Attendee Brochure - draft

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS Louisiana Chapter

NASW-LA VIRTUAL Annual Conference June 2 - 4, 2021

Page 1 of 41

WELCOME…

Conference Attendees

The social work profession is unique and constantly evolving. Our nation’s more than 600,000 social workers have amazing tenacity and talent. In Louisiana, we have more than 8,000 professionals credentialed and proud to call themselves social workers. Social workers confront some of the most challenging issues facing individuals, families, communities and society and forge solutions that help people reach their full potential and make our nation a better place to live. Annually, we celebrate the contributions of social workers during National Social Work Month in March; and in Louisiana, we gather at our annual conference – again this year in June and VIRTUAL! Over the next three days, we hope to provide you with a glimpse of the roles and responsibilities of the social worker in the State of Louisiana.

The Annual Conference Planning Committee has done an excellent job preparing innovative and informative seminars. Each year, the Committee challenges itself with selecting speakers and workshops that are reflective of the diversity of the profession and their practice settings. We want to applaud the work of our committee for their commitment to provide quality continuing education. If you get a chance, please thank the following members: Lauren Coleman, Valla Johnson, Hope Himel-Benson, Jasmine Wilson, Jennifer Savage, Kay Clemons and Marlene Lucas.

Also, it is important that you complete evaluations for each session you attend, including the Overall Conference Evaluation. This information is critical when we begin planning for next year.

Have fun!

The Annual Conference Planning Committee Page 2 of 41

Table of Contents Welcome Attendees

2

Table of Contents

3

Conference Announcements

4

Keynote Speaker

4

2021 NASW-LA Leadership Awards

5

Conference Schedule

6

Workshop Descriptions

9

Conference Faculty

18

2021 NASW-LA Leadership Award Recipients

26

Sponsors/Advertisements/Exhibitors .....................................................................

NASW-LA Chapter Office .......................................................................Back Cover

Page 3 of 41

Conference Announcements Welcome to NASW-LA’s Annual Conference, Social Workers Are Essential . . .

VIRTUAL EDITION! Exhibitors will be available Wednesday through Friday. Be sure to visit all the exhibitors to be eligible for a drawing for free conference registration next year for one, two, or three days.

We appreciate your participation in NASW-LA’s VIRTUAL conference. Your feedback is very important, so please complete workshop, plenary and overall conference evaluations.

Thank you again for participating, and we hope to see you next year! ____________________________________

Keynote Address Mildred C. Joyner DPS, MSW, BSW, LCSW President, National Association of Social Workers President and CEO, MCJ Consultant Inaugural John E. & Barbara S. Jacob Distinguished Professor at Howard University School of Social Work

“Ubuntu: Building Beloved Communities” Dr. “Mit” Joyner believes it is time for social workers to develop and administer an action plan to address three timely challenges: - the role of social workers in addressing and dismantling racism within the current context; - pathways to address and empower social workers to discuss within our communities the pros and cons of the COVID vaccine; and - educating social workers and those we serve as to how economic, environmental, and racial injustices were exacerbated by the pandemic.

(1.5 General CEU) Page 4 of 41

AWARDS CEREMONY Presentation of NASW-LA Annual Leadership Awards Wednesday, June 2, 2021 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

2021 Leadership Award Winners NASW-LA would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following State Leadership Award Winners: President’s Award Dialogue on Race Louisiana Maxine Crump, Founder

Dorothy Schenthal Leadership Award Margo Abadie, Ph.D., LCSW

Lifetime Achievement Award Grace D. Tatem, MSW, Ed.D., ACSW Edgar Guedry, LCSW-BACS, ACSW, ACHP-SW

Social Worker of the Year Pamela Higgins-Saulsberry, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS

Public Citizens of the Year Andy and Angela Dixon

Page 5 of 41

Conference Schedule At-A-Glance Wednesday, June 2, 2021 1:30 pm – 4:45 pm Master Session A A-1 The Importance of Interpersonal Neurobiology in Successful Trauma and Relational Work Parker Sternbergh Robinson, MHA, LCSW-BACS - Clinical A-2 Active Listening 101 Kay Clemons, LCSW-BACS - Clinical A-3 Avoiding Burnout and Exhibiting Ethical Self Care Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW - Ethical A-4 In Pursuit of Pleasure Margaret Reynolds, MPA and Portia Gordon, LPC-S, RPT-S - Clinical 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Concurrent Session 1 1-5 Risk Assessment in the Practice Setting: Assessing Safety in Modern Times Stephanie Hicks-Pass, Ph.D., LCSW - General 1-6 Social Work Practice with Groups: Improving Your Skills with Groups Marvin W. Clifford, Ph.D., LCSW - Clinical 1-7 Afrocentric Paradigm: An Emerging Paradigm in Social Work Practice Andrew Wilson, LCSW-BACS - Clinical 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm Concurrent Session 2 2-8 Gambling Disorder: The Hidden Addiction Kenneth Saucier, LCSW - Clinical 2-9 The Use of Metaphorical Fables with Children Bert Allain, LCSW - Clinical 2-10 Student Presentations Ruth Weinzettle, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS – General

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Evening Plenary (1.5 Clinical) “DSM-5 ™, ICD-10-CM and Preparing for ICD-11: The Dynamic Duo, Lessons Learned and Preparing for the Future” Sophia Dziegielewski, Ph.D., LCSW

Thursday, June 3, 2021 8:00 am – 11:15 am Plenary (3.0 Ethical) “Ethical Dilemmas and Common Complaints Addressed by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners” Lisa L. Lipsey, LCSW-BACS; John Shalett, LCSW, BACS, LMFT-S; Emily DeAngelo; Ruth T. Weinzettle, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS; Hyacinth McKee, DBH, LCSW-BACS, ACSW

1:00 pm – 4:15 pm Master Session B B-11 Part 1: Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1: Diagnosis, Therapeutic Interaction and Support.

Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW - Clinical B-12 Evidence Based Therapies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Laurie Guillory, LCSW-BACS and Kelley Pears, PhD - Clinical B-13 Centering the Margins: How Modern Social Justice Work and Ethics Call Us to the Margins Tennia Williams, LCSW-BACS and Capi A. Landreneau, LCSW, CGP – General Page 6 of 41

B-14 Self Care for Social Workers During Difficult and Changing Times Holly M. McKenney, DSW, LCSW-BACS - Clinical

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Concurrent 3 3-15 Social Work with War-Related PTSD: Lessons Learned from Vietnam to Now for War and Civilian Trauma Ray Monsour Scurfield, DSW, LCSW, ACSW - Clinical 3-16 Caring for Caregivers Loretta Rivers, Ph.D., MACE, LCSW, CT - General

2:45 pm – 4:15 pm Concurrent 4 4-17 The Counselor’s Role in Addiction Recovery Leon Jackson, LCSW-BACS and LaTonya Scrives Charles, LCSW, CGCS, MBA - Clinical 4-18 How to Adapt to Ongoing Changes in a Pandemic: Self-Care During Covid-19 Lori Arceneaux, LCSW-BACS - General

Friday, June 4, 2021 8:00 am – 11:15 am Master Session C C-19 Introduction to the Enneagram Personality Types Rev. Andrea Vidrine, LCSW - Clinical C-20 Ethical Considerations for Working with Survivors of Sexual Assault Alix Tarnowsky, LCSW, MBA and Racheal Hebert, LCSW-BACS- Ethical C-21 Invalidated & Invisible: Black Women, Mental Health, & Their Struggle from Within Tennia Williams, LCSW-BACS, Jada Thomas-Smith, LMSW and Asia Daiges-Anderson, LCSW - Clinical

8:00 am – 9:30 am Concurrent Session 5 5-22 Part 2: Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1: Facilitation of Practical and Effective Social Skills Groups.

Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW - Clinical 5-23 Cancelled

9:45 am – 11:15 am Concurrent Session 6 6-24 Coming Tsunami: Grief in the Aftermath of COVID Nancy Dunn, RN, MS, CT and Jamey Boudreaux, MSW, M.DIV. – Clinical

12:00 pm – 3:15 pm Master Session D D-25 Understanding and Assessing Suicide Harvey Norris, LCSW and J. Forrest Sanders, PsyD- Clinical D-26 Unveiling the Mystery of EMDR Psychotherapy Terri Stockdreher, LCSW, MPH - Clinical D-27 The Option of Adoption During an Unplanned Pregnancy Lori Arceneaux, LCSW-BACS – General

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Concurrent Session 7 7-28 The Importance of Sleep in the Lives of Clients and Social Workers Holly M. McKenney, DSW, LCSW-BACS – Clinical 7-29 Louisiana Parole Project: Second Chances and Successful Reentry Andrew Hundley, BA; Nancy Gautreau, LCSW-BACS, ACSW; Christi Cheramie - General

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm Concurrent Session 8 8-30 The Use of Metaphorical Fables with Children Bert Allain, LCSW – Clinical 8-31 The Profession of Social Work in Louisiana Ayn W. Stehr, JD, MSW, LCSW - General Page 7 of 41

NASW-LA Conference Schedule Wednesday, June 2, 2021 8:00 am – 9:45 am

Opening Session and Keynote Address

Mildred C. Joyner, DPS, MSW, BSW, LCSW – General (1.5 CEU) “Ubuntu: Building Beloved Communities” Dr. Mit Joyner believes it is time for social workers to develop and administer an action plan to address three timely challenges: - the role of social workers in addressing and dismantling racism within the current context; - pathways to address and empower social workers to discuss within our communities the pros and cons of the COVID vaccine; and - educating social workers and those we serve as to how economic, environmental, and racial injustices were exacerbated by the pandemic.

10:00 am – 11:30 am

Wednesday Morning Plenary Session

Rick Swanson, JD, Ph.D. – General (1.5 CEU) “Black Civil Rights History in Louisiana, 1719-1970” Dr. Swanson's presentation provides a more complete picture of Louisiana's Black civil rights history. He does this by relying mostly on primary documents such as historic newspapers, slave narratives, census data, Freedman’s Bureau reports, election data, federal government reports, historic Louisiana statutes and Constitutions, court cases, historic maps, Civil war correspondence, and city and parish codes and meeting minutes. Topics include slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, voting discrimination and other aspects of Jim-Crow-era oppression, and the lingering effects of this all-too-recent past. Also covered will be how Black history was erased, the importance of understanding our shared history, and why civil discourse involving racial politics is badly needed moving forward.

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Awards Ceremony - Social Work at its Best!

