Jacki Brunk, LCSW, Northeastern District Chair
Welcome to the monthly district update for the Northeast District! I hope everyone was able to participate in events highlighting Social Work Month in March. Our district CEU event last month on suicide awareness was presented by Dr. Elizabeth Ladin-Gross and was well attended and offered a chance for social workers to learn more about this important topic.
I’m pleased to announce a virtual event hosted by our district on June 6th from 9:00-11:00am, titled “Social Isolation Among Older Adults: Why It Matters & Effective Interventions”. Prior to COVID-19, a silent epidemic was already raging: social isolation among older adults. The pandemic has now greatly exacerbated the already well-documented impacts of isolation and loneliness on the physical and mental health of older adults. This presentation will provide an overview of research on the impact of social isolation on older adults and provide ideas for support and intervention to mitigate the negative impact. Our presenter, Sharon Dornberg-Lee, LCSW is currently Manager of Counseling Services & Public Affairs Liaison at CJE SeniorLife. You can register for this event at the link below:
Registration: https://naswil.wufoo.com/forms/zyiaarl1h0k6yd/
Be sure to read below for important information related to CEUs, licensure and training requirements for social workers.
CHAPTER NEWS
Ask NASW-IL: Can a CEU course fulfill 2 CEU specialties at once?
Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) renewal requirements for the current 2021–2023 licensure cycle increased with the addition of new training requirements (implicit bias awareness, mandated reporter with a section on implicit bias, and Alzheimer's disease and other dementias) in addition to the previous requirements (ethics and cultural competency). Due to the potential overlap in training topics, it's possible that a CEU course may appear to cover topics applicable to two specialty CEU requirements, such as cultural competency and ethics; or a training on mandated reporter with implicit bias might appear to fulfill the implicit bias training requirement. As such, members have been asking the chapter: Can you use one course to fulfill more than one specialty CEU requirement?Read more here: https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-can-a-ceu-course-fulfill-2-ceu-specialties-at-once
Rules Filed to Remove In-Person CE Requirement
We are continuing to receive (and anticipate lots more) questions about the removal of the in-person CE requirement. While there is no update yet to announce, we are still continuing to share our last article about the removal. Read more here: https://www.naswil.org/post/2021-2023-licensure-renewal-update-rules-filed-to-remove-in-person-ce-requirement
Other Chapter News
· March 2023: NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Update -https://www.naswil.org/post/march-2023-nasw-illinois-chapter-advocacy-update
· Social Work Profession One Step Closer to Interstate Licensure Compact:https://www.naswil.org/post/social-work-profession-one-step-closer-to-interstate-licensure-compact
· Ask NASW-IL: Will this course count for CEUs in Illinois? -https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-will-this-course-count-for-ceus-in-illinois
· February 14, 2023 Update on the Social Work Interstate Compact:https://www.naswil.org/post/february-14-2023-update-on-the-social-work-interstate-compact
For more news, go to the NASW-Illinois Chapter News page: https://www.naswil.org/blog