Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford

NASW is proud to be a sponsor of the Summer Institute, which is the most significant conference in the state for social workers and other mental health professionals. The conference is July 25 to 29 and is entitled, “Innovations and Outcomes; the Ins and Outs of Recovery.” I’ll be sharing more information as it becomes available. All sessions will have social work CEUs. The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, which in the convener of the conference, has become a “Provider” for NASW continuing education. This means their continuing education courses qualify for social work CEUs. We are pleased with this partnership and welcome other continuing education providers applying for this status.

This Saturday, April 23, will be the first Test Prep course offered by NASW in Delaware. We are pleased to provide this to the social work community. The second test prep course will be May 21. Check this link for more information.

The Delaware Conflict Resolution Network is a collaborative partnership of individuals who are committed to advancing the understanding, availability and utilization of alternative dispute resolution through education, public policy and advocacy. Meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of every month at various locations throughout the state. Visit www.delawarecrn.org for more details.

On May 2nd, the Delaware Center for Justice and SURJ are sponsoring a forum on Justice Reinvestment, which addresses how we can transform our criminal justice system. It is: Visions of Justice XI: Ingredients for Reform: The Roles of Data and Advocacy in Justice Reinvestment. See flier and article below.

The second lecture in the ROCKFORD CENTER SPRING LECTURE SERIES 2011 will be May 5th from 9am to 11am at the Rockford Center. The topic will be Bullying & Peer Victimization presented by Michael Morrow, Ph.D. of A I DuPont Hospital for Children. See flier.

The deadline for applications for Executive Director of Family Promise has been extended to April 29th. See announcement.

NASW-NJ Conference!

The NASW - New Jersey Chapter’s Annual Conference begins May 1 and runs to May 3. This conference offers us a GREAT opportunity to relax, recharge, reinvest AND earn more than 20 hours of continuing education credits! And great opportunities for networking and recreation!

At this point, online registration is closed but you can register at the door at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. See this page for more information: http://www.naswnj.org/displayconvention.cfm

NASW-NJ Live From Atlantic City!

CEU Workshops Broadcast LIVE
to your home or work computer!

Click the image above to view an important message Marsha Smith and Lauren Trott. NASW-NJ is pleased to offer a webcast of Marsha Smith and Lauren Trott's new workshop "The Impact of Parental Incarceration on Children" LIVE from the 2011 NASW-NJ Annual Conference.

Watch the promo here, then go to www.naswnj.org to register for the live webcast on our Online CE Institute. LIVE from the 2011 NASW-NJ Annual Conference!  

Unable to attend the NASW-NJ Conference in person this year? For the first time ever, NASW-NJ is pleased to announce a limited number of conference workshops will be webcast LIVE from our Annual Conference in Atlantic City.

Click on this link to see the selection of workshops then register to participate on the new NASW-NJ ONLINE CE INSTITUTE: http://www.naswnj.org/associations/5560/files/NW Webcasts.pdf

Go to www.naswnj.org and click on the “Online CEU Institute” banner to register.

First Test Prep TOMORROW!

This Saturday, April 23, will be the first Test Prep course offered by NASW in Delaware. We are pleased to provide this to the social work community. The second test prep course will be May 21. Check this link for more information. The cost will be $110 for NASW members and $130 for non-members.

For registration information click here.

Dr. Sandra Bloom to Speak on Sanctuary Model

Dr. Sandra Bloom will be speaking in Wilmington on May 26th. Dr. Bloom developed the Sanctuary Model®, a trauma-informed method for creating an organizational culture within which healing from psychological and social traumatic experience can be addressed. Her first book, Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies, tells the story of the creation of one of the nation's first inpatient programs for the treatment of adults who were abused as children.

She is also the author of "Destroying Sanctuary: The Crisis in Human Service Delivery Systems which focuses on the impact of organizational stress on social service and mental health environments and the Sanctuary Model® as an antidote to recurrent stress and systemic dysfunction.

The Sanctuary Model is "trauma-informed" because it recognizes that regardless of the mission of the workplace or organization, people who have been exposed to trauma as well as those who may experience vicarious trauma , as well as other kinds of adversity, will be working together to accomplish tasks that serve the organizational mission.  Sign up here.

The Roles of Data and Advocacy in Justice Reinvestment

Visions of Justice XI: Ingredients for Reform: The Roles of Data and Advocacy in Justice Reinvestment, co-sponsored by SURJ and the Delaware Center for Justice will take place on Monday, May 2nd at World Cafe Live at the Queen Theater on Market Street in Wilmington.  

