NASW/CT's 32nd Annual Conference 

REGISTRATION FEES:

• NASW Member: $155.00 ($175.00 after Wednesday April 19, 2017)
• Non-Member: $195.00 ($225.00 after Wednesday April 19, 2017)
• Full-time Student: $65.00 ($85.00 after Wednesday April 19, 2017)
• Presenters: $35.00
• Registered Exhibitors (1/2 workshop attendee): $77.50

Conference Program Booklet

(click here) 

Social workers stand up for millions of people every day.  These include people who are experiencing devastating illnesses and mental health crises, our veterans, children, families and communities. They stand up to ensure people get the best care while ill or on the road to recovery or simply dealing with the aging process. They stand up for military personnel and their families. They work to advocate for social justice or concentrate on passing legislation that will help those who are the most vulnerable. They stand up for abused and neglected children, work to insure the educational needs of individual children are met, and find permanency for those children in need of families. Yet many people still misunderstand who social workers are and the invaluable contributions they bring to their communities. This proclamation social worker Stand Up, created by NASW for Social Work Month, kicked off a campaign to educate the public about the contributions of social workers and give social workers and their allies tools they can use to illuminate the profession and clarify the role social workers play all over the world. We have adopted this proclamation for our own state conference as we concur that the positive contributions of the profession need to be identified and acknowledged. So, to all the social workers who join us today at this conference, thank you for what you do. While you stand up for your clients, we at NASW stand up for you.

We honor the work that social workers perform in so many different capacities and hope that this conference will provide some degree of thanks, support, and inspiration. We thank the presenters who give so generously of their ideas and time. Thanks also to the Sponsors and Exhibitors whose resources and contributions are truly invaluable. Thank you to the NASW/CT Chapter staff, the workshop Moderators, the Planning Committee, and other volunteers who contribute to making this conference run smoothly. And a special thanks to those of you who support NASW through your membership. Without you there would be no organization to advocate for the profession of social work as well as the services needed by those we serve.

Conference Notes

 We’re glad you could join us at our 32^nd Annual Conference.  There is a lot happening to squeeze into one day!  In between workshops visit the Exhibitors and Sponsors who so generously support this event and be sure to take advantage of the resources available at the BookShop located near the Registration Desk.  You’ll find the Student Poster Session near the Registration Desk as well.  Please find the time to check out the work of our BSW and MSW Student participants.

This year we are pleased to have Juniper Homecare as our Partnering Sponsor. Founded in 1998, Juniper Homecare provides many home and community-based services for elderly and disabled residents in Greater Hartford and beyond. Their goal from the beginning was to create an agency that put people first. Juniper Homecare is partnering with NASW/CT this spring to advance their Adult Family Caregiving Program. Believing that the best caregivers are family, now a relative or close friend can devote time, care and service to an elderly consumer in their own home and the caregiver might qualify for compensation for the care they provide. Visit their Exhibit Table at the Conference, meet Andrei Brel, MSW Juniper's Executive Director at lunch, or go to their website at www.Juniperhomecare.com for more information about this innovative program.

We hope you find the conference to be timely, meaningful, and an asset to your work in the field.  We hope you connect with old friends, meet new colleagues, and enjoy the day.  Don’t forget to join us at the Wine & Cheese Reception immediately following the conference.

Keynote Speaker

Stanley F. Battle, PhD, MPH, MSW

Educator, Author, Administrator & Civic Activist

Stanley Battle, PhD, MPH, MSW has said that the lifeblood of social work is reaching out and giving people a voice.  Even in an age of unprecedented technology, social work must always be “about the needs of people”.  Recently named the Director of the Master of Social Work program and Professor of Social Work at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Dr. Battle started his career as a social work advocate in 1973 when he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Springfield College.

Dr. Battle subsequently earned his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut in 1975 and a Master of Public Health and Doctorate in social welfare policy from the University of Pittsburgh in 1979 and 1980, respectively.  His career in academics spans over three decades, starting as an Assistant professor at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work followed by serving at Boston University, the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he served as vice chancellor of student and multicultural affairs.  In 2003 Dr. Battle was appointed the fourth president of Coppin State College in Baltimore which, under his leadership, became Coppin State University in 2004.  He assumed the role of Chancellor of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University from 2007 to 2009 and returned to Connecticut to assume the position of Interim President of Southern Connecticut State University in 2010.  He was on the faculty at Central Connecticut State University from 2012 to 2013 when it was announced he would be appointed as professor of social work and the founding director of the master’s degree program at the University of Saint Joseph. 

Throughout the years Dr. Battle made significant contributions to the academic programs he led, contributing scholarly work and leading research projects, while always participating as an active member of nonprofit boards and community organizations.

The opportunity to drive the development of an innovative Social Work master’s program at the University of Saint Joseph was irresistible, according to Dr Battle because of its great potential to impact individual lives while redefining the relationship between academic programs and clinical partners.  The USJ program prepares social workers for community-based clinical practice in labor force shortage areas such as health and mental health, children and family services, aging and disability services, veterans services, and services to newly arriving population and ethnic communities.

We are honored and delighted to have Dr. Battle as our Keynote speaker at our 32^nd Annual State Conference.