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SPS News and Events


Webinars

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA): Why It’s Needed, What's at Stake, and What We Can Do

Wednesday, June 14, 2023 (1 – 2 pm ET)

Presenter: Meschelle Linjean, MSW 

CEs:  1 Ethics CE contact hour

This webinar will help social workers understand connections between the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Tribal sovereignty, and Native American well-being, and how legal challenges to ICWA threaten the wellness of Native children and families, Tribal Nations, and beyond.

The webinar will cover federal ICWA provisions, intentions, implementation, and impact, followed by a summary of the  Brackeen v. Haaland case. It will explore ramifications of non-preferred foster care and adoption placements for Indigenous children, and delve into ICWA’s broader relationships with the self-determination, health, and socioeconomic well-being of Indigenous Peoples. It will highlight how understanding ICWA laws, and engaging in policy advocacy for such laws, align with social work ethics and competencies. Finally, it will explore actions social workers can take to protect and strengthen ICWA laws.

Objectives:

  • Recognize ICWA as a policy that has remediated past human rights violations and supports current and future Native American well-being.
  • Understand legal challenges to ICWA within contexts of Tribal sovereignty, colonialist oppression, and White supremacy.
  • Identify connections between ICWA and social work standards, including the NASW  Code of Ethics and CSWE competencies.

Cost: SPS Members: Free / Non-SPS NASW Members: $20 / Non-NASW Member: $35


Let’s Start Talking about Pre-Addiction for Social Workers

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 (1 – 2 pm ET)

Presenter: David L. Hussey, Ph.D., LISW-S

CEs: 1 Substance Use Disorder CE  contact hour

This webinar discusses the recent JAMA Psychiatry commentary,  Time to Start Talking about Pre-Addiction, by Dr. Nora Volkaw, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA). In her blog, Dr. Volkaw and her colleagues discuss the utility of pre-addiction as a clinical construct to better detect the early stages of substance use disorder. In light of the substance use crisis that our nation is facing, and the prominent role that social workers play in the identification and treatment of behavioral health and substance use disorders, this timely webinar will examine the potential implications of developing more formalized pre-addiction criteria.

Objectives:

  • Introduce clinicians to the construct of pre-addiction for substance use disorders.
  • Familiarize clinicians with the background and dynamics of early detection and intervention services for behavioral health disorders.
  • Integrate prevention and early assessment strategies into routine clinical thinking and practice.

Cost: SPS Members: Free / Non-SPS NASW Members: $20 / Non-NASW Member: $35


How Social Workers Can Create a Queer Friendly Nonprofit

Thursday, July 20, 2023 (1-2 pm ET)

Presenter: Seth J. Meyer, PhD, LCSW,

CEs: 1 Cross Cultural CE hour

The LGBTQIA+, especially the trans community, is under attack. As social workers, we need to be aware of the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. In his research and writing, Dr. Meyer explores how to make a "Queer Friendly Nonprofit", or a nonprofit which can support the LGBTQIA+ community in a way that is culturally appropriate. 

During this talk, Dr. Meyer will help nonprofits think about their interactions and supports of the LGBTQIA+ community and the best practices which can be used. Through discussing the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, social workers will learn to think about who their community is and what their LGBTQIA+ community specifically needs.

Objectives:

  • What is the LGBTQIA+ community and what are aspects of this community which may be unique?
  • What is the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and how does that impact the ways nonprofits can work with the LGBTQIA+ community?
  • What best practices can be used to create an environment that is welcoming to the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals.

Cost: SPS Members: Free / Non-SPS NASW Members: $20 / Non-NASW Member: $35


The Art of Interviewing: Translating School Social Work Micro Skills to Macro Practice

Thursday, August 10, 2023 (1 -2 pm ET)

Presenters: Laurel E. Thompson, Ph.D. CSW; Kashera Robinson, DSW; Beverley Wilks, LCSW

CE:  1 Social Work CE contact hour

School social workers tend to primarily practice at the micro and mezzo levels preferring to provide services to individuals and/or small groups, such as a family unit, or groups within the school system. Most of the skills honed during years of micro and mezzo practice can be easily reimagined to practice at the macro level. However, social workers do not easily transfer, and repeatedly forget to transmute and clearly articulate these skills during interviews for positions demanding macro practice.

This presentation seeks to both illustrate and demonstrate the methodology of transmuting micro skills to macro practice.

Objectives:

  • Discover how micro skills may be translated into macro practice
  • Identify school social work skills and create a crosswalk between micro and macro skills
  • Analyze how micro skills may be successfully repackaged and marketed during an interview for a macro practice position.
  • Assess the impact that micro practitioners might have on services/interventions at the macro level.

Cost: SPS Members: Free / Non-SPS NASW Members: $20 / Non-NASW Member: $35


2023 NASW Leadership Summit

Virtual

Develop your ever-evolving social work leadership skills by participating in the 2023 NASW Leadership Summit.

Whether you’re a new professional or an experienced social worker, this exciting opportunity will host leaders from the social work community to share their expertise. The Summit will cover topics such as leadership development, diversity, equity and inclusion, social media tips and tricks, mentorship, and more to help you hone your skills as a leader in the field.

Between the live event and access to the session recordings after the program you will be able to earn up to 12.5 CEs. You will be able to earn 6.5 by fully participating in the live event on June 22nd. The sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants at no additional cost for three months. You can earn an additional 6 CEs by viewing the recordings of the sessions that you weren’t able to attend during the live event.

Register for the Leadership Summit


Meet Social Workers like you with MyNASW

If you are an SPS member, you are already a member of at least one of these MyNASW online communities and can participate now:

Children, Youth and Schools
For members of the child welfare; children, adolescents, and young adults; and school social work Specialty Practice Sections

Clinical Social Work, Aging, and Health
For members of the aging; alcohol, tobacco and other drugs; health; mental health; and private practice Specialty Practice Sections

Social Justice, Administration, and Courts
For members of the administration/supervision; social and economic justice & peace; and social work and the courts Specialty Practice Sections


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Join the Conversation 

Visit MyNASW and choose My Communities to connect with peers in your Specialty Practice Section.

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