Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford

We’ve done it! We have moved and are now in the Community Services Building, Suite 608. It’s great.  Come by and see us sometime. We have two offices; one for me and the other for volunteers and our intern, Noel Olsen from DSU. Nanci Woodson and Mia Dorman both helped with the move. A big thank you to them.

Now that we are in our new offices, I will be contacting those who have offered to volunteer in the office. Much needs to be done to continue the development of our chapter and the social work profession in Delaware.

Our new phone number is 302-288-0931.

As most of you know, our collaboration with the New Jersey Chapter of NASW has made the resurgence of the Delaware Chapter possible – and we are just at the beginning of a multi-year relationship. Very exciting. And now, our President, Dr. Sheridan Quarless-Kingsberry will be the keynote speaker at the New Jersey Chapter’s Board Installation and Membership Dinner September 24th. Some of us who know Dr. Quarless-Kingsberry may want to attend, so here is a link to more information.

Many people have responded how helpful the Test-Prep courses have been for taking their LCSW tests. We plan on having more in Delaware, but until then, there are two being offered in New Jersey, both at the NJ Chapter’s office in North Brunswick from 9:00 to 4:30: August 18 and October 6. More

DSU’s Social Work Department is sponsoring the “Back to School Symposium” September 1 at 11:00. Dr. Tracy Whitaker, Director of NASW’s Workforce Practice will speak on “Social Workers Standing Up for Others; Locally, Nationally, Globally.” For more.

On Saturday, August 27th there will be a “Family ‘Fund’ Day and 5K Walk/Run” in honor of Chris Sturmfels and Mike Kriner, two social workers tragically killed last year. The funds raised will go to The Beck Sturmfels Educational Trust and the Michael T. Kriner Education Fund. It promises to be a fun family day for a worthwhile cause. More

The Cancer Care Connection has a position for an LCSW.  For more information, see.

For NASW members: our Board of Directors elections are this coming week and we have added several positions. We truly want to be an active statewide chapter, so we will now have a specific representative from each county.  Their responsibilities will be to activate social workers in their respective counties. The more active we are as a chapter, the more impact we will have in lifting-up and improving our profession. I sent out information about the election to members yesterday, but two more candidates have surfaced since then. I will resend the revised information on Monday. Anyone else interested in being active in our chapter? It isn’t much of a time commitment and the impact is great. Yes, we are all busy, and it is the busy ones that get things done.

Our Board meets face-to-face every other month and via conference call in intervening months. Our next face-to-face meetings will be September 10th and November 22nd. 

Remember, the way to support your chapter and your profession is to be a member. If you are not, please become one.
                                                                                                           John

Call for Papers for the NASW-NJ 2012 Conference - PROPOSALS DUE August 26, 2011!

When: Due August 26, 2011

NASW-NJ is soliciting proposals for presentation at its statewide continuing education conference.  The conference will be held in May 2012. We encourage NASW-DE Chapter members to share their knowledge and experience with colleagues through a two or four hour presentation.

You will not only receive maximum exposure by presenting at a statewide conference, but you have the opportunity to engage and enlighten other social workers. The conference will serve as an “audition” for paid presentations through NASW-NJ's continuing education program -- live workshops throughout New Jersey and Delaware, as well as home study courses that will be seen throughout the country on our Online CE Institute!

Click here for more information and guidelines for submission.

Senior Level International Social Work Volunteer Positions Available in Tanzania

NASW is seeking candidates to fill two positions in Tanzania to support our partnership with the Tanzania Social Workers Association (TASWA), funded by the American International Health Alliance.

One Senior Level International Social Work Volunteer will provide technical assistance and mentorship to TASWA in order to build program, finance and human resource capacity.  The second volunteer will provide technical assistance and mentorship to the Emerging Schools of Social Work Program in Tanzania.  For more information about volunteer responsibilities and qualifications, please visit here.

Teaching Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

The Center for Deployment Psychology is sponsoring a 2-day workshop, Aug. 24-25th at Dover Air Force Base on the topic Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to Treat PTSD. To register contact Dr. Jessica Desrosiers at jessica.desrosiers.ctr@us.af.mil. The flier.

Outside the Lines—Maximizing a Social Work Degree

One benefit of a social work degree is that the job possibilities are endless. A social work education allows social workers to explore different types of employment. Social workers can focus on public and private non-profit management, research, policy, academia or clinical work.

