Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford
Dear Colleagues:
This year, for the first time, NASW collaborated with the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health’s Summer Institute to provide CEUs for the many excellent workshops it offers.Many of the presenters were nationally renowned experts. The keynote speaker was Dr. Dan Gottlieb and his daughter  Debra Gottlieb-Ewing. Dr. Dan, a therapist with his own NPR call-in show, spoke of the trauma in his life and how it impacted him and his family. He has a powerful story to tell.
All workshops were fully booked prior to the conference beginning. I attended the session on “The Neurobiological and Psychological Effects of Trauma.” It was an excellent overview with a focus on trauma-informed care, and its importance to clinicians and therapists in all types of settings. Next year we look forward to being a sponsoring agency for the Summer Institute.
Another excellent continuing education opportunity with national experts is put on by the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence on August 12th, “The Trauma Informed Approach: Practical Strategies to Address Mental Health Issues in the Context of Domestic Violence.” This seminar is almost full, so if you are interested, contact Marilyn Siebold at 302-658-2958, msiebold@dcadv.org NASW is approving 5 ½ CEUs for this program. See the article below. In our next Delaware NewSWire I will share more information about a Grief Therapy training in Rehoboth Beach and an Ethics seminar in Dover.
The Purses to Portfolios Conference, established in 2004, is a comprehensive free Money School program that helps women understand and take control of their financial lives to create financial security and well-being for the future. The Money School is the signature program of the nonprofit Delaware Financial Literacy Institute. This year’s conference is being held on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. It is not only a good educational opportunity for clients; it is also a good marketing opportunity for providers. Please see below for more information.
We had our first PACE meeting for the year. Mark Brunswick spoke on lobbying and how to organize to accomplish things in Dover. It was a successful meeting. [See Frances and Linda’s comments below.] If you did not receive and email from them on July 23 and would like to be included in PACE activities, please let me or them know and you will be added to the list.
In the last issue of NewSWire, I mentioned mentoring adults returning from prison to our community. The next mentor training is August 21. Social workers are uniquely suited to be mentors for these challenged people. Please see the article below on mentoring and this brochure.
I have included a link to an uplifting article about Nanci Woodson, a DSU MSW student, the struggles in her life and how she has become successful. A good story.
For anyone working with clients who have been helping out in the Gulf, the attached article from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health might be of interest. Also, a brief article on barriers to vets receiving PTSD benefits.
Finally, NASW Massachusetts chapter has produced an excellent short video on being a social worker. It is called “This could be you; the many faces of social work.” It is worth the time to see it.
John
New Rule May Help Veterans
From New American Media
When Walter Williams came home from his tours in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2006, one of the first things he did was file a disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Four years later, the Menlo Park, California native is still fighting for his benefits. He gets regular treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from a special PTSD clinic run by the VA, but the Veterans Benefits Administration, a different arm of the agency, denied Williams’ claim. “They say it’s not combat related,” he said.
 “It’s confusing,” Williams added, because he’s spent hours telling counselors at the VA’s PTSD clinic about the lasting psychological impact of being abandoned while on a convoy outside Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan. “There’s a misperception in the civilian sector because we’ve toted guns and done all these things that we shouldn’t be so sensitive,” he said. “But it’s different to be in a unit where you’re with a bunch of other soldiers who all have your back, and then to be out here alone.”
Williams’ story is hardly unique. But a new VA policy making it easier for veterans to apply for and receive PTSD benefits could help thousands of Bay Area soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan to ease their transition to civilian life. The rule change, which the New York Times reports could take affect as early as Monday, would eliminate the need of returning soldiers diagnosed with PTSD to document specific events, called stressors, in order to receive disability compensation.
“VA’s claims processors have a hard time corroborating incidents during a deployment,” explained Paul Sullivan, who heads the organization Veterans for Common Sense, “but scientific research shows the deployment itself is the cause of increased risk for mental health conditions because harsh living conditions, the threat of death, roadside bombs, the shelling of bases every day are the major risk factors everyone experiences that can lead to PTSD.”
The new rules would require the VA to treat PTSD claims from returning veterans the same way it treats claims for Agent Orange poisoning for Vietnam veterans. It would presume that if a soldier has been deployed to the war zone and subsequently been diagnosed with PTSD, that he or she developed the condition as a result of war-time service.
