Melissa Box, LCSW, LSOE, LSOTP East Central District Chair
Balance
We hear the term “balance” used in many ways. A gymnast on a beam…a chemist in a lab…a yogi master…a juggler…and, of course, a social worker. As social workers, we must balance our own self-care and our care for our clients. We must balance our work and personal lives. We must balance our time and energy in myriad ways. You may have seen the popular metaphor of “rocks in a jar” to help us visualize and reflect on how we prioritize those things that are most important to us. However, I love this follow-up article about what that metaphor leaves out about how we apply this concept to our own lives. Enjoy this moment of reflection: https://www.rapidstartleadership.com/rocks-in-a-jar/
Tell us what you want…
As your East Central District Chair, one of my goals is to make sure we are offering relevant, helpful, and practical networking and continuing education opportunities to the social workers in our district. To do that, I would love to know what you need MORE of. Do you like social events, to meet other social workers? Are you in need of CEUs in a certain area of practice? Do you prefer virtual or in-person events? I would love to find out what you are thinking and hoping for as I plan this next year of district quarterly events. Please share your thoughts and suggestions here: https://forms.gle/Tygv3tBsCURMEGRTA
CHAPTER NEWS
IDFPR Officially Removes In-Person CE Requirement
Rules have been officially passed by JCAR to entirely remove the in-person continuing education requirement from social work licensure renewal. This means that for the current licensure renewal cycle ending on November 30, 2023, and onwards, the requirement that a minimum of 50% of continuing education hours be obtained by a method that includes face-to-face, in-person instruction is now entirely removed from social work licensure. While the department still has to complete an administrative step before the rule change is officially adopted, for the purposes of Illinois social workers, the previous requirement that 50% of education be obtained in-person is no longer required. Thank you to our members for your work and support to get this monumental requirement lifted from licensure. Read more about the removal here: https://www.naswil.org/post/idfpr-officially-removes-in-person-ce-requirement
Registration is OPEN! 2023 NASW Chapters Conference
Registration is now open for this year’s 2023 NASW Chapters Conference: A Meeting of the Profession. This year’s two-day conference will be hosted with our sister chapters, NASW-Nevada and NASW-North Dakota, and offer up to 11.0 CEUs including CEUs fulfilling requirements for ethics, cultural competency, and suicide prevention. Register at: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/2023nasw/home. Find out more at: https://www.naswil.org/conference.
CONFERENCE DETAILS
2023 NASW Chapters Conference: A Meeting of the Profession
Registration: https://site.pheedloop.com/event/2023nasw/home
Conference Website: https://www.naswil.org/conference
Dates: Thursday, November 2 & Friday, November 3, 2023
CEUs: 11.0 CEUs including courses fulfilling requirements for ethics and cultural competency
Time: 11:00am–5:30pm Central Time
Schedule and Classes: Complete conference schedule and classes will be announced in August 2023
Other Chapter News
NASW is Committed to Advancing the Human Rights and Well-being of all LGBTQIA2S+ People: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-is-committed-to-advancing-the-human-rights-and-well-being-of-all-lgbtqia2s-people-1
Student Loan Payments to Resume: What You Need to Know - https://www.naswil.org/post/student-loan-payments-to-resume-what-you-need-to-know
June 2023: Illinois Spring Legislative Session Update: https://www.naswil.org/post/june-2023-illinois-spring-legislative-session-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
For more news, go to the NASW-Illinois Chapter News page: https://www.naswil.org/blog
Sincerely,
Melissa Box, LCSW, MPH
East Central District Chair
Comments