NASW-Metro DC Pride Month Symposium

The NASW-Metro DC Pride Month Symposium, held virtually on June 22, 2026, is a full-day event themed “Evolving Our Knowledge for the New World: Reshaping Our Clinical and Organizational Skills for LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity.” The program begins with opening remarks by Karessa Proctor, followed by two workshops led by Dr. Shanéa Thomas, LICSW, CSE. The morning session, “Back to the Basics,” focuses on strengthening clinicians’ understanding of gender, sexual identity, and sexual health through an intersectional and evidence-based lens, helping participants address unintentional harm, oppression, and evolving language while building inclusive clinical frameworks. The afternoon session, “Introducing Identity Camaraderie,” shifts to organizational practice, exploring burnout, grief, and the emotional impact of LGBTQ+ care work, and introduces tools such as an Organizational Risk Assessment and practitioner self-care planning to support sustainable practice. The symposium offers 6 CEUs in LGBTQ cultural competency and meets the DC Board of Social Work’s 2 Category I CE requirement for license renewal.