Samantha Allen, MSW, LCSW, Calumet District Chair
Greetings Calumet District,
Tis the season to be jolly! I hope you are all well and in good spirits. We are well into the swing of the holiday season. I hope your Thanksgiving was one to remember and that you and your families are preparing for the upcoming holidays. As we are thinking about our families, let us pray for peace in Israel and Gaza, for an end to hostilities, and for leaders/peacemakers on both sides. We pray for comfort for all that mourn and all who are waiting to hear news regarding missing loved ones.
In addition, as we are approaching the holiday season, we know that this can be fun times for many, but rough times for some. Let us remember to be mindful to check on those that may be experiencing challenges during this time. Check in on your family, friends and loved ones that may have suffered a loss. Provide support by listening and sending a thoughtful card or gift or provide options for activities so that they are not isolated.
Gratitude to Crystal Rozlle-Bennett for her Cultural Competency CEU training titled From Racially Colorblind to Colorbrave, that took place on November 17, 2023 via Zoom. This training was very informative and provided a great deal of insight into how to identify the social impact of micro-aggressions, anti-oppressive approaches to social workers, and healing racial trauma.
Thank you to all that participated in the training. We hope that you found the information provided to be useful in your life as well as in your work.
As always, I look forward to meeting and working with as many of you as I can during my time as the District Chair. Have a wonderful month! Be safe and be good to yourselves!
Please see below for chapter updates:
All the best,
Samantha Allen, LCSW
Calumet District Chair
CHAPTER NEWS
Coming Soon! 2023–2025 IDFPR Renewal Requirements
December 1, 2023, marks the start of a new licensure cycle. With the start of a new licensure cycle comes new and updated requirements. Be sure to check our chapter News page for the latest changes on renewal requirements for the 2023–2025 renewal cycle. In the meanwhile, you can check out an early preview on our CEU Requirements page here: https://www.naswil.org/ceu-requirements.
Join the 2024 NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors
DEADLINE: March 1, 2024
Want to make a difference for social workers in Illinois and beyond? Have expertise in a particular method or field of social work practice? Hold a unique perspective that you believe is under-represented? Joining the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors is a great way to implement change, share your knowledge, and voice your opinions! Getting involved in your professional association or consider nominating a colleague for a leadership position. Read more about the board responsibilities in the 2024 NASW-Illinois Chapter Board Leadership Recruitment Packet or our NASW Delegate Assembly flyer, or contact us to request a nomination form.
NASW-IL Advocacy At Work: HB2394 Passes, Addressing Licensure Processing Delays
The National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter (NASW-IL) expresses heartfelt gratitude to the governor, the esteemed members of the Illinois General Assembly, and the secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) for their collaborative efforts in successfully passing HB2394 during this month’s veto session. First-time and reinstating social work licensees have been experiencing licensure processing delays as long as 6 months by the department. This extended wait time has been slowing down the pipeline of new social workers to the profession, heightening challenges to those in Illinois seeking access to mental health professionals. The passage of HB2394 not only enables emergency rulemaking to address these delays, but it also introduces a streamlined procurement process for new software, a crucial step toward ensuring faster licensure and, consequently, a more robust workforce to facilitate increased accessibility to mental health services for the residents of Illinois. Read more about HB2394 here: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-advocacy-at-work-hb2394-passes-addressing-licensure-processing-delays.
Other Chapter News:
• NASW Applauds Senators on Historic Markup: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-applauds-senators-on-historic-markup
• Join the 2024 NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors: https://www.naswil.org/post/join-the-2024-nasw-illinois-chapter-board-of-directors
• NASW-IL Advocacy At Work: HB2394 Passes, Addressing Licensure Processing Delays - https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-advocacy-at-work-hb2394-passes-addressing-licensure-processing-delays
• NASW Tips & Tools for Social Workers: Payment of Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention Service - https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-tips-tools-for-social-workers-payment-of-health-behavior-assessment-and-intervention-service
• Partial Loan Repayment Assistance Available to Those Working in Community Mental Health Centers: https://www.naswil.org/post/partial-loan-repayment-assistance-available-to-those-working-in-community-mental-health-centers
• NASW-IL Advocacy At Work: Gov. Signs HB 2365 Providing Alternative to ASWB Exam: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-advocacy-at-work-gov-signs-hb-2365-providing-alternative-to-aswb-exam
• Get Ready to Update Records and Billing with New Nonbinary Gender Option in IL: https://www.naswil.org/post/get-ready-to-update-records-and-billing-with-new-nonbinary-gender-option-in-il
• 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
• 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
• 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