Samantha Allen, MSW, LCSW, Calumet District Chair
Greetings Calumet District,
Welcome to June! As always, I hope you are well and in good spirits. Summer is upon us. I hope that you are enjoying the change in weather and gearing up for all of the fun festivals and travels that summer brings. This month we observe, celebrate and bring awareness to LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month, which is a month that commemorates the community/culture and the activism and accomplishments. It is a month, when we also bring awareness to the inequalities that this communities have and continue to endure. As social workers, let us take time out to identify what we can do to address and assist with social issues related to the LGBTQIA2S+ community. We can also join in celebrating the advancement that the community has made, promote policies and programs that support the LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, families, and communities.
In addition, June observes PTSD Awareness, Immigrant Heritage, Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and Elder Abuse Awareness. Hopefully, we are all able to take time to observe all that June has to bring. Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers in our district!
As your district chair, I have been working to plan some fun and educational activities for our district. Please stay tuned for more information to come.
Gratitude to all of you for the hard work that you contribute to the field of social work! Be sure to be good to yourself!
Warm Regards,
Samantha Allen, MSW, LCSW
NASW-IL Calumet District Chair
CHAPTER NEWS
Call for Presenters! 2023 NASW Chapters Conference
This year's annual conference has been announced! This year's 2023 NASW Chapters Conference: A Meeting of the Profession will be a two-day conference hosted with our sister chapters, NASW-Nevada and NASW-North Dakota, and take place live virtually on Thursday, November 2 & Friday, November 3, 2023. The conference will be hosted on Pheedloop, an online conference platform. Presenters are invited to submit presentations on all topics relating to the social work profession (1.5-hour in length) as well as specialty topics on cultural competency, ethics, implicit bias, and suicide prevention (various lengths). Read more: https://www.naswil.org/post/call-for-presenters-2023-nasw-illinois-chapter-conference
Ask NASW-IL: Ask NASW-IL: Has there been any update on removal of the in-person requirement for licensure?
This February, we shared news that Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) officials informed us that a proposal had been drafted to entirely remove the in-person continuing education requirement from licensure renewal. The rule then entered a period for public comment, and we are now waiting for the new rule to be voted on and passed, at which point, the in-person requirement for continuing education will be completely removed as a licensure requirement for LSWs and LCSWs. Read more here: https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-has-there-been-any-update-on-removal-of-the-in-person-requirement-for-licensure
Other Chapter News
• Learn More About Social Work Exam Alternative Bill HB2365 SA1: https://www.naswil.org/post/learn-more-about-social-work-exam-alternate-bill-hb2365-ha1
• 2023 NASW-Illinois Chapter Election Results: https://www.naswil.org/post/2023-nasw-illinois-chapter-election-results
• Wanted: 2023–2024 Social Work Intern for NASW-Illinois Chapter: https://www.naswil.org/post/wanted-2023-2024-social-work-intern-for-nasw-illinois-chapter
• CMS Approves Illinois Proposal to Expand Access to Care for Kids in Schools: https://www.naswil.org/post/cms-approves-illinois-proposal-to-expand-access-to-care-for-kids-in-schools
• Pritzker signs bill on healthcare staffing as pandemic-era emergency rules expire: https://www.naswil.org/post/pritzker-signs-bill-on-healthcare-staffing-as-pandemic-era-emergency-rules-expire
• Ask NASW-IL: Can a CEU course fulfill 2 CEU specialties at once? https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-can-a-ceu-course-fulfill-2-ceu-specialties-at-once
• NASW supports lawmakers punished for supporting gender-affirming care, sensible gun laws: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-supports-lawmakers-punished-for-supporting-gender-affirming-care-sensible-gun-laws
• 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
• Ask NASW-IL: Will this course count for CEUs in Illinois? - https://www.naswil.org/post/ask-nasw-il-will-this-course-count-for-ceus-in-illinois
• 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