Addressing Implicit Bias, Structural Racism, Microaggressions, and Macroaggressions Facing Black Social Workers

Presenter: Karessa Proctor, BSW, MSW

Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Time: 12:00-1:00 PM ET
 

Workshop Description: This interactive 1-hour training explores the intersection of microaggressions, implicit bias, and structural racism as experienced by Black social workers across practice settings. Participants will examine how everyday interactions are often subtle and unintentional, reflecting broader systems of inequity embedded within social work institutions and professional culture.

Grounded in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed frameworks, this session integrates current research and practice-informed strategies to help participants recognize, interrupt, and respond to microaggressions at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. Emphasis will be placed on linking interpersonal bias to structural racism, ensuring alignment with new licensure requirements. Participants will leave with actionable tools to promote accountability, equity, and culturally responsive practice within their professional roles.

Learning Objectives

1. Define and differentiate microaggressions, implicit bias, and structural racism, and explain how they manifest in social work practice environments.

2. Analyze the impact of microaggressions on Black social workers’ well-being, professional advancement, and client outcomes using an anti-oppressive lens.

3. Identify and critically reflect on their own implicit biases and how these biases may contribute to perpetuating structural inequities in workplace interactions and decision-making.

4. Apply at least two strategies to interrupt microaggressions and address structural racism within their organizations, consistent with ethical and anti-oppressive social work practice.

CEUs: 1 Category 1 in Implicit Bias and/or Structural Racism

Note: This training meets one-time licensure requirements for Implicit Bias and the 2026 Structural Racism requirement and is designed as a live, interactive Category 1 continuing education experience aligned with Anti-Oppressive Social Work Practice standards.

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Mission Statement:  This is a mandated committee. As defined in the NASW Procedures for Professional Review and the Professional Review Technical Aids: "The Chapter Ethics Committee shall be composed of seven persons from at least two different branches appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Board (of Directors), who shall be responsible for hearing and determining complaints filed in accord with the Association's policy on professional review. The Committee on Ethics may convene local panels to conduct hearings. "In addition, this committee works to educate NASW members about ethics issues by planning ethics workshops and writing a column for The Maryland Social Worker on Ethical issues. 

Interested in joining the committee? Sign Up Today!

Mission Statement:  This is a mandated committee. As defined in the NASW Procedures for Professional Review and the Professional Review Technical Aids: "The Chapter Ethics Committee shall be composed of seven persons from at least two different branches appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Board (of Directors), who shall be responsible for hearing and determining complaints filed in accord with the Association's policy on professional review. The Committee on Ethics may convene local panels to conduct hearings. "In addition, this committee works to educate NASW members about ethics issues by planning ethics workshops and writing a column for The Maryland Social Worker on Ethical issues. 

Interested in joining the committee? Sign Up Today!

Mission Statement:  This is a mandated committee. As defined in the NASW Procedures for Professional Review and the Professional Review Technical Aids: "The Chapter Ethics Committee shall be composed of seven persons from at least two different branches appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Board (of Directors), who shall be responsible for hearing and determining complaints filed in accord with the Association's policy on professional review. The Committee on Ethics may convene local panels to conduct hearings. "In addition, this committee works to educate NASW members about ethics issues by planning ethics workshops and writing a column for The Maryland Social Worker on Ethical issues. 

Interested in joining the committee? Sign Up Today!

Mission Statement: The Social Work in Schools (SWIS) is a joint committee of NASW-MD members and members of School Social Workers in Maryland (SSWIM), the local state affiliate of SSWAA. The purpose of this committee is to help ensure that school social workers provide the highest quality services to children, families, and schools, to support and provide educational opportunities for school social workers, to educate the public about the nature of school social work and the benefits provided to children, families, and schools, to advocate for the expansion of school social work services by LEA's in Maryland and to promote the involvement of school social workers in coordinated pupil service teams.

Interested in joining the committee? Sign Up Today!