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AWARDS CEREMONY 2026

Come together with us on Thursday, November 19 at 5:30pm at Chelo’s Banquet Facility (2225 Post Road, Warwick, RI), as we celebrate the heart of social work in Rhode Island. This special awards evening, hosted by The NASW Rhode Island Chapter, will honor the dedication, compassion, and positive impact of social workers who make a difference every day in the lives of individuals and families across our state. Enjoy an inspiring program recognizing the dedication and impact of social work professionals, with complimentary parking available on-site.

REGISTER HERE AS A GUEST

Chapter Award Honorees:

Social Worker of the Year - Lifetime Achievement and Older Adults Award: Corinne Calise Russo, LCSW
Social Worker of the Year - Children and Families Award: Ryan Loiselle, MSW, LICSW
Social Worker of the Year - School Social Work Award: Nikki Bond, LCSW
Social Workers of the Year - Mental Health Award: Melissa Santoro, LICSW
Social Workers of the Year - Mental Health Award: Meeckral Searight, LICSW
Nancy H. Gewirtz Social Action Award: Wendy L. Joering
Robert S. Burgess Community Service Award: Allison Davis, MSW, LCSW
Promising Practitioner Awards:
- Rhode Island College - BSW: Daytyah Brockington
- Salve Regina University - BSW: Christina Lopresti
- Providence College - BSW: Sergio Daniel Espinoza

Attendee Tickets (Register Here):

Guest Registration: $65 per person
Deadline: Friday, November 13

For questions about ticket purchases, please contact us: assoc.naswri@socialworkers.org

Guest Instructions to Register Online:

Visit this link
Click "Registration is now open”
Review our tickets available (guests, ads, and sponsorships).
Click “Register Myself” to start your registration.
Select your options under “Registration Options”, as well as your meal choice, allergies/dietary restrictions, and your honoree.
If you’d like to add a congratulatory ad purchase on your registration, please select the ad size under “Optional Items”
Click “Proceed to Checkout”, fill out the payment details, and submit your order.

Want To Register By Mail? Mail us a check, including guest registration details (name, email, and dietary restrictions) per guest, by Monday, November 9 (postmarked deadline) at: National Association of Social Workers - RI Chapter, 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 005, Providence, RI 02903

Program Book Ads (Purchase Ad Here):

Celebrate an honoree by placing an ad in our Program Book. Ads will be shared with all guests in the ceremony booklet.

Front inside full page (1 available): $175 (4.75"W x 7"H in, PGN)
Back inside full page (1 available): $175 (4.75"W x 7"H in, PGN)
Full page: $150 (4.75"W x 7"H in, PGN)
Half page: $75 (4.75"W x 3.5"H in, PGN)
⅛ page: $35 (3.5"W x 2"H in, PGN)

Program Book Ad Instructions:

Visit this link
Click "Registration is now open”
Review our program ads available.
Click “Register Myself” to start your registration.
Select your options under “Registration Options”.
Click “Proceed to Checkout”, fill out the payment details, and submit your order.

All ads registration deadline is Tuesday, November 10. All ads must be submitted by Thursday, November 12. For questions about ad purchases, please contact us: assoc.naswri@socialworkers.org.

Want To Register By Mail? Mail us a check by Monday, November 9 (postmarked deadline) at: National Association of Social Workers - RI Chapter, 260 West Exchange Street, Suite 005, Providence, RI 02903.

Sponsor The Ceremony $600 (Become a Sponsor Here):

Support our ceremony and celebrate the incredible work of social workers in Rhode Island. Become a sponsor and help make this awards evening truly special while gaining recognition for your organization.

Four complimentary tickets to the ceremony!
Full page ad in the program book (4.75"W x 7"H in)
Recognition on our website
Social media post (1080px by 1080px)
Recognition during the Ceremony's welcome remarks

Sponsor Registration Instructions:

Visit this link
Click "Registration is now open”
Click “Register Myself” to start your registration.
Select the sponsor option under “Registration Options”.
Click “Proceed to Checkout”, fill out the payment details, and submit your order.

The sponsor registration deadline is Tuesday, November 10. All materials must be submitted by Thursday, November 12. For questions about sponsorships, please contact us: assoc.naswri@socialworkers.org.

