New Mexico Highlands University Center for Excellence in Social Work convenes inaugural Social Work Education Summit
Social Work Education Summit webpage
Las Vegas, NM – The New Mexico Highlands University Center for Excellence in Social Work will host New Mexico’s inaugural Social Work Education Summit on Friday, April 12. The summit, which will take place on the New Mexico Tech campus in Socorro, New Mexico, gathers social work leaders, educators, and students who will learn innovative approaches to social work education and create strategies for addressing social work workforce shortages.
“This is an incredible opportunity to be in community with leaders, educators, and students from the four Schools of Social Work in our State,” Dr. Anna Nelson, the Director for the Center for Excellence in Social Work, said. “With less than 18% of the mental health needs being met in New Mexico, we need innovative approaches to prepare our graduating students to be the best social workers they can be.”
With over 80 people registered, statewide and national experts will hold workshops on artificial Intelligence in social work education, social work services along the border, tribal social determinants of health, innovations in serving Hispanic and Indigenous students, and environmental justice in social work.
The Summit will culminate in a strategic dialogue identifying what is needed in social work education to prepare students to serve our communities statewide.
About the New Mexico Highlands University Center for Excellence in Social Work: Situated within New Mexico Highlands University’s Facundo Valdez School of Social Work (FVSSW), the Center for Excellence in Social Work (Center) was established in 2022 by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham with the aim of enhancing our state’s capacity to train social workers to respond to the emerging needs of New Mexicans and our communities. The Center focuses on growing our workforce while driving innovation in social work education, practice, policy, and research, emphasizing antiracism, anti-oppression, and cultural responsiveness.
For more information or to answer questions, please contact Dr. Anna Nelson at 505-319-8822 or annanelsonabq@gmail.com.