NASW-FL September 2021 E-Newsletter

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Advancing The Profession & Practice Of Social Work In Florida

September 2021 Edition

Message From Chapter President

Dear Colleagues,

This month we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month – Florida’s culture is rich in Hispanic influences and our Florida Latinx community is a diverse and talented group. We recognize the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans and the Latinx community to the social work profession in Florida. Thank you for your service to your clients and communities.

Most of you now know that we have been successful in our advocacy efforts with the Licensure Board, at least partially. In addition to an extension to ASWB’s 18-month delay for new social work interns, a few weeks ago, we were excited to announce that there will continue to be a pathway for social workers impacted by the 5-year-rule to attempt to pass their exams. We recognize that while this will help many registered clinical social work interns feel less pressure to pass their LCSW exams by March 2022, that some will still face job loss without their status - even if they have been successfully performing in those positions for years.

As I said last month, this has to be a multi-pronged effort. Towards those ends, we did something really exciting. This past week we began a series of classes for Florida social workers who are at risk of losing this status with the licensure board in March 2022. We had over 290 social workers register and attend the first session. It was so popular that we are re-opening it. We want to do everything we can to improve these social workers’ chances of passing the exam. We’ve been concerned about social justice issues that may impact who passes and have asked ASWB to share data. They’ve made it clear that they will not share this information, so we’ve begun collecting data ourselves about who is being impacted in Florida. We will share this information when it is analyzed. We also continue to look at revisions to the laws affecting licensure and testing.

We are busy both at a Unit level and statewide getting ready for other important work. Lead Day will be February 7^th and 8^th and I’m happy to announce we will have both a face-to-face and a virtual component this year. Universities are gearing up, and many expect they will have a presence in Tallahassee. I will be there, along with NASW staff and other officers to welcome everyone. We will have a LOT to advocate for, (maybe even some positive changes in licensing laws).

We’ve created a new committee for membership that will be chaired by Earl Ledford. He will take the lead in helping us connect with and onboard new members, as well as help us meet the needs of folks we’re already serving.

Our Civics Education Sub-committee continues to meet to brainstorm about how to ensure Florida students can learn about important historical events, and that education about our history and the racial injustices are not filtered out. We want to be certain that our next generation is exposed to the truth. The group was invited to give a “Current Topic” presentation at the upcoming CSWE conference, a national conference for Social Work Educators to be held here in Orlando in November, and a small but dedicated group of us are preparing to show folks outside of our state how we get things done. We are planning to highlight our justice work. If you plan to be at the CSWE Conference, come by our table or attend our “hot topic” session.

I wish you all a safe and meaningful September.

Warmest regards,

Susan

Susan Mankita, MSW, LCSW

NASW-FL President

2021-2023 Continuing Education Requirements

Reporting Period: April 1, 2021 — March 31, 2023

General Hours = 25

Ethics and Boundaries or Provision of Teletherapy : 3 hours - In alternating biennial renewal periods, the licensee shall complete either.

Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 hours required for renewal - Must be taken from a Board approved Medical Errors provider. Approved courses are listed in CEBroker.

Domestic Violence: 2 hours required every 3rd license renewal. These hours are included in the 25 general hours.

Laws and Rules Update: 3 hours required every 3rd license renewal. These hours are required every third biennium and are included in the 25 general hours.

Supervision Update: 4 hours - These hours are required every third biennium for Qualified Supervisors only and are included in the 25 general hours. NOTE: Not required for renewal until 03/31/2023. This means if you already took the course, you will need to start taking the course every third biennium. Example: If you took the course this renewal cycle, you will take it again during the 2023-2025 renewal cycle.

Click here for more information.

Florida Higher Education Substance Use Disorder Symposium

September 24, 2021

FSU Turnbull Conference Center • Tallahassee, FL

Registration/Check-in: 8:30 a.m.

Symposium: 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Join the Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families, and Children for a one-day symposium on Substance Use Disorders (SUD), featuring keynote speaker Dr. Amy Bonhert, associate professor with the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation.

The Florida Higher Education Substance Use Disorder Consortium is a multi-university project led by FSU and the National Association of Social Work, Florida Chapter (NASW-FL) and Citrus Health Network, Inc. to develop a science-informed curriculum concentrated on substance use disorder and co-occurring mental disorders.

This event will be offered both as an in person and virtual event via the Zoom platform. When you register, please select your preferred option. The in person option includes a boxed lunch.

Click here to register.

NASW Foundation Partners with University of Texas-Austin on COVID-19 Vaccination Grant

September 16, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation and the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute (HBRT) at The University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work have been awarded a $3.3 million, one-year grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to engage the nation’s more than 700,000 social workers in boosting COVID-19 vaccine confidence, uptake and access, particularly among populations with low vaccination rates and higher vulnerability to severe forms of infection.

“As an essential health care workforce, social workers are well positioned to help people in their decision making around their vaccination status and address any impediments to getting vaccinated, for themselves and for their family members,” said NASW President and NASW Foundation board member Mildred (Mit) Joyner, DPS, MSW, LCSW. “Whether they work in health care settings, schools, mental health clinics, child welfare agencies or out in the community, social workers are trusted professionals who are able to meet people where they are in their COVID-19 vaccination journey and help them navigate any personal, systemic or logical barriers to becoming fully vaccinated."

As of this week, 63 percent of the total vaccine-eligible population are fully vaccinated, with much lower vaccination rates among certain populations. With the rampant spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, cases, hospitalizations and deaths are once again sharply rising, largely among unvaccinated people. With vaccines recently recommended for pregnant women and expected to be approved in the coming few months for children under age 12, and with booster shots expected to be available this fall, there is increasing vaccine availability, which will be instrumental in reversing the spikes in infection. Facilitating confidence in and uptake of the vaccines is still crucial, as is eliminating barriers to access.

