Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford

I think the time has come when Delaware will be looking at some major positive changes in the social work regulations. One of those changes might be credentialing of supervisors for LCSW qualification. This will not only improve the quality of new social workers, but improve our pass rate on the LCSW test. New Jersey and Maryland have this and other states are considering it. We need to be considering this in Delaware. One step in that direction might be to have the NASW New Jersey course brought down to Delaware, if enough want to take it. If you are interested in this course, please let me know. Already, four LCSWs have contacted me who are interested in LCSW supervision, and one of them is already certified in New Jersey. 

One thing our chapter wants to do is connect social workers with other social workers and to bring more people into the profession. To this end, we are having a Mixer at the Public House on North Market Street on Thursday, October 6, 2011, from 5 to 8 PM! This mixer is a great opportunity to learn more about the NASW Delaware Chapter, network with other social workers, and catch up with your BSW or MSW classmates!  We encourage you to bring other social workers and anyone interested in becoming a social worker. When you arrive at the Public House, tell the hostess you are part of the NASW-DE group. You will receive a wrist band, which allows you to pay for discounted drinks at the bar. You may also pay for any appetizers, meals, or other menu items as you wish. We plan on having Mixers in each county.

Last Saturday, I attended the Delaware Psychological Association’s Mixer, and it was very successful. Victoria Kim, MSW, from the Mental Health Association, presented information on suicide, the warning signs and what to do when you feel someone is at risk of suicide. I did not realize that there are more suicides than homicides; that it is the second leading cause of death in 15 to 19 year olds; and that, on average, a Delawarean dies by suicide every four days. To view her slide show. She also gave a number of valuable resources.

With one in 20 adults now considered to be cancer survivors in the US, you might think the fatal thoughts associated with a cancer diagnosis would diminish. But the word cancer still causes anxiety, depression, worry, panic and a sense of lost control for many people. The Newark-based Cancer Care Connection, the national telephone help line for anyone affected by cancer, is now offering personal counseling by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with an expertise in cancer. See their ad below and their attached flier. Also, check out their website.

If you are reading this newsletter and are a social worker and not a member of NASW, please join. Your membership allows us to continue this important newsletter and supports our efforts to raise the profession of social work in Delaware. You can also volunteer on one of our committees.

Finally, I received an email from a social work doctoral student at the University of Pennsylvania wanting to interview treatment staff at residential drug treatment programs. If you want to contribute to this research, see his email.

                                                                                                           John

NASW: Medicaid News

This month’s NASW News From the Hill focuses on the potential cuts in Medicaid and what NASW is doing about it.

In Delaware, Dr. Phillip Pollner of Delaware Alliance for Health Care, is also very concerned about these potential cuts in Medicaid, which will affect providers and clients in Delaware. He is asking individuals and organizations to meet to discuss what can be done. MORE.

Women’s Health Conference
Support Request for Proposals (RFP)

This funding opportunity provides partial support for women's health conferences in the United States and its affiliated territories. Funding is available for non-federal conferences addressing issues that impact the health and well-being of women and girls. MORE

Congressional Social Work Caucus Web site Debuts

We are pleased to announce that Congressman Towns has launched the official Congressional Social Work Caucus Web site.

Please see the link below for more information. We look forward to continuing our work with the Congressman, and all members of the CSWC, moving forward. http://socialworkcaucus-towns.house.gov/

Legal Developments in LGBT Family Rights*

*You will need your NASW user ID and password to read the full article

There remain many barriers to full legal recognition of gay and lesbian couples’ relationships although this is an area of family law that is developing at a rapid pace. In recent years many cases have been litigated across the country addressing foster care and adoption, child custody rights, and same-sex marriage.

