Professional Development and Continuing Education

Impact of Sexual Trauma and Domestic Violence on LGBTQ+ Youth
Thursday, July 10 from 10am-12pm
2 CEU credit

Facilitator: Dr. Marya Wright, DSW, LCSW
Founder & CEO, Wright Community Services LLC
Marya Wright Consulting LLC

Register Here
Registration Opens July 21, 2025

This two-hour virtual training explores the complex impact of sexual trauma and domestic violence on LGBTQ+ youth, with a focus on how these experiences intersect with race, gender identity, and systemic oppression. Centering a Black, liberatory lens, participants will examine culturally responsive and trauma-informed strategies rooted in Black feminist and healing justice frameworks. Through interactive case vignettes, applied ethics, and community-based practice tools, attendees will deepen their ability to support Black LGBTQ+ youth with cultural humility and clinical insight. This training is especially relevant for Black social workers committed to anti-oppressive, affirming practice and aligns with Howard University’s mission to prepare culturally grounded practitioners and scholar-activists.

Objectives:

• Identify at least three keyways sexual trauma and domestic violence uniquely affect LGBTQ+ youth, with an emphasis on Black and marginalized communities.
• Explain the intersectionality of race, gender identity, and systemic oppression in contributing to vulnerability and resilience among LGBTQ+ youth experiencing trauma.
• Evaluate the ethical considerations specific to working with LGBTQ+ youth survivors, including confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and culturally responsive care.

Why Attend?

This training is ideal for social workers, clinicians, and allied professionals who serve LGBTQ+ youth, particularly those working in community-based, school, mental health, or clinical settings.

Rescheduled Date: August 9, 2025
Time: 10-6pm (EST)
Location: Laurel, MD (In Person)
Earn 7.0 CE credits
Register Here 

When They Mourn: Guiding Children and Teens Through Grief and Healing
Thursday, August 28 | 10am-12pm (EST) Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:
Kevin Carter, MSW, LCSW
Senior Research and Practice Fellow 
Lindy Institute for Ubran Innovation, Drexel University

Register Here

Program Overview:

Grief can be overwhelming for anyone, but for children and teens—especially within African American communities—the experience of loss can be impacted by cultural, social, and systemic factors. This interactive workshop is designed specifically for social work and human services professionals who support caregiving adults. It offers practical tools and culturally relevant frameworks to help guide children and adolescents through the grieving process with empathy and understanding.

Participants will explore foundational concepts of childhood and adolescent grief, gain insights into age-appropriate expressions of loss, and strengthen their ability to coach and empower caregivers. The training will also highlight the importance of caregiver self-regulation and emotional modeling, with an emphasis on the cultural context of grief in African American families and communities.

Objectives:

• Explore the diverse ways children and teens understand and express grief across developmental stages.
• Identify effective communication techniques and supportive interventions for young people experiencing loss.
• Strengthen caregiver skills in self-regulation, empathy, and emotional modeling during times of grief.
• Apply culturally responsive models of care that address the specific grief experiences of African American children, families, and communities.

Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025| 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Virtual)
Howard University School of Social Work
CE Credit: 2

Facilitator: Ta'Wane Watkins, LCSW, LICSW
Jaxcyn Therapy Group, Founder

Overview: 

This training equips social work professionals with practical tools to support Black men facing trauma through a culturally grounded approach. Participants will examine the effects of racial trauma, systemic barriers, and societal pressures on mental health and well-being. The workshop highlights strategies for fostering resilience, strengthening coping skills, and applying interventions that reflect the lived experiences of Black men. With a focus on empowerment, healing, and strengths-based techniques, this program offers actionable methods to build trust, deepen therapeutic connections, and enhance support in clinical practice.

Objectives:

• Understanding the Impact of Racial Trauma: Explore the ways racism, discrimination, and systemic inequality contribute to trauma in Black men.
• Identifying Coping Strategies and Resilience-Building Technique: Discover real-world examples of resilience strategies that Black men use to navigate trauma.
• Exploring Culturally Competent Approaches to Therapy: Explore frameworks that consider community support systems, historical trauma, and societal pressures.
• Promoting Healing and Growth through Strengths-Based Approaches: Learn how to foster empowerment, healing, and personal growth in Black men who have experienced trauma.

Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025| 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Virtual)
Facilitator: Gloria Cain, MSW, Ph.D.
CE Credit: 2

In the face of the ongoing opioid crisis, this professional development training provided participants with an opportunity to expand their toolkits, deepen their understanding, and enhance their capacity to serve individuals affected by Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

During this 2-hour session, attendees explored the clinical and diagnostic elements that define OUD. The training covered essential fundamentals—from examining underlying causes and identifying early signs and symptoms to understanding the risk factors contributing to the disorder. The webinar was designed to equip participants with up-to-date treatment approaches and intervention strategies to support those in need effectively.

By the end of the training, participants were able to:

• Define and Understand OUD: Gained an in-depth understanding of the clinical and diagnostic aspects of opioid use disorder.
• Apply the Person in Environment Model: Learned holistic strategies that considered both the individual and their broader environment.
• Recognize Early Warning Signs: Identified key indicators of opioid use, allowing for earlier and more effective intervention.
• Utilize Screening Tools Effectively: Became proficient in using current screening instruments to detect OUD.
• Implement Intervention Strategies: Discovered and applied proven methods to support individuals and connect them to critical treatment options.
• Adopt Prevention Techniques: Acquired strategies aimed at reducing risk factors associated with opioid misuse.