General (.5 CEU)

Carolyn Read, LCSW-BACS, ACSW – President Ayn W. Stehr, JD, MSW, LCSW – Executive Director Worlita Jackson, LCSW, ACSW, C-SSWS – President-Elect Shelly D. Weaver, LCSW-BACS, ACHP-SW, APHSW-C - First Vice President Darryl W. Bruno, LCSW-BACS, ACSW - Second Vice President for Budget and Finance

Page 8 of 41

Learn about the criteria for nominating social workers for NASW-LA's annual awards. Meet those chosen this year and hear about the amazing accomplishments of each awardee as they put social work values into practice to help others throughout our state.

1:30 pm – 4:45 pm

Master Sessions – A (3.0 CEU)

A-1 The Importance of Interpersonal Neurobiology in Successful Trauma and Relational Work; Intermediate; Clinical; Addiction; Children, Adolescents & Young Adults; Domestic Violence; Marriage and Family; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Trauma-Informed Care; Parker Sternbergh Robinson, MHA, LCSW-BACS This workshop focuses on the intersection and cofunctioning of interaction between people and an internal world in self-regulation, coregulation and relational healing. You will gain an understanding and usage of principles of interpersonal neurobiology to more successfully work with survivors of trauma, abuse, addiction and attachment injury. Leaders who have dominated this area of work are from many interdisciplanary fields which allows for us to see clients more fully. This workshop will outline some of the current seminal work in this field and provide ways to incorporate the work into our clinical practices.

A-2 Active Listening 101 – Intermediate; Clinical; Aging/Gerontology; Grief; Self-Care; Kay Clemons, LCSW-BACS Active Listening is a therapeutic art desired for all successful Social Workers. This workshop is designed to review the techniques of active listing along with the possible pitfalls. Attendees of this workshop will have the ability to review their counseling techniques and possibly identify some fresh ideas for their practice. Aside from reviewing and identifying possible pitfalls, it is hoped that attendees will create a platform to encourage their clients to advance with their personal growth. Active listening is such a basic concept that is so beneficial for both the therapist and the client's growth in counseling sessions. Participants are welcomed to pose questions/statements to the presenter for the attendees input and discussion.

A-3 Avoiding Burnout and Exhibiting Ethical Self Care – Basic; Ethical; Ethics; SelfCare; Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW This seminar will provide information regarding what is commonly called "Burnout" in the field of social work. Participants will gain information regarding the definition of Burnout and how it differs from Vicarious Trauma, Secondary Trauma and Compassion Fatigue. Participants will learn what signs to be aware of in themselves as well as in colleagues. Burnout will be examined in terms of the Social Work Code of Ethics. Participants will acquire resources and practical strategies to prevent and/or ameliorate Burnout on an individual as well as organizational level.

A-4 In Pursuit of Pleasure – Basic; Clinical; Diversity; Public Health; Margaret Reynolds, MPA and Portia Gordon, LPC-S, RPT-S It can be a struggle to set and enforce personal boundaries. This holds especially true when those boundaries concern the already taboo topic of sex. Yet, effective boundaries allow an individual to feel safe, empowered to express themselves, and able to act in accordance with their personal ethos. Join us as we discuss the intersection of setting boundaries and discussing pleasure. and learn ways to understand and communicate sexual fulfillment in intimate relationships.

Page 9 of 41

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Concurrent Session 1 (1.5 CEU)

1-5 Risk Assessment in the Practice Setting: Assessing Safety in Modern Times – Intermediate; General; Corrections/Forensic/Juvenile Justice; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Private Practice; Stephanie Hicks-Pass, Ph.D., MSW, LMSW The profession of social work is not exactly a low-risk occupation. It has been ranked as one of the top 20 most dangerous jobs in the United States by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Social workers are stalked, threatened, assaulted, followed, even occasionally murdered by their clients (Burlington Free Press, 2015). However, few social workers are trained in the art of assessing who is an actual danger, who is going to “act out” violently towards themselves or others.

Without proper identifying techniques, how can one keep oneself safe in an inherently unsafe environment? This is the science and art of threat assessment. This workshop is designed to assist social workers in practice settings learn to identify which clients are more at risk of acting violently towards themselves or others through the use of risk assessment scales and risk factor identification.

1-6 Social Work Practice with Groups: Improving Your Skills with Groups – Intermediate; Clinical; Addiction; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Marvin W. Clifford, Ph.D., LCSW This presentation will focus on teaching skills that will help men with challenging problems.

Men with mental health, addiction, behavior, emotional issues, couple and family issues will be the focus. Emphasis will be on using evidence-based practice models for helping men from varied cultural, age, and treatment settings. Men with couple issues, mental health combined with co-occurring disorders, anger issues, who are hard to reach in therapy, and have complicated traumatic histories will also be a focus.

1-7 Afrocentric Paradigm: An Emerging Paradigm in Social Work Practice – Intermediate; Clinical; Cultural Competence; Andrew Wilson, LCSW-BACS This workshop will enhance the participants understanding and consciousness of how their unconscious Eurocentric Western Worldview may not be used across cultures, and the need to infuse the Afrocentric paradigm with traditional models of social work practice when working with people of color. This presentation calls for social work practitioners and scholars to engage in increased discussions and the literature to advance the Afrocentric model and to integrate the paradigm in working with people of African descent.

3:15 pm – 4:45 pm

Concurrent Session 2 (1.5 CEU)

2-8 Gambling Disorder: The Hidden Addiction – Intermediate; Clinical; Addiction; Kenneth Saucier, LCSW Individuals often present to healthcare professionals for help with mental health/substance use, family or legal issues and because their gambling addition has no obvious signs, such as the smell of alcohol or marijuana, it often goes undetected. This presentation will discuss the importance of screening for a gambling addiction, a review of the DSM-V criteria for disordered gambling, provide information on how to screen, and a review of the process for referring to a Page 10 of 41

certified gambling counselor when appropriate. In addition, the presentation will also provide an overview on the infrastructure that is in place to assist those needing treatment for disordered gambling.

2-9 The Use of Metaphorical Fables with Children – Advanced; Clinical; Children, Adolescents & Young Adults; Bert Allain, LCSW This workshop will provide the participant with effective tools to teach effective coping skills in an enjoyable, memorable manner.

2-10 Student Presentations – Basic; General; Ruth Weinzettle, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS This workshop, which has been presented at the NASW-LA annual conference for many years, features exemplary papers completed by students at Louisiana's schools of social work. All social work programs in the State of Louisiana are invited to submit one outstanding student paper to be considered for presentation. Through review by a committee, the top three papers are selected, and presentations are made in this workshop. Topics reflect current issues in the field of social work.

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Evening Plenary

Sophia F. Dziegielewski, Ph.D. LCSW – Clinical (1.5 CEU) “DSM-5 ™, ICD-10-CM and Preparing for ICD-11: The Dynamic Duo, Lessons Learned and Preparing for the Future” This workshop is designed to cover the importance of connecting DSM-5 and ICD-10-CM, as well as preparing for what is expected to come in ICD-11. A brief overview is provided stressing how diagnoses are placed in DSM-5, comparison of ICD-10-CM criteria, alongside what to expect in ICD-11. Using this information is stressed in preparing for the most comprehensive diagnostic-assessment possible with behavior-based practice strategy.

Thursday, June 3, 2021 8:00 am – 11:15 am

Thursday Plenary Session

Lisa L. Lipsey, LCSW-BACS; John Shalett, LCSW-BACS, LMFT-S; Emily DeAngelo; Ruth T. Weinzettle, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS; Hyacinth McKee, DBH, LCSW-BACS, ACSW Ethical (3.0 CEU) “Ethical Dilemmas and Common Complaints Addressed by the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE)” This workshop will discuss the limitations and authority of LABSWE. Ethical dilemmas and common complaints will be discussed by board members and participants will be informed of Page 11 of 41

risk management strategies. The complaint process utilized by LABSWE will be presented.

Participants: please have available to you the Louisiana Social Work Practice Act, which you may find at http://www.labswe.org.

1:00 pm – 4:15 pm - Master Session B (3.0 CEU) B-11 Part 1: Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1: Diagnosis, Therapeutic Interaction and Support – Basic; Clinical; Developmental Disabilities; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW This seminar will provide information regarding the diagnostic criteria of the DSM 5 for Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1(formerly Asperger's Syndrome). The diagnosis will be examined in terms of similarities and differences between individuals and between males and females. Participants will gain helpful information on how to provide therapeutic support, school interventions, information on self-advocacy and social support group design for adults and children "on the spectrum" as well as support for parents of children "on the spectrum". Recent evidence-based treatments will be discussed as well.

B-12 Evidence-Based Therapies: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia – Intermediate; Clinical; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Laurie Guillory, LCSW-BACS and Kelley Pears, Ph.D. The purpose of this workshop is to help the participant be able to diagnose PTSD and insomnia.

Participants will learn about the evidence-based practices available to treat this disorder.

Emphasis will be placed on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia to treat this common symptom of PTSD. B-13 Centering the Margins: How Modern Social Justice Work and Ethics Call Us to the Margins – Intermediate; General; Cultural Competence; Ethics; LGBTQ; Social Justice/Advocacy; Tennia Williams, LCSW- BACS and Capi A. Landreneau, LCSW, CGP This workshop is designed to raise awareness of how social workers may be contributing to marginalization and if so, how to implement or change advocacy and clinical practices. Topics to be covered include terminology and specific examples when working with clients who identify as black, indigenous, persons of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, gender variant, neurodiverse, kinky, pansexual, polyamorous, etc. Concepts include intersectionality, privilege, unconscious bias, anti-blackness, centering, and the ethical obligation of advocacy.

B-14 Self Care for Social Workers During Difficult and Changing Times – Intermediate; Clinical; Self-Care; Holly M. McKenney, DSW, LCSW-BACS In this interactive and dynamic workshop, participants will learn the importance of proper social worker self-care and ways to assess their own need for self-care and for those that they may supervise. Participants will leave with a working draft of a self-care plan.

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Concurrent Session 3 (1.5 CEU)

Page 12 of 41

3-15 Social Work with War-Related PTSD: Lessons Learned from Vietnam to Now for War and Civilian Trauma – Intermediate; Clinical; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Dr. Ray Monsour Scurfield, DSW, LCSW, ACSW From his social work Army officer experiences (1967-71) to include a psychiatric team in Vietnam, 25-years directing VA PTSD treatment programs, and 10 years as Biloxi Vet Center consultant, Dr. Scurfield facilitates an experientially-based journey of the relevance of salient pre-war, war and post-war factors, and their application to both war and civilian trauma, to include learning a breath-count meditation particularly relevant for PTSD, and the crucial healing role of relationship with community/country for trauma survivors.

