Professional Development and Continuing Education

Dynamic Aspects of Growing Older as a Person of Color
Thursday, August 20 | 10am- 12pm (EST)
Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:
Dr. Robert Cosby, PhD, MSW, MPhil
Director, Multidisciplinary Gerontology Center

Register Here 

Program Overview:

The overall goal of this seminar is to deepen participants’ knowledge and practice with older adults, examine and address ageist attitudes and values, and dispel common myths and stereotypes about aging. Participants will explore how aging affects individuals and communities, with particular attention to the dynamic and changing experiences of African American older adults. Topics will include cognitive changes associated with aging, as well as the impact of racism, ageism, and sexism, with emphasis on developments and changes that have emerged over the past decade.

Participants will gain knowledge of prevalent health and mental health concerns among older adults and have opportunities to discuss challenges faced by clients, consumers, and their families throughout the aging process.

Using evidence-based social work practice, case studies, and critical-thinking exercises, the seminar will strengthen professional judgment and practice among social workers and other helping professionals. Discussions will address individuals ranging from the youngest old to the oldest old and reflect diverse backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, and geography.

Additional topics will include dementia and the biology of aging, psychosocial concerns, death and dying, and selected policy and economic issues, including Medicare benefits and the Social Security Act. Upon completion, participants will develop a blueprint to support their continued learning and professional practice with older adults.

*This training satisfies continuing education requirements in implicit bias and cultural competence in health care services. 

Learning Objectives

• To develop knowledge and understanding of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of aging and relevant implications related to race, ethnicity, gender and class.
• To create an appreciation of the role of the social workers in geriatric settings and the specific ethical issues related to social work practice with older adults.
• To understand normal aging from a developmental and bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective to recognize crises and later life problems.
• To be able to recognize health and mental health challenges prevalent among older adults and intervene utilizing appropriate diagnostic assessment tools.

Who Should Attend?

This seminar is designed for social workers, behavioral and mental health professionals, healthcare providers, case managers, counselors, aging-services professionals, community-based practitioners, educators, and other helping professionals who work with or support older adults and their families

National Service Coordinator Conference
August 23-26, 2026
Austin, TX

Register Here

Howard University has once again partnered with the American Association of Service Coordinators (AASC) to provide continuing education certificates for social work professionals attending the conference. Participants can access timely, practical education on topics including healthy aging, mental health, crisis prevention, ethics and professional boundaries, housing, community partnerships, documentation, technology, and emerging best practices in service coordination. Through this partnership, eligible social work professionals can earn continuing education credit while gaining valuable tools, resources, and strategies to strengthen their practice and better serve residents, families, and communities.

Intergenerational Trauma in the BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Community and the Use of Art
Thursday, September 17 | 3pm- 5pm (EST)
Howard University School of Social Work, Inabel Burns Lindsay Hall
In-Person Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:
Sharieka Mason, LSW, MSW, Cert. AEAC
Life Coaching with Sharieka, LLC

Register Here

Program Overview:

This in-person, interactive workshop explores the role of art as a creative and supportive tool for understanding and addressing intergenerational trauma. Participants will examine the meaning and impact of intergenerational trauma, with particular attention to its historical roots and ongoing effects within Black and other BIPOC communities.

Through discussion, examples of artists who have used creative expression to process trauma, and a hands-on art/collage activity, participants will explore how trauma can influence emotional well-being, relationships, identity, and engagement within communities. The workshop will also consider how unresolved trauma may affect the mind, body, and overall well-being across generations.

Participants will gain practical strategies for incorporating creative approaches into trauma-informed practice and learn ways to facilitate deeper conversations with clients about intergenerational trauma and its impact on daily life and interpersonal relationships. The workshop is designed to strengthen professionals’ ability to support clients in the early stages of healing while creating safe and meaningful opportunities for reflection and expression.

