In July, leadership asked for your opinion about whether our L&A branch should proceed with advocating for the Social Work Interstate Compact. The answer was a resounding “Yes!” For those of you who offered to help, I am very grateful. Information is on the way, via our L&A brunch, and subsequent listserv postings. I’d like to encourage everyone to come to our in-person Legislation & Advocacy Brunch on Saturday, September 9, 10 am-1pm, at Maggiano’s Little Italy in Chevy Chase, DC (just a block from the Red Line Friendship Heights Metro stop, and underground parking is available). You will have the opportunity to hear from our lobbyists, jurisdictional committee chairs, and CSWA Director of Policy and Practice, Laura Groshong, while enjoying frittatas, muffins and pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt and fruit parfaits. You will learn more about what you can do to help achieve this important goal of getting the Compact passed in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. We will be focused on the Social Work Interstate Compact and ways to engage lawmakers and get their support. You will leave with a full understanding of how the Compact will work, receive helpful handouts, and have your questions answered. If you are unable to attend, please email me in advance with any questions you would like answered. We are looking into ways to record the meeting, but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to do so. If successful, we will post it to our website shortly afterwards. Also, I will send more information and the handouts via the list serve to those who can’t attend. If you are able to assist, we will need 2-3 volunteers to help with directing people to the event room and with the sign-in and distribution of handouts. Please email me directly (judy.gallant@verizon.net) if you are able to help. Registration is a free benefit to our members, but you must register to attend! FYI, here are links to find your state or DC representatives' contact information, as well as talking points for discussing the Compact with lawmakers, etc.:

•  You can find your Maryland State representatives here.
•  DC Council Members are listed at this link.
• Here’s how to contact your Virginia State representatives.
•  Useful information developed by Laura Groshong is on the CSWA website. 

As always, thank you for your interest. I look forward to seeing many of you at  Maggiano’s on September 9th!

See individual jurisdiction articles for the current updates. Be sure to contact one of us with any questions or suggestions you might have, or to join one of the committees: in DC, Adele Natter, anatter@verizon.net; in Maryland, Judy Gallant, judy.gallant@verizon.net; and in Virginia, Wayne Martin, wamnoles@aol.com. We look  forward to hearing from you