Kristi Chastain, ACSW, MSW (they/she)

Wellness Navigator, DAP Health

Years as an ANAC member: 1

Local chapter: Palm Springs

What does National Social Workers Day mean to you?

The 2026 theme is "Social Workers: Uplift. Defend. Transform.” Now, more than ever, I am reminded of my call to action as a social worker to uplift, heal, advocate, and empower societies, communities, families, and individuals that are oppressed, mistreated, and harmed by unjust governments, systems, policies, and laws. Our fight for liberation for all is alive and well. As made popular by Maya Angelo, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Emma Lazarus, “None of us are free, until all of us are free.”  

What’s your favorite aspect of ANAC membership?

My favorite aspect of being an ANAC member is the cross-discipline collaboration that is welcomed and invited into all spaces and conversations. As a social worker and member of ANAC, I have been warmly welcomed as a vital part of the fight to end HIV/AIDS, which has inspired and motivated me to fight alongside the brave and steadfast nurses, practitioners, and all individuals who work tirelessly in the fight. ANAC has helped me see why social workers are an integral piece of the puzzle for equitable, just, and proactive care. 

Do you have a mentor or mentors who have been instrumental to your career and, if so, whom and how?

Dr. Anthony Velasco, AGPCNP-BC, AAHIVS, has inspired me to never stop learning, striving, caring, or creating. Dr. Velasco is the type of medical professional, and human, that makes everyone around them better by lifting us up, believing in us, calling us in, and setting an example for us to strive toward. Thank you for sharing your time, talents, and passion with me. Your integrity, collaboration, hard work, and dedication to patient care, equitable access to health care, and social justice inspire me to keep fighting the good fight.