Social Workers Meet for Summit at Biltmore; Virtual and In-Person Participation

The University of Belize, in partnership with the National Association of Social Workers, is hosting a two-day Social Virtual Summit. The summit is used as a platform to emphasize the role social workers play as mental health practitioners in various fields. Students and social work professionals alike are sharing their experiences to both an in-person and virtual audience. Here is a look at what day one entailed inside the Biltmore in Belize City.

Azalia Larrieu, Lecturer, University of Belize

Azalia Larrieu

“The Social Works Virtual Summit, this is the second year we are holding it virtually. It actually began as a conference and exhibition back in 2016. The summit is to advocate and highlight the social work profession, and to highlight them as mental health practitioners as well. Social workers work in different areas and fields within the human services. A lot of people don’t realize what they do. Today, we have a lineup of clinical social workers as well as social workers working with youths, the elderly, social workers who work as managers of human resources organizations as well. So, the theme itself is, “The time is right for social works.”  This theme is in collaboration with the National Association of Social Workers and one of main reasons we are doing that is the International Federation of Social Workers team. This year we are actually highlighting a MOU, Memorandum of Understanding with California Baptist University. This brings about a lot of things. It can mean a Masters Program in Social Work, soon to come. But, it is collaboration with the university and it has been highlighted through the Social Works Department as well, but it is with both universities.”