The NASW-MA Chapter, in partnership with NASW-RI, will be hosting its Virtual Symposium 2024, on Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26. Join the largest gathering of social workers, mental health professionals, and community leaders in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. This year’s theme Reaching Across The Divide: Opportunities for Hope, with Keynote Speaker Mónica Guzmán. This year, Symposium features 75+ workshops and speakers; attendees will have the opportunity to connect with experts in the field and gain new skills at innovative workshops.

Symposium 2024 offers more CEUs than last year at the same low prices! Earn 22.5+ CEs by participating in our live and on-demand workshops. CEs have been approved for NASW-RI attendees (see general, cross-cultural, and professional ethics CEs categories listed in the workshops below). Live workshops are the scheduled workshops: keynote address, evening program, and sessions 1-7, and on-demand workshops are a list of pre-recorded webinars that will be available on the conference’s website for three weeks post-conference. 

Instructions to Register Online: 

1. Under purchase options, click on "Add to Cart" and then "Check Out".
2. Login with your username and password and confirm your registration type (member or non-member). Create an account if you are new to the NASW SW Online Institute website. 
3. Fill out your information and complete your payment. 
4. Please note: You should receive a confirmation email with a link to the Workshops Selection Form.
5. Select the live workshops you'd like to attend on April 25 & 26 in the Workshops Form. Participation in each session/workshop is not mandatory; select one workshop per session. You do not need to select the on-demand workshops as these can be accessed in the conference's website at any time.
6. For changes to your workshop list, please email us at assoc.naswri@socialworkers.org. Do not resubmit the Workshops Selection Form.
7. After submission, you should receive a confirmation email with a copy of your workshop selections. Make sure to save and/or download this your workshop list. 

Keynote Address: 

• How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times: Mónica Guzmán (Cross-Cultural CEs).

Session 1: 

• 001: Balancing Acts: Patient Autonomy and Heart Transplant Requirements. Speaker: Johnna Marcus, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 003: Moving Beyond Polarization: Returning to Respectful Dialogue. Speaker: Fanny Chalfin, MA, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 005: LGBT Elders Have Sex Too! Speaker: Joseph Winn LICSW, CST-S. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 019: Patient/Family Engagement: A Social Justice Leadership Opportunity. Speakers: Laura Dickman, LICSW, Kelly Lawman, MSW (c), Briana Cast, MSW, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 038: Fired Up! The Significance of Anger in Trauma Recovery. Speaker: Laurie Ure, LICSW, CBT (Certified Bioenergetic Therapist). (General CEs)

• 045: Treating Perinatal Distress and Supporting the Motherhood Journey. Speaker: Danielle Kenney, LICSW, PMH-C. (General CEs)

• 052: Implicit Bias in the Implementation of Trauma-Informed Suicide Prevention. Speakers: Joanna Bridger, LICSW, Rebecca Mirick, PhD, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 062: Artificial Intelligence in Social Work: Emerging Ethical Issues. Speaker: Frederic G. Reamer, PhD. (Professional Ethics CEs)

• 073: Do No Harm: Managing Power & Control Issues with Women Struggling with Substance Use Disorders. Speaker: Danielle Owen, LICSW, LADCI. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 078: Sharing Our Clinical Notes Directly With Our Patients: Perspectives on OpenNotes & the Cures Act. Speaker: Steve O'Neill, LICSW, BCD, JD. (Professional Ethics CEs)

Session 2: 

• 009: Got Conflict? Managing Conflict: Essential Tools for Social Workers. Speaker: Pedro Spivakovsky-Gonzalez, MSW. (General CEs)

• 016: PANS/PANDAS: What it is, What to look for and How to Support. Speaker: Sheilah M. Gauch, M.Ed, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 021: Introduction to Gender Affirming Clinical Care with Adults. Speaker: Luke Patrick "Tt" King, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 033: Strategic Self-Disclosure: A Clinical Tool. Speakers: Gabrielle Witte, DSW, LCSW, Lydia Carbone, MSW. (General CEs)

• 042: First Generation Americans: Identity Formation and Psychosocial Development through a Cultural Lens. Speaker: Paulomi Dave-Potter, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 051: Couples by Intention: An innovative couples group approach. Speakers: Elliott Kronenfeld, PhD, LICSW, CSTS, Tiane Jennings, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 055: Allyship in Action. Speakers: Felicia Heywood, LICSW, Sonia D'Alarcao, BS. (General CEs)

• 059: Trauma in Boys and Men Who Have Been Trafficked. Speaker: Steven L Procopio, ACSW, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 065: Firearm Safety Screening Among Mental Health Workers. Speaker: Chris Collins, PhD, LICSW, ACSW. (General CEs)