This Leadership Ladder highlights how social workers can maximize the flexibility of their social work degree.

Practice Perspective: Opting Out of Medicare as a Clinical Social Worker

Click here for the Practice Perspective, Opting Out of Medicare as a Clinical Social Worker, discusses procedures required by Medicare when the clinical social worker prefers not to become a Medicare provider and the client does not desire to use their Medicare benefits for mental health services. Staff contact: Mirean Coleman  mcoleman@naswdc.org.

National Study of Hospice Care Shows Reduction in Hospital Costs

Dona Reese, assistant professor of social work, and Mary Raymer of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) have completed a nationwide study of hospice programs, which shows that providing adequate social work services in conjunction with physical care significantly reduces overall hospice costs. Additional benefits include fewer hospitalizations for the patient, decreased nursing costs and higher client satisfaction. Full study.

HealthyPeople.gov: “How to Create a Movement?” 

With the Healthy People 2020 topic areas and objectives in place, we can now provide data and tools to enable States, cities, communities, and individuals across the country to combine their efforts to achieve them.

Start with MAP-IT: A Guide To Using Healthy People 2020 in Your Community

The MAP-IT framework can be used to plan and evaluate public health interventions to achieve Healthy People 2020 objectives. The guide walks you through how to Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, and Track Healthy People 2020 in your community. It also includes resources on how to use Healthy People to make the case for funding. Even if you aren't able to use MAP-IT, you can still help implement Healthy People 2020 by sharing one of our MAP-IT Web badges on your site. Let's get Healthy People underway and reach our 2020 goals!”

FREE Conference! Racing to the Top Against Media Messages: How They are Hindering the Next Generation

FREE day long prevention conference hosted by the Delaware's Victim's Rights Task Force and Domestic Violence Task Force's Prevention Subcommittee, the “Racing to the Top Against Media Messages: How They are Hindering the Next Generation” Conference. Registration for this conference is now open. The conference  will be held 9:00 am – 4:00 pm on Friday, September 16, 2011 in Dover, DE. The conference will be held at the Delaware Technical and Community College, Terry Campus (100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904).

The keynote speaker for this conference is Mark Tappan, Ed.D.  Dr. Tappan is a founding member of a men’s group in Maine called “Boys to Men” http://www.boystomen.info/MaineBoysNetwork.htm that is somewhat similar in focus to DCADV’s newly formed Delaware M.E.N. (www.DelawareMEN.org)  A Harvard graduate, Dr. Tappan’s areas of expertise include moral development and moral education, risk and resilience in children and adolescents, boys' development and education, and public education.  He is the author of Packaging Boyhood: Saving our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes, which is a companion book to his co-authors' Packaging Girlhood:  Rescuing Our Daughters from Marketer's Schemes.  For additional questions, contact Lauren Gibson at Child, Inc. 302-254-5528 or email safeandrespectful@gmail.com.

SAMSHA’s New Publications

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. In order to achieve this mission, SAMHSA has identified 8 Strategic Initiatives to focus the Agency's work on improving lives and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. Click here for new SAMSHA Publications.

News from DE and Beyond...

Click on the article title for link

A caring constitution
As early as 1949 Cicely Saunders, a nurse and social worker in London, was thinking about new ways to care for dying patients and had started to plan her house for the dying. However, it took until 1967 (whilst she studied medicine in the meantime) before the St Christopher's Hospice in the south of London opened its doors. From this first modern hospice, palliative care was adopted in many other countries, both in Europe and worldwide.

Camp Sequoia to help children with social cognitive difficulties learn how to ...
Wexelblatt, 39, of Narberth, holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Temple University and a master's degree in clinical social work from Bryn Mawr College's School of Social Work. A single father of a boy with learning issues, Wexelblatt worked in the past at Hilltop Prep School in Rosemont as director of the school's summer day camp for special children.

Reviving Detroit: A Young Man With A Plan
Detroit is losing population, and residents have left in droves. But some young people see the city as a blank canvas, where they can help realize an urban dream. Among them is Charlie Cavell, a college student, founder of a nonprofit organization, charter school board member, and all-around Detroit enthusiast.

10 Years and a Diagnosis Later, 9/11 Demons Haunt Thousands
Amy Cushing-Savvi, a social worker at Mount Sinai Medical Center, which runs the largest program, said a frequent topic at staff meetings was, “What’s 9/11 and what isn’t?” — in other words, the exquisitely vexing question of how to separate the effects of 9/11 from the traumas of everyday life.

