Join the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) and BUSSW Votes for the second session in the From Ballots to Better Health virtual series, Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics. Dr. Charles E. Lewis Jr., director of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) and Dr. Jessia Hare, vice president of outreach at American Promise, will explain how dark money impacts U.S. elections and demonstrate ways social workers can combat dark money influence to build a stronger democracy.

Program:
7:00 pm: Opening remarks and introduction by Tami Gouveia, director and Paul Farmer Professor or Practice, Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health, BU School of Social Work

7:05 pm: Dr. Charles Lewis, Jr. presents
7:25 pm: Introduction by Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH
7:30 pm: Dr. Jessica Hare presents
7:50 pm: Q&A with Dr. Lewis, Dr. Hare, Dr. Gouveia, and audience
8:10 pm: Closing remarks by Diane Crowley

Content Level: Intermediate

Continuing Education Credit Info:
The target audience for this lecture and discussion is LICSW, LCSW, LSW, LSWA,  and other health care professionals. Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 4/23/2024 – 4/23/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 continuing education credits (pending).

1.25 national continuing education credits (pending) are available to social workers licensed in the U.S. after the completion of a brief post-event quiz. The event will provide intermediate-level content and must be attended live in order to receive CE credits. If you would like to receive credits, please provide your license number during registration. The post-event quiz will be sent out at the end of the event. Applicants will need to earn a score of 70% or higher to receive the CE certificate, which will be sent via email. Questions? Contact ciswh@bu.edu.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will be able to identify three efforts social workers can get involved in to mitigate the current threats to democracy.
2. Participants will be able to describe what dark money is and how dark money in politics impacts our elections and policymaking processes.
3. Participants will be able to describe how the For Our Freedom Amendment protects America against foreign interference in our electoral process.
4. Participants will be able to describe three ways to take action For Our Freedom.

About Dr. Charles E. Lewis, Jr.
Dr. Charles Lewis (he/him) is the director and founder of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP). During his time in the U.S. capitol,  Dr. Lewis created the Congressional Social Work Caucus,a platform that gives social workers a greater voice in Congress. As the staff coordinator for the Social Work Caucus, Dr. Lewis organized briefings for the National Association of Social Work (NASW), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

In 2012, he founded CRISP to complement the mission of the Social Work Caucus.  Under Dr. Lewis’s leadership, CRISP continues to support and encourage social workers to engage with their Congressional representatives.

Dr. Lewis was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Welfare in recognition of his contribution to the emerging field of political social work. Since March of 2016, Dr. Lewis has coordinated a Social Work Day on the Hill where social workers from all walks of life gather to celebrate the many contributions social work has made to Congress and the federal government. Each year CRISP brings hundreds of social work students together for its Student Advocacy Day on the Hill where emerging social workers learn to engage with congressional staff and advocate for legislation relevant to social work and the populations they serve.

About Dr. Jessica Hare
Dr. Jessica Hare (she/her) serves as the vice president of outreach at American Promise. Dr. Hare received her Doctor of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She is also an Alumna of the University of South Carolina where she received her Master of Social Work degree and Winthrop University where she received her Bachelor of Social Work degree.

Dr. Hare has over 15 years of professional social work experience that includes child welfare, military, medical, and school social work. She is an active member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and prides herself on upholding the organization’s mission and vision. She is committed to the empowerment of black women and girls and advocating on their behalf by promoting leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education, and economic empowerment. She also volunteers as a designated speaker for the Domestic Violence Speaker’s Bureau and has been chosen as the keynote speaker for many domestic violence events. Dr. Hare is also an active member of the National Association of Social Workers serving the Georgia Chapter and is a member of the Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) committee.

Accessibility Statement:
Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive, and diverse in its facilities, programming, and academic offerings. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you have a disability (including but not limited to learning or attention, mental health, concussion, vision, mobility, hearing, physical, or other health-related issues), requiring communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing, or believe that you require a reasonable accommodation for another reason, please contact the event organizer at ciswh@bu.edu to discuss your needs.

Non-Partisanship Statement:
The From Ballots to Better Health virtual series is dedicated to fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge, and promoting civic engagement. We would like to remind all participants that this event is founded on principles of non-partisanship and inclusivity.

Our mission is to create a safe and respectful learning environment where individuals from various backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives can come together to discuss, learn, and engage without bias or political partisanship. We believe that by transcending political polarization, we can find common ground and advance our collective understanding and progress.

We kindly ask all speakers, participants, and affiliates to refrain from promoting, endorsing, or disparaging any political party, candidate, or partisan political agenda, and treat all participants with respect, regardless of differing opinions, and engage in constructive and courteous discourse.

By participating in this event, you agree to uphold these principles and contribute to an environment that encourages open, unbiased, and respectful exchange of ideas.

Thank you for your commitment to maintaining the non-partisan spirit of From Ballots to Better Health. We look forward to a productive and enlightening conversation.