DETROIT — Wayne State University’s School of Social Work is shining a light on best practices for serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and intersex (LGBTQI) populations during its seventh annual Dean’s Diversity Lecture, which begins at 1 p.m. March 21 in Wayne Law’s Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium.

Lori Messinger of the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) will speak on culturally competent social work practice with people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Messinger, professor and director of UNCW’s School of Social Work, has written numerous articles and books on social work education with LGBTQI populations, and is an award-winning teacher and recognized scholar.
Messinger’s talk will be followed by a panel discussion featuring social work professors Kim Jaffee of Wayne State and Michael Woodford of University of Michigan; a representative from the WSU Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity – Social Work (SOGI-SW) student organization; and a social work practitioner from metro Detroit.

At the event’s conclusion, Messinger will sign copies of the book she co-authored with Deana Morrow, Sexual Orientation and Gender Expression in Social Work Practice: Working with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trangender People.

The event is free and has been approved by the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative for two Continuing Education Contact Hours (with a $10 processing fee payable at the lecture).

For further information, contact Julie Alter-Kay, special assistant to the dean, at ae8440@wayne.edu or 313-577-4464.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 29,000 students.