For Immediate Release
Washington, DC -To help social workers meet the unique needs of the aging population, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) will host its first annual practice conference in Las Vegas on March 15-16, 2009. The conference—titled “The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?”—will prepare social work private practitioners to better serve this growing demographic. NASW partnered with the American Society on Aging and National Council on Aging (ASA/NCOA) Aging in America Conference to host the event for approximately 400 professional social workers from across the country.
Sandra A. Lopez, LCSW, ACSW, DCSW, clinical associate professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work will serve as keynote speaker. Her speech, “Key Challenges in the Aging Boom: Honoring Diversity in Older Adults,” will address practical approaches for clinical social workers to meet the growing needs of diverse seniors. Ms. Lopez is a widely recognized presenter, trainer and consultant, with 28 years of social work experience. She regularly trains social workers and other professionals on suicide, grief and bereavement, cultural diversity, social work supervision, ethics, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress.
“The United States population over the age of 65 is growing and reflects greater diversity far beyond race and ethnicity,” says Ms. Lopez. “Honoring diversity in older adults is crucial for social workers across settings to ensure that the needs of their clients are properly understood and supported.” (more…)