To date, 150,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have gone to the VA to get treatment for PTSD, but only 75,000 have had a disability claim for PTSD approved. The new rules would appear to immediately benefit at least 7,100, Northern California veterans, who, like Williams, have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan and been treated at a VA facility for PTSD or a related mental health condition, as well as tens of thousands of local Vietnam veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD but never received compensation. A VA spokesperson refused to comment on the new policy until it is formally unveiled next week.
Long-time observers of the VA like Sullivan say veterans most likely to benefit are those who file fresh claims for compensation. It’s unclear what the effect would be for veterans like Williams, whose disability claims have been denied.
For his part, Williams, now 33, has learned how to manage his symptoms. He still gets panic attacks, but they have become less frequent. He’s also landed a job as an employment counselor at the veterans advocacy group Swords to Plowshares, which provides him with both money he needs to survive and the satisfaction that he is helping his fellow vets. Still, he continues to fight for his benefits.
“I guess on their end it’s a monetary thing, but for me it’s more than that,” he said. “It’s about admitting that these things happen in war.”
What’s Happening in DE?
 The Trauma Informed Approach: Practical Strategies to Address Mental Health Issues in the Context of Domestic Violence
Conference August 12
The past 30 years have seen a substantial growth in research documenting the prevalence domestic violence and lifetime trauma among women seen in health and mental health settings as well as the range of mental health conditions associated with current and past abuse. Recent advances in the fields of traumatic stress, child development and neuroscience are generating new models for understanding the impact of early experience on subsequent health, mental health and life trajectories. These newer understandings, particularly when grounded in survivor and advocacy perspectives, provide a more useful framework for addressing complex trauma in the context of ongoing domestic violence.
This symposium/training will provide an overview of current research on the intersection of domestic violence, trauma and mental health as well as a framework for understanding and responding to the traumatic effects of domestic violence and other lifetime trauma. It will also present practical strategies for addressing mental health issues in the context of DV, for building cross-sector collaboration and for creating services that are both DV- and trauma-informed. At the end of this training, participants should be able to:
- Describe the mental health impact of domestic violence.
- Apply a framework for addressing domestic violence in the context of other lifetime trauma
- Identify critical issues for addressing the mental health and advocacy needs of domestic violence survivors, and Identify strategies for responding to survivors experiencing the effects of current and past abuse
- Describe key elements of creating DV- and trauma-informed services
- Incorporate recommendations for addressing domestic violence (i.e. assessment, intervention, treatment and community collaboration) into clinical practice.
- Discuss collaborative strategies for improving services in community mental health and DV agencies in Delaware.
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The Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence is sponsoring this program on August 12th:
Public Comment on Adoption and Foster Care
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau.
ACTION: Request for Public Comment and Consultation Meetings on the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).
VIEW THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-18042.htm
From Purses to Portfolios: Delaware Women Take Charge of Their Money
The 4th From Purses to Portfolios: Delaware Women Take Charge of Their Money Conference will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. We are pleased to invite you to attend as an exhibitor/vendor.
From Purses to Portfolios is designed to provide women with the critical tools they need to take charge of their finances and their futures. This FREE statewide conference is just one part of a unique comprehensive program that offers recognition and incentives for on-going financial education, special classes to meet women’s unique financial needs, an electronic newsletter, and special community events.
The 2010 Conference will bring together over 1,500 participants! (We have a proven track record with more than 1,200 women attending the first conference, more than 1,300 attending in 2006, and over 1,500 attending the 2008 conference.) One exhibitor in 2008 reported making 250 new contacts that day. The schedule allows ample time for visiting the exhibitors. This is a great opportunity to promote your product or service to a diverse group of Delaware women of all ages, economic levels, and lifestyles.
ACT NOW and DON’T DELAY if you would like to exhibit at the 2010 Conference. Space is limited so please mail your Sign-up / Information form with full payment by September 10.
Hello PACE members!
We held our first meeting tonight. The meeting went very well. Mark Brunswick, an eight-year lobbyist in the DE Legislature, explained the ins and outs of successful advocacy and policy formation. The information he shared will be very helpful as we develop our agenda and begin having a social work voice in the state.
We began discussing our PACE agenda and would like to focus on licensing, developing relationships with our legislators, and hosting a social work Legislative Day for our first projects.