• 084: Six Degrees of Visitation: Understanding Supervised Parenting Time. Speakers: Carrie Pekor Jasper, M.S.Ed., LICSW, Howard Yaffe, LICSW, Dacia Thompson, MSW, LCSW. (General CEs)

Session 3: 

• 004: Beyond heteronormativity: What BDSM/Kink teaches about successful relationships. Speaker: Joseph Winn LICSW, CST-S. (General CEs)

• 006: Living in the In-Between: Unpacking Mental Health, Assimilation, and Acculturation. Speaker: Ysabel Garcia, MPH. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 013: Self-managed Abortion - What is the Social Worker's Role? Speakers: Susan Yanow, MSW, Lauren Paulk, JD. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 024: How to Protect Your Practice: Words of Wisdom from a Defense Attorney. Speaker: Robert P. Landau, JD. (Professional Ethics CEs)

• 027: Women Growing Older: Our Bodies Ourselves. Speaker: Joan Ditzion BA, MA, MSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 036: Mediation 101: Conflict Resolution for Families and Communities. Speakers: Ben Stich, Mediator, M.Ed, LICSW, Nnena Odim, JD. (General CEs)

• 043: When We Understand Mad Better Than Sad: The Grief of Children in Alternative Care. Speaker: Ruth Pearlman, M.Ed., LICSW. (General CEs)

• 067: Whose Reality is it Anyways? Working with Alternate Experiences. Speakers: Stacie Lucius, MS, LCMHC, MLADC, Theo Baars CRSW LADC. (General CEs)

• 080: Parental Understanding of Cultural Difference in Transracial Adoption. Speakers: Hope Haslam Straughan, PhD, MSW, ACSW, Chelsea Anderson, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 083: The NASW Code of Ethics, Social Media and Navigating Difficult Clinical Case Examples. Speaker: Steve O'Neill, LICSW, BCD, JD. (Professional Ethics CEs)

Evening Workshop: 

What The World Needs Now. Speaker: Jen Wofford, LICSW. (General CEs)

Session 4: 

•  007: Improving Outcomes: Listening to "War on Drugs" Survivors. Speaker: Danielle Owen, LICSW, LADCI. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 008: Effectiveness of Gender Transformative Interventions at Decreasing Traditional Masculine Norms. Speaker: Jay Taylor, DSW, LCSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 025: Neurodiversity Affirming Practice in the Workplace. Speaker: Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 031: Supporting Clients to Divorce with Dignity. Speaker: Ben Stich, Mediator, M.Ed, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 035: Meeting the Needs of Older Adults Navigating Solo. Speaker: Ailene Gerhardt, MA, BCPA, CSA. (General CEs)

• 039: Professional Guardrails: Ethical Boundaries in Social Work Practice. Speaker: Phyllis Black, PhD, ACSW. (Professional Ethics CEs)

• 041: The Importance of Understanding and Supporting Caregiver Trauma. Speaker: Sheilah M. Gauch, M.Ed, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 053: Sex is a Social Work Issue! Speaker: Joseph Winn LICSW, CST-S. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 066: Beating Burnout: When Passion Just Isn't Enough. Speaker: Dr. Wendy Knight. (General CEs)

• 087: Normalizing Childhood Grief. Speakers: Jennifer M Harris, LICSW, Daniel Graham, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

Session 5: 

•  002: Pediatric Long COVID: Establishing the Role of Social Work in a Multidisciplinary Clinic. Speaker: Victoria Pacheco, MPH, MSW, LCSW. (General CEs)

• 012: Embracing Eros; Rethinking Intimacy in Care Facilities. Speaker: Nathalie Huitema, PhD. (General CEs)

• 014: Advocating for Patient Rights in Medicare: Tips for Social Workers. Speaker: Al Kushner, Author. (General CEs)

• 018: Introduction to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). Speakers: Danielle Green, LICSW, Suzanne McCarthy, PsyD. (General CEs)

• 026: The Neurobiology of Trauma and its Application to Successful Treatment of Pain. Speakers: Dr. Judith A. Swack, Wendy Rawlings, CMHC. (General CEs)

• 046: Strength-Based Skills for New/Emerging Social Work Supervisors. Speaker: Jonas Goldenberg, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 048:Supporting Military Families (National Guard, Reserve, Active-Duty). Speaker: Barbara L. Cox, LICSW, MA. (General CEs)

• 054: Helping the Helpers: Exploring Wellness Needs and Priorities of the Next Social Work Generation. Speakers: Pamela Szczygiel, DSW, LICSW, Taylor Hall, PhD. (General CEs)

