2023 NASW-MO Chapter Annual Symposium

Lee Westgate, MSW, MBA, LCSW-C (he/ him/ his) is an out transgender advocate with more than 15 years of professional experience in social work policy, practice, research, and education. He is a board approved clinical supervisor in the state of Maryland, has held numerous organizational leadership roles, and has served as an educational consultant to a variety of associations and organizational clientele. He has served as a medical social worker in the fields of oncology, critical care, as well as in integrated behavioral health settings. Mr. Westgate has participated in a CSWE-sponsored National Trauma Task Force work-group that focused on the intersection of ethics and trauma-informed practice and he was awarded an immersion fellowship through Boston University to study addiction and behavioral health. He has participated in AIDS Education and Training Center on behalf of the University of Maryland, School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD since 2017 and participated in the MidAtlantic AIDS Education and Training Workgroup on COVID and HIV. Mr. Westgate continues to serve as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work and his scholarship includes integrated behavioral health, clinical work with LGBTQIA+ populations, working with individuals with chronic and life-threatening illness, healthcare policy, and health equity. As a faculty member, he has received numerous teaching awards including the Camara Jones Faculty Award of 2022, Innovation in Social Work Award of 2022, Exemplary Faculty Member of the Year Award along with the Dean’s Teaching Award for several consecutive semesters. He has been published in The Social Worker, The Journal of Employee Assistance, Infusion Magazine, Provider Magazine, and Social Work Today.