Diona Shelton, LCSW, CATP, CCTP
Southern District Chair
Hello Southern District,
I trust that everyone is doing well. I must admit that the month of July started off in a way that was not anticipated. As many of you are well aware, the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe vs. Wade has been on the hearts and minds of many Americans. While I am still personally processing the varied adverse consequences that this reversal will have on social work clients, I want to be authentically clear that the association continues to believe that everyone has the right to self-determination, bodily autonomy, and to make critical decisions related to their own reproductive health. Decades of scientific research has shown that people who are not able to obtain safe abortions are at an increased risk for mental health concerns, diminished life satisfaction, and lower self-esteem (NASW, 2022). Furthermore, research also has depicted a strong relationship between unwanted pregnancy with an increase in domestic abuse (NASW, 2022). The varied consequences of this rollback disproportionately impact the BIPOC community, people living with disabilities, youth, people living in rural areas, undocumented people, and people living in poverty.
The right to self-determination is a fundamental right of every human being and aligns with the core values and ethics of the social work profession. Now more than ever, social workers must stand together to protect human rights by standing in opposition to laws and policies that challenge individuals’ rights to self-determination. We must stand together by voting in the midterm elections and every election thereafter to not only preserve the core values of the social work profession, but to also preserve the sanctity of human rights.
Yours for Social Change,
Diona Shelton, LCSW, CATP, CCTP
NASW-IL Southern District Chair
Reference
NASW. (2022, June 24). Major Mental Health Associations Decry U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade [News Releases]. https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2504/Major-Mental-Health-Associations-decry-US-Supreme-Court-decision-overturning-Roe-v-Wade
CHAPTER NEWS
2022 NASW-Illinois Chapter Social Work Awards
Deadline: Sunday, July 31, 2022
One month left! We are looking for nominations for the annual NASW-Illinois Chapter Social Work Awards! This year, we are looking for outstanding individuals whose work has supported and promoted the social work profession and the people it serves. There are four award categories: Social Worker of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Public Citizen of the Year, and Emerging Leader. For more information, go to: https://www.naswil.org/post/accepting-nominations-for-the-2022-social-work-awards
Save the Date! 2022 NASW-Illinois Chapter Hybrid Conference
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. More info to come later this month, but stay tuned and circle those dates in your calendar!
IDFPR Website Domain Change
The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website domain has changed as of June 14, 2022. If you have previously bookmarked the old URL (idfpr.com) to your website browser, please note that the IDFPR website has changed to a new domain: idfpr.illinois.gov. We will be updating links to IDFPR on our own chapter website accordingly and appreciate your patience as we update this content.
2021–2023 LSW/LCSW Licensure News and Updates
We announced changes in IDFPR licensure renewal requirements in an article published on November 30, 2021, and updated it with frequently asked questions. We’ve been getting questions from members about whether the in-person CEU waiver will be repeated for the new cycle. Read about that and more here: https://www.naswil.org/post/idfpr-licensure-renewal-requirements-for-2021-2023