Jacki Brunk (she/her), LCSW
Northeastern District Chair
Welcome to the monthly district update for the Northeast District! Happy New Year! I’m excited to start out this year with some amazing CEU events for our members.
Join us later this month for an art experiential called, “Art Therapy: An Invitation for Creativity and Self-Expression.” This class provides an overview of what art therapy is, and how it can be used as a modality in the clinical process. Adrienne Weiss, LCPS, ATR, is a clinical therapist as well as an art therapist, and utilizes art therapy in her clinical practice. She incorporates process art to help clients cope with and heal from trauma and stressors impacting their lives and will share her experience and expertise with us! Adrienne will facilitate an art experiential and provide a presentation of case studies and clinical applications.
Please join us for this educational and fun workshop! This event will be held at the Deerfield Public Library on for January 26th from 10am-12pm. You can register for this event here: https://naswil.wufoo.com/forms/43030-012624-ned-art-therapy
And back by popular demand, I’m pleased to announce another upcoming event scheduled for March 7th. Rachel Merke will present for us again on “High School’s Over – Now What? Independence for Youth after High School.” Life after high school can be challenging for adolescents, especially those with IEPs. This NASW-IL Northeastern District workshop will explore resources in Lake County and beyond to help prepare kids to transition into adulthood and independence. The resources include organizations that help youth obtain educational, career and financial assistance, specific to their unique circumstances. Rachel Merke will bring her expertise to help social workers help their young clients navigate adulthood by providing information on local organizations and agencies. Participants will receive information on how to contacts agencies on a multitude of services, including educational, professional, creative and financial. Rachel is the Transition Coordinator for Connections Day School and IDCDT Secretary, and provides guidance and expertise to youth transitioning out of high school.
This event will be held at Warren Township Youth and Family Services in Gurnee on Thursday March 7th from 4:30-6:30. You can register for this event here:
I encourage you to continue to check the website for other events and trainings you may be interested in: https://www.naswil.org/events
Please reach out to me with comments, questions and/or suggestions about the information NASW shares with you. I also want to hear from you regarding topics or speakers that interest you.
CHAPTER NEWS
IDFPR Licensure Renewal Requirements for 2023–2025
Last December 1, 2023, marked the beginning of a new licensure cycle. For the full list of updated IDFPR requirements for social work licensure renewal, please visit our CEU Requirements page: 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.
Ask NASW-IL: What’s the status on the alternative to the ASWB exam for the LCSW?
This spring, the NASW-Illinois Chapter, with a coalition of advocates, was able to support passage of a bill which provides an alternative to the ASWB exam requirement for LCSW licensure. As of the time of this writing, new applications are expected to be accepted shortly after the bill takes effect on January 1, 2024. The NASW-Illinois Chapter is still waiting for official forms and procedures to be posted by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR), hopefully in early 2024. Once the department releases this information, we will be able to provide a more in-depth article on the steps to complete the application. Until then, we encourage you to keep checking our News page for new information or sign up for our news and events e-mail list here. You can also read more about the new law here. To find out more on how to prepare, read our full article here: https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-what-s-the-status-on-the-alternative-to-the-aswb-exam-for-the-lcsw
Other Chapter News:
· December 2023 - Student Network SIG Update: https://www.naswil.org/post/december-2023-student-network-sig-update
· IDFPR Licensure Renewal Requirements for 2023–2025: https://www.naswil.org/post/idfpr-licensure-renewal-requirements-for-2023-2025
· 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