Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama

 

Submission Deadline: Friday, August 1, 2025, 11:59 pm EST. 

The 2025 Southern Conference on Homelessness and Housing (SCHH) brings together housing developers, homeless program managers, case managers, advocates, state and local government representatives, mental and public health providers, and individuals with lived experience to address the persistent challenges of poverty and the lack of safe, decent, and affordable housing across our region.

With your support, SCHH will offer dynamic educational and training opportunities aimed at improving housing and support services for vulnerable populations—including individuals experiencing homelessness, older adults, youth, veterans, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, people living with HIV/AIDS, individuals with disabilities, and those managing mental illness.

This year’s theme, "Housing Works: Bringing Communities Together to Advance Housing Solutions," underscores our shared belief that stable, affordable, and accessible homes are the foundation for healthy families, thriving schools, and vibrant communities. Over the past year, we’ve seen communities across the South develop impactful, empowering housing initiatives. Yet, significant systemic, cultural, and practical barriers remain.

Together, we have the opportunity to advance housing justice, share best practices, explore innovative strategies, and shape inclusive, sustainable communities for all.

The Southern Conference on Homelessness and Housing (SCHH) Planning Team invites presentation proposals that align with our 2025 conference theme:
"Housing Works: Bringing Communities Together to Advance Housing Solutions."

Abstract Topics: 

• Back to Basics for Homelessness and Housing Systems 

• Policy & Systems Change

• Lived Experience

• Innovative Programs & Practice Models

• Health & Housing Integration

• Youth, Families & Special Populations

• Data, Evaluation & Technology

• Leadership, Capacity Building & Workforce Development 

• Community Engagement & Storytelling

 

Track Sponsorship – $5,000 

As a Track Sponsor, your organization will be recognized as a champion of knowledge-sharing and innovation within one of the conference’s key learning tracks: 

 Possible Tracks Include: 

• Housing Justice  

• Supportive Services & Mental Health 

• Youth & Family Homelessness 

• Policy & Advocacy 

• Rural Housing & Community Development 

• Systems Change & Collaboration 

You will be required to select from one or all of the options below:

• This presenter is a faculty member of an accredited undergraduate or graduate school of social work.  

• This presenter has received specialized graduate or postgraduate-level training in the subject taught in the program.  

• This presenter has extensive experience, including at least five years of practical application or research involving the subject taught in the course.
• The presenter has none of the qualifications listed and requests special consideration (submissions must meet one of the criteria to be CE-eligible).

Abstracts must be submitted by a “Primary/Lead Presenter,” and conference sessions must be presented by the individuals noted within the submitted abstract.  Co-presenters are not required to meet the parameters noted above.   

Professional Development Competency Areas: Professional Development will be guided by general competencies related to Social Work Practice and Homelessness and Housing Services, focusing on creating more housing opportunities for vulnerable people. 

Advance and support housing providers and allied professionals to become leaders in housing and homelessness. 

• Promote certification, credentialing, mentorship, and supervision 

• Support allied professionals in housing

Promote enhanced Housing Practice to improve the health and optimal well-being of persons who have experienced homelessness and housing instability.  

• Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior 

• Demonstrate knowledge and competency around the intersection of medical care and psychosocial approaches to promote eviction prevention, access to housing, and equitable well-being. 

• Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice, particularly to promote health and racial equity among persons unjustly impacted by housing instability and homelessness.  

• Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities to intentionally engage persons with lived experience. 

• Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities, including health and race equity and social injustice. 

• Intervening with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities Competency; and 

• Promote cross-disciplinary practices that relate to and enhance social work practice. 

Promote practice-informed and emerging research/evaluation. 

• Research and evaluate practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations, and Communities. 

• Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice. 

• Increase knowledge of evidence-based and promising practices; and 

• Promote health and racial equity through action-oriented research and evaluation, including the intentional involvement of lived experience. 

Promote Advocacy/Policy to address social injustice, health, racial inequities, and systemic racism, perpetuating ongoing homelessness and housing inequities. 

• Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice, including systems change and innovation to end systemic racism, which continues to drive homelessness. 

Additional Resource: 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards for Baccalaureate and Master’s Social Work Program, Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 

Link: 2022-EPAS.pdf (cswe.org)

Note: The referenced Fall 2021 version has been released in draft form as a follow-up to the 2015 publication. 

 

**PREVIEW OF ABSTRACT FORM – TO BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY** 

Section 1: Presenters and Co-Presenter(s) 

Presenter's first name, last name, credentials, and email address. The primary presenter will be the first presenter on the list. 

• Presenter Exception Requested

Biographical Sketch and Credentials 

Text limited to 75-100 words. This information should include what qualifies you to present on this topic.  

Section 2: Abstract Narrative & Summary (Required) 

Proposal Title: Include an exciting and engaging title that indicates the content of your proposed session to the audience. 

Keywords: You will be asked to provide 3-5 keywords to help us categorize this session. For example, you may list terms that describe a specific population, type of practice, type of intervention, funding issues, housing support, etc.   

Proposal Summary: Your proposal summary in this category should not exceed 350 words. Describe how your session will be interactive for attendees. 

Content Level:

• Beginner 

• Intermediate 

• Advanced 

Proposed Topic Category: Please indicate which content type most closely aligns with your session to help us better categorize which type of CE it is eligible for.  

• Support Services  
• Housing Best Practices  
• Leadership/Management 
• Homelessness 
• Affordable Housing Development 
• Equity Considerations in Housing and Homelessness Services 
• Rural Considerations in Housing Provision 
• Youth-Centered Homelessness Programs 
• Other: Something new, creative, and /or Innovative 

 Section 3: Learning Objective(s) (Required)

Provide at minimum three (3) learning objectives that are clear, measurable, and achievable.  

We will not accept “N/A or not applicable.” 

(1) Each learning outcome is measurable and/or observable.  

(2) Each learning outcome illustrates knowledge or a skill that a participant will be able to demonstrate after completing the course   

(3) Each learning outcome is stated identically in all promotional materials and in the session evaluation. 

Complete the sentence, 'Upon completion, the participant will be able to….' Use action words to begin this learning objective, such as list, describe, define, demonstrate, conduct, etc.  

For more information on how to effectively write objectives, click here:  ASWB Acceptable Learning Objectives.

 

Section 4: Citations (Required)  

Please include a minimum of three (3) up-to-date (within the last ten years) citations in the APA-approved format to support your work. We will not accept “N/A or not applicable.” 
Click here for an example of APA format:  Purdue University Writing Center. 

Required for all presenters: 

• Upload CV/Resume ( Exclude personal information like a home address and phone number). 
• A headshot should be uploaded in the order of the speakers listed. 
• Speaker Biographies  

Upon submission, participants must check this statement:  education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. 

I know the requirement to make my presentation interactive to qualify participants to receive Social Work Continuing Education credits per ASWB.  

Collaborative Solutions, Inc. (ACE Provider Approval #1548) is approved to offer continuing social work Organizations, not individual courses, and are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. Collaborative Solutions, Inc. maintains responsibility for this course(s). ACE Provider Approval Period: 05/16/2024– 05/16/2027.  

 

Special Accommodations: 

If receiving the following information in an alternate format is needed or determined to be helpful, please contact Theresa@collaborative-solutions.net. Please allow time for staff to receive, confirm receipt, and respond to any special accommodation requested.