Past NASW Legal Defense Fund Legal Issue of the Month articles have outlined earlier cases addressing these issues (NASW, 2006, 2008). NASW continues to be involved as a “friend of the court” to support the family relationships of same-sex couples and their children and this Legal Issue of the Month article provides an update on the status of state laws addressing these matters. MORE

Health Insurance, HIPAA and Client Privacy

This NASW Legal Issue of the Month article will evaluate the effects on client privacy when social workers interact with health insurance companies and will focus on provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) that provide mechanisms for protecting clients’ privacy. MORE

Caregiving Resources Available

The DHSS Division of Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities is offering resources for caregivers. See their flier about these resources and an education series beginning October 4th.

ALSO...

The CARE Delaware program has Caregiver Resource Centers in every county that can be of assistance to caregivers. Contact the Aging and Disability Resource Center, ADRC at 800-223-9074 for the location nearest you. A Caregivers Education Series will be held Tuesdays, October 4th, 11th and 18th at: The John H. Ammon Medical Education Center on the Christiana Hospital Campus, 4755 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Newark, DE 19718 in Room 7 at 5:30 to 7 p.m. each night. Christiana Care Visiting Nurses Association will present workshops on the following topics: Community Resources, Managing Day to Day Tasks of Daily Living, and Reducing Stress.

You may call 302-327-5201 for more information.  You may Register Online for each session by going to www.christianacare.org , and put caregiver education series into the search engine.

AND...

Delaware Hospice and Visiting Angels invite all family caregivers and home care professionals to a free luncheon and presentation, entitled “Cope and Care,” on Saturday, September 24th, from 12 to 1:30 p.m., at Hampton Inn, 18826 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth. Family caregivers will benefit from expert professionals who will share excellent advice and local resources.  Professional caregivers will learn what’s expected for hospice patients at home and receive expert tips on proactively aiding with dementia care.

NIH Study Finds Hospitalizations Increase for Alcohol and Drug Overdoses

Hospitalizations for alcohol and drug overdoses — alone or in combination — increased dramatically among 18- to 24-year-olds between 1999 and 2008, according to a study by researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health. MORE

People Born after World War II: More Likely to Binge Drink & Develop Alcohol Disorders

In a review of 31 peer-reviewed and published studies, researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health looked generational and gender differences in alcohol consumption, alcohol disorders, and mortality.

Findings indicate that people born after World War II are more likely to binge drink and develop alcohol use disorders. Researchers also found that the gender gap in alcoholism and problem drinking is narrowing in many countries. MORE

Youth Mental Health Symposium Training Offered

The Sussex Child Health Promotion Coalition (SCHPC) is putting on a Youth Mental Health Symposium on Friday, October 14th from 9:30 am – 2:00 pm.  The training will take place at University of Delaware- Carvel Research and Education Center (Route 9 County Seat Highway, Georgetown, DE 19947).

Registration is $10 for this event, which includes a box lunch. The registration and fee must reach the SCHPC office no later than October 4, 2011 to ensure a place.  Please make all checks payable to SCHPC and advise if there are any dietary restrictions.  Attached please find the registration form, as well as more information on the workshop topics.  For more information please email:  info@sussexkids.com  

Delaware Hospice Offers 6-week Support Group

Delaware Hospice offers a 6-week Support Group for Young Widows, Widowers, and Life Partners in Millsboro on Tuesdays, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., beginning September 27th through November 1st, at the Delaware Hospice Office in Millsboro, 315 Old Landing Rd., Millsboro, DE  19966. MORE

Many people find that a group experience just for those who have lost a husband, wife or life partner is a very beneficial way to give and receive support with those in similar situations. Topics to be discussed include what to expect when grieving, mistaken ideas about grieving, ways to manage and cope with grief, special days and holidays, family dynamics, spiritual issues, and ways to live into one’s future with a renewed sense of purpose and hope. There is no fee for this service which is provided as a community outreach by Delaware Hospice.

Registration is requested by Monday, September 26th, by calling Carol Dobson, MSW, at 302-379-6069, or by emailing:  cdobson@delawarehospice.org.

