Social Work in Dangerous Times

As social workers, we know we are in grave and challenging times. We’re facing it all – from funding cuts, hostile policies, and AI, to changing demographics, a shrinking workforce pipeline, and an undeniable and painful absence of leadership. Sometimes, the chaos and complexity are so great that it is difficult to determine what is needed to sustain our work, our clients, our communities, and ourselves.

Our next Critical Conversation continues the work of Beyond 2025 and introduces findings from Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health’s (CISWH) Beyond Defense Summit, a recent convening of 26 social work innovators and leaders from 11 states. Using the power of system dynamics tools, the summit explored social work’s history, values, and value, while mapping the economic, societal, and financial dynamics impacting contemporary social work education, research, policymaking, leadership, and practice.

Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH director, will walk participants through the Beyond Defense Map of the Social Work Ecosystem and examine how social workers can build on these findings for broader mobilization across the profession. Attendees will be invited to ask questions and engage in discussion about this formative work.