Thank you to everyone who attended AOSW’s 42nd Annual Conference, Threads of Support, Nurturing Resilience and Breaking Barriers, in Portland, Oregon, in June, and to all those who are part of our community throughout the year. Your presence, your energy, and the palpable connection and community made this conference the success it was!
This is thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee, co-chaired by Nicole Marcouiller and Sophia Tsesmelis and joined by Kelly Hendershot, Jennifer Keller, and Kayla Fulginiti. Their vision shaped the threads of this year’s program, and their care showed in every detail.
The feedback we’ve received from the evaluations has captured the connection that was felt, the learning that took place, and the community that was cultivated. From SIG meetings to shared meals, planned and unplanned conversations in hallways and over coffee, that connection showed up everywhere this year, not just in session rooms. Attendees also wove their own ribbons into our Community Weaving Wall, each representing a thread of this community: the patients we walk alongside, the barriers we work to dismantle, and the ties that hold us all together.
This conference is also a yearly reminder of how much our members carry, for patients, for families, for each other, and how a few days together can restore something. This year’s theme asked us to think about what holds us up when the work is hard, and what we’re still working to break down, individually and as a field. Watching that theme come alive in the sessions, the conversations, and the community that formed in real time was a gift to witness.
This year’s program was anchored by two remarkable voices: keynote speakers Michelle Ferretti, LCSW, OSW-C, and Joy Malbrough, PhD, LMSW, whose insight and passion set the tone for the conference from opening to close.
Each conference is also a chance to celebrate the people who make this field what it is: this year’s award recipients, scholarship winners, and newly welcomed AOSW Fellows among them. Be sure to check out the Kudos column to see this year’s honorees and celebrate their well-deserved recognition.
This year, we’re trying something new. In-person conferences are soul-filling, but we also know they can be hard to get to, with the barriers of travel, cost, and time away from patients and families. This fall, we’ll be offering a virtual one-day conference featuring a selection of sessions from this year’s program, giving our community another way to access the learning and connection that made this conference special. It’s our way of tending to many voices this year, offering a bit of both, the depth of gathering in person and the reach of meeting you where you are. The mini conference will take place on Wednesday, November 4, from 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. ET. Please save the date and look for more information soon!
As my first year as Education Director and co-chair of the Conference Planning Committee, I’ve come away with a deep appreciation for all that goes into making this conference the experience it is for all of us, from the countless hours to the care behind every decision to the people who make it look easy when it never is.
To everyone who presented, moderated, volunteered, or simply showed up ready to learn and connect, thank you. You are the reason this conference works.
Looking ahead, we’ll soon be opening the call for applications to join next year’s Conference Committee, so keep an eye out and consider being part of shaping what comes next. Be sure to mark your calendars, too: AOSW’s 2027 Annual Conference will be held virtually, May 25–27, and we can’t wait to see where this community takes us next.
