Description

Housing Crisis in the United States of America Affecting Minorities

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Explore and explain the way in which structural and historical policies affecting housing continue to impact communities of color disproportionately, and the reasons why the disproportionate impact is a social justice issue relevant to the practice of social work.
2. Analyzing the social work profession as a systems-level agent of change, including an examination of the ways that cross-sector collaboration, policy advocacy, and leadership, as represented through models like the CSEA (Center for Social and Economic Advancement) approach, eviction prevention, and data-driven equity, can help stabilize housing situations.
3. Apply evidence from housing research to inform concrete social work interventions at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels (e.g., client advocacy, community organizing, tenant protections, and policy reform).

Presenter Bio

Christian F. Pittman, MSW, is a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Kentucky in the Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program with a focus on Administrative and Leadership Practice. Christian received his Master of Social Work at Valdosta State University and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science at Columbus State University.

Currently, he is a K-12 school-based therapist at The Vashti Center, providing mental health services in three rural school districts in South Georgia. His experience includes mental health services in correctional facilities, youth behavioral interventions, and community mental health settings. His areas of interest include trauma-informed care, cultural competency, and systems-level advocacy.

His research interests are: social justice, mental health equity, leadership in social work organizations, and structural inequities found in marginalized communities. His capstone project is an examination of the housing crisis in the US and its impact on racial and ethnic minorities, with a special focus on culturally responsive interventions and leadership to address systemic inequities. His other research interests are crisis intervention and mental health work in correctional systems.

He is an active participant in The National Society of Leadership and Success and The Graduate Social Work Organization. Currently, his scholarly work is in progress for publication later.

Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing

Session not eligible for CE credit.

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.