3-16 Caring for Caregivers – Basic; General; Aging/Gerontology; Loretta Rivers, Ph.D., MACE, LCSW, CT With the aging of the population, many people are taking on the role of a caregiver. This presentation will seek to answer 3 questions: 1) Who are caregivers for the elderly? 2) What are the needs of caregivers? 3) How can social workers support caregivers? Resources for providing support will be suggested.

2:45 pm – 4:15 pm

Concurrent Session 4 (1.5 CEU)

4-17 The Counselor’s Role in Addiction Recovery – Intermediate; Clinical; Addiction; Leon Jackson, LCSW-BACS; LaTonya Scriven Charles, CGCS, LCSW-BACS, MBA Social Workers can demonstrate competency to effect change, display empathy to the client’s concerns, and indicate interest in the client’s well being and healing. Social Workers tend to enhance motivation, and find a style that meets the needs of the client. Social Workers recognize that adaptation to practice has to have a range in treatment, as well as in settings and modalities.

Work in practice must be monitored in considering all factors, and how individuals are engaged.

4-18 How to Adapt to Ongoing Changes in a Pandemic: Self-Care During Covid-19– Intermediate; General; Self-Care; Lori Arceneaux, LCSW-BACS This workshop focuses on the importance of self-care during Covid-19. Our generation has not lived during a global pandemic; therefore, traditional self-care techniques may need to be adjusted and expanded upon to meet the ever-changing needs of helping professionals. The WRAP Model (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) will be explored as another tool for managing stress and maintaining self-care to promote a healthier work/life balance.

Friday, June 4, 2021 8:00 am – 11:15 am

Master Session C (3.0 CEU)

C-19 Introduction to the Enneagram Personality Types – Basic; Clinical; Marriage and Family; Rev. Andrea “Ani “Vidrine, LCSW The Enneagram is a map of nine personality types that reveals an individual's faulty coping strategies and the corresponding personal path of growth and fulfillment. This workshop is an introduction to the nine Enneagram types and their usefulness in psychotherapy. Participants are encouraged to take the Enneagram assessment prior to the workshop. The assessment can be Page 13 of 41

accessed free-of-charge at https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/dotest. Please note your top three results for reference during the workshop.

C-20 Ethical Considerations for Working with Survivors of Sexual Assault – Intermediate; Ethics; Alix Tarnowsky, LCSW, MBA and Racheal Hebert, LCSW-BACS This training will help participants identify and process ethical issues that arise when working with survivors of sexual trauma. This workshop provides a foundational understanding of sexual trauma and the impact on individuals, a review of mandated reporting requirements, ethical decision-making guidelines, as well as scenarios discussing different ethical dilemmas that individuals will review and discuss.

C-21 Invalidated & Invisible: Black Women, Mental Health, & Their Struggle from Within – Intermediate; Ethics; Diversity; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Tennia Williams, LCSW-BACS; Jada Thomas-Smith, LMSW; and Asia Daiges-Anderson, LCSW This presentation is designed to inform participants about the unique circumstances that Black women face that heightens the probability of them experiencing mental illness, specifically depression. Participants will gain knowledge on the unique presentation of depressive symptomology in Black women, and the barriers that prevent them from obtaining mental health treatment. The discussion will focus on the need for utilizing screening tools and culturally appropriate interventions for depression in Black women.

8:00 am – 9:30 am

Concurrent Session 6 (1.5 CEU)

5-22 Part 2: Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1: Facilitation of Practical and Effective Social Skills Groups – Intermediate; Clinical; Addiction; Developmental Disabilities; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW This is a continuation of Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1: Diagnosis, Therapeutic Interaction and Support session. Recommended to those that attend Part 1 at this conference, or those who have previously attended Part 1. This portion will look at the development and facilitation of Social Skills Groups for youth aged 9-18 as well as social support efforts for older youth no longer in primary education.

9:45 am – 11:15 am

Concurrent Session 7 (1.5 CEU)

6-24 Coming Tsunami: Grief in the Aftermath of COVID – Intermediate; Clinical; Grief; Hospice/Palliative Care; Nancy Dunn, RN, MS, CT and Jamey Boudreaux, MSW, M.DIV. Losses encountered due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been enormous. So many of the deaths were sudden and unexpected with many people dying alone and unsupported by family and friends. The burden of COVID grief cannot and must not be overlooked or ignored. This presentation will take a look at the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic death numbers nationally as well as within LA. The risk of a prolonged grief disorder among survivors will be addressed as we discuss the potential consequences facing us as a grieving society.

12:00 pm –

3:15pm Master Session D (3.0 CEU) Page 14 of 41

D-25 Understanding and Assessing Suicide – Advanced; Clinical; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Harvey Norris, LCSW and J. Forrest Sanders, PsyD Using Thomas Joiner's Interpersonal Theory of Suicide, learn how to provide a basic suicide screen to determine the next stepps and the needs for a complete suicide risk assessment. Upon assessing the risk, compare the behaviors and data using the IPTS theory and understanding the influence of the Acute Suicidal Affective Disturbance (ASAD) on behavior and repsonse when working with a suicidal client.

D-26 Unveiling the Mystery of EMDR Psychotherapy – Basic; Intermediate; Clinical; Trauma-Informed Care; Terri Stockdreher, LCSW, MPH Learn how evidence-based EMDR treatment can heal trauma and supercharge your psychotherapy. Other applications such as anxiety, pandemic stressors, and adaptation for telehealth also covered. Though not a training on how to do EMDR, workshop will include general information regarding training, determining appropriate referral, and collaboration as adjunctive treatment.

D-27 The Option of Adoption During an Unplanned Pregnancy – Intermediate; General; Children, Adolescents & Young Adults; Mental Health/Behavioral Health; Lori Arceneaux, LCSW-BACS This workshop focuses on the historical and societal changes that have impacted adoption practices over the past 60 years. The various types of adoption are explored as well as the complex emotions that impact those touched by adoption. This workshop will provide a foundation and tools for helping professionals that work with a patient who wants to explore their pregnancy options. Adoption is discussed in a way to educate patients, not to advocate for it.

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Concurrent Session 7 (1.5 CEU) The Importance of Sleep in the Lives of Clients and Social Workers – Basic; Intermediate; Ethics; Health; Self-Care; Holly M. McKenney, DSW, LCSW-BACS In this interactive and dynamic workshop, participants will learn the importance of sleep and development of a healthy sleep hygiene plan. Tools for assessing sleep and improving sleep hygiene will be discussed. Importance of creating soothing sleep environments and sleep routines will also be discussed.

7-28

Louisiana Parole Project: Second Chances and Successful Reentry – Basic; General; Corrections/Forensic/Juvenile Justice; Andrew Hundley, BA; Nancy M. Gautreau, LCSWBACS, ACSW and Christi Cheramie Over the past few years, criminal justice reforms have allowed many men and women who served long prison sentences to be released into the community. A nonprofit director, a retired correction professional, and a formerly incarcerated peer mentor discuss the barriers confronting individuals coming home after decades of incarceration and the practices in place to ensure 7-29

Page 15 of 41

people have the opportunity to live successful lives in a world drastically changed since they went to prison.

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm

Concurrent Session 8 (1.5 CEU)

8-30 The Use of Metaphorical Fables with Children – Intermediate; Advanced; Ethics; Bert Allain, LCSW This workshop will provide the participant with effective tools to teach effective coping skills in an enjoyable, memorable manner.

8-31 The Profession of Social Work in Louisiana – General Ayn W. Stehr, JD, LCSW All Social Workers benefit from the work of the National, as well as the Louisiana Chapter, of the National Association of Social Workers. This presentation provides an overview of the National Association of Social Workers, the Louisiana Chapter of NASW, Louisiana's Schools of Social Work, demographics of Louisiana's members, geographic disbursement of credentialed social workers, and state and federal legislative endeavors.

___________________________

Page 16 of 41

Conference Faculty Bert Allain LCSW, copingskillsfales@gmail.com Currently Director of Iberville Substance Abuse Treatment and Prevention Program. Primary duties include treatment management of adults with SA issues and school-based prevention program in elementary schools in Iberville and West Baton Rouge elementary schools. Master’s Degree 1976 Award. LSU school of social work "Community Social Worker of the year 2005". Published 2006 Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Clinical Social Work Practice … Chapter 10 "The Use of Metaphorical Fables with Children". The concepts in this chapter will be part of the workshop presentation.

Lori Arceneaux, LCSW-BACS, larceneaux@voasela.org Lori Arceneaux is a LCSW-BACS and the Program Manager of Adoption Services with Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana. She also provides counseling services in the agency's Lakeshore Counseling program. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Counseling from Our Lady of Holy Cross College. She received her Master’s in Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans. She earned a post-master’s certification in Adoption Competency from Louisiana State University. She is a member of the Louisiana Adoption Advisory Board. Lori is an adoptive mother through foster care adoption.

Jamey Boudreaux, MSW, M.DIV, jboudreaux@lmhpco.org Jamey Boudreaux is the Executive Director for the Louisiana/Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (LMHPCO). He served as the Executive Director for Louisiana Hospice Organization from 1998-2001 and as Executive Director for LMHPCO when the two state organizations merged January 1, 2001 until present. He has previously served as Adjunct Professor at Tulane University School of Social Work. Mr. Boudreaux received his BA in Political Science from the University of New Orleans, his Master of Divinity from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and his master’s in social work from Tulane University in New Orleans. Mr. Boudreaux serves on numerous local, state and national committees and has presented at numerous conferences.

LaTonya Scriven Charles, LCSW, latonya@bayoumentalhealth.com LaTonya Scriven Charles is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is the owner and administrator of Bayou Mental Health Services, LLC in Alexandria, Louisiana. LaTonya specializes in sexual assault treatment and prevention, family counseling, youth offenders and substance-use disorders, and grief and loss. Her experience includes working with incarcerated youth with addictive behaviors and adults with addictive behaviors, working with perpetrators and victims of sexual assault in both residential and intensive outpatient treatment. Ms. Charles serves as a board member for the Family Justice Center and a Social Worker Consultant for the Rapides Parish School Board in Alexandria, Louisiana. She received a BA in Criminology & Criminal Justice from University of Maryland College Park, MSW from Smith College, an MBA from Louisiana State University-Shreveport, a Certification in Executive Non Profit Management from Georgetown University, and is a first year Ph.D., student at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Christi Cheramie, christi@paroleproject.org

Page 17 of 41

Christi was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 16. After spending 25 years in prison, she was given a second chance. Today she works as a reentry specialist for Louisiana Parole Project. Christi serves as a mentor to many who are coming home after decades in prison.

