“Hope Conference” for Social Workers Convenes in Washington July 2012

Jun 7, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2012                                           

“Hope Conference” for Social Workers Convenes in Washington this July

National Association of Social Workers event will celebrate the power of hope and resiliency

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 7, 2012) The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has announced the full program agenda for its “Restoring Hope: The Power of Social Work” national practice conference in Washington, D.C. The event will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel on July 22-25, 2012.

Approximately 1,000 social workers—with roles in health care and hospice, military and veteran’s services, mental health and psychotherapy, aging and caregiver assistance, child welfare and adoptions, schools, corrections, social services, policymaking, research and academia—will participate in more than 100 sessions, workshops, keynotes and plenary presentations that showcase the positive impact of the social work profession in the United States and internationally.

Event highlights include a much anticipated keynote speech by the profession’s most recent Nobel Peace Laureate, Leymah Gbowee.  Ms. Gbowee, a social worker, was honored in 2011 for her work unifying groups of women in Liberia to end the violence of civil war in that country. Gbowee is founder and president of the Monrovia-based Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, and continues to advance women’s rights in the continent, particularly in conflict and post-conflict regions. The first social worker to receive a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 was Jane Addams.

Building on the hope theme will be journalists and best-selling authors Bob and Lee Woodruff (ABC and CBS), whose family’s journey of trauma, recovery and healing addresses issues of caregiving, holistic health care, veteran’s support, and family advocacy.   Political strategist, CNN contributor, and Georgetown University professor Donna Brazile will provide an insider’s view on the fall election season.  Dr. Ken Doka is one of the country’s most respected experts on disenfranchised grief and a frequent consultant to medical, nursing, funeral service and hospice organizations. Other keynote speakers include acclaimed D.C.-based spoken word poet and activist Tony Keith and Roberto (Betho) Pacheco, founder of Brazil’s Afro Reggae Cultural Group, a successful and innovative youth intervention program in Rio de Janeiro.

“Professional social workers help people reframe their hopes in the face of adversity,” says NASW Executive Director Dr. Elizabeth J. Clark. “As the profession of hope, social workers are on the frontlines and working behind the scenes to eradicate poverty, inequality, insecurity, fear, violence, trauma, loss and pain.  July’s conference will showcase best practices and inspire innovation in all human service delivery.

Key workshop and plenary topics include:

  • Leadership and the Power of Social Work
  • Building Resiliency after Trauma
  • New Understandings of Grief and Practice
  • Hope for Our Children
  • Building Hope with Honor for Veterans and Military Families
  • Social Work is the Profession of Hope
  • Interface of Ethics and the Law
  • Cultural Competence as a Practice Perspective
  • Surviving and Thriving in an Uncertain Economy
  • Military Culture 101
  • Trauma-Based Therapy for Helping Victims and Perpetrators
  • Reducing Risk and Promoting Well-Being for LGBT Children

Other breakout session topics include HIV/AIDS, online therapy, foster care, housing and homelessness, Affordable Care Act, child abuse and neglect, obesity, military trauma, community organizing, substance use and addictions, discharge planning, refugee youth, self-injury, gerontology, self-care, Alzheimer’s support, immigration, leadership, ageism, racism, youth development, chronic illness, LGBT families, oncology and cancer survivorship, disaster recovery, ex-offender reentry, disabilities, Medicare, long-term care, grandparents as caregivers, pet-assisted therapy, autism, human trafficking, and violence prevention.  See event program agenda for details.

The presenting sponsor for the “Restoring Hope” conference is NASW Assurance Services, Inc.  and the University of Southern California School of Social Work is the event’s gold sponsor.  Other supporters include the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, the John A. Hartford Foundation, Monahan Law Group, LLC, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Novick Group, Inc., Silver School of Social Work at New York University, University of Maryland School of Social Work and Watkins IT & Watkins Meegan.

To schedule media interviews before or during the conference, please contact Gail Woods Waller at gwaller@naswdc.org and 202.336.8236 or visit www.professionofhope.org for event times.

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CONTACT: Gail Woods Waller
gwaller@naswdc.org or 202.336.8236

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with nearly 145,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy. 

The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is a charitable organization created to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.

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