The growing demand for cancer services, coupled with the growing social work labor force shortages, threatens our ability to provide access to care.  This teleconference—moderated by NASW Executive Director Betsy Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, with presenters Maureen Y. Lichtveld, MD, MPH, and Alison P. Smith, BA, BSN, RN—will describe a competency-based strategy to strengthen the knowledge and skills of non-oncology social work students and practicing professionals to expand the cancer workforce.

Dr. Maureen Lichtveld, a 27-year public health scientist, is professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and associate director of population sciences of the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium. Alison Smith is director of C-Change, an alliance of the country’s key cancer leaders, working to conquer the disease by providing the public with uniform, consistent, and effective research-based public education messages about cancer prevention and the importance of early detection. NASW is an organization member of the C-Change coalition.

These live, monthly, hour-long teleconferences are exclusively for NASW members. Visit the NASW Lunchtime Series Web page for more information and registration details.

NASW’s Register of Clinical Social Workers, a Web based directory of credentialed, Qualified Clinical Social Workers (QCSW), is currently included in the Social Worker Finder search tool located on NASW’s consumer Web site, HelpStartsHere.org. As of mid January 2010, NASW is posting the Register of Clinical Social Workers to our primary Web site—SocialWorkers.org.

More information about changes to the NASW Register of Clinical Social Workers will be provided in future MemberLink issues and the NASW NEWS.

The Joint Commission Resources (JCR), the not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission, that provides quality and safety innovations to health care organizations worldwide, presents its Annual Behavioral Health Care Conference: Hope in Uncertain Times on November 16, 2009, in Chicago, IL.  The conference is designed for all professionals committed to the treatment of behavioral health problems across all disciplines, offering seminars and programs that comprehensively address all aspects and dimensions of behavioral health care, including community mental health, substance abuse, opioid treatment programs, in-patient crisis stabilization, and children and youth services and programs. For more information or to register for the conference, download the conference brochure or visit the JCR conference Web site.

Representative Ed Towns (NY-10), a social worker and the House sponsor of the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 795), will be the headline speaker on Monday, November 9, for the Carl A. Scott Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the National Deans and Directors of Graduate Social Work Admissions, at the upcoming CSWE Conference in San Antonio, TX. Join Congressman Towns as he discusses Social Work in a Season of Change.

NASW would like to hear from clinical social workers and others who have encountered problems in providing mental health services to Medicare beneficiaries who are actively receiving home health care services under Medicare Part A. The Association is also seeking information about the consequences of situations in which Medicare beneficiaries receiving home care services were unable to acquire or continue with mental health services provided by a clinical social worker. NASW values member input in this process.  Comments can be submitted via e-mail at psyhomecare@naswdc.org until November 20, 2009. Visit the NASW Clinical Social Work Practice Alert Web page for more information.

The Aging Practice Section has released two Practice Updates for October 2009 related to transitions of care.  The Aging Practice Update titled Social Work and Transitions of Care focuses on the critical role that social workers play in helping to successfully navigate, as well as preventing and addressing problems related to, the care transitions of older adults.  The update also provides a catalog of NASW collaborations, activities, resources, and tools related to transitions of care.  Biopsychosocial Challenges Related to Transitions of Care discusses the multiple psychosocial challenges to older adults and families that transitions of care can present. Although psychosocial factors associated with transitions of care—such as adjustment to illness, the need for home care or residential placement, and limited financial or community resources, to name a few—have garnered less attention than medical costs, they often exacerbate problematic care transitions, highlighting the need for social work intervention.   

NASW continues its support for National Memory Screening Day—November 17, 2009—an initiative of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). National Memory Screening Day provides free, confidential memory screenings, as well as follow-up resources and educational materials, to individuals concerned about memory loss, with the objective of early detection and intervention.  AFA carries out this event in collaboration with organizations and healthcare professionals across the country, and social workers have played a key role in this observance since its introduction in November 2003.  To learn more about National Memory Screening Day and how you can become involved, visit the National Memory Screening Web site today.

Celebrate your education and experience, and help tell the Social Work story. Your support for the NASW Foundation’s National Social Work Public Education Campaign helps us educate the media, policymakers, employers, social workers, and the public about the importance of the social work profession. Contribute to the campaign today and receive a complimentary professional social worker pin.  Donors of $25 - $49 will receive a silver-plated Professional Social Worker pin in appreciation. Donors of $50 or more will receive a gold-plated Professional Social Worker pin. Please allow two weeks for delivery. Wear your pin with pride.To learn more about the Social Work Public Education Campaign and why and how you can get involved, visit the NASW Foundation Web site.

Are you interested in running for an elected NASW position at the national level? The deadline for nominations for FY 2009-2010 NASW National Board of Directors and National Committee on Nominations & Leadership Identification (NCNLI) Regional Representative positions is here. Nominations must be received by Friday, October 30, 2009. Please visit the NASW Web site for more information on descriptions of all vacant National electoral and NCNLI regional leadership positions, nomination forms, as well as the desired qualities and skills that each position necessitates. Interested applicants should send completed nomination forms and e-mails to Denise Melville at Dmelville@naswdc.org.

Did you know you can learn how to avoid ethical complaints, licensing board violations, and malpractice lawsuits, AND receive the continuing education credits you need to keep your license? The ASI Education Center offers risk management workshops, sponsored by NASW Assurance Services and co-sponsored by NASW Chapters and other hosts. Workshop presenters are social workers, who are also former board members, trained in the latest malpractice risk management techniques. Protect yourself and your ability to practice social work by participating in a local risk management workshop (3 CEs) or in one or both of the online WebEd courses (2 CEs) on ethics and malpractice.

AT&T has a great opportunity for NASW members to save money. For a limited time only, members who activate an AT&T calling plan will receive a waived activation fee from November 24-30, 2009 – up to a $36 value.  To take advantage of these savings, visit the NASW Wireless Center today.  

It’s not too late to take advantage of the Choice Hotels FREE night giveaway. You can still take that long-awaited road trip, visit with friends and family, or spend extended weekends and vacation days away from home while enjoying the season’s colorful foliage along the way. Earn a FREE night at over 1,500 Choice hotels when you stay three straight nights with arrival between now and November 19.  Remember to reference both your NASW Special Rate Identification #00801690 and your personal Choice Privileges member number to get your NASW discount and earn points. You must be a Choice Privileges member to take advantage of this offer. Visit the NASW Membership Benefits Web page to sign up to be a Choice Privileges member. Stays must be booked at choicehotels.com or 800.258-2847.