Kay Clemons, LCSW-BACS, kay.clemons@va.gov Kay Clemons, LCSW-BACS, received her MSW from Tulane University, New Orleans, LA in 2000 and went on to recceive her LCSW and BACS certifications. She is a full-time Social Worker for the VA Hospital in New Orleans.

Ms. Clemons has formed and facilitated multiple support groups for individauals coping with grief and loss ranging from illness, miscarriages, and the loss of a spouse/family/friend. Also support groups for other illnesses including: breast cancer and Leukemia. Aside from many years in the hospital setting, Ms. Clemons has worked in the home setting as a Home Health and Hospice Social Worker. She has mentored several Social Workers throughout her career for those seeking their LCSW, as well as MSW students completing their internships. Ms. Clemons has actively been a presenter for the NASW-LA Continuing Education Program for several years, as well as, served on the NASW-LA Anual Conference Planning Committee.

Marvin W. Clifford, Ph.D., LCSW, mclifford@ochsner.org Dr. Marvin W. Clifford, Ph.D., LCSW is with the Ochsner Health in New Orleans. He is in the Department of Psychiatry and directs the EAP program and gr4oup therapy program. He does a variety of groups with children, adolescents, and adults. He also works with individuals, families, and couples. He is also on the part time faculty of the Tulane University School of Social Work.

Asia Daiges-Anderson, LCSW, adaiges1@lsu.edu Asia Daiges-Anderson, LCSW, has earned both a BSW and MSW in Social Work. Prior to occupying a Field placement role in the LSU School of Social Work, she worked as a Behavioral Health Provider, facilitating the implementation of an integrated behavioral health model in an outpatient HIV specialty clinic.

Emily DeAngelo, edeangelo@labswe.org Emily DeAngelo is the Administrator for the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners. Emily graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Office Administration. She worked part-time for the Board as a college student and upon graduation was offered a full-time position as an Administrative Assistant. Emily was promoted to the Administrator's position on February 1, 2008. She served two other licensing boards in addition to LABSWE until December 1, 2013, when she was hired full-time by LABSWE. Nancy Dunn, RN, MS, CT, Nancy@LMHPCO.org Nancy Dunn is the Education Director for the Louisiana-Mississippi Hospice & Palliative Care Organization. She is responsible for the overall planning and execution of educational events. Nancy received her nursing degree from Mobile College (now University of Mobile) and is certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement through the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC); has her Death & Grief Studies Certification and is qualified to present ELNEC (End of Life Nursing Education Curriculum). She serves on various committees within LMHPCO and has presented at numerous conferences.

Sophia F. Dziegielewski, Ph.D., LCSW, SiriPro@aol.com Sophia F. Dziegielewski, referred to as “Dr. D.” is a Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. Throughout her academic, administrative and practice career, she has been active in mental health practice and research maintaining her license and serving as an expert witness in the courts. For over 17 years, she Chaired the Institutional Review Board at two major universities, providing oversight for the protection of human subjects in research and clinical trials. Also considered an expert in social worker licensure, she created and implemented a highly acclaimed Social Work License Exam Preparation Course that has currently helped over 20,000 social workers all across the country to successfully pass their exams. She is the recipient of numerous awards and supports her research and practice activity with over 150 publications, including 8 textbooks, 85 articles, numerous book chapters and hundreds of workshops and community presentations. In 2016, Louisiana she received the “Educator of the Year Award” from the NASW-Florida Chapter. One of her most recent books is titled, “DSM-5 in Action” published by Wiley that outlines many of the most common mental health disorders along with assessment and treatment strategy.

Nancy M. Gautreau, LCSW-BACS, ACSW, pippilong8@msn.com Page 18 of 41

Nancy retired from the Louisiana Department of Corrections/Office of Juvenile Justice in 2012, her career spanning 36 years. Positions held included Mental Health Consultant to the Secretary of Corrections, Assistant Warden/Rehabilitation, Statewide Corrections Mental Health Administrator, Chairperson of the Statewide Suicide Review Committee and Statewide Substance Abuse Program Administrator. Nancy is a recipient of the 2020 NASW Lifetime Achievement Award.

Portia Gordon, LPC-S, RPT-S, portiagordonlpc@gmail.com Portia Gordon is a Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor and a Registered Play Therapist - Supervisor. She specializes in working with trauma survivors, individuals in polyamorous relationships, BIPOC population, the queer community and sex workers. She is the owner of Turning Point Counseling and co-owner of Restorative Training and Consulting.

Laurie Guillory, LCSW-BACS, MSW, laurie.guillory@va.gov Laurie Guillory earned her MSW from Louisiana State University in 1999. She worked for the Office of Community Services, the Battered Women's Program in Baton Rouge, the St. Landry-Evangeline Sexual Assault Center, New Directions Residential Treatment Center in Lafayette, and is now working for the Southeast Louisiana VA Health Care System in the PTSD Clinic as a mental health provider. Laurie is a certified provider of Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression.

Racheal Hebert, LCSW-BACS, racheal.hebert@star.ngo Racheal is the founder, president & CEO of STAR. Racheal graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and women’s & gender studies and a master’s in social work from Louisiana State University. In 2019, Racheal was recognized as “BR Original Young Professional of the Year” by Forum 35.

Stephanie Hicks-Pass, Ph.D., MSW, LMSW, hickss@apsu.edu Dr. Hicks-Pass has been a professor of social work at Austin Peay State University for 12 years and is currently the MSW Coordinator. Her practice area includes mental health and crisis intervention. Her teaching and research interests include mental health, risk assessment, compassion fatigue, field education, and crisis intervention. She is a certified Threat Assessor with The National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment organization and earned her social work practice stripes in the emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Texas area when in the field.

Andrew Hundley, BA, andrew@paroleproject.org Andrew is the Executive Director of Louisiana Parole Project, a nonprofit that provides reentry support to individuals who served long prison sentences. A former juvenile lifer, Andrew obtained his Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a criminology concentration from LSU and is currently pursuing a Master of Criminology and Justice.

Leon Jackson, LCSW-BACS, leonjackson@yahoo.com Leon C. Jackson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a board approved clinical supervisor. He is currently a social worker in private practice and an adjunct professor at Southern University at New Orleans. Leon specializes in high-risk offenders and substance-use disorders. His experience with addictive behaviors includes residential and drug court treatment. He has provided counseling services for over twenty years. Leon received a BA in Sociology from Loyola University and an MSW from Tulane University.

Lisa Donze Jacob, LCSW, lisadjacob63@gmail.com Lisa received her MSW from Tulane in 2001 and her License in Clinical Social Work in 2005. She has worked at Mercy Family Center for over ten years providing individual and family therapy and facilitating Social Skills groups to children ranging in age from 9-18 years old diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder 1. Lisa is a trained facilitator of the Nurturing Parenting Program, Stewards of Children program through the Darkness to Light Foundation and a Master Trainer of the first cohort of ACE Educators in Louisiana. Other experience includes group and individual therapy with survivors of sexual and/or physical abuse, work in Child Protection, Juvenile Page 19 of 41

Detention, and facilitation of a support group of parents of children with Asperger's Syndrome (now called ASD1) as well as a support group for adults "on the spectrum".

Dr. April Johnson-Dumas, DBH, LCSW-BACS, forensicsocialworker@gmail.com Dr. Johnson-Dumas is a Adjunct Professor for Southern University at New Orleans School of Social Work. She has a Certification in Forensic Social Work, is a Certified Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Instructor, and a member of the National Association of Professional Women. Dr. Johnson-Dumas’s clinical expertise has been featured on the cable network, TV one, where she appeared as a guest expert. When Dr. Johnson-Dumas is not working in the role of instructor, she continues to practice in both outpatient and integrative healthcare and provides clinical supervision to individuals seeking licensure through her private practice.

Mildred C. Joyner, DPS, MSW, BSW, LCSW Mildred “Mit” C. Joyner, DPS, MSW, BSW, LCSW is President of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) that has 55 chapters throughout the United States and its territories. Joyner also serves as President of the North America Region of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW), which includes Canada and the United States and is a member of IFSW’s Executive Committee. She serves on the boards of the NASW Foundation and the NASW Assurance Services, Inc. Her other board service included a community bank, DNBFIRST, where she was the first female and only African American to serve in this capacity, and the Chester County Food Bank.

Professor Joyner received a BSW from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and her MSW in planning, policy and administration from Howard University School of Social Work, in Washington, DC. Joyner’s professional career as a social worker began at Chester County Children, Youth, and Families as a protective service worker, after graduate school, she became the first department head and legal liaison of the child abuse unit at Chester County Children, Youth, and Families. She joined the faculty at West Chester University (WCU) in 1979 as assistant professor and served as the director and chairperson of the undergraduate social work department, a position she held for several decades. While at WCU, Professor Joyner presided over the campus Frederick Douglass Society, chaired the Committee of 16, developed the civility award, developed the Frederick Douglass Junior Ambassadors, led university town hall meetings on Embracing a Just Community, organized and obtained funding for the annual delivery of a MLK Day for the university and surrounding community, and was the chief architect of the university's campus climate committee. Professor Joyner also developed an interdisciplinary Race Relations course, which received an award from students for effective delivery of critical content on race. Professor Joyner also secured funding for the DeBaptiste Undergraduate Social Work Scholarship for students, developed innovative pathways for social work students to attend professional conferences, and enhanced the social work curriculum, activities, and programs. She conceptualized and secured funds for BEST (Bringing Elders and Students Together) so that undergraduate social work students had positive exposure to the older adult population. She was the catalyst for the development of the first accredited MSW program in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Professor Joyner also served as fundraising chair for the Frederick Douglass statue, which achieved a university goal that also reflected Professor Joyner’s lifetime commitment to social justice. In 2011, Professor Joyner, a full professor of social work, received the emeritus rank with full rights and privileges from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Later in 2011, she retired from the university and created MCJ Consultants which specializes in organizational change and achieving equity. Professor Joyner is a former president of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Concurrently, she served on the board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and represented the United States. She also served as president of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD). She holds membership in BPD, CSWE, and NASW. Professor Joyner co-authored three books: Critical Multiculturalism and Intersectionality in a Complex World (2018); Critical Multicultural Social Work (2008); and Caregivers for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya: An Ecological Perspective (2011). She has delivered hundreds of presentations at various universities, agencies, businesses, and professional conferences. She is the recipient of numerous awards including: 2005 AGESW and BPD Gerontology Leadership Award for stellar national leadership in the field of gerontology; the BPD Lifetime Achievement Award; Living Beyond Breast Cancer Founders Award for leadership and stewardship; the first Dr. Inabel Burns Lindsay Award from Howard University School of Social Work; the Central State University Hall of Fame Award as a Distinguished Alumni; the First William Culp lecturer by Abilene Christian University School of Social Work; and the CSWE Lifetime Service and Leadership Award. In September 2019, Mit Joyner received the prestigious NASW of Pennsylvania Phyllis Black Lifetime Achievement Award for her leadership and commitment to social justice and the quest for obtaining equity for all. Professor Joyner is married to the Honorable J. Curtis Joyner, a Senior Federal Judge of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Together they have three daughters Dr. Jennifer Joyner-Hall, a clinical psychologist in Washington, DC; Nicole M. Joyner, a human resource director in Page 20 of 41

Atlanta, GA; and Jacqlyn A. Joyner, an attorney in Washington, DC. Her greatest role is being “Gg” to her two grandsons David Anthony Hall IV and Jacob James Joyner Hall who are the reasons that she remains committed to the arduous task of working to achieve racial, social, economic, environmental and political justice for all.

