May 2017 
A Message from NASW-DE President
Dear Members,
As some of you are aware, Norwood Coleman Jr. has stepped down as the NASW Delaware Chapter President. I can say to you that he made this decision after careful consideration, and pledges to remain involved with the chapter. Norwood plans to issue a personal departure statement for the next newsletter.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the strong leadership that Norwood has provided as Chapter President, Treasurer, and Chair of the Continuing Education Committee.
As we approach the end of the 2017 fiscal year, there are a host of activities happening. The board approved the FY18 budget which has been submitted to NASW National, we continue to explore options to obtain a permanent executive director, we are remain committed to our efforts to provide continuing education workshop to our members and we are currently seeking interested member to move into several leadership positions on the chapter board.
As we continue to advance our mission and objectives, I ask that you consider ways you can assist the chapter; submit your nomination for a board position, volunteer to work on a committee, maintain your membership and encourage others to join.
Thank you all for your continuing support!
Bianca Ranger
President, NASW Delaware Chapter
Message from the NASW-DE Executive Director
Dear Members,
We had an informative and educational licensure prep workshop on April 21-22 in Dover. Corey Beauford, and his co-facilitator Wendy Alias, provided information about the test content and how to read and respond to the questions. The dialogue and examples helped the participants understand the expectations for the exam. The feedback was very positive and participants felt very confident about passing the exam.
NASW DE will be hosting several additional licensure test prep workshops as well as other outstanding continuing education workshops. Please check out our website calendar to see the details and register. Feel free to share these opportunities with your social work and human service colleagues.
We Need YOU! As a member organization, we need members to serve in NASW DE Chapter Leaders roles! The NASW Delaware Chapter is looking for volunteers interested in leadership positions in which each role requires different responsibilities and commitments. However, the one thing all candidates should have is a desire to help carry out the NASW Delaware Chapter’s mission: As a member organization, promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers and, through its work and advocacy, seeks to enhance the effective functioning and well-being of individuals, families and communities. There are several leadership positions available, including:
NASW DE Board of Directors (terms begin July 1, 2017):
- Secretary (2-year term): responsible for the Board of Directors’ and Executive Committee’s meeting minutes, as well as for other non-fiscal records of the Chapter.
- Member At Large (2-year term): At-large members are involved with in diverse ways, their membership on the board does not represent any individual group or interest, but rather serves the entire chapter membership.
- New Castle County Rep (2-year term): Represents the members of New Castle County and is involved in diverse ways to represent member interest from this county.
- BSW Student Rep (1-year term): An undergraduate matriculating student in a social work degree program. members are involved with in diverse ways, their membership on the board does not represent any individual group or interest, but rather serves the entire chapter membership.
- MSW Student Rep (1-year term): A matriculating graduate student in a master’s degree program in social work. members are involved with in diverse ways, their membership on the board does not represent any individual group or interest, but rather serves the entire chapter membership.
- Alternate Delegate (term ending June 2018): The NASW Delegate Assembly, made up in part by chapter delegates, is the means through which the members of the NASW shall exercise their ultimate responsibility for the broad professional and social policy and priority determination of the NASW. The DE Chapter President shall serve as the Chapter’s first delegate to Delegate Assembly. In the event the President is unable to participate as a delegate, the Alternate Delegate as the chapter representative. The 2017 Delegate Assembly activities will once again be conducted using online resources, including a virtual meeting on August 4, 2017
There are several additional opportunities to serve and support the chapter. The following committees have openings for volunteer leadership:
- Continuing Education Committee
- Membership Committee
- Chapter Committee on Nominations and Leadership
- Scholarship Committee
- Social Media Committee
If you have additional questions or require more detail, please send a message via CONTACT US and a chapter representative will get back in touch.
If you are interested in one or more positions, please submit the CCNLI form promptly.
Debra O'Neal, MSW, ACSW
Interim Executive Director
NASW Delaware Chapter
Delaware News & Events...
Meetings
NASW-DE Board Meeting – The May chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, May 11th at 6:00 PM and will take place at Delaware State University, Price Building, Room 215. The meeting will end at 8:00 PM. The meeting is open to all members.
Delaware Board of Clinical Social Work Examiners – Next meeting: Monday, May 15th at 9:00 A.M.in the Cannon Building, located at 861 Silver Lake Boulevard, Dover, DE 19901. The board did discuss online continuing education guidelines at the April 17th meeting. The discussion was very interesting; however, final guideline decisions were not made. At this point in time, all of the 45 CEU’s required by Delaware can be acquired online. It is anticipated that the next discussions will focus on minimum requirements by categories. Possible categories include: face to face; virtual (participant is actually enrolled in a live workshop, conference or other approved session) and on-demand. On demand includes approved continuing education events in which member can enroll at any time (e.g. online course). We are interested in your views regarding online continuing education. Therefore, please complete the short questionnaire. The responses will be shared with the Delaware Board of Clinical Social Work Examiners so that they have input from social workers. Please attend this meeting if possible. We know you understand the importance of our presence at meetings where decisions are made that impact social workers.
