The 34th Texas School Social Workers Conference welcomed 900 colleagues from across the state to one of the largest gatherings of school social work professionals in the nation. The three-day event, hosted in Austin, Texas, by Texas Social Work, encouraged connection and collaboration around informative keynotes as well as engaging breakout workshops.
The conference launched with a day of ethics institutes, where school social workers from across Texas dug into the real-world challenges of their profession. Five three-hour sessions covered everything from ethical fundamentals to the finer points of student support, with particular attention to how social workers navigate today’s evolving school environments. Participants earned CEUs while tackling topics like clinical supervision access and evidence-based group management.
Keynote speakers represented the breadth and depth of school social work today, from innovative educators and policy experts to respected researchers and community advocates. Their collective expertise spanned critical areas, including youth support, mental health policy, cultural responsiveness, and trauma-informed practice — offering attendees fresh perspectives on the evolving landscape of school social work.
As a longstanding sponsor of the conference, The University of Texas at Austin remains committed to advancing this essential field. With one in five Texas Social Work students completing practicums in school settings, and faculty actively engaged in related research, the school continues to invest in preparing professionals who transform individual lives, strengthen school communities, and shape educational policy. The conference represents just one way the school supports these vital practitioners who create lasting positive change in Texas schools.