*This training satisfies continuing education requirements in LTBTQIA+ and BIPOC Community Care 

Learning Objectives

• Participants will identify what intergenerational trauma is and how it affects the client and their community.
• Participants will discover the history of intergenerational trauma in the BIPOC community.
• Participants will discover how to incorporate art as a therapeutic tool during the healing process.
• Participants will be able to identify the importance of art when dealing or coping with trauma.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is appropriate for social workers, counselors, therapists, behavioral and mental health professionals, educators, case managers, community-based practitioners, and other helping professionals interested in trauma-informed and creative approaches to healing.

They Are Not Invisible: Understanding the Impact of Foster Care on Black Men, Families, and Communities
Thursday, October 29 | 10am- 11:30am (EST)
Virtual Training (1.5 CE)

Facilitator:
Dr. Adam Anthony, Ed.D.
Founder of EmpowerMENt

Register Here
Sales Open 8/3/2026

Program Overview:

This course examines the long-term impact of the foster care system on Black men, tracing how early instability shapes identity, relationships, and community belonging into adulthood. Drawing on doctoral research in mentoring efficacy and cultural capital, along with direct practice experience, participants will explore trauma-informed, culturally responsive approaches to supporting this population across family welfare and adult protection systems.

*This training satisfies continuing education requirements in implicit bias and cultural competence in health care services. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the systemic and social impacts of foster care on Black men across the lifespan, including effects on family formation and community engagement.
• Apply a cultural capital framework (informed by Morton, 2015) to assess and address gaps in support for Black men transitioning out of foster care.
• Utilize trauma-informed engagement strategies specific to Black men with foster care histories in family welfare and adult protection settings.
• Design or adapt mentoring interventions that address generational impact on families and communities of color, using the "They Are Not Invisible™" framework as a practice model.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for social workers and case managers working in child and family welfare, adult protective services professionals, foster and adoptive care agency staff and administrators, mentoring and youth development program leaders, and community-based professionals serving Black men and families.

It is also appropriate for master’s and doctoral-level social work students preparing for direct practice and seeking to strengthen their understanding of culturally responsive and trauma-informed approaches.

Interrupting Implicit Bias: Code-Switching and Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice
Thursday, November 19 | 10am- 1pm (EST)
Virtual Training (3CE)

Facilitator:

Nedra Cannon, LMSW, ACSW, LSCSW
EMDRIA Consultant
Reproductive Mental Health Specialist

Register Here
Sales Open 8/24/2026

Program Overview:

This interactive workshop strengthens social work practice by centering cultural humility, self-awareness, and evidence-informed clinical skill building. Grounded in the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence, the training supports practitioners in recognizing how implicit bias and code-switching impact therapeutic alliance, diagnostic impressions, and service delivery.

From a strengths-based perspective, this presentation affirms clients’ linguistic adaptability, cultural identities, and lived experiences as assets rather than deficits. It reframes code-switching as a resilience strategy developed in response to systemic inequities, while equipping clinicians with practical tools to foster authenticity and psychological safety within the therapeutic space.

For practitioners, the workshop provides immediately applicable interventions for intake, assessment, supervision, and documentation, enhancing ethical and equitable care delivery. For the broader community, it promotes more inclusive service environments that reduce harm, strengthen trust in mental health systems, and improve treatment outcomes for historically marginalized populations. By empowering clinicians to interrupt bias at individual, team, and system levels, the training advances both clinical excellence and social justice.

*This training satisfies continuing education requirements in implicit bias and cultural competence in health care services. 

Learning Objectives

● Define implicit bias and code-switching and describe at least three ways they manifest in clinical practice.

● Identify two patient-level and two provider-level outcomes associated with implicit bias and code-switching in therapeutic settings.

● Apply at least four evidence-informed bias mitigation strategies (e.g., perspective-taking, individuation, structured decision aids, inclusive language) to a clinical vignette.

● Develop a culturally responsive case formulation that incorporates language practices, intersectional identities, and sociocultural stressors.

● Implement a bias-interrupter checklist within intake, assessment, and treatment planning processes.

Who Should Attend?

This workshop is designed for social workers, counselors, therapists, case managers, clinical supervisors, behavioral and mental health professionals, educators, and other helping professionals seeking to strengthen culturally responsive and equitable practice.