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025| 3:30 PM - 6:30 PM (In-Person)
3 CE Credits
Facilitators:

Janice Edwards, PhD, LICSW, LCSW-C, ACSW, BCD
Brittany "Flo" Flournoy, LCSW-S, LICSW, CCM, PMH-CJ
Jasalynne Northcross, MSW

Overview:

An engaging and transformative workshop that offered a decolonized, relational cultural perspective of the clinical supervision process utilizing the Black Perspective. This session explored practitioners’ ethical dilemmas in social work practice through Afrocentric and relational cultural frameworks and gained critical insights into the clinical supervision process. Our facilitators aimed to embolden clinical supervisors and those preparing for clinical supervision with the Black Perspective to utilize culturally intelligent approaches, foster authenticity, self-awareness, and mutual growth within the supervisory alliance. 

Workshop Objectives:

1. Participants identified and solved ethical dilemmas in social work practice using the lens of the Black Perspective.

2. Participants demonstrated an understanding of the working alliance formed through the clinical supervision process.

3. Participants explored the relational cultural theory and Afrocentric frameworks of practice that are effective clinical supervisory methods. 

4. Participants engaged in a reflective and relational practice, emphasizing the critical roles of authenticity, self-awareness, and cultural intelligence in forming a strong supervisory alliance.

Date: Thursday, October 24 at 10:00AM-12:00PM 
In Collaboration with the Chesapeake Center for ADHD, Learning and Behavioral Health
CE Credit: 2

Facilitators

• LaRhonda Gough, LCSW-C
• Shana Gage, MD
• Peter Fitts, LCSW-C

Course Overview:

Debunk common myths surrounding ADHD within the Black community and gain insights into effective treatment approaches. Participants will explore the symptoms, diagnosis, and prevalence of ADHD, both in the general population and specifically within the Black community.

Objectives: 

• Understand the impact of these myths, including underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, and stigma within the Black community
• Explore how implicit racial bias affects ADHD diagnosis and treatment in schools and healthcare settings
• Gain a psychiatric perspective on ADHD as a medical condition with a neurological basis
• Discuss the effectiveness of common ADHD medications and address misconceptions about medication use within Black families
• Develop culturally competent social work approaches to treating ADHD, including addressing cultural barriers and reducing stigma

Video Recording-

https://howard.zoom.us/rec/share/QUbQcHubneP6WY8JCtBdUR3Ou-njLXtHU6OF49_b_kpxKyCVCKqyCUbN_FyLpUah.R4S9k5udHojV_TMo?startTime=1729778538000
Passcode: ub&rQ6RQ

*CE Certificates No Longer Available (Live Participation Required)

Date: Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 10AM (Virtual)
CE Credit: 3  
Facilitators:
Dr. Sheryl Neverson, Ph.D., LCSW-C, LICSW
Howard University School of Social Work Adjunct Faculty
Senior Vice President of Clinical Strategy, Volunteers of America

Nicholette Smith-Bligen, MSW
Sr. Director of the Technical Assistance Unit, Casey Family Programs

Course Overview:

This course focused on understanding and addressing cultural biases and stereotypes in social work practice. Participants explored how personal and systemic biases impact their work and learn strategies to recognize and mitigate them. The course covered key concepts of cultural competence and provided techniques for creating inclusive, culturally sensitive practices. 

Objectives:

• Defined cultural biases and stereotypes.
• Identified biases in social work through case studies and reflection.
• Developed strategies to challenge personal biases and promote cultural humility.
• Enhanced cultural competence in everyday practice.
• Engaged in interactive activities to practice empathy, active listening, and bias recognition.

Video Recording

https://howard.zoom.us/rec/share/JpFgNUvTvBvxZ4Rt_XJa01UhybwAJgOfvRFkHBCkvoMzjbWND2hU8iLVbXh2ScOD.NJlDrRtNTvawOk6l 
Passcode: mp=1!k8E

*CE Certificates No Longer Available (Live Participation Required)

Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024 at 10:00AM (Virtual)
Facilitator: Kendra S. Sims, LCSW, MSW
Dangerfield Institute of Urban Problems and Guardians of Love Foster Family Agency
CE Credit: 3 

This course delved into strength-based, trauma-informed care, equipping participants with the skills to understand and address the complex interplay between reasons, feelings, and behaviors resulting from trauma exposure. Participants learned to assess the historical causes of trauma and developed effective strategies to support children and adolescents who had experienced trauma.

A key component of the course was the exploration of the cognitive triangle, which enabled participants to understand and utilize various treatment modalities effectively. Additionally, the course emphasized the importance of considering diversity factors that impact clients, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach to trauma-informed care. 

Course Objectives:

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of trauma, including a working definition and the four types of trauma.
• Explore the neurology of trauma, focusing on brain development in children and adolescents.
• Examine the distinction between discipline and abuse, understanding the critical transition points.
• Analyze the long-term and short-term mental health effects of early onset trauma.

Video Recording-

https://howard.zoom.us/rec/share/Tk-nfnTkcjCF5B1o4-k-v-4qyN1nQKQcgVHAfrA0xDCYStHrIAAqjLLbkAkFSTyz.73pZadRHLwCQV7Iu 
Passcode: Uc6V0V*#

*CE Certificates No Longer Available (Live Participation Required)

Looking for a co-sponsor? The School of Social Work offers continuing education certificates and evaluations to programs that meet the eligibility standards established by the DC Board of Social Work. For more information, please contact Kathelon.Toliver@howard.edu or submit application. 

We are actively seeking dynamic speakers to contribute their expertise and knowledge to our professional development course offerings. We offer courses through a strength-based lens and offer a range of topics in technology, environmental justice, ethics, political considerations, health and wellness, gun violence, gerontology, informed-trauma, and more to support the social work profession. If you are interested in leading and/or facilitating a training, please contact Kathelon.Toliver@howard.edu or submit application to provide your credentials and interests. 

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