Capi Landreneau, LCSW, CGP lcswcal@cox.net Capi Landreneau is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice. She earned her MSW from Louisiana State University in 2000 and maintains a private practice in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Capi is a gender therapist and Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) with a passion for exploring intersectionality and the individual and collective unconscious bias. For the last 10 years she has concentrated much of her focus and study on the lived experiences of those relegated to the margins by dominant culture. She describes her practice and personal values as anti-racist, anti-oppressive, kink-aware, sex-positive, and LGBTQ-affirming. She remains committed to increasing awareness and competence in persons who provide educational and therapeutic support to marginalized communities. Capi has presented for professional conferences at the local, state, and national levels, provided training to agencies and students at all levels of instruction, is an adjunct faculty member for LSU School of Social Work and is an active member of her community.

Lisa L. Lipsey, LCSW-BACS, BCD, ACSW, llipsey@msn.com Lisa L. Lipsey, LCSW-BACS, BCD, ACSW has practiced social work for 40 years. She has practiced in nonprofits, hospitals, and private practice. She has been the Complaint Consultant for the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners ( LABSWE) since 2016. She is a past board member and chair of LABSWE, past president and legislative chairperson of the Louisiana Association of Clinical Social Workers, and past chairperson of the NASW Peer Assistance Committee and Image Enhancement Committee. She is the 2013 recipient of the NASW Dorothy Schenthal Leadership Award Hyacinth McKee, DBH, ACSW, LCSW-BACS, drhemckee@gmail.com Dr. Hyacinth McKee is a native of Louisiana. She is a Doctor of Behavioral Health and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Board Approved Clinical Supervisor specializing in both general psychotherapy and behavioral health with an emphasis on disease care management. She has conducted research on chronic health conditions and its impact on behavioral health. She has practiced in the field of educational and clinical social work for more than 20 years.

Her professional accolades include developmental/intellectual disability advocacy, diversity/inclusive practices, child welfare, social work higher education, mental health treatment, school-based intervention and support services.

She served as a school-based social worker in traditional and charter public schools. She is an adjunct professor at SUNO School of Social Work and currently serves on the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE) as the Secretary/Treasurer and as Vice Chairperson on the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities council.

Holly M. McKenney, DSW, LCSW-BACS, hmckenney@suno.edu Dr. McKenney is an Assistant Professor at the Southern University School of Social Work in New Orleans (SUNO).

Dr. McKenney is a 1996 Master of Social Work (MSW) and 2017 Doctor of Social Work (DSW) graduate of Tulane University. She has been a practicing social worker for 24 years in a variety of settings in particular medical and mental health. Dr. McKenney also enjoys providing LCSW-BACS supervision to the next generation of social workers and takes pride in mentoring and educating.

Harvey Norris, LCSW, harvey@harveynorris.com Harvey Norris is an LCSW and former Suicide Prevention Coordinator for the Alexandria VAMC, civilian behavioral health for the Louisiana National Guard, Office of the State Surgeon and has provided suicide training in Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Arkansas. Graduated Florida State University in 1990 with an MSW and was licensed in 1994. Creator of the Norris Rapid Suicide Screener. Has trained police officers in mental health and suicide since 2005.

Kelley Pears, PhD, kelley.pears@va.gov Dr. Kelley Pears earned his doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994. He has been doing trauma work for over 20 years. He started his career at Central Louisiana State Hospital in Pineville, LA, working as a Psychologist for 6 years and was the Chief of Psychology for 2 years. He has been at the Alexandria VA for 8 years, serving on the Post Trauma Stress Disorder Clinical Team as the PTSD/Substance Use Disorders Specialist.

Page 21 of 41

He is a certified provider of Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), as well as a CPT trainer.

Margaret Reynolds, MPA, reynolds.margaret.m@gmail.com Margaret Reynolds, MPA has been in the field of sexual violence response and prevention for just over a decade.

Currently, she works with graduate and professional students at Tulane University where she focuses on positive sexuality, health, and general wellness. Margaret is co-founder of the Louisiana-based Restorative Training and Consulting.

Loretta Rivers, Ph.D., MACE, LCSW, CT, lrivers@nobts.edu Loretta Rivers has been a social work professor at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for over 20 years.

She has practice experience in medical social work. Her teaching and research interests include social work history, social work with communities, gerontology, and grief and loss.

Parker Sternbergh Robinson, MHA, LCSW-BACS, psternbe@tulane.edu Ms. Parker Robinson is the Director of Porter Cason Institute for the Family and teaches addiction treatment at the Tulane School of Social Work. She runs the Mental Health, Addictions, and the Family Practice Certificate Program in the MSW program. Ms. Robinson is passionate about helping clinicians develop their own unique clinical talent within an evidence-based clinical practice. She often consults on ethics and tele-mental health practice. Ms. Robinson designs and completes the work of the Porter Cason Institute in consultation with its board. The work currently focuses on relational healing and what happens when a client has a supportive family system or has none at all. Ms. Robinson has multiple community projects that focus on youth, the juvenile justice system, foster care, trauma, and addiction.

J. Forrest Sanders, PsyD., j.forrest.sanders@gmail.com Dr. Sanders completed his Psychology Doctorate at the Forrest Institute in Arkansas and completed his neuropsychology residence at Fort Bragg Army Base in Fayetteville, NC. He has worked with active-duty soldiers and Veterans at the VA Health Care System in Alexandria and Jennings, LA. Currently in private practice providing forensic analysis and trainings throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Kenneth Saucier, LCSW, Kenneth.Saucier@la.gov Kenneth Saucier is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who began his career in 1994. His experiences include working as a counselor, a child protection investigator, a treatment facility manager, and program management in addition treatment services for the Louisiana Office of Behavioral Health, Louisiana Department of Health.

Dr. Ray Monsour Scurfield, DSW, LCSW, ACSW, ray.scurfield@gmail.com Dr. Ray Monsour Scurfield, DSW, LCSW, Professor Emeritus. Social Work Army officer (1967-71), including a psychiatric team, Vietnam (1968-69). 30+ publications on war-trauma. 25-year VA career includes Founding Director, VA National Center for PTSD, Honolulu (1992-97). Since 2011: clinical consultant, Biloxi VA Vet Center; private practice, Rivers Psychotherapy Services, Gulfport, MS. John Shalett, LCSW-BACS, LMFT-S, jshalett@att.net Chair, Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners (LABSWE); MSW, Louisiana State University, 1969; B.S. Social Work University of Chattanooga, 1967; Vice-Chair, MFTAC, LPC Board of Examiners, 2001-2003; Chair, LANO, 1999-2001; Sharaed Change, Real Vision Leadership Award, Foundation for the Mid-South, 2000.

Ayn W. Stehr, JD, MSW, LCSW, astehr.naswla@socialworkers.org Ms. Stehr is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers; she has served in this capacity since September of 2017. She has also served as the Lobbyist for NASW-LA for over twenty years, representing the interests of members before the Louisiana Legislature. Ms. Stehr received her MSW from Louisiana State University and began her social work career at East Louisiana State Hospital and thereafter as Executive Director of the Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center, Inc. (Battered Women’s Program). She later received a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center and began her legal career representing survivors of domestic and dating violence for over twenty-five years. Ms. Stehr served as an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law at the LSU Law Center; participated in training of law enforcement in domestic and dating Page 22 of 41

violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. She serves as Legal Consultant to the Louisiana Protective Order Registry.

Terri Stockdreher, LCSW, MPH, terri@bravelivingcenter.com Terri Stockdreher, LCSW, MPH is an EMDR Certified Therapist and Consultant-in-Training practicing EMDR since 2007. Her private practice, Brave Living Center, focuses on trauma-related treatment with evidence-based and alternative treatments like iRest Yoga Nidra meditation. A Certified Daring Way Facilitator, she leads workshops based on research of Brené Brown.

Rick Swanson, JD, Ph.D., rick.swanson@louisiana.edu Dr. Rick Swanson earned a Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1994. Afterwards he served as a law clerk to Justice James A. Knecht of the Illinois Appellate Court from 1994 to 1996. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Kentucky in 2001. That same year, he joined the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Political Science Department, where he eventually served as their Department Chair from 2016 to 2019. Dr. Swanson’s expertise is in legal politics and constitutional law, especially civil rights, and civil liberties. He has written two textbooks as well as academic book chapters, scholarly journal articles, and legal encyclopedia entries. His current research focuses on the history of Black civil rights in Lafayette Parish within the larger context of South-Central Louisiana and the State of Louisiana as a whole.

Alix Tarnowsky, LCSW, MBA, alix.tarnowsky@star.ngo Alix has been the Greater New Orleans Regional Director since April 2020, prior to that, she was the Advocacy Director at the New Orleans office since 2016. Alix graduated from Tulane University in 2012 with a MSW, focused on Disaster Mental Health, and then received her MBA in 2017.

