Supporting Vulnerable Populations in Schools: Ethical, Legal, and Practical Strategies for School Professionals 9/19/25

CEU Creations presents:
Supporting Vulnerable Populations in Schools: Ethical, Legal, and Practical Strategies for School Professionals

FEATURING:

• Expert-led sessions on homelessness, immigration, LGBTQ+ support, and foster care in schools
• Ethical, trauma-informed strategies for serving vulnerable student populations

EVENT INFO:

Friday, September 19, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern time

COST:

Early Bird Registration: $74.99
After September 5, registration is: $99.99
Unlimited CE Bundle Members: FREE

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS:

Social Workers
ASWB ACE – 5 General CE credits
New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work – 5 Contact hours
Psychologists
APA – 5 CE credits
Counselors
NBCC ACEP – 5 Contact hours
NY State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners – 5 Contact hours
Substance Abuse Counselors
NAADAC – 5 Contact hours
Nurses
California Board of Registered Nursing – 5 Contact hours
Case Managers
CCMC – 5 Contact hours

Attendance or applied credit certificate available for other credentials.
Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure the transferability of CE credits.

Target Audience: Social workers, psychologists, counselors, nurses, and case managers

Counseling Skill Group:

4. Counseling Services
6. Case Management
7. Discharge and Continuing Care

OVERVIEW:

School social workers, psychologists, counselors, case managers, and nurses are on the front lines, addressing the unique needs of students who belong to vulnerable populations. This symposium will provide an in-depth exploration of current challenges, relevant legislation, and evidence-based strategies for supporting four key populations: students experiencing homelessness, immigrant families, LGBTQ+ students, and children involved with child welfare or in foster care. Each session will integrate legal frameworks, ethical considerations, and culturally responsive practices, empowering school professionals to advocate effectively and ethically within today’s complex educational and political landscape.

OBJECTIVES:

By attending this training, you will be able to:

• Identify key legal mandates, including the McKinney-Vento Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act, that impact service delivery to homeless and foster care youth.
• Explain strategies for ethically supporting immigrant families in schools, including awareness of immigration-related policies affecting educational access.
• Evaluate the ethical and legal considerations related to confidentiality and advocacy when working with LGBTQ+ students in schools.
• Apply culturally competent, trauma-informed interventions to address the needs of students experiencing homelessness, immigration challenges, LGBTQ+ identity issues, or involvement with child welfare systems.
• Analyze the intersection of professional ethics, legal mandates, and current legislation in guiding school social work practice with vulnerable populations.

AGENDA (all times are Eastern):

8:45-9:00 Login and Networking
9:00-10:00: Homeless Children & Families – Navigating McKinney-Vento | Lori Carmack, LMSW, LSSW, and Coordinator of School Social Work with Hamilton County Schools
10:00-11:00 Working with Children in Foster Care – The Every Student Succeeds Act & Beyond | Breanca Smith, LCSW and School Social Worker for Hamilton County Schools
11:00-11:10 Break
11:10-12:10 Serving Immigrant Families in Schools | Dr. Stephanie Carnes, PhD, LCSW, LLM, and Assistant Professor of Social Work at Sacred Heart University
12:10-12:50 Midway Reset
12:50-1:50 Supporting LGBTQ+ Students – Confidentiality, Ethics, and Advocacy | Richard A. Brandon-Friedman, PHD, LCSW, LCAC, and Associate Professor at Indiana University School of Social Work
1:50-2:00 Break
2:00-3:00 Staying Rooted: Ethical Practice and Advocacy in a Time of Challenge and Change | Stephanie Guster, LCSW, School Social Worker, and Adjunct Professor

PRESENTER BIO:

Lori Carmack, Licensed Master Social Worker, Licensed School Social Worker/Mental Health Clinician, Youth & Family Advocate

With over 20 years of experience in the school system, Lori has dedicated her career to supporting youth and families. She has extensive experience with the McKinney-Vento Act, juvenile justice, mental health counseling, suicide prevention, and risk assessments. Lori has been instrumental in developing community partnerships to enhance mental health services, support students experiencing homelessness, and address the basic needs that are essential for student well-being and support.

Lori built a school social work program aligned with the School Social Work Association of America’s (SSWAA) National School Social Work Practice Model. Her leadership in creating this framework, along with her expertise in grant writing and retention efforts, has earned her both state and national recognition.
Passionate about creating sustainable change, Lori continues to advocate for school social work services that align with the updated SSWAA Practice Model 2.0 to promote equity, evidenced-based practice, and systemic support for the whole child.