Meet Our Honorees:

Social Worker of the Year - Lifetime Achievement and Older Adults Award: Corinne Calise Russo, LCSW

Corinne began her career in aging as the founding director of the Mancini Center on Aging, Inc. in 1976. While at the center she developed innovative community-based models of care along with group activities and case management services and the first community based interdisciplinary health care system with Dr. John Stoukides and Roger Williams Hospital. For this model of care a national award was granted to the team, It was the 1990 Community Achievement Award, given by the United States Department of Human Services, Administration on Aging, Corinne later developed a statewide case management system for elders and their families and then a private geriatric case management practice. It was in 2003 that Corinne was chosen, by Governor Donald Carcieri, to serve as the Director of the Department of Elder Affairs. During the 8 years as Director of DEA, she developed innovative community-based care models, strategic plans, quality outcome systems and multidisciplinary services. Corinne also served as an educator at Rhode Island College, Community College of Rhode Island and Dean College. She always advocated and searched for professionals who were eager and passionate to work with our elders in the community.

Upon retirement from State service, Corinne continued her passion for working with students and healthcare professionals by joining the GWEP (Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program) team at the RI Geriatrics Education Center at the University of RI. She served as the social work subject matter expert for the Geriatrics ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) program, which supports primary care providers in caring for older adults, and she led the Interprofessional Student Training in Geriatrics and Teamwork (IDT) program. Through the IDT program over 1200 students from various health disciplines participated in interprofessional case conferences and collaborated to develop comprehensive care plans for complex cases. Corinne also contributed her expertise to the development of ECHO training programs for community-based workers. Further, Corinne has been a generous volunteer with the Village Common of Rhode Island and the Alzheimer’s Association of Rhode Island in serving as a facilitator for caregiver support groups, committee member, and advocate. She has a deep commitment to mentoring younger professionals interested in working with our community elders.

Social Worker of the Year - Children and Families Award: Ryan Loiselle, MSW, LICSW

Ryan Loiselle, LICSW, has devoted more than 25 years to walking alongside children, teens and families through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. His commitment to grief and bereavement work began in 2001 as a volunteer with FRIENDS WAY, where, even while living out of state, he spent 10 years driving to Warwick every other Monday to support grieving children and families. His career has included community mental health at The Providence Center, medical social work at Franciscan Children’s, and hospice and pediatric palliative care at Merrimack Valley Hospice. Ryan later worked with Jenny Kaplan, founder of FRIENDS WAY, to help establish Jeff’s Place, a children’s bereavement center in Wayland, Massachusetts, before returning to FRIENDS WAY, where he served as Program Director for 14 years. His longstanding commitment to grief camps, which began following the Station Nightclub fire in 2003, later expanded through Experience Camps, where he continues to direct week-long summer programs across the country, offered free to grieving children.

In 2020, Ryan founded Rhode Island Grief Counseling, where he now works full-time with children, teens, adults and families, creating a compassionate space to talk, listen, reflect and find their way through grief. A University of Rhode Island graduate in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Thanatology, Ryan earned his master’s degree in social work from Simmons College. He has presented nationally for the National Association of Social Workers and the National Alliance for Children’s Grief, where he has served on the board since 2021. His work has been recognized with the Segue Institute for Learning’s Mortar Board Award in 2022 and the National Crime Victim Service Award in 2025. Across every role, Ryan’s work remains grounded in a simple belief: grieving children and families deserve to be heard, supported and given a safe place to carry their grief—and no one should have to navigate loss alone.

Social Worker of the Year - School Social Work Award: Nikki Bond, LCSW

Nikki began her career working in schools as a Student Assistance Counselor before transitioning to school social work at Mount Pleasant High School, a community that has become her professional home. Throughout her career, Nikki has been passionate about removing barriers that keep students from fully engaging in school and helping school systems respond more thoughtfully to the young people they serve. Her work has focused on chronic absenteeism, student mental health, school climate, and disciplinary practices that recognize behavior not simply as something to correct, but often as communication about what a student may be experiencing. She believes accountability and support can coexist, and that curiosity about what lies beneath a behavior can create opportunities for meaningful change.