Jada Thomas-Smith, LMSW, jtsmith@lsu.edu Jada Thomas-Smith, LMSW is a Research Associate in the LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center. Her work has focused on implementing neighborhood revitalization and anti-violence programs while engaging community members and law enforcement in various intervention strategies. Jada has also implemented parenting classes in high poverty areas in Louisiana.

Rev. Andrea “Ani” Vidrine, LCSW, ani.for.christ@gmail.com Rev. Andrea “Ani” Vidrine serves as a psychotherapist in private practice, interfaith minister, spiritual director, and yoga teacher. She is currently a third-year Ph.D. student in integral & transpersonal psychology. In her leisure time, Ani enjoys hiking, singing, and writing poetry and her blog from her porch in Church Point, LA. Ruth T. Weinzettle, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS, weinzettler@nsula.edu The Head of the Social Work Department at Northwestern State University, Dr. Ruth Weinzettle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with years of university teaching and social work practice experience. Her areas of practice experience are child welfare, intimate partner violence, family counseling, trauma, mood disorders, and group work.

She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Louisiana State Board of Social Work Examiners and as a Commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation, Council on Social Work Education.

Tennia Williams, LCSW- BACS, twilliams@lsu.edu Tennia Williams, LCSW-BACS, Assistant Director of Continuing Education and Community Engagement and Adjunct Instructor at LSU School of Social Work has over 20 years of social work experience. She obtained her BA in Public Relations at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (presently University of Louisiana-Lafayette) and MSW at LSU. Andrew Wilson, LCSW BACS, awilsonsocialwork@comcast.net Andrew is currently the CEO of Social Work Professional Services and Social Work Specialty Services LLC. He is a graduate of Grambling State University and is a LCSW-BACS. He specializes in Clinical Supervision, Professional Development and Psychotherapy. He has received several awards by the National Association of Black Social Workers, National Association of Social Workers and Alpha Kappa Alpha Volunteer Service Award. Presently he serves as the President Emeritus of the Association of Black Social Workers Shreveport Region, member of a Rules Page 23 of 41

Committee of the LABSWE, the Inter-Organizational Committee and serves on the Advisory Board of Grambling State University School of Social Work

Benefits of NASW-LA Membership Be a part of the largest organization of professional social workers in the United States. We have over 132,000 in U.S. and Louisiana has over 1,300 members.

Since we are accessible on a local level, there are more opportunities to attend educational and networking meetings and conferences.

Great way to build your network of colleagues and friends.

You get many discounts and services, such as workshops and annual conferences, car rental, hotel, credit cards, etc.

NASW has liability insurance that can cover you if there should ever be a time that a client may file a grievance.

Other insurance is offered including group term life, long-term liability, hospital daily cash, or accidental death & dismemberment.

NASW gets involved in legislative issues that affect their members and members’ clients. We also have PACE (Political Action Candidate Election) to help elect people to political office who have values similar to those of our profession.

Students have reduced fees and access to publications that may be of benefit to them during their educational pursuits.

Be a part of the largest organization of professional social workers in the United States. We have over 132,000 in U.S. and Louisiana has over 1,400 members.

Since we are accessible on a local level, there are more opportunities to go to educational and networking meetings and conferences.

Great way to build your network of colleagues and friends.

Plus you get many discounts and services, such as workshops and annual conferences, car rental, hotel, credit cards, etc.

NASW has liability insurance that can cover you if there should ever be a time that a client may file a grievance.

Other insurance is offered including group term life, long-term liability, hospital daily cash, or accidental death & dismemberment.

NASW gets involved in legislative issues that affect their members and members’ clients. We also have PACE (Political Action Candidate Election) to help elect people to political office who have values similar to those of our profession.

Join NASW On-Line at www.socialworkers.org or fill out the Membership Application and mail it to the National Office at 750 First Street NE, Suite 700, Washington, DC, 20002-4241.

Page 24 of 41

2021 Leadership Award Winners NASW-LA would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following State Leadership Award Winners:

PRESIDENT’S AWARD Dialogue on Race Louisiana Maxine Crump, Founder The President’s Award is presented by the Chapter President. The recipient(s) illustrates at a high level NASW’s core values and mission through their actions. Although the recipients may not be a social worker or social work organization, their positive impact on society is evident through their actions in the areas of social justice and the dignity and self-worth of others.

The recipient of the 2021 President’s Award is Dialogue on Race Louisiana and its founder, Maxine Crump.

Dialogue on Race Louisiana was founded over 20 years ago by Maxine Crump. Ms. Crump knew the real history of race in America was not included in K-12 education. She did not want to wait on academics or politicians to make the change. She decided to develop a way of talking Page 25 of 41

about race, power and institutions that would be educational, and not just for young people but for every American citizen. Ms. Crump worked with community organizations and individuals to develop a structured program of six two-hour weekly sessions based on factual reading materials. This program is led by a team of trained facilitators. From DORLA’S inception, Maxine Crump has remained involved in a leadership role in Dialogue at all levels, including training facilitators. The process was managed by community volunteers until it was used as the basis for the Baton Rouge Town Meeting program, “What Color is Community?” in 1994.

Following the Town Meeting, the program gained momentum and community interest. Led by a group of volunteers, Dialogue on Race Louisiana was chartered as a not-for-profit organization in November 2011.

Maxine Crump, the CEO of Dialogue on Race Louisiana, attended Louisiana State University, where she became the first African American to live in women’s housing. Her career spanned from working in news, public relations, and media development. She worked as the first woman DJ at WXOK AM, the first African American DJ at WFMF FM radio, and later as the first African American reporter at WAFB TV. Her volunteer leadership on the YWCA Board of Directors, where she participated in the national YWCA Racial Justice Training Program, led to her development of The Dialogue on Race Original Series. This series ultimately led to the development of the Dialogue on Race Louisiana organization. Maxine Crump has since won numerous awards for her work to eliminate racism.

Dialogue on Race Louisiana (DORLA) continues to be dedicated to the elimination of racism through education, action, and transformation. DORLA seeks to have a community where everyone knows that all institutional opportunities and access are fully available to them regardless of their color. Dialogue on Race Louisiana has become an effective and thriving organization. Currently, the organization is funded through registration fees for the various series and other events, as well as with grants, sponsorships, and donations. DORLA now has a staff of 4 paid employees and 3 regular ongoing volunteers.

DORLA has engaged and trained 50 Dialogue facilitators. The Dialogue program menu has grown to 7 different series built around the fundamental format. The program has expanded geographically to include participants from 7 states since DORLA began using a virtual platform.

DORLA continues to offer the original six consecutive weekly sessions of two-hours each.

These sessions are led by a team of trained facilitators, usually of diverse ethnicities and genders.

Their role is to keep the conversation focused and to set an environment for open honest conversation. The six sessions explore racism from its origins to its current operation and impact on society. Participants prepare for the discussions by reading factual materials sent to them before each session to prepare them for the conversation. In each of the sessions’ topics participants think through and unpack specific areas of race issues. This is the fundamental structure and format of the Dialogue. The NASW-LA Board of Directors and Executive Director

Page 26 of 41

participated in the six-week series. DORLA also offers shorter sessions to afford all an opportunity to participate in the ‘dialogue’.

The core values stated in the NASW Code of Ethics are in the areas of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.

DORLA’s mission to eliminate racism through education, action, and transformation represents many of the core values of social work. Recent acts of violence have once again brought to the forefront the need for dialogue and action to eliminate racist practices in our society. DORLA also recognizes the inequities that all marginalized individuals and groups have to face on a dayto-day basis.

It is an honor to present Dialogue on Race Louisiana and Maxine Crump with the President’s Award.

DOROTHY SCHENTHAL LEADERSHIP AWARD Margo Abadie, Ph.D., LCSW A little information about this Prestigous Award . . . Dorothy Schenthal was elected PresidentElect of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers in 1981; she died during her term as Chapter President. She was a clinical social worker in private practice and was very committed to the autonomous practice of social work. Dorothy served as President of the International Council for Autonomous Professional Practice of Clinical Social Work (ICAPP). She was also very active on social issues and supported a strong NASW Chapter. She believed in NASW as an organization, and believed in the responsibility of NASW to be politically knowledgeable of and active in issues that affect human services. Dorothy Schenthal was a leader in the Louisiana Chapter and in the New Orleans Region and served on national committees. Since 1984, the award has been given to an outstanding NASW-LA leader. In addition to being a member in good standing of the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, a candidate must also have provided outstanding leadership in the field of social work.

The Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers is pleased to announce that Dr. Margo Abadie is our recipient for the 2021 Dorothy Schenthal Leadership Award!

Dr. Abadie began her Social Work career in 1988 when she completed her MSW at LSU and saw the incredible value of combining Social Work within rehabilitation services. Dr. Abadie’s work has included being a passionate advocate and clinician for individuals and families who have experienced suicide. She modeled expert group skills, but more importantly, openly demonstrated compassion, empathy and respect for each member of the group. Her focus has Page 27 of 41

not only been on treatment and intervention, but also her tireless efforts in educating, advocating and generating funds to increase services in the community for suicide survivors.

Dr. Abadie has served as a Field Supervisor for over twenty-five years working with over a hundred interns sharing her skills, talents and knowledge to ensure they were prepared to enter the MSW workforce. Dr. Abadie so willingly gives her time and expertise to invest in the next generation of social workers. She is currently serving as the Clinical Supervisor for MSW interns and LPC interns at Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge as part of a grant to ensure that college students have access to mental health resources in our community. She embodies the heart of a teacher and is so patient and encouraging to students as they learn to navigate the joys and challenges of our profession.

During her thirty-plus years of being an educator, she has served as an advisor for Allied Health and assisted students in determining the best career path to serve others. She has taken MSW students across the globe with LSU Programs Abroad to help them explore social issues through a global lens and to find ways to improve their own communities. She has served as a Faculty Liaison supporting agency social workers and students in their field experiences that is at the heart of their MSW education.

Dr. Abadie has served on multiple Boards and been involved in supporting social services programs and efforts for over thirty-five years. She has devoted her life to improving the lives of others and ensuring that no one is neglected or forgotten; Dr. Abadie has lived the values and mission of Social Work. At the heart of Dr. Abadie’s impact on Social Work has been the classroom. If you have ever had the opportunity to attend a training or have her as an Instructor, you know that you were treated with respect and taught the best practices that our profession expects and those we serve deserve. She has helped prepare MSW and now BSW students through her teaching of Practice Sequence courses, a Death and Dying elective and Human Behavior and the Social Environment courses. She has also served as a Board Approved Clinical Supervisor for so many beginning social workers. Colleagues have tried to get a true number of how many students Dr. Abadie has taught or liaised with during the last 30-plus years, but it is impossible to get an accurate number – an informed guess would be 2000-plus and still growing.