See our online calendar for the latest events and meetings.
Governance
Online voting for the NASW 2017 Election is now available until 8:00 PM PDT, May 26th. If you have not received your ballot, please contact the membership office at 800-742-4089
Chapter Committees
Continuing Education Committee
Schedule for LCSW and Master’s Examination Prep Workshops
Fourteen (14) persons attended the two-day licensure exam prep workshop on April 24th and 25th at the DSU/Capitol Park Community Center in Dover, Delaware. All evaluations rated the sessions as ‘Excellent”. Similar evaluations were indicated by persons who are preparing take the examination for the Master’s category of practice. These individuals were advised by the instructor, Corey Beauford, that course content is specific for generalist practice.
Our executive director, Debra O’Neal, and the chair of the chapter’s Continuing Education Committee, Dr. Marlene Saunders, attended both sessions. Mr. Beauford is outstanding in terms of delivery, relating with participants, and thorough command of the examination content. The tools he presented to pass the examine are more than useful. Participants indicated that the tips he provided instilled confidence. Having attended similar workshops conducted by others, such participants indicated that Mr. Beaufors’s course far exceeded previously attended courses.
Please see schedule in the Professional Development Opportunities and Calendar of Events sections of this newsletter.
Dr. Marlene Saunders
Chairperson, Continuing Education Committee
NASW DE PACE Committee
NASW DE PACE is in action! Our advocacy activities include multilevel licensure, coffee talks for advocacy and change and other town hall events. Advocacy and action required your involvement. Please attend and support one or more of our activities listed below.
Thank you,
Hal Lipton, NASW DE PACE Chair
Dr. Marlene Saunders, NASW DE PACE Treasurer
Special Advocacy/Action Planning Event
Monday, May 22nd – Coffee Talk for Advocacy and Social Change; Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm; Location: Delaware Technical & Community College, 21179 College Drive, Room 540 A, B & C. Georgetown, DE; Organizer: Yvonne Dodd, Sussex County Representative, NASW-DE; Admission: FREE
This is the fourth in a series of robust coffee talk meetings, the purpose of which is to plaprin and implement advocacy campaigns that will lead to policies and programs to insure the well-being of individuals and families. Areas of focus include: Healthcare, Immigration, Civil Rights, Racism, Inequality, and Poverty.
With the first three meetings providing participants the opportunity to talk about policy issues as they see them, their impacts on various groups and this what needs to be done, the next meeting will follow the organization and mobilization process outlined by the Resistance School (see below). Hence, members will etch out the group’s purpose, decide which group he/she will join and craft a purpose for each group/team.
To see the level of consistent commitment on the part of the individuals who regularly attend the meeting is most gratifying. We Are On The Move. However, it is important to note that the group constantly talks about the need to link with other advocacy groups that have similar concerns. Forging partnerships, coalitions and alliances is a constant theme in our discussions.
If you want a sense of empowerment and the feeling that the people do in fact matter, come to the May 22nd meeting. If Sussex County is not your region, find a another meeting to attend or organization to join. Organize, Organize, Organize!!
In this vein, please respond to the association’s Call for Action to Protect the Affordable Care Act. All members received a Take Action alert on April 26th. The communication provides the name and telephone number of Delaware’s Congressional Representative and talking points one can use in a letter to her or a call to her office. If you did not receive this important email, please contact the chair of our PACE Committee, Hal Lipton at lipmsw@aol.com.
Other Important
Advocacy Events, Resources and Information
Town Hall Meetings: Hosted by Secretary of the Department of Health & Social Services: Dr. Kara Odum Walker
- Monday, May 8th – Safety Net – 11:00 am -1:00 pm; Division of Public Health Conference room, Edgehill Shopping Center, 43 S. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE.
- Wednesday, May 17th – Behavioral Health – 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, Spring Building, Rooms 1 and 2, DHSS; Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle DE.
- Thursday, May 25th – Latino Community (New Castle) – 9:30 am -11:30 am, Spring Building, Rooms 1 and 2, DHSS; Herman Holloway Campus, 1901 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle DE.
