We are in the midst of our annual membership drive and I have been thinking about the benefits and value of membership. Even though we are almost 1000 members strong, we operate on a very lean budget and manage to accomplish a lot. We work hard behind the scenes to keep our profession and our clinicians viable and informed. So much of what we do is fueled by the wonderful, caring volunteers who comprise our Board of Directors and various committees. We are still meeting virtually for 2021 but hope to be able to plan hybrid or in-person events next year.

During this past challenging year, we are very proud of what we accomplished in support of our members as well as strengthening our outreach. We will continue to provide innovative programming, advocacy and networking for clinical social workers in Maryland, DC and Virginia – now and in the future. Below are some of the important advantages of your GWSCSW membership:

• Networking that builds peer relationships for a lifetime of practice. During the pandemic, we offer our members many ways each month to meet with each other and build the collegial bonds that last throughout their careers, from student members through early career stages, to mid-career experience and beyond into retirement years. As I mentioned, the Society is led by volunteers who staff committees, facilitate programs and welcome everyone to take part in events and become part of the evolving leadership team. The best way to get to know us is to join a committee! We embrace your participation.   
• Protection for your practice and your clients through our impact on laws and legislation. We hire expert lobbyists to represent our membership and help us to set the standards for clinical social work at both a state and national level. Our lobbying efforts have influenced legislation to protect the safety, equity and economic security of our profession in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia state houses for forty years.       

A special note to the Maryland clinical social work community:  We are the only organization that pays for a Maryland lobbyist who looks after legislation of interest to and impacting clinical social workers – this covers you no matter where you are in the state! 

• Giving back to the community. We further the profession of social work not just for ourselves, but for those who will come after us. Members developed a low-cost therapy program for MSW students who need to experience their own therapy before serving others. We offer mentoring to those just beginning their careers and help graduates overcome inherent test bias by sponsoring licensing prep classes. Each year, we donate to community-wide efforts for those in need.  
• Access to our dynamic listserv. Our membership is diverse in experience and clinical knowledge, and our listserv resonates daily to questions and information about licensure, teletherapy, insurance, client referrals, promising job opportunities and overall emotional support for practice-based issues. The listserv has been a lifeline for many of us during the pandemic and gives a voice to all of us. It is one way that we keep our members operating with confidence and safety.  
• Unique educational workshops with low-cost CEUs. We provide high-quality clinical programs at very low prices, to make it easy for you to stay current. In 2021, all of our workshops were accessible by Zoom and featured stellar presenters, including the recent “Tips and Tactics for Talking about Race: A Toolkit for Clinicians,” led by internationally-known expert Kenneth Hardy to rave reviews. Our popular ethics workshop with Fred Reamer keeps members alert to any and all licensure issues. Successful workshops for Fall included: “Play Therapy through the Lifespan” and “Integration of Couples and Sex Therapy.” 

We do all of this and more each year. GWSCSW is the only local social work organization that focuses its efforts primarily on the needs of clinicians—from graduate school through retirement and beyond! Membership is the best way to keep us all working together to promote our values and vision with strength and safety. Thank you again for your commitment and partnership.

Sincerely, 
Lynn Grodzki, LCSW-C

On behalf of the Society, I want to wish all of our members a safe and happy Holiday season. I hope it will be more secure and less worrying than how many of us felt at this time last year.

During 2020-21, the Board moved forward with energy and intention to promote clinical networking, education, connection, protection and advocacy. I am especially proud of how we expanded our vision to become a more inclusive and diverse Society, one that is in alignment with anti-racism values.

Toward that end, GWSCSW took several new actions: Our Anti-Racism Taskforce (ART) helped the Board further anti-racism goals and facilitated two “Brave Space” workshops, one for members and one for the Executive Committee. These Brave Space experiences allow members to share honest, respectful and sensitive thoughts and feelings about race and other social issues. More of these Brave Space workshops will be offered to members in 2022.

In September, GWSCSW also hosted Dr. Kenneth Hardy, noted speaker and author, to present a 3-hour Zoom workshop: Tips and Tactics for Talking About Race: A Toolkit for Clinicians. In this workshop, Dr. Hardy demonstrated a model for talking about race within a clinical setting, including how to listen deeply, stay relational, be caring and when needed, directly challenge bias.

In the way that the best therapists make the theoretical tangible, within the first fifteen minutes Dr. Hardy created a dynamic conversation with attendees about race. As people virtually raised their hands to ask him questions, difficult topics were voiced and argued, topics that could easily surface in our offices and cause a therapist anxiety: What to do when someone insists that systemic racism is false? How to respond to the use of hurtful, invective language? When should we intervene to address implicit or explicit racial bias? Dr. Hardy didn’t just tell us what to do, he showed us. He dealt with these issues and others using a process that was relational, respectful and yes, sometimes confrontational. He was inspiring in his willingness to stay present and mindful, even in the face of conflict.

