Join us in celebrating the 70th anniversary of NASW! Let's honor social work innovation and looking ahead to the future. Connect and network with our diverse community of social workers and mental health practitioners while learning and enriching your practice!

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This conference brings together trauma healing, somatic therapies, and advocacy to explore innovative approaches to care. Sessions will examine how trauma impacts the brainstem and nervous system, highlighting the effectiveness of Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) therapy and neurofeedback in promoting deeper healing. Discussions will also emphasize the need for ethical, research-backed interventions to ensure accessible, high-quality care. Additionally, panelists will explore how advocacy and justice-centered approaches can address systemic inequities, foster resilience, and amplify the voices of those most impacted. Attendees will gain practical insights into bridging neuroscience, somatic healing, and social justice to create more inclusive and transformative healing frameworks.

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SCHEDULE

8:00 Registration

8:40 Introductions

8:45-10:15 Speaker

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:45 Speaker

11:45-12 Questions

12-12:45 Lunch

12:45-2:15 Speaker

2:15-2:30 Break

2:30-4 Speaker

4-4:30 Closing Remarks/Silent Auction

 

CONFERENCE MORNING SESSION-

Trauma and Deep Brain Reorienting- Presented by Temperance Cervantes, Psychologist, LP, LSSP, BCN, QEEG-DC

 

This session explores how trauma affects the brainstem and nervous system, emphasizing somatic-based approaches for deeper healing. It examines the unique benefits of Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) therapy and neurofeedback in regulating the nervous system and resolving trauma, and highlights the importance of ethical, research-backed somatic interventions to ensure high-quality, accessible care.

 

Objectives: 

1. Explore how shock is stored in the brainstem, its impact on emotional and physiological regulation, and how somatic-based interventions provide deeper healing beyond cognitive approaches.

 

2. Examine how Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) therapy differentiates from traditional cognitive and exposure therapies, and how neurofeedback supports nervous system regulation to facilitate trauma resolution.

 

3. Recognize the importance of providing up-to-date, research-backed, and ethical somatic interventions to ensure clients receive the highest standard of care while promoting equitable access to transformative therapy.

 

LUNCH PROVIDED

12:00 pm

 

CONFERENCE AFTERNOON SESSION-

Resiliency in Practice: Supporting Immigrant Clients and Caring For Ourselves- Presented by Monica Romo, LCSW

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This session explores the multifaceted impact of immigration policies on family dynamics, functioning, and overall well-being, addressing both immediate and long-term consequences. Participants will gain practical strategies to advocate for, protect, and empower immigrant families, including policy advocacy, access to essential resources, and fostering self-advocacy for stability and resilience. Additionally, the session will examine the emotional and psychological challenges social workers face when supporting immigrant communities, emphasizing stressors, coping mechanisms, and self-care practices to maintain professional effectiveness and personal well-being.

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Objectives: 

1. Examine the impact of immigration policies on the dynamics, functioning, and overall well-being of families, considering both short-term and long-term effects.

 

2. Identify practical strategies to advocate for, protect, and empower immigrant families, including policy advocacy, resource access, and fostering self-advocacy to support stability and well-being.

 

3. Analyze the emotional and psychological effects of working with immigrant populations on social workers, focusing on stressors, coping strategies, and self-care practices to maintain well-being and effectiveness.