Renessa A. Banks, LISW-S, is a licensed independent social worker with over 25 years of experience addressing mental health disparities in community and hospital settings. Her professional background includes medical social work with individuals living with HIV and leukemia. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of Placement for the MSW program at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. In this role, she is responsible for recruiting, developing, approving, and monitoring field placements for masters-level students, ensuring alignment with the CSWE requirements, the school’s curriculum, and each student’s area of interest.
Renessa is a part-time instructor at the University of Kentucky. She is the founder and owner of MindfulNess Therapeutics, a company dedicated to supporting social workers through clinical supervision and consultation services.
Renessa is a doctoral student at the University of Kentucky, where her research centers on incorporating justice-informed sexual health education into social work curricula, a passion stemming from her commitment to addressing systemic inequities and promoting culturally responsive care. She holds a BSW from the University of Akron; an MA in Exercise, Leisure, and Sport from Kent State University; and an MSW from Capella University.
Renessa is affiliated with the University of Kentucky’s Phi Alpha Honor Society, the National Association of Black Social Workers, the National Association of Social Workers, the Clinical Social Work Association, the Coalition of Black Social Workers, and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. Her dedication to advancing social work education and practice continues to influence her work.
DSW Showcase Student Presentation
Renessa Banks
MA, MSW, LISW-S
Beyond the Birds and Bees: The Impact of Integrating Justice-Informed Sexual Health Education into Social Work Curricula
Concentration - Social Work Education
- Tuesday, April 29, 2025 -
- 1:00 pm
Abstract
Social workers across various specialties conduct psychosocial assessments to better understand the needs of the populations they serve. Despite the emphasis on holistic care in practice, sexual health is often absent from these assessments. This gap in service compromises patient care, perpetuates stigma related to sex and intimacy, and fails to serve marginalized populations adequately. The lack of sexual health content in social work education leaves practitioners underprepared to address clients’ sexual health needs with competence and confidence. This research aims to address these deficits by developing a trauma-informed and justice-oriented framework for integrating sexual health education into social work curricula and highlights the necessity and benefits of integrating sexual health into social work practice and justice-informed sexual health education into curricula.
To address the gap in social work education, the Trauma-Informed Critical Approach to Sexual Health Education (TICA-SHE) was developed by analyzing existing literature and theoretical models. The TICA-SHE combines elements of trauma-informed care and critical theories to identify essential course development and content creation areas, emphasizing justice-informed and culturally responsive approaches. The TICA-SHE offers guidelines for developing sex-positive course content to be facilitated in a safe and supportive environment. Additionally, specific measures are proposed, providing educators with concrete examples of course content for inclusion in social work curricula. Incorporating this content into curricula can empower practitioners, promote the deconstruction of systemic biases, reduce stigma, and improve client outcomes.