Monthly News & Updates

March 2024

Why Join NASW- MO? You Asked. We’re Answering!

When I travel across the Show-Me state, I get asked, “Why should I join NASW-MO?” Or “Why should I join as a student?”

Here we go. This is also available as a flyer HERE. Please share with your colleagues!

WHY JOIN NASW-MO as a Professional?

5 free CEs a year for NASW-MO Members
Discounted CEs all year online, webinars, and live trainings and conferences
Free Ethics Consultations and Legal Information calls with NASW National
Discounted Liability Insurance
Elevate your voice at the Missouri Capitol with our experienced lobbying team
Only Members can contribute to our Political Action for Candidate Election to endorse and contribute to candidates with social work ethics and values
Only Members can serve on NASW-MO’s Board or Chair Committees
Access to research databases and online journals
Many more benefits!

https://www.socialworkers.org/Membership/Professional-Benefits

Addressing Gun Violence: Blair’s Law Continues to Advance, What You Can Do

By Cassie E. Brown, MSW, LCSW and the NASW-MO Lobbying Team

As your NASW-MO Executive Director, I reached out to membership after the tragic events of the shooting in Kansas City on February 14, 2024 at the Super Bowl Rally for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this letter, I offered resources for organizations working for commonsense solutions for gun violence. I also explained NASW-MO’s ongoing support for Blair’s Law and asked our members to reach out to support it as well.

The House passed language to specifically criminalize the negligent discharge of a firearm in municipal limits. This language, also known as Blair's Law, is a bipartisan effort in response to an 11-year-old girl killed by celebratory gunfire in Kansas City in 2011. This is a small, common sense step Missouri can take to reduce accidental firearm deaths in the state. Blair's Law was passed by the General Assembly last year on a public safety omnibus bill, which was vetoed due to unrelated provisions.

Ethically Speaking - Who Do We Trust

By Nicholas Bracken, MSW

As we move through our social work education, we are placed in practicums that bring us valued experiences and nuances to learn and grow. In these experiences, our minds are opened to many scenarios, growth opportunities, and ethical and unethical decision-making experiences. During these times, we revert to the question, “Who do we trust?”. After graduation and entering the world of real-life experiences, we are placed in situations that allow us to bring our educational experiences to life. We start using the educational curriculum and practicum experiences to scenarios and events that will likely push our boundaries, our ethics, and our frameworks; the question we turn to is, “Who do we trust?”.

Diversity and Awareness Observances for March

Click on the link for more information about ways to celebrate or observe the month, day, or week!

Social Work Month: https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Social-Work-Month

Women's History Month: https://womenshistorymonth.gov/

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month: https://nacdd.org/ddam1/

School Social Work Week (March 3-9): https://www.sswaa.org/school-social-work-week

International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31): https://www.glsen.org/activity/transgender-day-visibility

CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

NASW-MO 2024 CE Series

NASW CE Institute

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Interested in our Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Board? Email here

Registration open for 2024 NASW National Conference June 19-22: Leading Social Change

Attention Students!

Monday, March 11, 2024, 12:00 - 1:00pm

Know Your Profession: What Social Work Students Need to Know After Graduation Click here to register

Seeking articles

2024 Fall Conference

SAVE THE DATE!

October 11-13, 2024

Stoney Creek Hotel

Columbia, MO

Interested in presenting? Click here to complete the form.

Is your agency interested in Sponsoring or Exhibiting? Click here to download the form.

Click here for more informati on

Your Inspiration for the Month

The Inspiration of the Month is The National Poetry Contest for Social Workers from the Iowa School of Social Work! On this page you can find links to the top three poems from 2023. These poems, by social workers about social work topics, are powerful evidence of the way we know story. World Poetry Day is March 21, well within Social Work Month. These two things overlap in some interesting ways (here’s a research article calling for poetry to be brought into social work practice). Perhaps you will be inspired by your fellows to write some social work poetry this month! If you post it online, connect with us by tagging us on social media. Or email it to us at chapter.naswmo@socialworkers.org.

From the Executive Director’s Desk

Cassie E. Brown MSW, LCSW

Chapter Executive Director

Greetings Colleagues!

This SW Month’s theme is Empowering Social Workers. I am fortunate to talk with incredible social workers as part of my work, to hear about what we do across the state and the nation to Inspire Action and Make Change.

Social workers are the changemakers that we need right now.

We have the skills and perspectives, the training, education, and compassion, to approach social problems from a holistic approach. We see and affirm the dignity and worth of all people, which allows us to center social justice without excluding important voices. We meet people where they are.