The forum will focus on Justice Reinvestment, a data-driven approach to promoting public safety and reducing corrections spending.  Rebecca Neusteter from The Urban Institute will share strategies for gathering, reporting, and analyzing criminal justice data to make informed criminal justice policy decisions, and David Rogers of the Partnership for Safety and Justice will share the story of how advocates in Oregon led the effort to pass a criminal justice reform bill that saved the state $50 million. 

The flier and to register.

FREE Conference

Delaware Prevention and Behavioral Health Forum, a free conference, will be held on May 2 – 3, 2011 at the Dover Sheraton.

To register, visit www.deprc.com. In addition, please note that on Monday night, May 2nd there will be a youth celebration.

For more details on the youth celebration, please contact Marissa Lloyd, MarissaLL0130@gmail.com, or Yolanda Jenkins, Yolanda.Jenkins@state.de.us.

Training for Social Workers, Nurses and Pharmacists on Oral Chemotherapy Adherence

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and the Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) are pleased to host a Train-the-Trainer conference on cancer oral medication adherence at the NASW  National Office in Washington, DC on Wednesday June 15, 2011.

This one-day conference will provide attendees with the knowledge and skills necessary to train their colleagues in promoting adherence to cancer oral medication among patients and their family members. Thirty (30) people will be selected to participate in this one-day training, which will be led by social work, nursing and pharmacy professionals.   

Preference will be given to team applications. Expenses related to the conference (travel, lodging and meals) will be covered by NASW.  In the 12 months following the conference, each attendee will be required to train at least 20 of his/her professional peers. Applications Due: Monday, April 25. 

Click here to download the application materials:
http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/health/TOT2011.asp
Contact Stacy Collins with questions at scollins@naswdc.org.

Seeking NASW-OH Executive Director

The Ohio Chapter of the National Association Social Workers, with a statewide membership over 3,800 and an annual budget of $402,000 is seeking a full-time Executive Director.

The successful candidate will have a broad knowledge of the principles of association management; management experience with staff and volunteers; knowledge of policy and legislative issues; a knowledge of and ability to articulate social work values; the ability to work with diverse populations; strong communication and leadership skills; a commitment to excellence in member services and membership recruitment; a thorough understanding of office communication technologies and social media; the willingness and ability to travel throughout the state.  Salary beginning in the low $60s. 

A relevant undergraduate degree plus five years of experience in association or other human service management required; a degree in social work preferred. EOE  Send resume and cover letter by Friday, May 13, 2011 to naswohsearch@googlegroups.com.

NASW Virtual Lobby Day - April 28

Support the Social Work Reinvestment Act with NASW's first virtual lobby day with social workers from across the country on April 28 and stand up for your profession.

NASW state and national leaders will be in Washington, D.C. to lobby their Members of Congress on Thursday, April 28 in support of the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (HR 1106/S. 584). They need your help to ensure that this lobby day is as effective as possible.

Please plan to take a few minutes between Monday, April 25, and Thursday, April 28 to contact your Members of Congress. It can be as easy as sending an email to your Representative and Senators or you can personalize your message and contact them by phone. Your voice is critical as Members of Congress must hear from their constituents in order to understand and support legislation. It is up to us to stand up for our profession and ensure that social work services are protected and promoted so we can continue to care for millions of clients each day. MORE

Guidelines Allow Earlier Definition of Alzheimer's

For the first time in 27 years, the definition of Alzheimer's disease is being recast in new medical guidelines that reflect fast-mounting evidence that it begins ravaging the brain years before the symptoms of dementia.

The guidelines, to be issued Tuesday by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association, divide the disease into three stages: a phase when dementia has developed, a middle phase in which mild problems emerge but daily functions can still be performed, and the most recently discovered phase, in which no symptoms are evident but changes are brewing in the brain. MORE

Delaware Prevention and Behavioral Health Forum

Registration is now open for the Delaware Prevention and Behavioral Health Forum being held May 2-3 at the Dover Sheraton. This is a free event.    Please visit www.deprc.com to register today.

Life After Deportation

The four children carry on in America as best as they can, just like a growing number of young people who were born in this country and have seen one or both parents deported. Those who work with such children say they've seen an increase in the cases locally. As a result, churches, schools and advocacy groups are left scrambling to help once-stable households deal with poverty, foreclosures, academic failure and other problems that come when so-called mixed immigration status families are split up.

The separation creates an "angry generation" of children who feel traumatized and disaffected but still choose to stay in the U.S. rather than face potential poverty, violence, and cultural and language barriers abroad. MORE

Delaware Hospice Offers 6-week “Sudden Death Support Group”

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 “Sudden Death Support Group,” for adults which will be held on Tuesday evenings for six consecutive weeks beginning May 3rd through June 7th, 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.

