Michael Mallory, MSW, LCSW, Chicago District Chair
May 2023 bring joy, success, peace, and stability to all of you! Hopefully all of you are adjusting well after the holiday season and were able to enjoy some time with your loved ones. As we venture into 2023 I encourage all of you to monitor your inboxes for emails from our National and Local advocacy teams as they are feverishly working on protecting and advancing our profession through their work with law-makers.
Recently, our local Director of Legislative Affairs has worked tirelessly to protect our work by advocating that Social Workers be added to the Patient and Provider Protection Act [PAPPA]. [This bill was introduced to protect individuals seeking and providing care related to the following: abortion, gender-affirming care, PrEP, and assisted reproduction services.] Unfortunately, the Illinois Senate decided to introduce a separate and competing bill that did not include the protection of Social Workers who are providing gender-affirming care as well as excluding the protection of individuals seeking out gender-affirming care. The reason this is such a sensitive issue is that there have been recent instances involving legal action being taken against healthcare providers providing care to those who may be coming to our State for treatment due to the lack of access in their home states due to anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and legislation. Therefore, the essence of his work is to prevent these situations from negatively impacting our licensure and malpractice insurance coverage all while ensuring that we maintain these vital and life saving services. That said, please take a moment to review the Urgent Action Alert that was sent to your email inboxes.
In other news, we are excited to share that our national office has elected a new Chief Executive Officer that will be responsible for leading the entire mission of the NASW. Please take a moment to review the press release about the next CEO, Anthony Estreet. [Read Me] For other chapter-related news and updates I encourage you to review them listed below my message.
Thank you for taking the time to view my message and for your continued support.
Humbly yours,
Michael
OTHER NEWS
Want to become involved? Join us by applying to be on the NASW-Illinois Board!
Want to make a difference for social workers in Illinois and beyond? Have expertise in a particular method or field of social work practice? Do you 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! Consider getting involved in your professional association or nominating a colleague for a leadership position. Click ME for more information.
New Student Loan Repayment Program Launches for Community Behavioral Health Care Professionals
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has launched the application for a student loan repayment assistance program to support qualified mental health and substance abuse professionals. The Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program is designed as an incentive for recruitment and retention of those who practice in underserved or rural areas. Read more 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.
Comments