樱花动漫

Social Work Practice and Advocacy in a Polarized Nation

FRIDAY, June 5, 2026
10:00 am 鈥� 12 pm (eastern time)
Live Webinar on Zoom
(You will need to register to receive login information)

Registration: 2 CEU Credit Hours
General:  Through May 26, $50; May 27 鈥� June 4, $60
Wurzweiler Alumni and Current WSSW Practicum Instructors: Through May 26, $40; May 27 鈥� June 4, $50
All Current Students: $15

Registration closes on 6/4/26 at 5:00 Eastern Time (EST)

In the US, people generally see left- and right- wing extremism as major problems and raise concerns that those with differing political views cannot agree on basic facts. This environment is highly relevant to social work practice, as practitioners report concerns about working with those who are different from them politically. 

This session will provide skills for social work with individuals from diverse politically ideological backgrounds. It will offer participants a set of actionable advocacy skills to use in their state and local environments to continue to advance social work values and ensure their client and community needs are heard in the policy arena. This program will empower and provide a voice for social workers at all levels, including students, who may have felt disengaged during this polarized time.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be better able to:

1. Understand the nuances of the current political environment and how it affects social work practice at all levels.
2. Identify strategies for navigating politically charged conversations with clients and colleagues.
3. Obtain skills to apply social work advocacy skills at the state and local levels.
    

Shannon Lane, PhD is a political social worker who spent nearly 10 years working for the US Senate, including for Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle. Dr. Lane is Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, where she is the Director of the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work. She was formerly Associate Professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. 

Dr. Lane has co-authored two books: Political Social Work: Using Power to Create Social Change and Social Welfare Policy in a Changing World, as well as more than 30 peer-reviewed articles. She was recently named the 2026 Outstanding Individual in Academia by the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy. She earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, where her dissertation examined the experiences of social workers who ran for political office.
 

Kylie Harrington, LCSW is a Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Kylie鈥檚 research interests include the political beliefs, activities, and radicalization of young people in the U.S., in addition to providing mental health providers the resources to competently serve clients across the political spectrum, especially when client political beliefs may be extremely radical, controversial, or in conflict with providers鈥� own beliefs. They also examine the influence of technology, particularly social media, on individual political behavior. 

Kylie earned their MSW from the University of Connecticut. They specialized in medical and oncology social work with aging populations and formerly worked at the Yale New Haven Health-Smilow Cancer Center.

Podcast

Rabbis, chaplains, and social workers are often called on to provide spiritual care near life鈥檚 end. Whether in response to serious illness, advanced cognitive or physical decline in old age, or unexpected, tragic violence, health care professionals and clergy need to respond compassionately and effectively with families facing spiritual, emotional, and existential crises. Clips from Wurzweiler School of Social Work鈥檚 鈥淪pirituality Near the End of Life鈥� Conference in July 2019 include leading clergy, chaplains, and social workers offering their knowledge, skills, and wisdom to assist professionals seeking to better integrate spiritual care into their professional and community work.

Episode 1

Episode 2