Click here to read the full article.

October 2 Women's March

NASW signed on to be a partner organization for the October 2 Women’s March. It is focused on Mobilizing and Defending our Reproductive Rights. There are in-person and virtual events across the country including a march in Washington, DC on Saturday, October 2, 2021, at 11:00am.

If you are interested, you can find if there is a local event in your area by visiting the Women’s March website and clicking on “Find Events.”

NASW-FL 2022 Annual Conference Call for Proposals Open

Deadline: January 7, 2022

NASW-FL is accepting workshop and poster proposals for:

Emerging Issues in Practice: Telehealth; Evidence-Based Practice; Outcomes; Measuring Fidelity; Program Implementation

Leadership and Supervision: Leadership Approaches and Models; Leadership Development; Best Practices in Social Work Supervision; Reflective Supervision; Grand Challenges

Macro Practice: Case Management; Social and Economic Justice; Ethics and Professional Standards; Community Engagement; Court Systems, Social Service Systems Sustainability

Clinical Practice: Special Populations; Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Treatment/Interventions; Group Practice; School Social Work; Medical Social Work; Private Practice

Child Welfare: Family Intervention; Trauma-Informed Approaches; Chronic Child Abuse & Neglect; Parenting Interventions; Foster Care and Adoptions; Critical Decision-Making

Diversity and Inclusion: Race and Ethnicity; Gender Identity; Sexual Orientation; Ideology; Critical Thinking; Cultural Humility, Implicit Biases

Social Work Education: Innovative Research, Teaching Methods and Learning Styles, Integrating Research in Teaching, Incorporating Diversity and Inclusion in Teaching, Micro-Macro Practice, Field Education Approaches, Inspiring Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Proposals must be submitted online by January 7, 2022.

Click here for more information.

New Practice Alert: Seeking Clinical Social Workers to Revise Clinical Social Work Practice Standards

NASW is establishing a task force to revise the following resource, “NASW Standards for Clinical Social Work in Social Work Practice,” which was published in 2005. NASW is seeking clinical social workers to participate in the revision process.

Social workers should be licensed at the clinical level in the state in which they are practicing and have a minimum of ten years of experience in one or more of the following practice settings:

Community Mental Health Centers
Hospitals
Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Programs
Schools
Ambulatory Healthcare Settings
Partial Hospitalization Programs
Child Welfare Agencies
Aging Services
Employee Assistance Programs
Private Practice

Estimated time of commitment is 12-18 months with meetings via teleconference. If you are interested in being considered as a member of this task force, please submit your resume to cswstandards@socialworkers.org by September 30, 2021.

Highlight Your Organization at the NASW-FL 2022 Conference

Promote and highlight your organization and services at the 2022 NASW-FL Annual Social Work Conference, June 9 – 11, at The Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, FL.

Sponsorships allow your organization to capture the attention of professional social workers with recognition during the Conference, on social media, and on our website.

Now through November 30, save 10% on all sponsorship / advertising opportunities by entering Promo Code SPONSOR22 when you complete the online registration. Please hit the Apply button for the discount to Sponsors receive assorted benefits and recognition:

Hundreds of people who want / need your products and services
Recognition in the Conference Program
Inclusion in the Sponsor Booth game
Pre- and post-conference attendee list; post-conference list includes email/mail contact information
Logo on NASW-FL’s website with link to your organization through Dec. 30, 2022
Your logo on Sponsor signs produced by NASW-FL
Invaluable long-term customers and contacts

Check out the Conference sponsor and advertising opportunities to promote your services and expertise.

NASW IRB-approved Study

We are conducting a Randomized Control Trial examining Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is a national IRB-approved study listed on ClinicalTrials.gov. More information can be found at https://mypages.unh.edu/unhbehavioralhealthstudy.

Currently, we are accepting adolescents ages 13-17 from AL, AZ, CA, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MO, NC, NE, NV, NH, NY, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, and WA. We are hoping to broaden our recruitment efforts for participants. Would you be able to post the attached flyer within your own agency, and possibly share within your personal network (listservs, word of mouth, etc.)?

We know that many agencies have a long waitlist, and we are hoping to support clients that you are unable to serve at this time with greatly subsidized Wilderness therapy or free Cognitive Behavioral Therapy treatments.

The following videos will support you in understanding and sharing about Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare and

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

We are grateful for any assistance you may be able to provide in spreading the word to families that may benefit from this type of research study. Please feel free to reach out with any questions and thank you so much for your support!

Uplifting School Social Workers

by Kristina Ramos, MSW, Legislative Chair, NASW-FL Central Unit

I wanted to uplift the work of school social workers in Orange County regarding COVID safety in schools.

One of our Orange County Public School social workers in particular deserves a highlight, her name is Phyllis Mills. She is the first social worker, in the history of the Classroom Teachers Association (CTA - our union), to be elected to the executive board. She currently holds the office of vice president and is aspiring to be president of the Union one day.

On Tuesday (August 24), Phyllis and other CTA members faced an angry crowd of anti-mask protesters to advocate for policies that protect the health and well-being of students and school staff. The Union's social work committee has been working tirelessly to support our safety after District leaders refused measures they signed off on last year. They gutted the OCPS COVID-19 Health and Safety Procedures Manual, taking it from 88 to 23 pages, and removed essential protective measures.

Phyllis also made it onto a Fox 35 news story, though they did not cite her as a social worker.

We are so proud of her and recognize the hard work many school social workers are facing.