Hello on the last day of April.
First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who participated in the chapter’s highly successful 2010 Symposium! It was a wonderful representation of individuals passionate to share their social work experiences and wisdom. We had 56 fabulous exhibitors, a moving Awards luncheon that honored extraordinary social worker and allies, and over 80 sessions that were extremely well attended. Thanks to all the volunteers and staff who helped coordinate this seminal two-day professional event! We are pouring over the comments and suggestions for future Symposia, looking closely at your input!
Last week I had the privilege of attending the 2010 Social Work Congress in Washington, DC. With 400 invited attendees and several hundred social work students participating virtually, this three day 'meeting of the profession’ was full of robust and inspiring discussion. Included in the list of invited guests were 30 social workers under 30 years of age—the profession's ‘emerging leaders.’ Seven of these 30 young professionals came from Massachusetts. Topping the list of desired outcomes was generating agreement of 10 Imperatives for Social Work Practice. You can review the list in detail on the website http://www.socialworkers.org/2010congress/ Additionall, two remarkable keynote speakers addressed the audience: Kirstin Downey, author of The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’s Secretary of Labor and his Moral Conscience, provided highlights of this exceptional woman’s career, first as a professional social worker and then as a public servant and her ongoing impact on social policy today; Daniel Brook, author of The Trap: Selling out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America, spoke about how rising college debt and cost of living are “forcing” some students into careers that pay more than social work and the danger that holds for the future of the profession. As social workers, we can relate to both the challenges and the opportunities discussed by Downey and Brook.
The key take away of the Social Work Congress is for each of the 10 sponsoring organizations to incorporate the 10 imperatives into each group’s strategic plans and take action in the years to come. For a complete list of the organizations and Associations that sponsored the Congress, go to the web site above.
Beyond the Congress, the Chapter is always looking for members who want to get involved with the important policy, electoral, advocacy and clinical issues that our profession is so involved in.
I await your call!
Carol Trust
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