and transformation through social interaction for children with developmental disorders. Social workers can help families who have a child with Autism and other comorbid diagnoses while learning how to decrease the stress they are experiencing by raising a child on the spectrum through PLAY. Social workers can help shape policies and increase availability of services through advocacy at different levels and diverse cultures for early Autism Intervention services.

Speakers:
Terri Gee, LSW, PPC
Amanda Gibson, LMHC, PPC

Social workers are actively trying to address the community challenges of substance abuse, mental health, incarceration rates, and homelessness, recognizing that these issues are often intertwined. Yet most efforts to address these issues in an integrated way are hampered by not recognizing brain injury as a condition that is just as or even more prevalently co-occurring and that complicates service access and delivery, impedes effectiveness, and is often untreated. Brain injury is both a risk factor for and a consequence of these other issues. Any comprehensive effort to address these intertwined challenges must include addressing the often unrecognized brain injuries in people who are involved in these other systems. If social workers do not recognize and address the brain injury-related issues, clients are subject to misdiagnoses, ineffective treatment, re-incarceration, and unnecessarily high treatment dropout rates. This session will provide attendees with an understanding of brain injury, how it is intertwined with substance abuse, mental health, criminal justice, and homelessness, and how to identify and support clients who may be experiencing brain injury-related impairments that are impacting participation in services.

Speaker:
Jean Capler, MSW, LCSW, CBIS

Unfortunately, time for clinical supervision can be limited. However, supervision is vital for social workers, so it becomes important to utilize supervision time effectively and efficiently. This presentation will explore how intentional supervision strategies can maximize the benefit of clinical supervision for social workers and support their confidence. The presentation will examine supervision approaches, the benefits of using supervision contracts, monitoring the supervision alliance, addressing self-care in supervision, and exploring the differences between management and supervision.

Speakers:
Summer Wilderman, MSW, LCSW
John Paulson, ACSW, LCSW, MAC, LCAC, NCSE, CCS, HS-BCP
Bonnie Rinks, LCSW, ACSW

Racism, Healthcare Bias, and Racial Trauma: What every social worker should know is a workshop that deeply connects with the 2022 NASW theme: “The Time is Right for Social Work.” Our country faces a global health crisis that has uniquely widened our eyes to healthcare bias, healthcare disparities, and racial trauma; it is essential that social workers be self-aware and well-trained to understand and meet the unique and complex challenges experienced by African Americans in various healthcare settings. This presentation will explore America’s history of racism in healthcare and its current impact on health disparities and racial trauma. This presentation will also address cognitive bias and the social worker’s need for self-awareness. During this workshop I provide practical and evidenced-based strategies that will prepare clinicians for advocacy in social justice while also including strategies that will empower clients to invest in their health and self-advocacy. This presentation provides historical perspective of racial health disparities that will increase the clinician’s knowledge and self-awareness for direct practice. The NASW Code of Ethics promotes cultural diversity and the social worker’s duty to be well-informed on the various cultures and communities that we serve.

Speaker:
Brittany Works, LCSW-CPT I

With approximately 90% of individuals in behavioral healthcare reporting exposure to at least one lifetime traumatic event, most agree that trauma-informed care should be standard and best practice. Despite this, the same attitude of trauma-sensitivity is often not extended to employees and providers working in the behavioral healthcare industry. This presentation will provide an overview of the impact of trauma on perceptions and behavior in the workplace as well discuss the impact of negative work environments on employee mental and physical wellness. Attendees will be exposed to statistics regarding mental health and the workplace, burnout, employee care programs. Presenters will discuss the importance of creating a cultural shift in the workplace using “the 4 C’s of Trauma Sensitivity,” and how implementing such practices can increase things such as employee satisfaction and productivity and decrease difficulties such as burnout and compassion fatigue. Presenters will end with an open discussion about trauma-informed care for employees, and brainstorm with the audience ways to incorporate strategies into their workplace as well as tips and tricks that have been beneficial in a variety of workplace situations. Participants will leave with practical implementation strategies and a sense of critically-needed encouragement following the COVID 19 pandemic.

Speakers:
Kelsey Watterson, BA
Keely Lawrence, BS

Environmental justice is an immutable component of social justice and human rights, as client systems are indivisibly connected to physical, ecological places. In the US and abroad, people of marginalized social identities (such as by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status/class) have experienced environmental inequities jeopardizing their physical safety and increasing health and living risks. Furthermore, climate change has propelled the needs and objectives of environmental justice to broader horizons: The time is right for social workers to become more familiar with the knowledge and practices of “green social work” –a growing initiative of social workers worldwide– endeavoring to empower communities’ sustainability efforts; address threats from waste disposal, air pollution, and natural disasters; understand the needs and situations of climate migrants; and continue promotion of social and economic development in rural and community locales alike. This presentation will provide attendees a contextual overview of the recent social work literature on green social work efforts and environmental justice advocacy. Next, contemporary interventions and strategies for a variety of environmental justice issues used by national and international social workers will be discussed. The presentation will also focus on specific threats to environmental justice within Indiana, and how social workers can consider becoming involved. Finally the presentation will reveal why a continued effort to develop green social work theory and practice skills is necessary in a time of ongoing climate change and continued social injustice, and how partnerships between national and international practitioners can advance overarching green objectives and outcomes.

Speaker:
Natasha Bragg, MSW, LCSW

During this session Emma Vosicky, JD, MAT Executive Director of GenderNexus will provide a brief history of the organization along with information on the services they provide and some of the challenges faced by LGBTQIA+/gender fluid/transgender communities. She will also share information on how communities and social workers can provide support and safe spaces for LGBTQIA+/gender fluid/transgender communities.

GenderNexus is a social service agency, based in Indianapolis and serving all of Indiana. Its mission is to empower gender-diverse folks and their loved one to live healthy, authentic, and joyful lives by providing direct services and support, connecting folks with resources, and building community (among gender-diverse individuals as well as with their parents, partners, families, caregivers, and allies).

Speaker:
Emma Vosicky, JD

Advocacy is at the heart of social work and has been an integral part of the profession since social work was first recognized. Advocacy occurs at the micro, mezzo and macro levels – but it can be confusing and scary. Join us for an interactive conversation where we’ll talk about:

1. How civic engagement can increase sense of belonging and support self-care;
2. How to get involved in advocacy at the federal level through NASW and locally through NASW-Indiana;
3. Voting is Social Work – voting and voter registration are important – how to increase voter registration and voting;
4. How The NASW Code of Ethics is integral to our advocacy work.

Speakers:
Beryl Cohen, MSW
Bessie Proffet, MSW, LSW
Rima Shahid, CEO, Women4Change Indiana