Dr. Stephanie Carnes, PhD, LCSW, LLM

Dr. Stephanie Carnes, PhD, LCSW, LLM, is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Sacred Heart University as well as a bilingual clinician, advocate, and researcher. She has spent the better part of the past 15 years engaged in clinical practice and advocacy work with Central American immigrant youth, first at a federally funded shelter program and subsequently as a school social worker in a public high school in New York’s Westchester County. She has conducted extensive research on identity development, social inclusion, and well-being in Spanish-speaking immigrant youth. In addition to a doctorate in social welfare and an MSW degree, Stephanie also holds an LLM Masters of International Human Rights Law.

Breanca Smith, LCSW and School Social Worker for Hamilton County Schools

Breanca Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed School Social Worker living in Chattanooga, TN. She currently serves as one of two social work leads for Hamilton County Schools, which serves approximately 45,000 students in Southeast Tennessee.

She began her social work career in 2014 by attending Salisbury University out of Maryland (graduated in 2016 with a Master of Social Work degree). Since then, she has worked in substance abuse prevention, mental health, and school-based support services. Her previous roles include substance abuse counselor, therapist (both community mental health and private sector), care coordinator/case manager, and school social worker. She has served many types of special populations including racial/ethnic minorities, those with disabilities (deaf/hard of hearing, vision impaired, etc.), LGBTQIA+ community members, individuals with autism, individuals in foster care, justice involved/incarcerated individuals, and other groups.

Richard A. Brandon-Friedman, PHD, LCSW, LCAC and Associate Professor at Indiana University School of Social Work

Richard A. Brandon-Friedman (He/Him/His) is an Associate Professor within the Indiana University School of Social Work. Dr. Brandon-Friedman’s current clinical work and research focus on the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth. His past social work practice experience with youth in the child welfare system, as a home- and school-based case manager, and as a clinical social worker within a therapeutic foster care agency guides his inquiry into how psychosocial experiences such as trauma, sexual messaging, social environments, and societal messaging about sexual and/or gender minorities impact youths’ sexual and gender identity development. Through his work, Dr. Brandon-Friedman aims to help service providers understand how to best assist youth in developing a positive sense of their gender identity, sexual identity, and selfhood.

Stephanie Guster, LCSW, School Social Worker and Adjunct Professor

Stephanie Guster holds a masters degree in social work from The Ohio State University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in both Tennessee and Georgia. Prior to joining the School of Social Work faculty, Professor Guster worked full-time as a school social worker in Dalton City Schools, while teaching as an adjunct professor for Southern Adventist University. Professor Guster has adjunct experience with teaching several online masters courses for Simmons University. Her background also includes providing school social work services at the elementary, middle, and high school level. Additionally, she has experience providing clinical services while working in the area of hospice and bereavement.

COURSE PARTICIPATION INFORMATION:

To ensure you are ready to participate, please complete a short Test Drive on Zoom.

This live webinar is fully interactive. Attendees may ask and answer questions throughout the presentation and participate in instructor-led discussions. A computer or mobile device is required. Zoom account is not required.

You will receive a reminder email approximately 24 hours prior to the start of the training and a link to join the webinar will be in your CEU Creations account under Member Profile.

To receive credit, you must log in on time, attend the entire presentation, and interact.

POST EVENT: When the training ends, your attendance will be processed using Zoom analytics. Once processed, the evaluation link will be available in your account. Once your evaluation is complete, your certificate will be available in your CEU Creations account within 24-72 hours.

Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions.

FINE PRINT

SOCIAL WORKERS: CEU Creations, #1239, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/24-11/22/27. Social workers completing this course receive 5 General continuing education credits.
CEU Creations, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0616. This activity is approved for 5 Contact hours.

PSYCHOLOGISTS: 5 CE Credit 
CEU Creations is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. CEU Creations maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

COUNSELORS: 5 Contact hours
 CEU Creations has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6941. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  CEU Creations is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
CEU Creations, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0199. This activity is approved for 5 Contact hours.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELORS:  This course has been approved by CEU Creations, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 5 CEs. NAADAC Provider #324725. CEU Creations is responsible for all aspects of its programming. 

NURSES: 5 Contact hours. CEU Creations is an approved provider of nursing CEs through the California Board of Registered Nursing. Provider number: CEP17905. All states retain their own licensing authority through their own boards. Please make sure to check with your own state board to ensure transferability of the CE credits.

Cancellation Policy: Registrants must cancel their registration in their CEU Creations account. No email, faxes, or mail cancellations will be accepted. Cancellation fee: $25. Refunds will not be given for cancellations within five (5) business days prior to the workshop date.  

Accessibility Accommodations: At CEU Creations, we are dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all individuals. We strive to ensure our continuing education content, website, and services are usable by everyone, regardless of ability. We are continually working to enhance accessibility and user experience for all of our users. If you encounter any barriers, have questions, or wish to request accommodations, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact us at [email protected] and a member of our team will review your message and respond promptly.

Event Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy: In the event that CEU Creations cancels or reschedules an event, registered participants will be given the option to receive a full refund, a credit toward a different event of the same value, or to transfer their registration to the rescheduled date.