Advancing Health Equity: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Intersectionality in the Care of Black Women

Black women in the United States face persistent disparities in health outcomes due to the compounded effects of systemic oppression, social inequities, and unacknowledged intersectional identities. This training equips social workers with a deeper understanding of how Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)—such as income, education, housing, access to healthcare, and environmental factors—interact with race, gender, age, and other identity markers to shape the health experiences of Black women.

Participants will explore the historical and ongoing impacts of systemic racism and bias in healthcare, including how provider communication and treatment decisions often fail to reflect the full lived realities of Black women. Through case examples, discussion, and evidence-based research, this training emphasizes the critical need for culturally responsive, equity-driven practice.

Social workers will leave with tools to recognize and address structural barriers, advocate for justice-oriented care, and integrate intersectional and SDoH-informed approaches into assessments, treatment planning, and policy advocacy to improve outcomes for Black women and other marginalized populations.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define and examine the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and their role in developing equitable and culturally responsive treatment plans for diverse patient populations.
2. Analyze the impacts of intersectionality systemic oppression, racism, and implicit bias—including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, and culture—on the health outcomes and lived experiences of Black women. Recognizing how they contribute to unequal treatment, poor communication, and health disparities in the care.
3. Critically assess how current healthcare systems overlook the intersectional needs of Black women and explore strategies for more inclusive, person-centered social work practice.
4. Apply a health equity framework in social work interventions to advocate for policy change, culturally informed care, and systemic accountability in addressing racial and gender disparities in health outcomes

Upon completion of this course attendees will earn 4.0 Category I Contact Hours, including 4.0 Public Health Priorities Hours.

PLEASE NOTE:
Arrival time is 8:55am; Training is 9:00am-1:15pm EST
This is a live virtual training. A link will be sent to registrants by 1:00pm the day prior to the training.

Presenter: Nikole Jiggetts, LCSW
Nikole R. Jiggetts, LCSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, Certified Trauma Practitioner and author. She is the CEO and owner of Replay Counseling Center, LLC. also known as Replay Counseling and Consulting. She is a graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, with an MSW. Nikole has been working with children, adolescents and their families for over 20 years. She is passionate about providing individuals with the opportunity to work through their difficulties and begin to start feeling better about their lives utilizing expressive therapies. In addition to serving as an adjunct professor for the VCU School of Social Work, she is also a life coach, parenting consultant and a mother of two. Nikole also provides training for mental health clinicians in the states of Virginia and Maryland as well as the District of Columbia, for the past 10 years.

Registration Fees - includes CE certificate (emailed after training)
NASW Member    $80
Non-Member       $104

LOCATION:
This will be a live virtual training. A link will be sent to registrants by 1:00pm the day prior to the training.

Registration Deadline: July 23, 2025
Please plan to login by 8:55 am ET. The training begins at 9:00 am and ends at 1:15 pm ET.