NASW Hawai'i Chapter

: This your generous gift to the ’s Annual Fund will help us enhance the well-being of individuals, families & communities through programs that strengthen the social work profession. Click here to donate: https://buff.ly/49OphFC

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We're working hard in the nation’s capital & state capitols alike to promote the profession & advocate for social justice. Get involved, stay up to date & help move legislation by joining https://buff.ly/3QE90KF

West Hawai’i Social Workers on the Big Island are welcome join us at Maka’eo Walking Path (75-5560 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona, HI) on Saturday December 2, 2023 at 9:00 AM.

Come have fun in the sun, make photo art and win prizes! Please RSVP to Crystal Charkowski at [email protected] or 808-854-3418. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Join us this Saturday in Hilo at the Carlsmith Beach Park pavilion at 12:00pm. Various drinks and desserts will be provided by the NASW. Feel free to bring a dessert to share as well. Please RSVP to Hannah Hancock at [email protected] to confirm your attendance - this will help Hannah plan the right amount of drinks and utensils. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Hilo side social workers on the Big Island are welcome to get together at the Carlsmith Beach Park pavilion in Hilo on Saturday 11/4/23 at 12:00pm. Various drinks and desserts will be provided by the NASW. Feel free to bring a dessert to share as well. Please RSVP to Hannah Hancock at [email protected] to confirm your attendance - this will help Hannah plan the right amount of drinks and utensils. We’re looking forward to seeing you there⁠

A message from NASW Maine Chapter Executive Director Chris McLaughlin:

On behalf of NASW Maine, I offer my heart, my hope, and my humanity to those impacted by the horrific gun violence in Lewiston last night. Such tragedies remind us of the urgent need for unity, understanding, and action. To all those grieving and traumatized, we send our deepest condolences, love, and strength. Social workers across Maine stand by you all!

For resources on how can address gun violence: https://tinyurl.com/zbc2wu

Our Convention starts tomorrow (or actually today, since it is after midnight), we’re so excited to be back in person

2 weeks until our phenomenal convention! Sign up today at www.naswhi.org

Come walk, ride, or drive with us in the Honolulu Pride Parade! Saturday, October 21st, parade prep begins at 8am at Magic Island and the parade ends at Kapiolani Park. sign up to participate www.naswhi.org

2 MORE DAYS!
Coalition Action Alert: The Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Health and Human Services Department proposed rule on Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. calls on and clients to provide comments to the agencies by the October 2 deadline https://nami.quorum.us/campaign/parity2023/?link

For more patients to access palliative care, more patients and their families need to fully understand what palliative care is. There is a common misconception—or as Kathryn S. Gurland, LCSW, calls it, a myth—that palliative care and hospice or end-of-life care are one and the same. “The phrase you hear is, ‘We can’t do anything more for you, so we’re referring you to palliative care,’” says Gurland, the director and founder of PEG’S Group LLC in New York. “That’s the worst (way to put it)." Read more in the NASW Social Work Magazine article, https://buff.ly/3Ps4jTk

September is National Recovery Month:
Supporting the Journey to Recovery
Learn more and get resources from : https://buff.ly/46fqnHC

The Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP), funded by the Hawai‘i State Legislature provides qualified educational loan debt repayment to health professionals licensed, or otherwise certified, to practice in and provide care to patients in Hawai‘i.

Social worker Jessica Marcrum was in high school when she became interested in playing games, but after a game master told her in 2002 that “no girls can play,” she quit for 10 years or more. After telling a friend years later about that experience, her friend said, “You should do this.” So Marcrum began playing again and started creating games. Read more in the Social Work Advocates magazine article, https://buff.ly/3Lv8ZHf⁠

Coalition Action Alert: The Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Health and Human Services Department proposed rule on Requirements Related to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. calls on and clients to provide comments to the agencies by the October 2 deadline https://nami.quorum.us/campaign/parity2023/?link

Happening now, “My Journey Grief Training”, a free grief therapy training that we approved for CEs. Live training today on O’ahu,
Wednesday 9/27: Maui Island at Montessori School of Maui
and Friday 9/29: Hawai'i Island at Hawaii Preparatory Academy Registration link in bio https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvTMRtzYRECt_0UH3vZcLBDW20hNfmKa9dYfM1dmQ2O8sL3w/viewform

Attention social workers, your expertise is needed! This Fall, several of NASW’s policy statements are up for updates and your review is requested in the areas of:

Cultural and Linguistic Competence in the Social Work Profession
Death Penalty
Disasters
Healthcare
LGBTQIA2S+ Issues
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
All NASW members are invited to comment on the below draft statements at https://bit.ly/3ZsGv6D. Deadline for comments is September 27, 2023.



