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)

Register Now!

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

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!