Guiding Your Professional Compass: Ethical Practice and Self-Awareness
Thursday, December 10 | 10am- 11:30am (EST)
Virtual Training (1.5 CE)

Facilitator:

Dr. Denice Green, DSW, LISW
Workforce Sustainment Strategist
Founder & Executive Advisor
Alignment Advisory Group, LLC

Register Here
Sales Open 9/14/2026

Program Overview:

Social workers navigate increasingly complex organizational environments where competing priorities, productivity demands and workplace culture can challenge ethical decision-making. While organizations establish polices to support organizations, every licensed social worker remain personally accountable to the NASW Code of Ethics and the standards of their licensing board.

This interactive training examines the intersection of professional boundaries, organizational policies, ethical decision-making, and self-awareness. Participants will learn practical strategies for navigating ethical dilemmas, recognizing the subtle progression of ethical fading. Using case studies, reflective discussions, and real-world scenarios, participants will strengthen their ability to recognize ethical risks before they become violations and develop the skills needed to protect their professional licenses.

*This training satisfies continuing education requirements in Ethics and Professional Boundaries

Learning Objectives

By the conclusion of this training, participants will be able to:

1. Apply the NASW Code of Ethics to common ethical dilemmas encountered in contemporary social work practice.

2. Distinguish between organizational policies and professional ethical obligations when making decisions.

3. Recognize the warning signs of incremental ethical fading and implement strategies to interrupt ethical drift before it compromises professional judgment.

4. Utilize ethical decision-making frameworks to report concerns, seek consultation, and determine when remaining in an organization may jeopardize professional licensure.

Who Should Attend?

This training is designed for licensed social workers, clinical social workers, case managers, supervisors, administrators, and other social service professionals navigating ethical responsibilities within organizational settings.

Understanding Neurodiversity: Strategies for Inclusion and Advocacy
Thursday, April 23 | 12pm-2pm (EST)
Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:

Marya Wright, DSW, MSW, LCSW
Founder & CEO | Wright Community Services LLC | Marya Wright Consulting LLC 

Program Overview:

Designed to foster a deep understanding of neurodiversity and equip participants who work with System Involved Youth with practical strategies for promoting inclusivity and advocating for the rights of neurodiverse individuals. The training covered the diverse spectrum of neurodiverse conditions, their impact on various environments, and the importance of creating accommodating spaces that celebrate differences. Through interactive sessions, case studies, and practical exercises, participants gained valuable insights and tools to create an inclusive and supportive environment for neurodiverse individuals in their communities, workplaces, and educational institutions. 

Learning Objectives

• Understand the concept of neurodiversity and recognize the diversity within the spectrum of neurodiverse conditions for working with System Involved Youth.
• Identify the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals, System Involved Youth, in different settings, including educational environments and workplaces.
• Acquire practical strategies for creating inclusive environments through the implementation of universal design principles and tailored communication techniques for supporting System Involved Youth.

Who Should Attend?

This training was designed for health and human service professionals who work with system-involved youth across clinical, educational, community, and justice settings. It was particularly relevant for social workers in the areas of behavioral and mental health, juvenile justice, public and community health, school-based health and program administrators, case managers, and care coordinators who support neurodiverse youth. 

Environmental Justice in Crisis: Addressing Natural Disaster Disparities Among Communities of Color and Low-Income Populations

Thursday, January 29 | 12pm-2pm (EST)
Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitator:

Kimberly Warmsley, MSW, LCSW
Kimbery Warmsely Enterprise, CEO
Former Councilmember and Vice Mayor, Stockton City Council

Program Overview:

In this urgent and comprehensive course, participants examined the profound impact of wildfires on vulnerable communities, focusing on the recent catastrophic wildfires in the Los Angeles region. Through an in-depth exploration of the intersection of climate change, racial and socioeconomic disparities, and systemic barriers to recovery, the course highlighted the critical role of social workers in disaster response and recovery.

