NASW-Illinois Chapter President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW
Greeting Social Work Community,
It is hard to believe that we have entered the year's final quarter and are transitioning into a new season. Since my last article, many things have occurred and are occurring in the world around us. I am reminded that in times of great challenges comes great transformation. As it relates to our social work profession, one thing that remains consistent is our resiliency. Our resiliency, coupled with our advocacy and commitment to humanity and social justice, has and will continue to anchor our profession.
I have served on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors since 2019, and the transformative change that has happened within our state because of the tremendous work of our chapter has been unprecedented. I am very proud of our dedicated work, advocating for our members, providing valuable educational opportunities, and engaging in policymaking to help strengthen and enhance our field and the people we serve. We greatly thank our members for your continued trust and commitment as we navigate these challenging times together.
Last month, I saw a vision of the Social Justice Initiative come to life with the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of this new building at my alma mater, Governors State University, in University Park, Illinois. I am most proud to sit on the advisory committee and be a part of this monumental work and vision that is impacting the lives of individuals in the Southland community. I also look forward to the transformative work that will continue and expand its reach to those most vulnerable and in need. The Social Justice Initiative began its work through the development of its Legal Clinic, which provides pro se legal services, case management, and community workshops for individuals in need of legal services in family law, immigration, expungement, housing, etc. For more information regarding the Legal Clinic, please visit the Legal Clinic website.
In Chapter News:
The strength of the NASW-Illinois Chapter is the power and work of our committees. We announced last month that the chapter is currently recruiting for our Ethics, DEIAB, and Legislative Committees. These committees are responsible for carrying out the tremendous work of our chapter vision and tending to pressing matters that concern our profession. We solicit your expertise and passion to serve as we strengthen and expand our committees. The great Margaret Mead stated, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” For more information regarding the three committees, please click here.
Next month, we are looking forward to hosting with our sibling chapters in North Dakota and Nevada our 2024 NASW Chapters Virtual Conference, where the theme this year is “Empowering Social Workers.” This year’s conference offers a tremendous variety of enriching topics and the latest best practice approaches for our respective practice areas in social work. Registration is still open, and you can earn up to 8 CEUs, including courses that fulfill requirements for clinical supervision, cultural competency, or implicit bias in Illinois. We would love to have you be a part. Click here for more details, including workshop descriptions.
In solidarity,
Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW
NASW-Illinois Chapter President
Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her), serves as university lecturer and BSW field coordinator at Governors State University in the Department of Social Work. She is a strong advocate for social justice and works to influence policies that create equitable and transformative change in our society. She has served on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors since 2019, previously as Calumet District Chair, chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIAC), and as member of the national NASW Delegate Assembly. In 2020 she served as co-chair of the NASW-Illinois Chapter Task Force on Racial Justice where the chapter’s final recommendations on police reform were reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus bill. Latesha believes that it is our social responsibility to create and effect change through advocacy, policy, and the advancement of social work.
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