HUSSW at CSWE 2025: Faculty, Staff & Alumni Present at the Council on Social Work Education 71st Annual Program Meeting

Congratulations to the Howard University School of Social Work community for your presence at the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 71st Annual Program Meeting, held October 23–26, 2025 in Denver, CO. This year’s theme—“It’s Time to Act: Championing Disability Justice and Disability Joy in Social Work”—called the field to advance disability justice alongside diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. HUSSW scholars answered that call with rigor and purpose. From pre-conference leadership to panels, papers, and partnership sessions, HUSSW faculty, staff, and collaborators showcased thought leadership that centers communities—and turns evidence into action. Our sessions explored:

• Disability Justice & Joy across policy, practice, pedagogy, and campus climate
• Intersectionality—with attention to audism, ableism, race, faith, and migration
• Trauma & Healing among refugee and Muslim American youth and families
• Health Equity in public housing and school systems
• Inclusive Education that goes beyond accommodation to transformation

Program Highlights Include:

Pre-Conference Leadership 

• Center for Diversity Institute 
  Altaf Husain, MSW, PhD (Howard University) joined national partners to set the tone for a justice-forward convening.

Advancing Health Equity 

• Managing Pediatric Asthma in Public Housing
  Meirong Liu, PhD & Jae Eun Chung, PhD shared interview-based findings with families, CHWs, and leaders to inform place-based interventions.

Centering Disability Justice 

• Challenging Bias: Intersectionality, Audism, and Disability Justice
  Zibora R. Gilder, MSW lifted strategies for dismantling bias in classrooms and agencies.
   
• Moving Beyond Disability Accommodations: Inclusive Social Work Education Using Intersectionality
  Jalissa R. Worthy, LMSW; Whittni L. Holland, LMSW; Bezil L. Taylor, Jr., MSW; moderated by D’Wayne James, PhD, LCSW—a roadmap for redesigning curricula, assessment, and supports.
   
• Navigating Barriers: Why Disability Offices Are Failing Students—and How Social Workers Can Help 
  Zibora R. Gilder, MSW; Deja Marie Crozier, MSW; with contributions by Nila Morton—practical fixes for student-centered access.

Global & Faith-informed Perspectives 

• Reimagining Trauma-Informed Screening for Syrian & Afghan Refugee Youth
  Sarah Carlis, LCSW (HUSSW) and collaborators proposed a disability-justice lens for culturally responsive screening.
   
• Bearing Witness: Ripple Effects of Genocide on Muslim American Youth
  M. Taqi Tirmazi, PhD; Soleman H. Abu-Bader, PhD—community-informed insights for school and clinical practice.
   
• Silent Struggles: Muslim Parents’ Responses to Gaza
  M. Taqi Tirmazi, PhD; Hanan Hijazi, LMSW—family narratives to guide trauma-responsive supports.

History, Policy, and Practice 

• Examining Americans with Disabilities in Social Welfare History
  Robert L. Cosby, PhD, MSW, MPhil traced origins and omissions to inform present-day reforms.
   
• Partnership Session: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Disability, Ableism & Social Justice in Macro Social Work 
  Altaf Husain, MSW, PhD joined national leaders to coordinate macro strategies across institutions.

Equity in Schools & Workforce 

• Addressing Racial Disparities in the School Social Work Workforce
  Sandra R. Jeter, PhD, LMSW; Gloria E. Cain, PhD; with Kendall L. Moody, PhD, LCSW—a framework for culturally responsive training and retention.

Student Success & Complex Trauma 

• Multiply Minoritized: How Black Students Use Social Capital to Seek Help for Complex Trauma
  Jalissa R. Worthy, LMSW highlighted peer networks, trusted adults, and culturally grounded pathways to care. 

To every presenter, collaborator, student, and staff member who brought HUSSW’s mission and guiding philosophy of the Black Perspective to Denver—thank you for advancing scholarship and action.