The final policy statements will be included in Social Work Speaks, the unabridged collection of policies that set the parameters for NASW’s positions and actions on a broad range of public policy and professional issues.

applauds introduction of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act⁠
https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2831/NASW-applauds-introduction-of-the-John-Lewis-Voting-Rights-Advancement-Act

6 days left to nominate a friend, colleague, or mentor! Must be a current NASW member to nominate someone. Find out more at www.naswhi.org

Join for our September student program in collaboration with the Social Work Grand Challenges. This program is designed to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to tackle some of the most pressing societal issues of our time. Together, we're shaping a future where every individual can thrive, no matter their circumstances. If you are ready to see the impact, you can make as you enter into the field register today.

Thursday, September 21.
12:00PM-1:30PM HST

Register https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZctd-qgqzkqG9GX0A5tnhJyi9JBDW6rjrJ2

Event will be recorded

Nominations now open, accepting submissions until Friday, September 29th. This is an excellent way to acknowledge an employee, co-worker, supervisor, administrator, friend or colleague who you believe exemplifies what it means to be a social worker. Through these awards, we convey our acknowledgment and appreciation of honoree’s efforts and dedication. You must be an NASW member to submit a nomination, Mahalo! www.naswhi.org

Social workers, did you know fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) may affect up to 5% of school children? Learn more about FASDs and how social workers can help prevent them in our latest Social Work Blog post: https://bit.ly/3PjpkB0.

Artificial Intelligence Ethics Table Talk: This on-demand 90-minute self-study program offers both free registration for those not seeking CE credit and the option for purchasing CE credit. Register Here: https://naswinstitute.inreachce.com/Details/Information/67b25a91-b6fa-4bf0-be03-8d732f0cb0ce

How common is drinking during pregnancy? What are fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs)? Read our Social Work Blog post for the answers, and key messages to share with clients to prevent FASDs: https://bit.ly/3PjpkB0.

New Social Work Talks Podcast: Update on Fires in Hawaii

In Maui, more than 115 people have died after wildfires struck in early August. Some 1,000 people remain missing, and the death toll is expected to rise as recovery and identification efforts continue. The fires are especially heartbreaking for Hawaiians; more than 2,000 acres have burned in Lahaina, the historic town and the onetime capital of the former kingdom. Host Aliah Wright speaks with chapter Executive Director Sonja Bigalke-Bannan, MSW, LCSW, about the devastation, loss of life, and how social workers in Hawai'i are coping while helping others. https://buff.ly/44xRvjO

Happening now, our Webinar Wednesday on Opioid Overdose Prevention & Response with an amazing trainer “V” from

deplores race-based violence and offers its support and condolences to the families and community impacted in Jacksonville, Fla.⁠
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https://cnn.com/2023/08/26/us/jacksonville-florida-shooting-multiple-fatalities/index.html⁠
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NASW remains committed to ending racism through public education, social justice advocacy and professional training. Learn more by visiting the Racial Equity Section of our website:⁠
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https://www.socialworkers.org/racialjustice

NASW Hawai’i Chapter extends its support and kokua (help) to all those affected by the devastating wildfires that continue to impact the island of Maui. If you are interested in supporting efforts, we have compiled ways to help.⁠
View our statement: https://buff.ly/3P83aS2 for a list of resources. You can also donate through the 's Social Work Disaster Assistance Fund https://buff.ly/3YVyGGo⁠
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Join us next week for our Webinar Wednesday, to learn about opioid overdose prevention and response and how to use narcan. Free for NASW members, we will also mail you a Narcan kit. Register on our website

24-hour virtual zoom room to support first responders, volunteers, and helpers who have been involved in caring for those affected by the Maui wild fires.

Available at no cost from volunteers with experience supporting mental health needs.

Zoom link:

https://zoom.us/j/88263804569

Password: 12345

CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has released recommendations for use of two FDA-approved Respiratory Syncytial Virus vaccines among older adults. Adults ages 60 years and older may now receive a single dose of either the GSK or Pfizer RSV vaccine, using shared clinical decision-making with their healthcare providers to determine whether RSV vaccination is appropriate for them. Learn More: https://bit.ly/3Oo5AKS. ⁠
Learn more about NASW’s CDC-funded national campaign to promote informed COVID-19 vaccine decision-making: https://bit.ly/3nHhllU⁠
Complementary trainings and CEUs available.