Free Cancer Screenings Offered

Christiana Health Care is offering free cancer screenings for seniors at Wilmington Housing Authority locations. FLIER  

Grief Support Group Available

Delaware Hospice will hold a Six-Week Adult Educational Grief Support Group, “Coping with Sudden Death,” beginning October 4th in Wilmington. Those who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to a sudden illness, accident, or other unexpected event will find help at Delaware Hospice’s six-week Adult Educational Grief Support Group, which will begin on Tuesday evenings from October 4th and run through November 8th, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., at St. James Episcopal Church, 2106 St. James Church Road, Wilmington, 19808. 

Each week another topic will be discussed, including “What is “normal” grief?”; “Why do I feel this way?”; “This mixed bag of emotions;” “Who am I now?”; “What can I expect this first year?;” and “What’s next?”. There is no fee for attending; however, registration is required.  To register or learn more, contact facilitator Ralph Plumley, ThM, CT, Bereavement Support Specialist for Delaware Hospice, 302-478-5707, x3130, or rplumley@delawarehospice.org.

From Walking to Wheelchair Series Offered

“From Walking to Wheelchair” will be the inspirational topic of Delaware Hospice’s Coffee Break Series on Sept 28th in Milford  “Physical Disability:  From Walking to Wheelchair” is the topic of September’s Coffee Break Series on Wednesday, September 28th, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., at the Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE  19963.

The Coffee Break Series features inspirational life stories of experience, strength and hope. These individuals will share how they confronted a life-changing event and were able to turn it from tragedy to triumph. Guests will gain coping skills to face their own challenges in life. September’s guest speaker, J.P. Phillips, of Rehoboth Beach, fell and suffered a spinal cord injury in March 1985. 

There is no fee; however, registration is required. Register or learn more about the Coffee Break Series or other Family Support Center activities by contacting Vicki Costa, Associate Director of the Family Support Center, at 302-856-7717, ext. 1129, or vcosta@delawarehospice.org.

News from DE and Beyond...

Click on the article                        title for link

9/11 Ten Years Later: An Interview with Ground Zero Counselor Tab ...
As part of WHQR's special coverage for the tenth anniversary of 9/11, Jemila Ericson interviewed Tab Ballis, a licensed clinical social worker in Wilmington, NC.

9/11 TEN YEARS LATER: Attacks still fresh for some, grief counselors say
The challenges have only evolved, and I think that that is a misconception people have, that it's 10 years later and people should be 'over it,'" said Michelle Doherty, a Branford resident and licensed clinical social worker at Voices of September 11th in New Canaan. "But I think it's the tip of the iceberg; we're just starting to see more survivors come forward" in need of services.

Why schools need to teach 9/11
We also know about 9/11's long-term legacy -- we have healthcare data showing that it created a kind of mass post-traumatic stress disorder, and we have evidence that it generated a significant rise in anti-Muslim bigotry.

Give an Hour™Joins with Points of Light and the HandsOn Network, Partners with National Mental Health Associations to Recognize 10th Anniversary of September 11 Attacks
Give an Hour™, a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved ones, and their communities, is joining with Points of Light and the HandsOn Network to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11. GAH is partnering with the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, and other national and state associations to engage mental health professionals in recognizing the 10th anniversary of the attacks.

Twin Towers and terrorism: the impact 10 years on
It was the day that changed the world for ever. Or did it? Ten years on, two leading commentators, Jason Burke and Francis Fukuyama, offer an analysis of its long-term impact, and how terrorism works.

Classified  

ICDL 15th Annual Conference: THE DIR/FLOORTIME APPROACH, Nov. 11-13, Washington DC area.   Experts in Autism discuss BRIDGING DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, LEARNING DIFFERENCES AND MENTAL HEALTH. Panels on Cutting Edge Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Promoting Social-Emotional Growth and Lessons Learned from Children Exposed to Trauma. Discussion sessions and workshops include DIR/Floortime in Schools, ADHD and Autism and many more. CEs available. For program and to register, visit www.icdl.com.