Category: Ethics, Social Action, Social Work and Technology Category: Ethics, Social Action, Social Work and Technology (show less) Other: Missouri, Wisconsin Other: Missouri, Wisconsin (show less)

Social workers today face unprecedented challenges: a youth mental health crisis amid provider shortages, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, and shifting demographic and policy landscapes that strain the social safety net. This workshop will examine how these emerging issues intersect with social work ethics and boundaries. Together we will explore critical questions: How can we support youth mental health with declining resources? Is Artificial Intelligence a useful tool to increase productivity and efficiency or a new threat to youth and our profession? What is the role of social workers in responding to anti-DEI policies and other harms to vulnerable groups that our profession is committed to serving? Participants will leave with practical strategies for ethical decision-making and upholding professional boundaries in an era of uncertainty and change.
After completing this workshop, participants will understand:

• Demographic changes in the US/world and how this will impact the social service landscape
• The changing federal policy landscape and how this could impact social services and the social work profession
• The growing use of AI in many settings and the implications of this for social workers and those we serve
• The increasing prevalence of people seeking MH care from chatbots and the ethical implications of this for our profession
• The magnitude and potential causes of the current youth MH crisis
• The gender differences in mental health effects associated with technology
• The impact of the post - #MeToo era on boys and young men
• Ways a female-dominated field of social work can better address the MH needs of boys and men