Dependent upon the ongoing interactions, there were moments that the conversations about race felt grating, frustrating and even painful to me. From the evaluations we received, I recognized that I was not alone; others valued the teaching but had strong emotions and reactions, too. As our Vice President, Karla Abney, said when she and I debriefed the workshop: “Maybe everyone, black and white, has to be uncomfortable for these conversations about race to take place.”

I deeply appreciate Dr. Hardy’s courage to show, not tell. I recommend that in the future, we add in more time after workshops for attendees to share and debrief our experience together. It helps. I also hope we become increasingly sensitive about what we say, how we say it, and the effect it may have on others even as we are learning how to talk about race. I welcome your thoughts on this.         

In closing, please consider taking an active role in the Society this coming year. We welcome all to participate in the running of our Society, by joining committees, attending programs and taking on leadership roles. Thank you for being a member. Happy Holidays to all.  

Sincerely, 
Lynn Grodzki, LCSW-C

As Spring beckons, we are seeing a lot of energy and creativity within our Society. I feel very inspired and appreciative of the hard work of many. Despite concerns at the start of the pandemic, we are not only surviving, we are thriving. Our chapter remains in very good financial health and our membership is growing. We are acclaiming new programs, welcoming new members, meeting member’s needs for connection and education and have some encouraging legislative policy to share.

I think we can credit this to a creative and collaborative Board who stay connected to our members’ needs. I am so grateful to our wonderful group of volunteers. One recent program has been a great success thanks to Frances Wu, Melissa Grady and others on our University Liaison Committee. We partnered with NCSSS (National Catholic School of Social Service) to offer a free, one-day workshop for graduating MSW students to try and address potential bias within the LG test that may have resulted in fewer grads passing the test. It was a success!

Corey Beauford, LICSW, was the presenter on our Zoom platform on April 17. He was reviewed as “clear, informative. empathic and personable.” He offered a wealth of additional materials for participants and gave us permission to tape the program so students could revisit the workshop as often as needed, prior to taking the test. Almost the entire graduating class of NCSSS registered with our Zoom program. We received very positive responses and great evaluations from students, NCSSS professors and a big thumbs up from Dr. Roslynn Scott-Adams, Assistant NCSS Dean.

The GWSCSW Board is busy with other new programs, including low-cost therapy for MSW students, many of whom graduate from school without having experienced psychotherapy for themselves. Kate Rossier has spearheaded this program and coordinated with members who are willing and eager to provide therapy for MSW students at reduced rates.

Some big news on the legislative front: Many of us have complained about the limitations of not being able to follow our clients and patients for continued care across state lines, when they move or when we do. Our national association, the CSWA (Clinical Social Work Association) announced an exciting program: The Department of Defense and Council of State Governments have partnered to create an interstate compact for clinical social workers. CSWA is one of the three main stakeholders! This may be a way to affect legislation and help the Federal and State governments rethink the need to allowing clinical social workers to offer a continuity of care, regardless of location. Stay tuned for more.

The Anti-Racism Taskforce launched a very successful introductory program for members seeking a brave space (not just a safe space) within which to grow their understanding of how systemic racism comes up in the therapy room. This facilitated group experience to allowed members to think and talk about the impact of racism in their lives and their clinical work with each other and all reported that it was deeply meaningful.

We are also in the process of a society website redesign, which will make the GWSCSW website easier to navigate and a better tool for displaying all the resources we are accruing. We are starting to have a presence on social media and trying to make sure that those local clinical social workers who want connection and resources can find us. We had a good time and a good turnout at the New Member Brunch on Zoom and I really enjoyed meeting many new members  who are joining our Society.

I invite members to check out a new entry in the “Welcome to Our Wisdom” section of the existing GWSCSW website. Just log in and go to https://www.gwscsw.org/members-wisdom to see the 30-minute interview with May Benatar, LCSW, PhD, one of our long-term members who is a clinician and published author. She shares her process of writing and some tips and techniques for getting published!  There is even more going on: ongoing CE programs (we have a new Education Branch Director, Ari Sallas-Brookwell!) and a renewed interest in our mentoring program, and ideas for a variety of support groups.

We invite any members who are curious about joining a committee or volunteering to get to how it works, behind the scenes to join us at an upcoming ZOOM board meeting. We welcome you to get involved. Watch for the invitation on the listserv and on our email blast.

We held our first Board Meeting of the year on January 9, just three days after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. I wondered how it would feel to try to focus on Society business in the aftermath of this latest horrific and tragic event, especially since the assault on the Capitol felt so personal, right in our own backyard.

