| Shared Interest Groups, Activities, Services, Task Forces |
Getting Involved with NASWThe Massachusetts Chapter invites all NASW members to put their ideas and energies to work through one of our Activities, Services, or Shared Interest Groups. These groups meet to network, organize continuing education conferences, follow legislation, draft policy statements, represent NASW in the community, and generally serve as the eyes and ears of the Chapter, feeding back information to staff and the elected leadership. To get involved, please email chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org. You can be added to a Shared Interest Group's email list, or connected to a staff member overseeing the activity in which you have interest. If you plan to attend a meeting or event, please call the office beforehand to confirm that it is still scheduled as planned. Please be sure to review the code of conduct before attending a meeting: https://www.naswma.org/resource/resmgr/files/Code_of_Conduct.pdf Shared Interest GroupsChildren and YouthFocuses on educating social workers and the general population on child and youth matters; researching and analyzing public policy; disseminating findings; advocating for children and youth; participating in state-wide child and youth coalitions and groups. LGBTQIA+This SIG aims to create a supportive network for queer-identifying NASW-MA members. We hope to provide a space for peer support, where members can connect and share their experiences through storytelling and resource sharing. Utilizing member-driven meetings, we will strive to build a strong, inclusive community that empowers and uplifts its members. Mental Health & Substance Use DisorderWe would like to invite all NASW members dedicated to Harm Reduction, Housing First, Social Justice and the dignity and worth of all people to collaborate in strengths-based advocacy and action guided by evidence, lived experience and the neurobiological impact of attachment & trauma on substance use and mental health, to create meaningful and socially just change in the realms of Mental Health and Substance Use for social work clients, students, and practitioner's in Massachusetts. Private PracticeSupports members with all aspects of private practice including administrative, marketing, legal, and clinical issues. In addition to focusing on practical matters such as billing, and insurance company policies, the private practice Shared Interest Groups also address how these concerns impact clinical work. MORE INFO Retired & Retiring Social WorkersThe purpose of the Retired & Retiring (R&R) Shared Interest Group is to provide support, education, resources and mutual aid to Social Workers who have retired and those anticipating and planning for it. Our goal is to support one another through the uncharted developmental passage of retirement and late-career issues. MORE INFO School Social WorkWe are developing a network of school social workers with whom we can consult and collaborate. One of our current goals is to create job description guidelines for school districts by describing the unique skill set of a school social worker. Committees & CommissionsChapter Awards CommitteePlans the Awards Ceremony held annually to celebrate excellence in social work practice and the profession. Criminal JusticeExpands the employment of social workers in criminal justice settings, works to assist those professionals who have clients impacted by the criminal justice system, and advocates for human rights in the criminal justice system. Make sure to follow our social media pages on Facebook (NASW-MA Criminal Justice Committee) and Instagram (@naswmacriminaljustice). Committee on Ethics*
The NASW-MA Committee on Ethics is a group of social workers committed to ensuring and promoting ethical social work practice in Massachusetts. This group aims to promote ethical social work practice by offering continuing education opportunities via presentations and publications, serving in a consultative role, and in general addressing the social work ethics needs of our professional community. Anyone interested in joining this group should apply to NASW-MA in order to be approved by the Board of Directors.
Finance Committee *Monitors Chapter finances. HMO/Managed Care Commission *Creates a greater and better dialogue between clinicians in private practice and those working in managed care. Addresses a comprehensive array of topics related to the delivery of behavioral health services that have direct impact on both providers and Managed Care Organizations. Legislative Advocacy CommitteeAdvances professional social work issues and promotes social and economic justice, human rights, and unimpeded access to services for all. Educates lawmakers at the State House on the importance of human services for the people who use them. Committee Advocating for Older Adults and People with DisabilitiesThe NASW Nursing Home Committee has rebranded itself with the new name of the Committee Advocating for Older Adults and People with Disabilities. Our Committee thrives on issues both in facilities as well as around peoples' needs while living in the community. We meet the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. by Zoom--computer or phone line is fine. Whether you are a geriatric social worker, a person working with people with disabilities, a caregiver, a clinician, a macro social worker, or just interested in learning something new, we welcome you to join us. Please contact bsilva.naswma@socialworkers.org for more information. Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) CommitteeThe political action committee for NASW. Our goal is to promote the election of candidates that support the mission and goals of NASW. In particular PACE encourages social workers, women and minority groups to run for office and we seek to endorse and support them when they share our progressive values. We inform our members of candidates that we have endorsed and state the reasons for endorsement. School Social Work Conference Planning CommitteePlans the annual School Social Work Conference. Social Workers Assistance Network (SWAN) *Now an online resource. Provides professional consultation and referral to any social worker with personal problems. MORE INFO Therapy MatcherTherapy Matcher helps potential clients find a therapist who matches their preferences for insurance, location and specialty; provides referrals for our members; and educates the public about the work that social workers do. MORE INFO Chapter Activities & Services for NASW membersCareer ServicesThe fast-changing social work job market has forced members to be assertive and interdependent in an effort to locate the quality jobs they deserve. The Chapter assists members with resumes, the job search, and career development. MORE INFO Ethics ConsultationsMembers seeking ethics consultation can use the following resources:
Member-to-Member SupervisionNASW’s Member-to-Member Supervision program is a service for LCSW NASW members to help them obtain LICSW supervision not provided at their work site. MORE INFO Professional MentoringProvides early career social workers with opportunities to learn under the direction of experienced clinical and macro professionals who are committed to fostering their personal and professional growth. MORE INFO Safety in the Workplace *State-wide Task Force, of which NASW is a co-convener with Boston University School of Social Work, which: develops policies and standards for social worker safety in agencies, and schools of social work; researches the incidents and nature of assaults on social work students and practitioners; and provides a central clearing house for this information. MORE INFO * Membership to these groups is by appointment (or election) only. Shared Interest Groups are an NASW member benefit and are only open to NASW members. Non-members are welcome to attend a meeting or two before deciding to join NASW and the Shared Interest Group. Before attending a meeting, please contact chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org to confirm that it is still scheduled as planned especially in August and inclement weather. To be added to a Shared Interest Group's mailing list, please email chapter.naswma@socialworkers.org. |
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