- Friday, May 26th – Broad Community Concerns – 10:30 am -12:30 pm, Division of Public Health Edgehill Conference Room, Edgehill Shopping Center, 43 S DuPont Highway, Dover, DE
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee is responsible for developing plans to retain current members and recruit new ones.The committee also promotes and provides positive public exposure for the social work profession. Therefore, the Committee works with other entities to develop cordial relationships. It also encourages Social Workers to connect with their professional organization to advance their career with the adequate protection that gives full support to the social work profession. NASW Membership helps to advance the career of social workers in many ways. For example, each member receives a two-for-one membership; they are members of their State Chapter and National organization at no additional cost. Additional incentives include access to continuing education workshops (some online workshops are even free) and job postings, news updates through our Chapter’s newsletter, and opportunities to network with colleagues at social events.
Nadia Caprice, BSW
Chairperson, Membership Committee
Click here to view our Join Us video
Click here to view the various types of membership opportunities.
Scholarship Committee
Chairperson, Scholarship Committee
Professional Development Opportunities
Upcoming Workshops/Conferences
NASW Delaware Chapter online calendar of events and meetings
NASW-DE Sponsored Continuing Education Workshops: Please see Calendar of Events for extremely relevant upcoming continuing workshops sponsored by NASW-DE:
Race: Removing Fences Between Black and White Communities; When: Tuesday, May 16th; Where; The Baby Grand, 818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE; Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. FREE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND
Courageous Conversations: Race at the Crossroads; When: Monday, May 22nd, Where: WHYY Studios, 150 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA; Time: 6:30 pm-8:00 pm. Must Register. Go to https://www.eventbrite.com
June 27 and 28, 2017 - Department of Substance Abuse & Mental Health – Ethics and Treatment Strategies; Location – Embassy Suites Hotel (click to see attached flyer for details).
Grad Virtual Fair, July 13, 2017, 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, EDT. To register to go https://app.brazenconnect.com/?r=1491239738882#!eventLanding;eventCode=XEp01
Clinical Certification Examination Prep Workshops
Instructor: Corey Beauford, LCSW
New Castle County
June 16th & June 17th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Delaware State Police, Troop 2
Community Room
100 Lagrange Ave
Newark, DE 19702
Kent & Sussex Counties
June 23rd & June 24th 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Delaware Technical & Community College
Jack Owens Campus, Room 556
21179 College Drive
Georgetown, DE 19947
Kent & Sussex Counties – Location to be Determined
September 22nd & September 23rd 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Delaware Technical & Community College
Jack Owens Campus, Room 556
21179 College Drive
Georgetown, DE 19947
An Hour with Private Practice: Questions and Answers is a free question and answer session for NASW members. It is held every third Wednesday of the month from January through December. The monthly call-in sessions focus on a specific private practice subject. There is no registration and members can join in the discussion, ask questions, and make comments.
These sessions provide members with important clinical social work updates impacting the delivery of mental health services. Sessions are limited to the first 100 callers on the day of the event. Practice is held every third Wednesday of the month from noon until 1:00 pm EST.
Meeting Date: May 17, 2017
Meeting Title:Protecting Confidentiality in Your Private Practice and Steps to Take Should Breaches Occur
Toll Free: 800.776.0816
Participant Passcode: 220591
Department of Substance Abuse & Mental Health – Ethics and Treatment Strategies; Date: June 27th and June 28th: Location – Embassy Suites Hotel (Contact us - dsamh.training@state.de.us or 302-255-9480 for details).
Resources-Information
- Indivisible: A Practice Guide to Resisting the Trump Agenda. Go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1h1s_vCR7guGpxROBijga3DiAe7iv0UffeU8rpPL8A1c/viewform?edit_requested=true
- National Council of LaRaza Press Release Calling for Defunding of Programs to Deport Parents of American Children and Establish Detention Centers (see link to press release).
- Preparing Your Family For Immigration Enforcement – English version (Go to http://www.michiganimmigrant.org/resources/library/preparing-your-family-immigration-enforcement-english)
- Preparando a Su Familia Para Encuentro Con Inmigracion (Go to for Spanish version http://www.michiganimmigrant.org/resources/library/preparing-your-family-immigration-enforcement-english
- Conozca Sus Derechos (Know Your Rights)
The Resistance School; Practice Skills for Taking Back America (Harvard University) – Is “..a free four session practical training program to sharpen tools we need to fight for our values at the f.ederal, state, and local levels. Our goal is to keep the embers of resistance alive through concrete learning, community engagement, and forward-looking action.” Go to www.resistanceschool.com for more presentation summary, syllabi and readings.
FREE TO NASW MEMBERS - Click here to go to naswdc.org Practice and Professional Development
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