Building lessons from previous disasters, including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Camille, this course provided a framework for how social workers can help mitigate inequities and support long-term healing and resilience for marginalized populations in the aftermath of wildfires. As a profession rooted in social justice, social work holds a responsibility to respond to environmental justice issues, recognizing that environmental degradation disproportionately affects historically disinvested communities. Addressing environmental justice in these communities is an act of racial justice—necessary to protect and enhance environmental protections for those most impacted.

Learning Objectives

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

• Analyze the geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic factors contributing to disparities in wildfire impact, specifically among communities of color and low-income populations.
• Identify the unique challenges affected communities face, including housing loss, economic instability, and health disparities, and how these factors hinder recovery efforts.
• Understand the psychological and emotional toll of wildfires on survivors, especially in marginalized communities, and apply trauma-informed, culturally competent strategies in mental health support.
• Explore the systemic barriers exacerbating the inequities in disaster response, such as insufficient planning, communication failures, and barriers to insurance and financial assistance.
• Examine the essential role of social workers in advocating for equitable disaster response, providing mental health support, and contributing to long-term recovery efforts.
• Develop strategies for supporting communities in building resilience and preparing for future disasters through systemic change and policy advocacy, including environmental and racial justice efforts.

Who Should Attend?

This course was designed for social workers, disaster response professionals, public health advocates, and community leaders involved in disaster response, recovery, and resilience building. It is particularly relevant for those working in areas affected by wildfires or other climate-related disasters and those advocating for systemic change to address the needs of marginalized populations.

Introduction to Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Implications for Social Work from the Black Perspective
Thursday, December 11 | 10am-12pm (EST) Virtual Training (2 CE)

Facilitators:

Gloria Cain, Ph.D., LMSW
Janice M. Davis, Ph.D., MSW, LCSW-C
Janice Berry Edwards, Ph.D., LICSW, LCSW-C, ACSW, BCD

Program Overview:

This course introduced practitioners to PAT as a treatment modality, exploring both the myths and truths surrounding its use and addressing cultural biases that influence treatment delivery. Through the lens of the Black Perspective, participants examined how these biases impact underserved communities while exploring current trends in PAT and gaining a brief, digestible introduction to psychopharmacology as it relates to practice. The session highlighted implications for social work and interprofessional collaboration, culminating in an applied case study review.

Learning Objectives

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

• Define and describe PAT as a treatment modality
• Discuss the myths and truths surrounding PAT
• Identify emerging trends in treatment
• Gain a digestible introduction to psychopharmacology
• Explore PAT within underserved communities through the Black Perspective
• Examine implications for social work and interprofessional practice
• Apply learning through a case study discussion

Black Grief, Community, and Connection During the Holidays
Thursday, December 4 | 12pm-1:30pm (EST) Virtual Training (1.5 CE)

Facilitator:

Jihan Eley, LCSW-C, LICSW
Grief and Trauma Therapist

Program Overview:

The holiday season often amplifies grief, especially within Black families carrying the weight of personal loss and generational trauma. This session explored how grief is experienced and transformed in Black communities through practices of connection, ritual, and storytelling. Drawing from scholarly research on Black grief and bereavement, alongside the wisdom of contemporary Black thinkers and healers, participants examine grief not just as an individual experience but as a communal and embodied one.

Participants considered how movement, story, song, ritual, and collective care can help transform grief into connection. The group also explored how continuing bonds theory intersects with African diasporic traditions that honor ancestors and community memory, provide pathways for healing during a time of year often marked by both joy and pain.

Learning Objectives

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

• Identify cultural and historical dimensions of grief within Black families, including the impact of systemic oppression and collective loss.
• Describe how grief during the holiday season uniquely affects Black communities, particularly in contexts of family gatherings, rituals, and remembrance.
• Explore the role of community-based practices, such as storytelling, music, ritual, and movement to transform grief and foster resilience.
• Integrate insights from Black grief researchers and healing practitioners to reimagine grief as a site of connection rather than isolation.
• Reflect (via prompts) on their own relationship to grief, community, and holidays, and consider how they might apply these insights in their families or professional settings

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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