NASW-Metro DC Pride Month Symposium
Theme: Evolving Our Knowledge for the New World: Reshaping Our Clinical and Organizational Skills for LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity
 
Full Day Virtual
Date: Monday, June 22, 2026
 
Opening announcements:
Time: 8:30-8:45 am
​Presenter: ​Karessa Proctor, BSW, MSW

Morning Workshop
Time: 8:45 am - 12:00 pm
Title: Back to the Basics: Relearning Topics about Gender, Sexual Identity, and Health
Presenter: Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW, CSE
Synopsis: Do you need to discover new tools for integrating competency for LGBTQIA+ mental healthcare in our ever-changing world? Did you think you knew all the terms and words to accommodate the growing list of genders, but don’t feel as if you can keep up? Join Dr. Thomas in developing a new understanding of sex, gender, and sexual health to accommodate the difficulties in our political climate and our therapeutic and healthcare systems as well. This space is built for clinicians and educators to learn information that will evolve into modern-day practice for continuous improvement. You'll leave with a custom, intentionally inclusive framework to guide your practice and build your understanding of the spectrum of sex and gender for all people. Participants will also examine the experiences of possible unintentional harm we may inflict on our clients due to a lack of knowledge or the ever-changing pace of language. 
This workshop is geared toward direct service practitioners but open to those in administrative roles to learn how to integrate concepts within their organizations for workplace continuity. This workshop deepens the clinician’s understanding of how their own identities and cultural underpinnings affect their work and provides strategic tools for shifting one’s practice to be more intentional and inclusive of those with marginalized identities. 
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to:

1. Re-examine and discuss previously learned language, terminology, and history around gender, sexual identity, sexual health, and lived experiences using the framework of intersectionality through statistics, graphs, and visual materials.
2. Evaluate the effects of oppression, discrimination, and microaggressions on all gender affirming care through review of research, policy, and case study examples. 
3. Apply evidence-based knowledge and skills for clinical practice to create a diverse and equitable intra-personal framework for inclusive practice.

 Please Note: This workshop meets the DC Board of Social Work's 2 Cat I CE requirement in LGBTQ content for license renewal
 
Lunch break 12-1 pm
 
Afternoon Workshop
Time: 1:00-4:15 pm
Title: Introducing Identity Camaraderie by Using LGBTQ+ Experiences to Recognize Burnout and Grief in Our Work
Presenter: Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW, CSE
Synopsis: Part Two of the day shifts its focus more organizationally, building on the previous information about the LGBTQ+ population, and sex and gender cultural competency in mental health practice. This presentation will examine the social changes that have greatly affected our ability to give care in dir

Transitioning from colleague to supervisor is one of the most rewarding—yet challenging—professional milestones. This training explores the complex shift in dynamics that occurs when stepping into leadership over former peers. Participants will examine the changes in roles, responsibilities, and boundaries that accompany supervisory positions and learn strategies to navigate power differentials, maintain trust, and establish credibility. Through discussion, case examples, and practical tools, the session will highlight effective communication techniques, ethical decision-making, and approaches to giving feedback and managing conflict. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies and a clearer understanding of how to lead with confidence, fairness, and professionalism during this critical transition. 

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Virginia and Metro DC Chapters will host our Annual Conference on March 26-28, 2026 in person at the Newport News Marriott at City Center, and again live-virtual from April 23-25, 2026. On-demand conference material will also be available for 60 days following the conference.

Over the course of the 2026 Conference, social workers and other mental health professionals will have the opportunity to hear a variety of speakers on topics related to, but certainly not limited to, race and cultural competency, ethics, social just ice, trauma informed care, clinical advancements, self-care, LGBTQ+ issues, public health priorities, aging, and leadership.

Attendees at our conference, your potential clients and employees, can browse the materials you have on display and interact with your organization directly. Attendees will have access to your virtual conference booth from the start of the in-person conference until the end of the on-demand conference. That's four months of attendee engagement when you combine the in-person, live-virtual, and on-demand conference opportunities, giving your organization maximum visibility with social workers from all walks of life.

By exhibiting at the NASW Virginia and DC Metro Chapters Conference in 2026, you have the chance to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of social work professionals from various backgrounds before, during, and after the conference.

Our social workers are accomplished practitioners, educators, researchers, and policymakers, who are employed in a wide range of settings in rural, suburban, and urban communities. All opportunities are on a first come first serve basis, so don't delay, last year we sold out of nearly every sponsorship level!

Register Now!

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Virginia and Metro DC Chapters will host our Annual Conference on March 26-28, 2026 in person at the Newport News Marriott at City Center, and again live-virtual from April 23-25, 2026. On-demand conference material will also be available for 60 days following the conference.

Over the course of the 2026 Conference, social workers and other mental health professionals will have the opportunity to hear a variety of speakers on topics related to, but certainly not limited to, race and cultural competency, ethics, social just ice, trauma informed care, clinical advancements, self-care, LGBTQ+ issues, public health priorities, aging, and leadership.

Attendees at our conference, your potential clients and employees, can browse the materials you have on display and interact with your organization directly. Attendees will have access to your virtual conference booth from the start of the in-person conference until the end of the on-demand conference. That's four months of attendee engagement when you combine the in-person, live-virtual, and on-demand conference opportunities, giving your organization maximum visibility with social workers from all walks of life.

By exhibiting at the NASW Virginia and DC Metro Chapters Conference in 2026, you have the chance to reach hundreds, if not thousands, of social work professionals from various backgrounds before, during, and after the conference.

Our social workers are accomplished practitioners, educators, researchers, and policymakers, who are employed in a wide range of settings in rural, suburban, and urban communities. All opportunities are on a first come first serve basis, so don't delay, last year we sold out of nearly every sponsorship level!

Join us in person for the NASW-Metro DC Book Club to chat, connect, and dive into great reads together!

Join NASW–Metro DC for an engaging author conversation and book signing with Tracy Robinson Whitaker, NASW–Metro DC Board Member and author of Transformational Empathy: Erasing the Space Between Us and Them.

This dynamic evening will explore how transformational empathy can help social workers, leaders, students, and community members bridge division and strengthen practice across systems.

What to Expect

• Moderated conversation with the author
• Discussion on empathy in micro, mezzo, and macro practice
• Leadership and equity-centered applications
• Audience Q&A
• Closing reflections and call to action
• Book signing and informal networking

Estimated program length: 100–110 minutes

Who Should Attend

Social work students, practitioners, educators, community leaders, and anyone committed to advancing equity and ethical leadership through practice.

Register Now!