Michael Mallory, Chicago District Chair
Hello Chicago!
It’s hard to believe that it’s August already; it seems like the summer went by so quickly! Hopefully all of you have been able to fit in some fun summer activities over the last month to take in what’s left of the summer. While we balance the warmth and opportunities of the summer, we also find ourselves in the start of another public health emergency. Earlier this week, Governor Pritzker declared a public health emergency in response to the rising cases of Monkey Pox which is disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations. That said, I am sure many of you as brokers of resources have found yourself attempting to locate resources for yourselves and clients while also struggling to figure out who and how the city is vaccinating against this virus. Hopefully, this resource will help direct you to needed information about the virus and where to obtain a vaccine. Please access this information HERE.
Aside from this message, please feel free to review some of the updates from our chapter below:
Upcoming Events:
2022 NASW-Illinois Chapter Hybrid Conference: Reconnecting Through Social Work
Mark your calendars! The NASW-Illinois Chapter will be back and meeting in person for this year’s conference! Taking place in a hybrid format, we’ll be offering in-person CEUs on November 17, 2022, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle Naperville in Lisle, IL, and running it back as a live virtual conference on Thursday, December 1, 2022. The agenda has been released and I highly encourage all of you to consider attending so that you can obtain the special CEU that is required of us licensed folx related to Alzheimer’s diagnosis and treatment. For more information click HERE.
2021–2023 LSW/LCSW Licensure News and Updates
It is important that you take the time to review the updates from IDFPR regarding NEW CEU requirements. Most importantly, the State has put forth a requirement for licensed folx to receive at least one CEU hour of Implicit Bias training. Additionally, starting in 2023 the State will also require a training on the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s. I encourage all of you to read about these new requirements HERE.
CareDash & BetterHelp: NASW Response to disturbing practices
For those of you working in private practice and in other clinical settings I think you should be aware that the company CareDash may have created a professional profile on their website without your knowledge or consent. This practice is concerning as it appears to be a bait and switch tactic to direct people to BetterHelp. I encourage you all to search your name on this website to identify if you have a profile; I found myself listed on here and listed as working at an organization I never worked for. That said, please read the NASW-IL chapter’s statement HERE to learn more about filing a complaint.
Interstate Licensure Compact
The Council of State Governments (CSG) released an initial draft of the Social Work Compact for review and public comment. Due to the significant impact the compact will have on Illinois social workers, we are requesting all Illinois social workers to review the draft model language and to submit your feedback on the document to the chapter by Monday, August 15, 2022. We will be reviewing and collating all feedback on the compact for review by the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors as well as for the larger national NASW listening session. For links to the draft language as well as where to submit your feedback à Click ME for more info.
Thank you all for your continued dedication to the important work we all do.
Humbly yours,
Michael