Our next meeting will be in Dover in September. We hope everyone can make it. Until then, we will keep you updated on any PACE developments through email, and let you know as soon as we schedule the September meeting. We would be happy to hear from you if you have any ideas or suggestions. And follow us in the newSWire online - just look for the PACE column.
Frances and Linda
Mentoring
Second Chances focuses on strengthening the Delaware community by connecting formerly incarcerated men and women with an individual mentor relationship from Partnering Faith Communities, Service Organizations and passionate individuals. Our underlying goal is to stabilize the lives of formerly incarcerated persons, reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and reduce taxpayer costs of arrest, sentencing, and incarceration. We believe that one of the keys to a successful re-entry process is having access to a positive role model. By providing a mentor we are ensuring this need is met.
 The requirement is minimal, but the impact is lasting. If you can spare four hours per month you can become a great mentor. Our goal is to ensure that our participants have a resource if they have a question or just need someone to talk to about an issue. We provide mentor training and ongoing support throughout the matching relationship; so our mentors will never feel alone during the process.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor or have additional questions, please contact us at (302) 428-3850 or Nicole@relationalliving.org. The next Mentor training is August 21. See brochure.
Click here for Mentoring training brochure
Loan Forgiveness for Social Workers
 NASW is promoting loan forgiveness for social workers as part of its on-going work to improve working conditions, salaries, and other benefits for members of the profession and to ensure that consumers have access to qualified professionals. NASW will continue its support for proposals to provide loan forgiveness for social workers in child welfare and schools, while also working to secure loan forgiveness and other educational supports for social workers in other practice areas.
Two recently passed bills that offer loan forgiveness for social workers are the Higher Education Act and the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. You can find out if you are eligible for these programs by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. It is important to note that NASW does not determine loan forgiveness eligibility, nor does NASW disperse loan forgiveness funds. However, NASW does offer scholarships.
Another federal program that helps social workers is the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSC LPR). This program offers fully trained and licensed clinical social workers $50,000 to repay student loans in exchange for two years serving in a community-based site in a high-need Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) that has applied to, and been approved by, the NHSC as a service site. For more information about the loan repayment program, eligibility requirements, employment opportunities in HPSAs, and NHSC contact information, click here.
If you are having difficulty paying your loans, contact your lender immediately. You may qualify for deferment, forbearance or another form of payment relief. It is important to take action before you accrue late fees as this may impact your eligibility for payment relief or loan forgiveness programs.
http://www.naswdc.org/loanforgiveness/default.asp
U.S. DOE Announces Safe and Supportive Schools Grants
This month, the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools announced $27 million in pilot grants for Safe and Supportive Schools, a program designed to address school climate issues such as bullying and violence and other problems that create conditions that negatively impact learning.
 Social workers, especially school social workers, are keenly aware that aggressive and disruptive behaviors can interfere with the learning and mental health of young children who are witnesses and victims of violence.
The Safe and Supportive Schools grant will address these issues by awarding funds to educational agencies to support targeted programmatic interventions that improve conditions for learning and safety and decrease substance abuse use. The application process will be very competitive; only five grants will be awarded.
If you are interested in partnering, review the application guidelines at: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=55717
and contact the educational agency by clicking here http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SEA
Applications are due August 9, 2010.
2010 Gulf Oil Spill Workers:Traumatic Incident Stress
Workers must respond quickly to environmental disasters, both natural and human-caused. Responders to the Gulf Oil Spill may be at risk of experiencing stress from what mental health professionals refer to as a  traumatic incident.
A traumatic incident is one that may involve exposure to catastrophic events such as the disruption to the natural cycle of life including dead or struggling wildlife, and rapidly evolving situations that cause significant and long term economic consequences.
This pamphlet describes a range of ordinary reactions that you may experience during response and recovery efforts or in the weeks or months following your work with this unprecedented disaster.
Classified
DE newSWire Classified Ad Rates
Advertising with us is the best way to reach social workers throughout the state of Delaware and beyond. Deadline for submission is the Wednesday preceding publication (every other Friday).
The cost to advertise in newSWire is $50 for 30 wordsand a link to your site.
DE newSWire is published biweekly on Fridays. Please call 1-800-932-0004 ext. 26 or email jhendryx@naswnj.org to confirm.
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