NOVEMBER 2011 E-NEWS

Ever Wanted to be on a Radio Talk Show?

Earlier this month, Morgan State University’s radio station, 88.9 FM, introduced Urban Health Beat, a new program designed to discuss mental and physical health topics of particular relevance to African Americans.
The show airs Wednesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Click here to listen to the latest edition.

Hosted by Marilyn Harris Davis, the show follows a discussion format and guests include practitioners of physical and mental health. The show’s staff says the show aims to “…identify and discuss healthcare prevention, best practices, resources, treatment, access, and policies as a means of informing, educating and empowering listeners.”

The producers of Urban Health Beat have asked NASW-Maryland for assistance finding ethnic minority social workers interested in providing a mental health perspective on upcoming shows. Social workers would be asked to comment on mental health considerations of various health topics. The show’s premiere edition addressed physical and emotional aspects of sex and sexuality, and included input from Clinical Social Worker Peggy Montgomery.

Social workers interested in being a guest on Urban Health Beat can click here to notify NASW-Maryland of their interest.

Mark Battle: The End of a Distinguished Career

A valued member of the NASW-Maryland Chapter, Mark Battle was known for supporting professional standards and increasing social work’s relevance to broader social issues throughout his distinguished and multifarious career. Mr. Battle was formerly the national NASW Executive Director (1984 to 1992), and was a co-developer of the NASW Social Work Pioneer Program.
From 1974 to 1984, he was a professor and chair of the Macro Sequence at Howard University School of Social Work. From 1992-1999, he was a visiting professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore where he was awarded the Dean's Medal for Outstanding Service.
A private family funeral will be held.  A memorial service open to the public will be held on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 1:00 pm at the Cosmos Club, 2121 Mass. Ave, NW, Washington, DC.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP with the names of all attendees to Elizabeth Cox at ecox@naswdc.org.
• Mark Battle’s NASW Social Work Pioneer® Bio
• Obituary – Carol Cole Center
• Donations may be made to the NASW Foundation in memorial

FALL NEWSLETTER WRAP-UP

The fall edition of The Maryland Social Worker has hit the post office and is showing up in social workers’ mailboxes across the state.
Did you notice some of the special announcements? In case you missed them, here’s a quick review:

* Presentation proposals for 2012’s Annual Conference are still being accepted for review.  However, all proposals must be received by Wednesday, November 30, 2011. This will give the review committee enough time to consider each proposal and pick those that will best educate our members. The Conference theme is “Social Work Matters.” 

We can’t wait to see your good ideas, so click here to send us your proposal. Remember, we want to hear from any graduate-level social workers; not just NASW-MD members. So please forward this email to colleagues who you think might be interested in making a presentation!
 

* Do you think social workers need more good press? Why not nominate a fellow social work professional or private citizen for NASW-MD’s Annual Award? Award winners are recognized at our Annual Conference, mentioned in our newsletter, and media outlets in the winner’s area are notified of the achievement. Social work is a great profession because of dedicated and caring professionals, and is recognized for being great because NASW members like you take the time to recognize those who have significantly contributed to our profession.

Now is the time to nominate deserving social change agents for NASW-MD’s Annual Awards. We will honor those who have made extraordinary contributions as social work clinicians, educators, field instructors, students, and non-social worker citizens who have made outstanding contributions to human services.
The deadline for all nominations is Monday, December 5, 2011. We want you to tell us about NASW-MD members and citizens who have embodied social work values of ethical service, social justice, and professionalism, so follow this link to nominate a social work professional or citizen for an Annual Award!

Chapter Sponsors Special Ed Classes for School Social Workers

Classes are scheduled for the “Introduction to Special Education for the School Social Worker” at the Maryland Chapter office. The first offering of the course was held in the winter of 2010. It is now back by popular demand! This winter’s offering will run from January 9 through March 19. The sessions include 21 hours of face-to-face instruction and 15 hours of on-line, independent study. The program is sponsored by the Maryland Chapter’s Social Workers in Schools Committee, chaired by Gail Martin, and is designed specifically to enable school social workers to meet the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) certification requirements; the course equals the 3 academic credit hours that school social workers must have completed at least 90 days prior to the expiration of his or her certificate.
As an added bonus, attendees earn almost all of their required CEUs for licensure renewal.
Click here to see the course description and registration information.

November Observances

It’s likely we’ve all heard of some pretty bizarre-sounding observances and awareness months (National Panini Month, anyone?) but here’s a list of some November observances that are serious about promoting awareness and understanding about important social issues. Click on each title to learn more about each campaign’s cause.