February 2022 Chapter Update |
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This month, NASW-WA brings you a message from your Chapter President, announcement of our 2022 Social Work Award Winners, upcoming events, and more ways to engage! Thank you for your membership with NASW-WA!
Jeremy Arp, MSW, ACSW
Executive Director, NASW-WA
(he/him)
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Greetings from your Chapter President!
Dear NASW-WA Members,
If you are like me, 2022 has already been a roller coaster. Being a first time parent and struggling to find motivation to address my world beyond that has taken a lot of effort–and I don’t even have school-aged children yet (mad props to you moms and dads who were parents, teachers, employees, supervisors, managers, wives, sisters, husbands, brothers and so on all at once). On many occasions, I have had to force myself to be okay with just being physically present to the things I am responsible for when there is not much left I have to give. It has taken me a while to convince myself I am doing enough. As I was thinking about this, I wanted to send a “brief” letter out to you all as we move towards Social Work Month in March. There is so much that needs to be said and I don’t know if your definition and my definition of brief are the same, so hang in there with me!
First things first, thank you to all our members and to all of the social workers in our state. You are all front line workers–even though not all of us are called that. Your advocacy, listening, managing your own families, own lives and personal struggles, your voices, the care you provide, the leadership you give, the connections you offer, and the emotional energy it takes to make it to tomorrow in this field. Thank you. Being a social worker over the last couple years in the pandemic has been such a challenge—one that I think most of us felt unprepared for. As if there wasn’t enough need already, the need became greater. Add that on top of our own challenges we are trying to manage. Thank you for continuing to show up and put one foot in front of the other.
Secondly, on a brighter note, we received an incredible set of nominations for awards this year. I am extremely grateful to have had the privilege to see the reflection of all the ways in which social workers have grinded for their colleagues and clients across the state. While there is a lot to feel frustrated with, it was quite a bright spot to bear witness to all the different dimensions you are making an impact. I am hoping you will feel the same as we announce the award winners this year. Some of the areas of work that were highlighted were crisis and emergency services, social work education, SUD treatment, trauma therapy, voting advocacy, public safety, dismantling systems of bias, racism, and oppression, and the pillars of support you are for the teams of professionals that you lead. I would love for all of you to join us in celebrating these incredible people and organizations at our annual Social Work Month Awards Celebration on Friday, March 4th, 2022!
When we are all told to stay away from one another, it will be important to find ways to connect. If you are finding that you could use some extra connection, know that your chapter is working hard to meet those needs. Our Membership Engagement Committee is actively working to gather the needs of our social work community, host Practice Area Network meetings, identify safe ways to gather, and create an online space unique to Washington members. Our Chapter Board is actively renovating our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion plan with the hopes of dismantling barriers to inclusion. Our goal is to be actively welcoming people and creating opportunities to connect and learn regardless of where you live, how you identify, what you look like, where you study, or what kind or social work you do. We are continually adding more content to our website to make as much information as we can available to our members on policy efforts, chapter operations, board operations, events, CEUs, and more (stay tuned for an even newer update to the website). I hope you will join us at the opportunity to connect with us on policy issues at the NASW-WA Policy Conference this month on Monday, February 21, 2022! The Legislative Action Committee has put in a lot of work to bring together policy makers, social workers, students, and members to discuss the policy issues NASW-WA is working on this year. We would love to have you be a part of it!
To close (finally I know), in times like these, it is my impulse to isolate, dissociate, and/or withdraw. My wife would call these unhelpful coping mechanisms (jury is out on this one). While it is important to have time to myself, I honestly always feel better after I spend time with the staff, members, board, and volunteers in our chapter. It has never been more important for us to be together and unified as a social work community. When you’re not in an active social media detox (strongly encouraged), please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter and stay in touch! Don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts and feelings on how we can be a part of creating a more connected and powerful group of professionals in our state.
Oh, and in case you haven’t heard this recently, you matter. You are enough. You are doing enough. See you soon!
Sincerely,
Garrett Hebel, LICSW, SUDP
President, NASW-WA
(he/him)
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2022 Social Work Month Celebration: Award Winners Announced!
NASW-WA will honor the accomplishments of social workers and community members during our Social Work Month Celebration on March 4th. Click here to save your spot for our virtual event!
Congratulations to the 2022 Award Winners! This year, we will celebrate:
Social Worker of the Year
Meghan DeGallier, MSW, MHP, LICSWA, SUDPT
Lifetime Achievement Award
Nancy Amidei, MSW
Social Work Educator of the Year
Deisy Haid, MSW, LCSW
Taylene Watson President's Award
The Center for Justice Social Work
Public Citizen
Rep. Jesse Johnson
Outstanding Recent Graduate
Ruby Townsend, MSW, LSWAIC
Outstanding Student
Yunuenn Garcia
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2022 NASW-WA Policy Conference: Registration Open!
The virtual program will feature speakers from the Legislature and policy professionals, NASW-WA's policy agenda, and activities to increase knowledge about the legislative process. The Policy Conference is scheduled for February 21, 2022. Register to attend here! 2 CE contact hour hours available!
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NASW Updates
Webinar: No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimates
Under a new federal rule that went into effect on January 1, 2022, health providers, including clinical social workers, must provide good faith estimates (GFEs) to uninsured and self-pay patients. The January 28th NASW webinar outlined the rule’s provisions as they relate to clinical social workers, advocacy efforts NASW is undertaking to address concerns with the rule, and what’s on the horizon in the future regarding the provision of GFEs for patients who intend to use their health insurance. The recording of the webinar, “No Surprises Act and Good Faith Estimates: Implications for Clinical Social Workers,” is now available here. It is free to members and $15 for non-members. To see NASW’s resources on the new regulation, click here.
Legislative Alerts
Click here to take action on national issues important to the social work profession!
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Call for Presenters
Are you interested in presenting a workshop for NASW-WA? We have an open call for presenters (live, virtual, or recorded). Click here for more information about what we're looking for: https://www.nasw-wa.org/request-for-proposals
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
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