Description

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

1. Examine how the CIRCLE Framework domains operate as an integrated administrative leadership system that aligns professional learning, supervision, discipline practices, and community partnerships to support culturally responsive and restorative implementation.
2. Assess organizational leadership structures through the lens of the CIRCLE domains to identify conditions that strengthen or constrain implementation fidelity, sustainability, and equity-centered outcomes across school systems.
3. Apply the CIRCLE Framework to inform leadership routines, accountability mechanisms, and cross-role collaboration strategies that move culturally responsive and restorative practices from isolated initiatives to institutionalized organizational practice.

Presenter Bio

Ericka Tapia-Hunter, LMSW, is a community school leader and Licensed Master Social Worker with nearly two decades of experience advancing equity and restorative, culturally responsive practice across public education and community-based systems. She currently serves as a Community School Director and School Social Worker in a New York City public high school, where she leads integrated student supports, family engagement strategies, cross-sector partnerships, and schoolwide wellness initiatives, and designs and facilitates trauma-informed professional development for educators.

Guided by a commitment to justice, belonging, and collective well-being, Ericka’s work centers on addressing structural inequities affecting historically marginalized students and families. Her practice emphasizes strengthening school climate, organizational culture, and leadership practices to promote cultural affirmation, relational trust, healing-centered engagement, and shared accountability.

Ericka holds a Master of Social Work from Fordham University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Social Work at the University of Kentucky, with an anticipated graduation in May 2026. Her doctoral capstone includes a systematic literature review, a conceptual paper, and a practice application introducing the CIRCLE Framework, a social work–informed, equity-centered leadership model designed for implementation in community school contexts.

In addition to her professional role, Ericka engages in community-based advocacy, leadership development, public scholarship, and mentorship. She is a member of the Association for Community Organization & Social Action, serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council of Partnership with Children, and leads an afterschool healing arts program and a My Sister’s Keeper chapter centered on student leadership, wellness, and cultural affirmation.

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.