Who Needs a Vacation? Family Caregivers!
Maria L. Hood, LCSW, ACSW, Director of Discharge Planning at White Plains Hospital Center where VNSNY is a preferred provider of home care services, says this kind of "staycation" is a lifeline for caregivers.

Back-to-school anxiety
Anne Blair, a clinical social worker from Voorhees, said preparation is key to any successful transition. “The parents must ensure that they allow their child enough time to fully understand the transition that will take place, and how that transition may look for them,” Blair said.

 Arlington teams up to aid hoarders
New research suggests hoarding and acquiring disorders are even more prevalent than Alzheimer's disease, said Rebecca Wolfe, the Arlington Police Department's mental health social worker and its liaison with residents receiving help through the town's hoarding response team.

Take five to be happy, Lower Alsace author advises
A clinical social worker for Covenant Home Care in Perry Township, Chiles provides hospice care for people who are terminally ill. Some people think patients facing death would have no apparent reason to feel happiness. And yet, Chiles says, many of them do. 

The Failure of Progressive Nonprofit Organizations
When the Ford Administration in the early 1970's tried to abolish most of the Johnson-era anti-poverty programs, a broad and powerful coalition of nonprofits defeated these initiatives. The coalition was led by middle class organizations like the League of Women Voters, the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of University Women, the National Urban Coalition and environmental and consumer organizations, as well as by civil rights groups, poor peoples' organizations and professional associations. The middle class members of this coalition embraced social and economic justice issues as part of their overall agendas.

Tragic cases like Celina Cass a challenge for investigators
"As a trooper, I can remember just about every mile marker where I had a fatal car crash," said Sonny Provetto, a licensed clinical social worker. Provetto is a former Burlington Police officer and Vermont State Trooper. Now he helps other cops work through job-related trauma.

School safety
Staying involved both online and in person is the best way to know if your child is being bullied, says Elena Mrozinske, a licensed clinical social worker and faculty member in the School of Social Work at Indiana University Northwest.

In-home help for life's little stuff
At Visiting Angels, which boasts a licensed clinical social worker on staff and provides in-home care for seniors with a variety of health conditions, services for healthy clients range from basic companionship to changing linens, cleaning, garbage and similar domestic chores. 

Strengthening military marriages
The Virginia Wounded Warrior Program for Health Planning Region I, in partnership with the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, is presenting “Mission: Healthy Relationships” in Fredericksburg. This weekend relationship enrichment workshop for military veterans and their spouses will be held Aug. 26-28 at the Fredericksburg Hospitality House and Conference Center.

NH Groups: Debt Ceiling Debate Over, More Drama to Come
Steve Gorin is the executive director of the New Hampshire Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). "One of the things I'm concerned about in this whole debate is that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are all lumped together as 'entitlements.' Many people think that we face an 'entitlement' crisis in this country, but we don't. We face a health care crisis, a health care cost crisis."

Why Social Media Matters to Therapists
By Julie Hanks, LCSW You're in the mental health field because you want to make a difference and make a living, right? Technology and new media now allow therapists to educate and interact with worldwide audience and to talk directly to ideal clients…for free.

Elder Abuse: The (Almost) Invisible Crime
Part of the reason for the small clientele is that the program attempts to comply with National Association of Social Workers caseload standards, which require that each worker be assigned only the number of cases that allow a high quality of service for each client.

Tips to help new parents beat stress, stop abuse
The licensed clinical social worker has been a new parent, struggling to balance the joys of parenting with the new-found responsibilities. "I went to counseling after having both my kids, and that was the best thing I ever did," she said.

The High Price of America's Gambling Addiction
But Steve Burton, program director of Problem Gamblers Health Network of West Virginia, says some risk factors can make people more susceptible: A previous history of addictions/mental illness; a significant life event like divorce, loss of loved one, job loss; an early big win; a history of child abuse or neglect, or a family history of addictions or mental illness.

Suicide spikes among middle-aged women
Dr. LeslieBeth Wish, a psychologist and licensed clinical social worker in Sarasota, Fla., has found through her online surveys, lectures and focus groups a startling increase in suicide attempts with women ages 45 to 54. Women are susceptible to depression but older women may also be suffering from pre-menopause hormone fluctuations that can affect mood changes and depression.

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