Nikki's connection to this work is also personal. Her own educational journey did not follow a traditional path, giving her a deep appreciation for the circumstances that can shape a young person's experience in school without defining their potential. Along the way, she had an adult who saw what she was capable of and believed in her with such confidence that she learned to believe it, too. Research calls the presence of a consistent, caring adult a protective factor; in the hallways of a school, Nikki believes it can feel a little like magic. She considers it one of the greatest privileges of her work to offer that same unwavering belief to her students—to listen, show up, celebrate their victories, and see beyond the challenges of the moment to the possibilities of what comes next. She hopes her students know that their circumstances and hardest chapters do not have to determine the rest of their story. Above all, Nikki genuinely loves working with adolescents—their humor, complexity, big feelings, and yes—even the occasional eye roll. She considers it a privilege to walk alongside them as they discover who they are and who they are becoming.

Social Workers of the Year - Mental Health Award: Melissa Santoro, LICSW

Melissa Santoro, LICSW is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Rhode Island with more than 20 years of experience specializing in trauma-informed care, sexual abuse-specific treatment, clinical supervision, and professional education. Since 2004, she has dedicated her career to improving outcomes for children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by trauma while advancing best practices across the behavioral health field. Throughout her career, Melissa has held numerous leadership positions within nonprofit behavioral health agencies, including leading outpatient services and providing strategic oversight of complex clinical and administrative operations. Her leadership has focused on implementing innovative trauma-informed programs, strengthening evaluation and quality improvement processes, fostering clinical excellence, and advancing professional development. She currently serves as Clinical Director of Adoption RI’s Behavioral Health and Wellness Department, where she provides specialized leadership focused on strengthening service delivery and supporting professional growth.

Melissa is the co-founder of Pathway to Resilience: Experts in Trauma Treatment Consultation & Training, partnering with organizations, mental health professionals, child welfare agencies, educators, and community stakeholders to provide consultation, clinical supervision, and specialized trauma-informed training. A respected educator and consultant, she has facilitated local and national trainings on child trauma, sexual abuse treatment, trauma-informed practice, and child welfare, and has provided mentoring and consultation to multidisciplinary teams and higher education institutions throughout Rhode Island and across the country. Her early career included supporting families formed through adoption and working with youth experiencing homelessness, experiences that shaped her enduring commitment to resilience, family strengthening, and safe systems of care. An accomplished author and thought leader, Melissa has co-authored publications addressing the needs of children and families impacted by sexual abuse, developed professional curricula and training resources, and contributed to media interviews focused on child mental health and trauma. Her work is distinguished by her ability to translate research and clinical expertise into practical, compassionate approaches that strengthen professionals, organizations, and outcomes for individuals and families affected by trauma.

Social Workers of the Year - Mental Health Award: Meeckral Searight, LICSW

Micki is a Providence College alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She earned her master's degree in social work from Rhode Island College and has over 20 years of experience in mental health/human service settings. Micki spent much of her time post-licensure with the Providence Center, working clinically with children, families and adults in various programs, including outpatient and in-home settings within the agency, and also has vast crisis intervention experience within an emergency room/hospital setting. She is experienced working with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds and utilizes a solution focused, cognitive behavioral treatment, and somatic approach in her work with clients. Micki is also a Level 3 AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy).

Nancy H. Gewirtz Social Action Award: Wendy L. Joering

Wendy Joering brings more than 18 years of nonprofit leadership in community-centered organizations across Rhode Island, building inclusive, responsive programs that strengthen connection and trust. Her leadership was shaped by firsthand experience with hate and threats to the community. Following a 2017 bomb threat while working at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, Wendy developed and implemented the Jewish Community Security Program for Greater Rhode Island, partnering with local, state, and national law enforcement to strengthen safety while fostering collaboration and trust. The program became a model for other nonprofit and faith-based organizations and deepened Wendy’s commitment to confronting antisemitism, Holocaust denial, and hate through education and connection. Since 2021, she has served as Executive Director of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, expanding its reach across Rhode Island while keeping Holocaust education and survivor remembrance at the heart of its mission. She recently led a project ensuring that the names of every Holocaust survivor who settled in Rhode Island are inscribed at the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial; the Center is now documenting profiles of more than those 200 survivors.