Furthering Fair Housing in Delaware

The Fair Housing Act (FHAct) of 1968, as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing on the basis of race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. Section 808(e) (5) of the FHAct also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to administer its housing and urban development programs, including formula grant programs such as the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing (AFFH) — that is, that eliminates housing discrimination, promotes fair housing choice, and fosters compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of the FHAct. 

Long ignored and often misunderstood, affirmative furthering of fair housing has always been about promoting, fostering, and sustaining integration in the housing market.  Helping us understand how we make sure that we can play an important role in affirmatively furthering fair housing in Delaware are:

Melissa Alman, esq., staff attorney, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (presenting in all three Counties)
Elaine Taratusky, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD  (presenting at Woodlawn Library)
Susan Starrett, Homeless Planning Council (presenting at NCALL Research, Dover)
Ira Goldstein, The Reinvestment Fund  (presenting at Woodlawn Library and possibly in Dover)
Rashmi Rangan, Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council, Inc.,  (moderator)

Please join us this April 26 (Wilmington), 27 (Dover), and/or 28 (Georgetown). 
April 26, 2011 6 pm to 8 pm Woodlawn Library 2020 W 9th St Wilmington DE 19805
April 27, 2011 6 pm to 8 pm NCALL Research 363 Saulsbury Road Dover, DE  19904
April 28, 2011 6 pm to 8 pm CLASI Professional Park 20145 Office Circle, Unit 1 Georgetown, DE  19947

FREE - Please call 1-877-825-0750 X 100 To register Or Request Accommodation Or Email Rrangan@dcrac.org

Remembering Our Mothers and Grandmothers

Delaware Hospice’s Family Support Center will hold a breakfast workshop entitled “Remembering Our Mothers & Grandmothers” on Saturday, May 7th, from 10 to 12:00 pm, at the Delaware Hospice Center, 100 Patriots Way, Milford. The loss of a mother or grandmother can leave a large void.  This workshop will remember and celebrate these individuals who guided and shaped our lives.  A continental breakfast will be provided, educational material, and a lively presentation by Dr. Judy Pierson.  Participants may bring a photo of your loved one for the Remembrance Table. This Family Support Center workshop is free and open to the public; however, registration is required.  Space is limited, so please register early by contacting Vicki Costa, 302-856-7717, x1129, or vcosta@delawarehospice.org

News from DE and Beyond...

click on article title for link

How Do You Find Good Food When You've Got Bad Allergies?
Now make way for Allergic Girl. That's the moniker that Sloane Miller, a New York social worker and food allergy advocate, has given herself in connection with her various enterprises, from an award-winning blog (Please Don't Pass the Nuts) to a group-dining program (Worry-Free Dinners).

Knowledge, understanding combat child abuse
She is the director of the Social Work Policy Institute in Washington DC and she was visiting Idaho for a conference. Dr. Zlotnik's work includes advancing evidenced-based practices to benefit the well being our nation's children.

Social Work Dean Jeanette Takamura: A Personal Account of Japan’s Resilience
Written by Jeanette Takamura, dean of Columbia's School of Social Work, who was in Tokyo to attend a conference when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami struck northern Japan. She was able to leave the country two days later. Dean Takamura is a sansei (third generation) Japanese American, born and raised in Hawaii.

The Innocent Victims of the Recession
"We are seeing a higher number of children that have more severity in their injuries," says Nicole Schuren, a hospital social worker. "I think that the children suffered paid the price for that," says Dr. Jennifer Geyer. And they're sometimes paying with their lives.

Social workers will celebrate National Health Care Decisions Day
“It's a tragedy when a person's wishes are unknown at the end of their life,” said Susan Major, MSW/LCSW, director of Social Work Services at Lake Regional Health System. “It's important for all adults to define 'quality of life' for themselves and to make their decisions known in case they become incapacitated.”

Students Bare Their Soles for Poverty Awareness
The event, sponsored by Hood's Student Social Work Organization, was inspired by Toms Shoes, a company that donates a pair of shoes for each pair sold. "A Day Without Shoes," held April 5, was designed to encourage students to reflect upon poverty and what it must be like to live life without basic necessities, such as shoes.

Parents of girl who hanged self sue school district
Donna Witsell said school officials told her a social worker from the school tried to call the family the day Hope signed the contract.

Classified    

LSW / LCSW - Maxim Staffing Solutions is seeking an LSW or LCSW for part-time or full-time work with a Hospice company in Wilmington. Please call 302-477-1301 for more information and ask for David.

Continuing Education (NON-NASW SPONSORED)

Join us at the Rockford Center for our 2011 Spring Lecture Series! 
On May 5th, 9AM – 11AM, Michael Morrow, Ph.D.  will present:
Bullying & Peer Victimization
Continuing education credits for Nursing and Social Work are available and cost is free.  For registration and upcoming lectures - visit www.rockfordcenter.com and click Events.