Chapter Briefs

Committee Recommends Master’s Degree for School Social Workers

The Whole Child North Carolina Advisory Committee recommended to the state board of education to require a master’s degree for all school social workers and restore master’s pay. The motion is contingent upon staff at the Department of Public Instruction speaking with members of the North Carolina Senate to gauge interest in securing funding, says an Aug. 12 article posted at NC Insider. It notes the standard set by NASW is a minimum of a graduate degree. However, more than 30 states require a master’s degree to practice in schools. Current school social workers with a bachelor’s degree who could be affected by the proposal would have five years to attain their master’s. Ellen Essick, section chief for NC Healthy Schools, said the goal is to align with national standards and standards of other school mental health professionals. “A school counselor has to have a master’s degree, a school psychologist has to have a master’s degree, but we don’t do the same thing for our school social workers.”

New York Chapter Joins Student Loan Status Discussion

The NASW-New York CARES (Collaboration, Advocacy, Resources, Engagement & Support) hosted a community engagement virtual event on Sept. 17 called “Student Loans After the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: What Social Workers Need to Know.” The event was held in collaboration with the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program (EDCAP). The presenter was EDCAP Director Carolina Rodriguez. Whether managing their own loans or guiding clients through theirs, the webinar outlined what the “Big Beautiful Bill” actually means; how to protect yourself and your clients; how to get ahead of key deadlines; and practical next steps to take.

History Project Honors State Social Work Leaders

The NASW Ohio Chapter released a video on May 12 from the chapter’s 2017 Oral History Project that preserves the voices and experiences of some of the state’s most influential social workers. Through candid reflections, these pioneers share the evolution of the profession—from grassroots organizing to the establishment of licensure and policy advocacy. Several of those featured—including Herb Allen, Judy Kiser, Gerlinde Higginbotham, Kathleen Stoll, Gerry Strom, Carolyn Sugiuchi, and John Tewart—have since passed away, leaving a legacy that continues to guide and inspire the next generation of social workers. Watch the video here: vimeo.com/1083592923/fa2a8ab352.

Vermont Chapter Course Examines Default Mode Network

The Default Mode Network (DMN) is one of the most important recent discoveries in affective neuroscience, according to the NASW Vermont Chapter. As an important meta-system, it is a key player in functions related to the self and social cognition, memory processing, future thinking, and creative solution generation. The chapter hosted “Unlocking the Default Mode Network: A Deep Dive into Understanding the Default Mode Network in Neuroscience-Informed Therapy” on Aug. 22. This course provide practical tools and approaches to assist clinicians in providing more effective treatment for clients who present with an expansive number of symptoms and disorders.