Under Wendy’s leadership, the Center has expanded educational and community programming for people of all ages, backgrounds, and faiths, creating opportunities for students, educators, adults, and survivor descendants to learn, connect, and engage. Its work now extends beyond Holocaust education to confronting antisemitism and all forms of hate while fostering empathy, inclusion, kindness, and understanding. A recognized community connector, Wendy brings people and organizations together around shared goals. She co-created the Providence DEI Collaborative, growing it from three organizations to more than 24, and serves as Co-Chair of the Providence Police Community Advisory Board. She also trains at the Providence Police Academy, connecting Holocaust education to bias awareness, ethical decision-making, and community trust, and serves on several community security committees. Across her work, Wendy leads with warmth and purpose and a belief that stronger communities are built when people come together, listen, and create meaningful opportunities for connection

Robert S. Burgess Community Service Award: Allison Davis, MSW, LCSW

I was born and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and my journey into social work is a story of resilience, purpose, and refusing to let my circumstances define me. As a proud mother to my son, Damoni, a social worker, and a clinician, I have dedicated my career to serving children, adults, families, and my community. At the heart of everything I do is a simple belief: people deserve to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported and sometimes, all it takes is one person believing in you to change the direction of your life. Growing up, I experienced adversity and faced barriers that could have easily become the definition of my story. Instead, those experiences became the foundation of my purpose. They taught me what it feels like to struggle, what it means to need someone in your corner, and the power of having someone show up for you when you are struggling to show up for yourself. Today, I carry those lessons into every room I enter and every person I have the privilege of serving.

Being recognized by NASW for my community service through social work practice, advocacy, and dedicated service is deeply meaningful to me because it represents so much more than an award. It represents the journey, the obstacles I overcame, the people who believed in me, the work I have poured into my community, and the person I fought to become. I am proud of where I come from. I am proud of the challenges I survived. And I am even prouder that I have been able to transform those experiences into purpose. I will continue to use my voice, my education, my lived experience, and my passion to advocate for my community and remind others that they are more than their circumstances, their mistakes, or their beginnings. My story is one of resilience from poverty to purpose. And I am just getting started.

Promising Practitioner Award: Rhode Island College - BSW: Daytyah Brockington

Daytyah is pursuing her BSW at Rhode Island College, entering her senior year this fall. Earlier this year, she was accepted into the Accelerated BSW to MSW program. After graduating from Community College of Rhode Island in 2024, she began working as a Child Support Specialist at Amos House’s family shelter. There, Daytyah supports unhoused children in a playroom setting, helping them develop social-emotional skills, providing emotional support, and leading arts and crafts projects—all with the goal of creating a therapeutic environment. Through her employment at Amos House, Daytyah has attended trainings, such as Youth Mental Health First Aid and Trauma-Informed Care, to further improve her knowledge and skills to better serve the population she works with.

While having a strong passion for working with children and families, she is also vocal about social justice and advocating for the Black community. Being a social work student has allowed her to analyze systemic racism and why it occurs in the first place—while fiercely educating herself about historical events that occurred within the Black community. Currently, Daytyah is completing an internship at an elementary school in Providence, Rhode Island, as she has always shown interest in the school system. Additionally, she is passionate about community-based agencies and vulnerable populations having accessible resources. She has always cared about other people and bettering someone’s difficult situation, even if it is something as simple as offering a water bottle on a hot summer day. As a future social worker, her goal is to give back to her community and provide support to families and individuals who are underserved.

Promising Practitioner Award: Salve Regina University - BSW: Christina Lopresti

Christina LoPresti is a rising senior class of 2027 at Salve Regina University in Newport Rhode Island. Throughout her social work education, she has been able to bring what is learned in the classroom into real world experiences, from sophomore year volunteering at Give Kids the World, to junior year working with AARP and City of Newport producing a resource guide for older adults in the area, to her upcoming year helping to organize outings on The Salve Mobile Health Unit Bus. Social work has taught Christina there are so many ways to enhance support systems in a person’s life.

Promising Practitioner Award: Providence College - BSW: Sergio Espinoza

I am Sergio Espinoza, a Senior at Providence College, studying Psychology and Social Work double major with a Latin American minor. Throughout my unforgettable undergraduate journey, I was involved in all areas in the Providence College community; ranging from being a student-athlete, a D1 cheerleader for two consecutive years, serving as a resident assistant, mentoring incoming freshman, and volunteering at San Lucas, Guatemala, a service immersion trip. Outside of Providence College, I embarked upon an approach of learning by practice. I interned at an immigration law firm, studying abroad in Mexico, social work in a Latin American Context, to interning at the Superior Court of Rhode Island. As a first-generation college student, I started to understand how vital it is to be engaged with our surrounding community, and be prepared to serve everyone with confidence and hope.