I was frankly so appreciative to see everyone on Zoom, and know many of us felt really glad to be together and support each other. I started the meeting with a question, asking our members: What is your WOTY-- Word of the Year -- for 2021?

I explained that each year, I choose one single word to be my focus and guidance for the upcoming new year, to help me orient my efforts, time and energy. I try to find something meaningful that will point me in the direction I want to go, a kind of internal and intentional compass, as I make decisions. What WOTY, I asked, can encourage and support you to be the best personal and professional version of yourself? This prompted a wonderful sharing of thoughts and feelings. Some of the words that our Board suggested that would help them position themselves in 2021 included: hope, walking, connection, family, hugs, cultivate, lightness, gratitude, perseverance, positive, sankofa, enjoy, and centered.

Good news: Our Treasurer reported that we are in better shape financially than we had predicted. Our active membership numbers are up. We are reversing an earlier decision so that all MSW students who register for programs can become automatic members for free, to take advantage of our list serve and be immediately active in the Society.

The good financial news means we can continue to support our lobbyists who help us with legislative and advocacy issues. Judy Gallant, Director of our Legislation and Advocacy Branch and Committee Chairs Judy Ratliff, Wayne Martin, and Margot Aronson spoke to us at the January Board meeting about the challenges in our tri-state area. In Maryland there is a proposed change to reduce the number of required hours of supervision for people to get their clinical license from 144 to 100 hours. Both Virginia and DC already have the 100-hour requirement. But this is under discussion in terms of if, supported by our Society, what other requirements should be in place.

We have some continuing education programs ready to roll out soon. We also have some exciting ideas for additional educational programs this year and are talking with nationally-known presenters who want to speak to us, via Zoom on topics of complex trauma; anxiety reduction methods during this complicated time; and how new therapists can develop the skills of clinical confidence. Watch for notices of our future online programs, a wonderful and inexpensive way to get your CEs, connect with the membership, and contribute to our ongoing clinical conversation.

As always, the Board welcomes more members to be active in the Society. We need more committee members, we appreciate those who attend events, and we appreciate all who step forward to offer their time and energy to help the Society flourish.

GWSCSW is a society of over 1000 members at various stages of their careers. We have student members as well as those in early stages of careers—just starting out. Other members are securely grounded in a private practice, or active in agencies or other clinical settings. A strong cohort of our members are retired, but still engaged in the social work profession, often within volunteer efforts. This variety in membership keeps us informed about the breadth of roles and responsibilities for clinical social workers. We know, through our contact with you, by reading the listserv and talking with many of you each week, that our members are struggling to stay intact in their professional and personal lives during these chaotic and concerning times.

You may be balancing personal worries about the pandemic and, at the same time, trying to address these same anxieties for those within your caseload. You may be dealing with client concerns about health and economics, while focused on your family concerns about these issues, too. Many of us are working overtime, engaged in political and social justice activities that are heightened by the outcome of the election. If you are a parent, your children and their schooling is a critical worry. We are dealing with unusual amounts of anxiety and stress from every corner of our world. These are the times it helps to have support!

I hope that being a member of GWSCSW brings you an added sense of security and comfort right now, knowing that we are all going through this time together. Part of our GWSCSW mission is to support each other as valued colleagues. Each day, members are active on our vibrant listserv and each week we offer you information about our ongoing programs to help you stay informed and inspired.

GWSCSW held our first virtual ethics conference in mid-November with our favorite ethics maven, Dr. Frederic Reamer.  Dr. Reamer is the gold standard in social work ethics. He is personable, knowledgeable and shared fascinating real-life cases and scenarios that were so needed right now. We were so fortunate to have such a well-respected expert share his passion, knowledge and experience with almost 200 attendees at this conference.

We appreciate how quickly our members renewed their membership this Fall during our October membership drive. We know that your support and willingness to pay annual dues during the pandemic reflects the value of our Society to you. If you have not yet renewed and need assistance, please contact Donna Dietz at admin@gwscsw.org We held a virtual “new members brunch” on October 11 that was well-attended. It was fun to use the Zoom breakout rooms to allow us to meet in small groups, so that we could talk and really get to know with each other.

We are so proud of the recent Legislative and Advocacy virtual luncheon that was held on October 18. Almost 100 members registered for the free event to hear from our state lobbyists. Speakers presented a deep dive into the many issues that concern our tri-state membership in terms of new regulations, insurance changes, and potential issues of access and clinical control that affect our caseloads. Thanks to the L&A committee members and all the presenters who produced a stellar event.

We, your leadership team, are busy at work for you, to secure the vitality and viability of our Society in this time of change. We welcome you to join a committee and help the Society stay strong and responsive to its membership.