Most recently, Dr. Abadie was a huge part of efforts in developing and assisting in getting LSU’s BSW program approved and accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). She is serving as the Faculty Liaison for LSU’s BSW students in their field placements and supporting our Field Supervisors in working with the next generation of Social Workers.

Dr. Abadie has dedicated her life to helping others in a number of capacities, whether it was sitting with a grieving mother over the loss of her son, consoling children whose father passed away suddenly, guiding the path of MSW interns in their work with fragile families, teaching students the principles of sound social work practice, or any number of other professional, educational, and mentoring roles. Of note was her role in founding and leading the Circle of Support Walk, a student- run fundraiser for the Crisis Intervention Center and an event at which survivors of suicide could come together as a community and honor their loved ones.

Dr. Abadie has received multiple awards from students, and local and national organizations for her integrity and impact in Social Work. Her imprint extends well beyond Baton Rouge, Page 28 of 41

Louisiana. Her impact will be unending as each student and young social worker graduates and goes on to make their impact in Social Work - they will bring a little part of Dr. Abadie with them.

Dr. Abadie is an incredible leader and role model for all Social Workers and leaves the world a little better wherever she goes! We all look for the gold standard whenever we are trying to grow or emulate the best, and Dr. Abadie’s colleagues say without hesitation that as a Social Worker, Dr. Margo Abadie is the standard!

One of Dr. Abadie’s colleagues wrote that she is the model of the quintessential social worker; a consummate professional who has dedicated her life’s work to giving back through this profession. She is an expert and pioneer in crisis intervention and suicidality. She embodies the essence and values that define social work; to know her is to be inspired by her. I am a better social worker having been touched by her influence. Another colleague said it is difficult to describe Dr. Margo Abadie and her social work career, but if I had to select one word it would be excellence. She is the epitome of grace and humility and inspires every person she encounters to be their best self. She inspires me, and my life is enriched beyond measure. Another colleague wrote I can think of no one more deserving of this honor than Dr. Abadie. This award would be an acknowledgement by her peers of her commitment to serving those in need. In a poetic way, this award would be the profession giving back to her, in recognition of devoting her life to the selfless ambition that is social work.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Each year the Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers considers members nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award. In selecting the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, the Louisiana Chapter recognizes the best social work values and accomplishments demonstrated in the social worker’s lifetime career. The criteria for this prestigious award requires that the social worker demonstrates repeated outstanding achievements, as well as recognition beyond the social work profession, contributions of lasting impact, and outstanding creativity. The recipient must also meet all criteria for the Social Worker of the Year Award, which includes that the recipient make a demonstrable difference in areas such as advocacy for clients, impact on social policy, exceptional practice, program creation, administration and research. The recipient must also demonstrate outstanding leadership, contribute to a positive image for the social work profession and take risks to achieve outstanding results. The recipient must also be a member of NASW in good standing.

This year, we have two incredible social workers who merit the Lifetime Achievement Award:

Grace D. Tatem, MSW, Ed.D., ACSW

Page 29 of 41

The Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers is pleased to announce that Dr. Grace Tatem is one of our recipients for the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award!

Dr. Tatem has contributed over forty years of work in the social work profession. Her career as a social worker began in the early 1960s. Dr. Tatem worked twenty-two years for the State of Pennsylvania primarily in hospital settings and a few years in a private facility before retiring and moving to Louisiana in 1986 to be near family members. Upon moving to Louisiana, she began working at Grambling State University as a professor in the School of Social Work. After five years in Grambling, Louisiana and working at the university, Dr. Tatem enrolled part-time in a doctoral program and earned a doctoral degree in developmental education in May 2001.

Dr. Tatem’s community involvement in Grambling, Louisiana has been nothing less than remarkable. She taught in Grambling’s School of Social Work for twenty-three years before retiring in 2009 as a tenured associate professor. She provided mental health counseling to consumers at local social service agencies and volunteered at Wade Correctional Center in Homer, Louisiana. Dr. Tatem has worked at the micro, mezzo, and macro practice levels helping with the provision of tangible services; providing counseling and psychotherapy; helping the community improve and provide services to vulnerable citizens; and participating in the policy making and legislative processes via advocacy and information sharing. Dr. Tatem is known by former students nationwide for her compassion, financial support, competence, professionalism, application of social work values and principles, and mentorship.

She has done extensive work in the Grambling and other North Louisiana communities with the elderly. In 2008, Dr. Tatem collaborated with Grambling State University’s Office of Service Learning to apply for a $30,000 grant to enhance the lives of area senior citizens and provide learning experiences to students in the School of Social Work. The project fostered interaction between young adults and older adults. The grant also provided continuing education and support seminars for senior citizens. After the grant ended, Dr. Tatem continued to work as the coordinator of the Grambling Community Center where seniors received free breakfasts, hot lunches, and transportation. When donations from individuals, organizations, and corporations were not available, she funded the program from personal resources.

Dr. Tatem’s community engagement and leadership is also evident in her community, she organized a branch of the National Association of University Women in 1988 in Grambling, Louisiana. She reactivated the Grambling Branch of the NAACP and the National Association of Black Social Workers. She also organized a chapter of Phi Alpha Honor Society in the School of Social Work at Grambling State University. She considers this as one of her proudest accomplishments because at the time, Grambling was the only HBCU (Historically Black College and University) with an active chapter.

Although Dr. Tatem is retired, she continues to serve the community through community involvement with her church, sorority, and local NAACP Branch. She is an active member of Page 30 of 41

the St. Luke’s Episcopal Chapel in Grambling where she serves as Senior Warden. Dr. Tatem has served on the Dismantling Racism and The Beloved Community Committees of The Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana, and as a lector and the coordinator of the Canterbury Association, a college ministry. Dr. Tatem is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has served in various capacities with the local NAACP. She is also a member of Fisk University’s Alumni Association and the Grambling State University Alumni Association. She is involved in the political arena by actively supporting candidates whose views are consistent with social work values. Dr. Tatem continues to contribute her knowledge, skills, and wisdom through serving as president of the Grambling State University School of Social Work Advisory Board.

Dr. Tatem has been a member of NASW since 1982 and is active in the Monroe Region where she serves as the representative for the Monroe Region on the Membership Committee Dr. Grace Tatem is a native of Greenwood, Mississippi. She credits growing up in the Delta area of Mississippi in the years of Jim Crow laws with difficult times for Black families and the civil rights movement as having an influence. She sees family, community, religion, and education as the keys to her survival and success. Dr. Tatem says, “It seemed a natural course that I would venture into a helping profession”.

Edgar Guedry, LCSW-BACS, ACSW, ACHP-SW The Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers is pleased to announce that Edgar Guedry is the other recipient for the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award! Edgar received his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1985 and his Master of Social Work degree in 1988 – both from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

Edgar began his career as a social worker in August 1989 at Capitol Hospice Care. He was then promoted only four years later to Social Service Director for Capitol Home Health in 1993. He was responsible for providing supervision to all social workers in the corporation, and the Volunteer Program. In this role, he began writing guidelines and policies to be utilized by staff which weaved throughout his career.

Edgar also became the Administrator of the Monroe Provider for Capitol Home Health in 1999.

He was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the provider office and the branch office. He remained as both the Social Service Director and Administrator of the Monroe provider until 2000. As if that was not enough, he also served on the Board of Directors from 1993-2000. The Board was elected by the employees who were shareholders of the company. He was responsible for managing and planning for six providers in the company while maintaining financial stability within the Medicare reimbursement system. Edgar prepared an annual budget in accordance with

Page 31 of 41

reimbursement systems for a high of 1,200 employees with a $50 million budget. As you can see, he was highly favored and loved from the start of his social work career.

In 2001, Edgar became the Regional Vice President of Operations for several locations in the nation including Tahlequah, Oklahoma; New Orleans, Louisiana; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Phoenix, Arizona for Trinity Hospice, LLC. His responsibilities in this role included the development and ongoing growth of each facility, preparing and managing budgets, contracts, clinical operations, and daily operations of the centers while also monitoring quality assurance and compliance issues. He also maintained direct social work practice by contracting for several home health and hospice agencies during this time.

In 2004, Edgar became the Co-Owner and Administrator of Hospice Associates of New Orleans, LLC and Healthcare Investment Group, LLC. He was responsible for the development and ongoing growth of the organization. He prepared and oversaw budgets, contracts, clinical operations, and daily operations for the hospice agency.

In 2007, Edgar became the Co-Owner of Allani Management LLC. In 2014, he then became the Co-Owner of DAE Management which he still co-owns. With DAE, he is responsible for consulting to other hospice agencies in the United States, startups, and giving speeches throughout the Nation.

In 2017, Edgar became the Vice President of the Hospice Governing Body, Compliance Committee for The Carpenter Health Network. He was responsible for working with all entities under The Carpenter Health Network including Home Health, Hospice, Rehab, Homedica, Nursing Homes, Compliance, and any others. He formed advisory boards within the company for quality care and improvement, building systems that increased patient outcome and morale. As the Vice President, he was responsible for effective utilization and operation of the hospice entities.

Edgar then became the Executive Vice President for Nursing Solutions (NSI) Hospice in 2019 where he is responsible for the Hospice Program and the Palliative Program under Home Health.

Impressively, Edgar has been practicing social work for over thirty-two years in the Hospice and Home Health field. He has proved to be outstanding in the hospice social work field of practice, and currently holds the National Association of Social Worker’s ACHP-SW credential for Hospice and Palliative Social Work, and the ACSW. He has served in all capacities of the NASW-Louisiana Chapter Board including Secretary for the 1995-1996 term, Treasurer for the 1996-1997 term, President-Elect for 1997-1998, and President for 1998-2000. He served a second time as President-Elect and President of the Louisiana Chapter Board from 2010-2013, and again as First Vice President from 2018-2020. That is a total of ten years serving on the Executive Committee for NASW-LA!

Page 32 of 41

He has also dedicated extensive time in service to other various state non-profit and professional organization boards such as Louisiana Hemophilia Foundation, Hospice and Palliative Foundation, and Hemophilia Foundation of America (HFA) which is a national board focused on bleeding disorders. Edgar is currently serving on the Governor’s Task Force for Palliative Care as the Social Work representative and has served on the Governor’s Task Force for Hospice Care.

