Conversations on Race, Equity, and Inclusion

CWLA is pleased to present the Conversations on Race, Equity, and Inclusion training series. The six-part training series offers opportunity for social work and human service professionals to explore the following topics:

Session 1) Being Color Brave and Culturally Humble – June 30 & July 2

Session 2) Implicit Bias and Different Types of Privilege – July 16 & 18

Session 3) The Evolution and Levels of Racism – July 22, July 29 & August 5

Session 4) Intersectionality: A Rationale for Cultural Humility – August 20 & 22

Session 5) The Intersection of Race and Trauma – August 28

Session 6) Microaggressions: An In-depth Exploration into Acts of Racism – September 9 & 11

Each training session is a stand-alone opportunity for learning and discussion. Participants are welcome to register for one or multiple sessions available from June to September.

The complete series of six training sessions will build upon one another. They provide participants with a significant opportunity to gain knowledge and understanding and will guide professionals in championing diversity and equity to foster an inclusive society.

Using Engagement and Data to Provide Appropriate Care for Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Health Challenges

Thursdays, July 17, July 31 & August 14, 2025
1:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern Time

Determining how to provide appropriate care to children who have intense behavioral and emotional needs can be complex and challenging. When behaviors are difficult to control or efforts to address these complex needs in home or community-based care are unsuccessful, the result is youth are admitted into congregate care.

The goals of this training are to address the processes used to determine referrals for behavioral health care for children and youth by looking at the referral and decision-making processes, access processes, and briefly the infrastructure needed.

The training will also address the specific needs of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and substance use disorders, access opportunities for youth who might otherwise have entered Juvenile Justice programs, keeping youth close to home by developing interventions based on data in their own communities, and expanding low cost options and strategies to focus on behavioral and emotional challenges while also taking into consideration the social determinants of health.

Dear Black Male

Monday & Wednesday, August 4, 6, 11 & 13, 2025
1:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern Time

CWLA is pleased to partner with Welcome2Reality, LLC to present the engaging four-part training series, Dear Black Male. We invite you to join us for a training that will provide an overview of the history and culture of African Americans with a focus on recognizing cultural mistrust, issues faced, and perceptions of Black males. Through lecture and discussion, participants will identity how efforts to adequately provide for Back males can be linked to the fight for larger social justice goals for themselves and their communities. Participants in this training will:

• Develop an understanding of the importance of the role of the historian in interpreting African American history;
• Expand their knowledge and awareness of the disproportionality of Black males who are institutionalized and the impact it has on communities;
• Learn the most common mistakes professionals make when working with Black males and how to avoid them; and
• Engage in dialogue to identify strengths-based practices and interventions that foster family health and resilience.

This training is open and welcome to everyone. The training format will incorporate lecture, discussion, video, and group activities.

Moral Injury: Addressing the Elephant in the Room

Wednesday, August 13, 2025
1:00 – 2:30 pm Eastern Time

Join us for this powerful webinar in which we will explore the deep psychological and emotional impacts that arise when individuals — particularly those in frontline, supervisory, or leadership roles — witness, participate in, or are unable to prevent actions that conflict with their moral or ethical beliefs. Speakers will share what is known from the research, including in other fields, and use case examples to help participants gain a deeper understanding of moral injury, how it presents in our child welfare systems, and in our communities. Speakers will also share practical tools and resources and talk about what supervisors, leaders, and organizations can do to support recovery, foster ethical resilience, and create environments that are rooted in compassion and accountability. Ample time for discussion and questions will be provided.

What Non-Profit Media Professionals Need to Know to Thrive in Today’s Evolving Digital Media Landscape

Wednesday, August 20, 2025
2:00 – 3:30 pm Eastern Time

CWLA is pleased to host a special webinar presentation to share insights from our new CWLA Press publication, Mediability: Mastering the Evolving Digital Media Landscape. The Mediability guide empowers non-profit media relations professionals with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to thrive, successfully navigate the digital landscape, and transform their media outreach for greater visibility, engagement, and impact. Join us for this webinar to learn about utilizing blogs and podcasts; understanding the role of citizen journalism in the modern news landscape; vital strategies for managing contemporary media relations; mastering the art of strategic storytelling; the significance and impact of social media platforms, particularly regarding interaction and collaboration, and more. The session will also address the critical matter of crisis communications and crisis management, offering strategic guidance on how to navigate media relations during a crisis or disruptive event.

How to Succeed Against Compassion Fatigue

Wednesday, August 27, 2025
1:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern Time

The human services workforce is encountering many challenges related to recruitment, retention, and staff morale. A major factor contributing to these challenges is compassion fatigue – an unintended consequence of working in helping professions. External life factors can easily exacerbate commitment to day-to-day responsibilities, resulting in missed opportunities for support, and a lack of empathy for others.

Effective leadership practices, supervision skills, and support strategies can help prevent burnout and reduce staff turnover. Using CWLA’s 4 A’s framework, this training will focus on:

• Increasing Awareness of the many challenges and contributing factors that can create/ exacerbate compassion fatigue in the workplace
• Acknowledging the complexity of these issues and the role supervisors can play in supporting self-evaluation and professional growth
• Identifying Actions supervisors and individual staff can take to create a positive work environment and promote psychological safety
• Discussing shared Accountability to empower and support staff with a proactive approach to reducing compassion fatigue and identifying measurable progress

Fostering School Success: Supporting the Educational Needs of Children

Mondays & Wednesdays, September 15, 17, 22 & 24, 2025
1:00 – 3:00 pm Eastern Time

Among child welfare service and program goals is the achievement of children and youth’s educational progress to match their potential and needs. Educational success of children and youth in the child welfare system depends, in part, on the collective efforts and collaboration of caregivers (foster, adoptive, and kinship), social workers, and agency management to address challenges and strategies for success.

CWLA is pleased to invite you to join us for this engaging skill-building opportunity that will share how to improve school experiences and long-term outcomes for children who have experienced trauma. Participants in this training will:

• Develop an understanding of common barriers to educational access and engagement for youth who have experienced trauma.
• Learn practical strategies for cultivating resilience at home that will lead to improved school performance.
• Advance their knowledge of the education system and supports available to children with special needs and circumstances.
• Expand their collaboration and advocacy toolkits to ensure children and youth have access to high quality schooling.

This training is appropriate for caregivers (foster, adoptive, and kinship) and social workers who have an interest and responsibility to better support children and youth in school as well as their educational achievement.