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.