DSW Candidate – Mary R. Sewell
$0.00
Virtual Showcase of DSW Scholars 2026 Event!
From Silence to Speech: A Culturally Responsive Framework for Suicide Assessment among African American Adolescents Introducing the R.I.C.K.Y. Framework (Relational Connection, Identity Affirmation, Culturally Attuned Communication, Knowledge & Awareness, and Youth Empowerment
DSW Candidate – Mary R. Sewell
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
1:00 PM-2:15 PM Eastern Time Zone
Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)
Description
From Silence to Speech: A Culturally Responsive Framework for Suicide Assessment among African American Adolescents Introducing the R.I.C.K.Y. Framework (Relational Connection, Identity Affirmation, Culturally Attuned Communication, Knowledge & Awareness, and Youth Empowerment
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:
1. Participants will be able to identify the current state of culturally responsive suicide assessment tools for African American adolescents and recognize existing gaps within traditional assessment practices.
2. Participants will be able to understand the importance of cultural responsiveness in suicide risk evaluation, and how systemic inequities, identity, and relational disconnection influence assessment outcomes for African American youth.
3. Participants will be able to identify a new proposed practice for clinical social work cultural awareness that supports African American adolescents experiencing suicidal ideation through the integration of culturally responsive assessment approaches.
Presenter Bio
Mary R. Sewell, MSW, LMSW, is a Doctor of Social Work candidate at the University of Kentucky with nearly a decade of professional experience as a school social worker, clinician, and community-based mental health practitioner. Her scholarly and professional work is directed toward clinicians and allied professionals responsible for assessing suicide among African American adolescents, with a focus on advancing culturally responsive, equity-centered assessment practices that address structural, relational, and cultural limitations embedded within conventional suicide risk instruments.
Mary R. Sewell’s professional background includes school-based behavioral health counseling, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care, as well as culturally attuned practice within Indigenous communities, including work with the Oglala Lakota Nation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and the Havasupai Tribe in the Grand Canyon region of Arizona. Across these contexts, her practice emphasizes relational safety, affirmation of cultural identity, and contextualized assessment processes that support ethical clinical decision-making.
Her doctoral capstone project, From Silence to Speech: A Culturally Responsive Framework for Suicide Assessment among African American Adolescents, introduces the R.I.C.K.Y. Framework (Relational Connection, Identity Affirmation, Culturally Attuned Communication, Knowledge and Awareness, and Youth Empowerment), a practice-informed model grounded in Critical Race Theory, Relational–Cultural Theory, and Afrocentric principles, designed to guide culturally responsive suicide assessment across school, clinical, and community settings (Sewell, 2026).
Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing
Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)
Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.
Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, 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: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.
Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.
Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.