• 068: Dementia Friends: Building Public Awareness for All Communities. Speaker: Beth Soltzberg, MBA, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 088: Gateways vs. Barriers: Practicing and Supporting Gender Affirming Healthcare. Speakers: Casey Pons, LICSW, JT Timms, MSW, MFA, LCSW, Kathleen Irving, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

 Session 6:

•  011: "Whatever it Takes" Using Cross-Agency Collaboration to Strengthen Permanency Outcomes. Speakers: Cheryl Peltier, LSW, Meredith Rapoza, LMHC, Kara Sabalauskas, MSW. (General CEs) 

• 015: Our Federal and State Budgets: Are We Making Progress?. Speaker: Jeff Schrenzel, PhD, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 029: Meeting After Movement: Forced Migration and the Social Work Profession. Speakers: Kerri Evans, PhD, LCSW, Robert G Hasson III, PhD, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 032: How Youth Who Feel "Different" Use the Internet/Social Media. Speaker: Elizabeth Englander, PhD. (General CEs)

• 037: Perinatal Palliative Care: The Roles of Social Workers in Program Development and Direct Practice. Speakers: June M. Ganley, LICSW, Jill A. Jeffers, MA, LSW. (General CEs)

• 056: Family Controlled Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. Speakers: Laurie Krull, LCSW-R, Kait Gannon, BA. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 057: A New Approach to Neurodiversity Affirming Care in Clinical Practice. Speaker: Sara Rodrigues, DSW, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 063: Culturally Responsive Best Practices for Suicide Prevention. Speaker: Yunieska Krug, LICSW, MLADC. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 071: Interprofessional Collaboration for Substance Use Disorders During Pregnancy. Speakers: Kristin Erbetta, PhD, MPH, MSW, Zoe Ulrich, LCSW, Shelley Steenrod, PhD, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 089: The Impact of Trauma on Learning. Speaker: Dr. Denise Howley, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

Session 7: 

• 017: How to Mitigate Imposter Syndrome. Speaker: Beth Craft, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 034: Leveraging the Power of Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Ethical Practice. Speakers: Tami Gouveia, DrPH, MPH, MSW, David Andrade, Zoë Richman (MSW 2025). (Professional Ethics CEs)

• 040: Concussions: The Missed Diagnosis Underlying Mental Health Issues. Speaker: Lee-Anne Thoms, LICSW, OTA. (General CEs)

• 047: Treating Children When Their Parent/s Have A Mental Illness. Speakers: Brian Hart, MS, MHC, MBA, MA NPI, Christina Cronin LICSW, Michelle Jones, LCSW. (General CEs)

• 069: Long Covid & Mental Health: Emerging research and clinical implications. Speaker: Ellie Lipton, LICSW. (General CEs)

• 074: Honoring Parents: Truancy Intervention in a Diverse Community. Speakers: Pamela A. Richmond, PhD, Jenny A. Piazza, Ed.D. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 082: Sustainable Social Work Practice Through Ritual. Speaker: Hope Haslam Straughan, PhD, MSW, ACSW. (General CEs)

• 086: Neuroscience of Addiction & Relapse: Social Work & Personal Bias. Speakers: Taylor Hall, PhD, Leslie Green, LICSW, David R Selden, LICSW. (Cross-Cultural CEs)

On demand workshops are pre-recorded webinars that will be available on the website for up to three weeks after the conference. Attendees DO NOT have to select these workshops during registration.

• Ethics in Addiction Treatment. Speaker: Chris Dorval, LICSW, LCDCS, LADC1. (1.5 Professional Ethics CEs)
  

• How To Be A Transgender Ally And Pitfalls To Avoid. Speaker: Rev. Dr. Donnie Anderson. (1.5 Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 1.5 CEUs | Unsheltered Immigrants in MA: Unpacking the State of Emergency. Speaker: Alexandra Weber, LICSW. (1.5 Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 1.5 CEUs | Technology and Social Media: Helping Children, Teens and their Caregivers Navigate the Impacts and Implications. Speaker: Elizabeth Englander, PhD. (1.5 General CEs)

• 1.5 CEUs | Rhode Island’s Response to the Opioid Crisis. Speaker: Ryan Loiselle, LICSW. (1.5 Cross-Cultural CEs)

• 1.5 CEUs | What Hurts You? Pain and Social Work. Speaker: Johnna Marcus, LICSW. (1.5 General CEs)

• Words that Work Along the Care Continuum of Serious Illness. Speaker: Jennifer Ritzau, MD. (1.5 Cross-Cultural CEs)