UA’s Annual Social Work Conference Set for Aug. 23-24

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama School of Social Work will host its 11th annual Fall Social Work Conference Aug. 23-24 at the Bryant Conference Center on the UA campus.

The two-day conference, “Moments That Last Forever: Helping Children Waiting for Families,” will have speakers and presentations on programs and practices for all aspects of family life.

The conference’s keynote speaker will be Twila Ross, permanency team manager for the Children’s Crisis Care Center in Houston, Texas.

A native of Mobile, Ross has more than 42 years of experience in the field of child welfare and permanency planning. She began a home-based therapy program in the 1980s for Depelchin Children’s Center that was adopted by the state of Texas and is now functioning as the Family Based Safety Services program.

During her career, Ross has served as the executive director for agencies working with homeless, pregnant women, women who have just been released from prison and women who are aging out of foster care.

Ross has served on the board of directors for Healthcare for the Homeless, The Family Preservation Institute, and she is currently on the board of directors for the Albert Schweitzer Foundation and the University of Houston Downtown Center for Family Strengths.

Over the last 20 years, Ross has given keynote addresses at Family Preservation Conferences across the Country and has conducted workshops focused on family preservation, team building, and essential skills necessary in approaching work from a strength-based perspective.

The conference prices are $100 for the two-day conference and $75 for one day. Social Work Continuing Education Unit, or CEU, contact hours will be awarded at the end of each workshop.

The conference is jointly sponsored by The University of Alabama School of Social Work and the Alabama Department of Human Resources. For more information on conference registration, contact Kristy Holt at krholt@sw.ua.edu or 205/348-0753.

Established in 1965 by the Alabama Legislature, The University of Alabama School of Social Work seeks to solve bio-psychosocial problems, improve individual and social conditions and promote justice and human dignity through teaching, research and service.