The risks Edgar has taken throughout his career has demonstrated direct positive patient outcomes. Edgar was not afraid to advocate at the business level and the social policy government level on behalf of patient rights in hospice. Edgar has advocated within agencies as well as through two of Louisiana Governor’s task force entities for clients enrolled in hospice care. Edgar has always maintained the value of ethical practice and speaks regularly on social work ethics.

Edgar has lectured on various topics including Death and Dying, Life Threatening Illnesses, Grief, Stress, Ethics, Social Work and Home Health and Hospice, etc. at many local, state and national conferences. He is the author of several books including a Clinical Guide for Social Workers, Death and Grief.

In sum, Edgar has achieved a lifetime of accomplishments positively affecting not only those enrolled in hospice, but also their families. Edgar has shaped the role of social workers in hospice, which not only contributed to the hospice field, but also the overall social work profession. The years of service he has dedicated have shown to be for the greater good of humanity. Edgar has humbly achieved social work greatness in his lifetime.

SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR Pamela Higgins-Saulsberry, Ph.D., LCSW-BACS The Social Worker of the Year Award honors a member of the National Association of Social Workers, Louisiana Chapter (NASW-LA) who exemplifies the best of the profession's values and achievements through specific accomplishments. In honoring the Social Worker of the Year, NASW-LA highlights superb accomplishments in the practice of social work. Candidates make a demonstrable difference in such areas as: advocacy for clients, impact on social policy, exceptional practice, program creation, administration or research. Candidates demonstrate outstanding leadership, contribute to a positive image for the social work profession and take risks to achieve outstanding results.

"The greatest mistake we often make is living in constant fear that we will make one."

“Nothing beats a failure, but a TRY.” Page 33 of 41

These are the quotes included in emails received from Dr. Pamela Higgins-Saulsberry. I believe they are mottos that have guided her to be the inspiring and esteemed person she is today. It is an honor for me to present the Social Worker of the Year award to Dr. Pamela HigginsSaulsberry, Executive Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM). Until January 2021, she served as the ULM College of Business and Social Sciences School of Behavioral and Social Sciences Director, and Coordinator of the Social Work Program.

Dr. Saulsberry could have been nominated for several of the other awards since she is a legendary social worker in North Louisiana, has dedicated her life to exemplifying the values and principles of the social work profession, and has a history of proven leadership abilities in administration and program development. However, I decided to nominate her for the Social Worker of the Year award because of her demonstration of courage and unwavering commitment to advancing social work values into the larger society, specifically the values of a belief in the dignity and worth of the person, social justice, importance of human relationships, and competence.

During the June 2020 social unrest in America as a result of the murder of George Floyd, Dr. Saulsberry helped coordinate a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum at the University of Louisiana Monroe after two faculty members used racial slurs on social media. According to news reports, ULM received over 1,000 emails, texts and phone calls in response to these posts.

The forum was coordinated with the NAACP, the Mayor, and other community entities to address this behavior that angered so many in the community. Over 400 people attended the event according to a television news report. The News Star Newspaper in Monroe wrote that Saulsberry read a statement from the ULM Faculty Senate Executive Committee calling for a renewed commitment to the University’s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

She spoke out against her colleagues, not fearing that she was making a mistake. This action could have caused her to be criticized, ostracized, and/or retaliated against by her colleagues and employer as a result of her outspoken stance regarding the behavior of the two faculty members and race relations at the University. However, her “try” was successful and she has been given the charge to lead her University in making the changes needed to appreciate all individuals and provide all with the same rights, opportunities, protections and benefits, regardless of their backgrounds and group membership.

Although this was the incident that lead me to nominate Dr. Saulsberry for this award, she has a history of helping others to achieve dignity, regain lost hope, and move forward with their lives.

Throughout her social work career, she has made a positive impact and helped countless people overcome challenges and improve their lives. Also, unintentionally, she has served as a role model and inspiration for many of us social workers in North Louisiana.

Page 34 of 41

In addition to her work at ULM, Dr. Saulsberry’s professional career includes serving as a consultant at Delta Regional Authority, Monroe City School Safe Schools /Healthy Schools Program, and the Office of Youth Development and Workforce Investment Board. She also served as an Adjunct Professor of Social Work at Grambling State University, Foster and Adoptive Family Resource Center (FA/FRC) of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Social Work Department, Healthy Start ABCs Evaluator, school social worker, and service to the Louisiana Sickle Cell Commission.

Dr. Saulsberry is licensed as a Clinical Social Worker, Board Approved Clinical Supervisor (LCSW-BACS); School Social Worker; Certified Effective Black Parenting Trainer; and Nurturing Parenting Programs® National Trainer/Consultant. She has received over fifteen awards for her service to the community; has secured numerous grants for programs aimed at addressing the needs of vulnerable populations. She has performed many presentations and published numerous scholarly articles.

PUBLIC CITIZENS OF THE YEAR Andy and Angela Dixon The National Association of Social Workers, Louisiana Chapter’s (NASW-LA) Public Citizen of the Year Award honors an outstanding member of the community whose accomplishments exemplify the values and mission of professional social work. The award recipient is not a social worker. Candidates demonstrate leadership qualities in the field of human services and exemplify personal and professional integrity in their effort to help people.

The criteria for candidates include that they must make a significant contribution to an area or population of concern to the social work profession such as: at risk or vulnerable populations, quality of life in communities and social issues. Candidates act with courage, demonstrate outstanding leadership and exemplify social work values and ethics.

Page 35 of 41

NASW-LA’s Public Citizen of the Year Award goes to a couple this year - Andy and Angie Dixon.

A little about Andy. Andy is a Veteran; he served in the United States Army from 1986-1990.

He worked for Petroleum Helicopters in Lafayette from 1990-1995. In 1995, Andy became the Owner and Operator of Andy Dixon Trucking Company, which he still manages today.

Now a little about Angie. Angie and Andy married in 1990 during her fourth year of college.

Angie has a Bachelor’s Degrees in both Business and Education. Angie worked briefly as a secondary math teacher. Angie and Andy decided she would be a stay-at-home mom after their first child was born. Angie plays the organ and volunteers as the Director of Religious Education at her church. She also volunteered her time as a coach until a few years ago.

In 2014, Angie and Andy lost their son to suicide. In 2017, they became co-founders of Save Cenla, an organization that raises money for suicide awareness. They wanted to do more than just have a walk and raise money; they wanted to encourage people to ask for help and not be afraid or ashamed. Save Cenla’s mission is to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention through education, media, and events. Save Cenla’s hope is to break the stigma of suicide and equate it with all other life-threatening challenges, so that people are not afraid to learn how to seek help through local resources.

They researched ways to do this and found Living Works ASIST workshops. They completed their first workshop and began teaching Suicide Talk. In May of 2017, they became trainers and volunteered their time for Living Works ASIST workshops, only charging for the workbooks required for the trainings. Later, Angie and Andy were contacted by the State of Louisiana offering grant funds to support the trainings. Andy decided to cut back hours at his job in order to make time for these workshops – a decision Andy and Angie made without hesitation or complaint.

Andy and Angie are both Master Trainers for Living Works ASIST Training Workshops. Living Works Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) is the only workshop of its kind.

Updated continually to reflect new knowledge, LivingWorks ASIST has been empowering people to provide skilled, life-saving interventions for over thirty-five years. Living Works ASIST is a two-day face-to-face workshop featuring powerful audiovisuals, discussions, and simulations. Participants learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, providing a skilled intervention, and developing a safety plan to keep someone alive. Living Works is a missiondriven organization with an industry-leading approach to suicide and prevention. Their vision is a world free from suicide loss - a world where no one experiences the pain of a co-worker, friend, or family member taking their own life. Their mission is to make that world possible through high-quality training programs that empower everyone to make a difference, no matter who they are or what they do.

Page 36 of 41

The Living Works ASIST workshops have been attended by many social workers in various practice settings. These workshops are now being taught in schools to educate students to recognize signs of suicide and to not be afraid to ask for help. To date, Andy and Angie have trained 1,045 people in their ASIST workshops. The beneficiaries of these workshops are the lives that have been saved through the education of those participating and the empowerment felt to be able to help others. The curriculum recognizes social workers as important points of contact for assessment, intervention and treatment in behavioral health. In Angie’s own words, “We don’t take credit for this, we just get put into places we need to be in, I see it as God leading us.”

Continuous Membership The National Association of Social Workers and the Louisiana Chapter extend our sincere thanks to each of you for your continuous membership and contributions to the Association, the Louisiana Chapter and our Regions.

We commend you for your demonstrated commitment to the social work profession and those we serve.

Page 37 of 41

Sponsors and Exhibitors Order of Ads Full page:

Page 38 of 41

½ page Ads: ¼ page Ads:

NASW-LA Chapter Board of Directors 2020 – 2021 Name

Position

Region

Carolyn Read

President

Alexandria Region

Worlita Jackson

President-Elect

Shreveport Rouge Region

Shelly Weaver

First Vice President

Baton Rouge Region

Page 39 of 41

Darryl Bruno Jasmine Wilson-Gardner

Second VP for Budget and Finance Secretary

Monroe Region Florida Parishes Region

Jamilah Olivier

Regional Chair

Houma Thibodaux Region

Evelyn Jenkins

Regional Chair

Monroe Region

Jennifer Cortes

Regional Chair

Baton Rouge Region

Carmen Spooner

Regional Representative

Baton Rouge Region

Dorothy Armand

Regional Chair

Shreveport Region

Angela Wiggins Harris

Regional Chair

New Orleans Region

VACANT

Regional Representative

New Orleans Region

Sheila Lewis

Regional Chair

Alexandria Region

Maxine Desselle

Regional Chair

Lake Charles Region

Heather Prejean

Regional Chair

Lafayette Region

Angela Wood

Regional Chair

Florida Parishes Region

Kailyn Anderson

BSW Student

Alexandria Region

Bianca Clements

MSW Student

Florida Parishes Region

Paula Perilloux

BSW Member at Large

Florida Parishes Region

NASW-LA Chapter Staff Ayn W. Stehr, JD, MSW, LCSW Executive Director

Melissa Hall-James Office Manager

Karen Smith

Martha Wyly, LCSW, ACSW Page 40 of 41

Program Director

CEU Coordinator

______________________________________________________________________________

Louisiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers 700 North 10th Street, Suite 200 Baton Rouge, LA 70802 www.naswla.org (225)346-1234 ~ FAX (225)346-5035

Page 41 of 41