Title: DC20261202 - Inequalities in the DC Immigrant Community -Lunch & Learn

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Presenter: Anne M. Garcia, LICSW, LCSW-C

Synopsis: Washington, D.C. is a global city, yet its immigrant residents—ranging from those with precarious legal statuses to long-term community anchors—face systemic barriers that exacerbate health, economic, and social disparities. This training explores the intersection of D.C.’s housing crisis, language access, and federal immigration policy. Participants will move beyond "cultural competence" toward "cultural humility," applying an anti-racist, intersectional lens to their clinical and macro social work practice.
Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Identify at least three structural determinants (e.g., language isolation, "public charge" fears, housing instability) impacting D.C. immigrant communities.
2. Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to advocate for clients navigating complex immigration systems.
3. Analyze the impact of D.C.-specific policies (e.g., OLA, Universal Paid Leave) on immigrant welfare and identify gaps in service delivery.
4. Develop two practical, trauma-informed strategies for engaging immigrant families within the District.
 

CE: 1 Cat I in Cultural Competency

Cost: NASW Members - $15; Non-Members - $25; Retired Members - $10; Student Members - $0

Please Note: This workshop meets 1 of the 4 credits of Cultural Competency for DC licensure

Title: DC20260714- Bridging the Gap: Clinical Competence for Bilingual Social Workers

Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Presenter: Anne M. Garcia, LICSW, LCSW-C

Synopsis: Language proficiency is only one component of effective cross-cultural practice. This training is designed to equip bilingual social workers with the advanced frameworks necessary to move beyond linguistic translation toward true clinical equivalence. Participants will explore the nuances of power dynamics in clinical encounters, the impact of linguistic barriers on diagnostic accuracy, and strategies for navigating cultural idioms of distress. By integrating ethical decision-making with regulatory compliance, this course empowers clinicians to bridge the gap between intent and impact in diverse professional settings.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to: 
1. Deconstruct Linguistic Barriers: Identify how language-based power imbalances affect the therapeutic alliance and client self-determination.
2. Enhance Assessment Accuracy: Apply culturally congruent assessment
techniques to distinguish between normative cultural expressions and clinical
symptomatology.
2. Mitigate Bias: Recognize and address the impact of implicit bias and historical
trauma within bilingual clinical interactions.
3. Optimize Ethical Practice: Demonstrate the ability to maintain professional
boundaries and clinical standards when serving as both a provider and a
cultural/linguistic bridge.
 

Ethical & Regulatory Alignment: This training addresses key mandates essential for Maryland social work practice:
 

NASW Code of Ethics Focus: 1.05 Cultural Competence: Ensuring competence in social diversity and oppression; 1.06 Conflicts of Interest: Navigating dual-role complexities when functioning as a translator/clinician; 1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality: Managing communication risks in multilingual clinical settings.
 

COMAR (Code of Maryland Regulations) Focus:
10.42.03.01 (Professional Ethics): Adhering to standards of conduct that protect the public and ensure the delivery of competent,
non-discriminatory services; 10.42.03.02 (Competence): Maintaining the necessary knowledge and
skill to provide services to diverse populations within the scope of practice
 

CEUs: 2 Cat I in Public Health Priorities (Cultural Competency)

Cost: NASW Members - $30; Non-Members - $50; Retired Members - $20; Student Members - $0

Please Note: This workshop fulfills 2 of the 4 CEUs in Public Health Priorities (Cultural Competency)

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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. 

This CEU presentation examines Black feminist theory as both a mode of analysis and a practice of historical preservation, with direct applications for social work. Beginning with Sojourner Truth’s 1851 Ain’t I a Woman speech and moving through case studies of Ida B. Wells, Black women’s clubs, the Combahee River Collective, and the Movement for Black Lives, the session traces how Black women’s testimonies and organizing traditions function as living archives of resistance and liberation. Grounded in intersectional and community-based approaches, the presentation demonstrates how Black feminism sustains collective memory, resists erasure, and generates strategies for navigating systemic oppression. Participants will connect these lessons to social work competencies, including cultural humility, community engagement, and advocacy. By highlighting the intellectual and political labor of Black women as both preservation and praxis, this session equips social workers with frameworks and tools to integrate Black feminist principles into direct practice, program design, and policy work, advancing anti-oppressive practice in diverse settings. 

This CEU presentation examines Black feminist theory as both a mode of analysis and a practice of historical preservation, with direct applications for social work. Beginning with Sojourner Truth’s 1851 Ain’t I a Woman speech and moving through case studies of Ida B. Wells, Black women’s clubs, the Combahee River Collective, and the Movement for Black Lives, the session traces how Black women’s testimonies and organizing traditions function as living archives of resistance and liberation. Grounded in intersectional and community-based approaches, the presentation demonstrates how Black feminism sustains collective memory, resists erasure, and generates strategies for navigating systemic oppression. Participants will connect these lessons to social work competencies, including cultural humility, community engagement, and advocacy. By highlighting the intellectual and political labor of Black women as both preservation and praxis, this session equips social workers with frameworks and tools to integrate Black feminist principles into direct practice, program design, and policy work, advancing anti-oppressive practice in diverse settings.