License Renewal Requirements for Illinois Social Workers

By Gina Ulery

IL Social WorkerIllinois-licensed social workers must renew their license every 2 years, by November 30th of odd-numbered years. 30 hours of continuing education (CE/CEUs) are required to renew, including:

Effective December 1, 2013, a minimum of 50% of the total CE hours required must be obtained by a method that includes face-to-face, in-person instruction or experience.

A maximum of 15 hours may be earned for completion of a self-study, home study or online course that is offered by an ASWB-approved sponsor – provided a posttest is required.

Professional Development Resources, Inc. (ACE Approval #1046) is approved as a provider for social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) www.aswb.org through the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) Program. Over 100 online and home study courses are available @ https://www.pdresources.org/profession/index/4

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Happy Social Work Day!

U.S. Congress Recognizes World Social Work Day and Professional Social Work Month

Nation’s Social Workers are Honored in March for Outstanding Community Contributions

World Social Work Day 2012There are people in every community who go above and beyond their regular work to make a significant difference in the lives of thousands. These advocates can come from any field, but many times they are professional social workers. In recognition of these efforts, U.S. Representatives Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) and Brett Guthrie (R-KY) have introduced a resolution into the Congressional Record that celebrates National Professional Social Work Month and World Social Work Day.

World Social Work Day is coordinated by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and celebrated on March 20, 2012. “Wherever there is extreme poverty, lack of basic needs like food, water and shelter, the trafficking and abuse of people across countries or serious family problems in affluent societies, you will find social workers alongside people, helping them to make changes in their lives,” says IFSW President David N. Jones, PhD. “World Social Work Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the crucial work of building people-centered, sustainable social progress and social change.”

Use Facebook and Twitter to spread the news about World Social Work Day (#wswday).

In addition, U.S. Representative Edolphus “Ed” Towns (D-NY), U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) introduced similar resolutions in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW) and School Social Work Week. These statements from key national legislators help raise awareness that millions of people every day are making changes in their lives, and improving their quality of life, with the assistance of social workers.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has coordinated Professional Social Work Month in March for more than 25 years. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Social Workers Inspire Community Action.” NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH says that the 2010 Social Work Month theme and the ACSW 50th Anniversary underscore the association’s focus this year on leadership development. “We have so many inspiring leaders to look to in our profession’s history as we plan for the future. Others may think and talk about problems, but social workers do something to change the systems that perpetuate them,” she says.

The School Social Work Association of America organizes School Social Work Week, and more than 35,000 social work leaders hold NASW’s ACSW credential. Find stories about professional social workers making a difference on these Web sites:

Source: http://www.naswdc.org/pressroom/2010/031710.asp

Source #2: http://ifsw.org/get-involved/world-social-work-day/

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Using Structural MRI to Map the Functional Anatomy of Language and Reading

Free Video Resource from the NIH

Using structural MRI to map the functional anatomy of language and reading [electronic resource] / Cathy Price.

Click on image to view video

Dr. Price’s research program aims to establish a functional anatomical model of language that predicts how speech and reading are lost and recovered following neurological damage or developmental delay. The hypothesis is that there are multiple ways that the brain can perform each language task (degeneracy). If this is true, then the effect of damage or developmental delay will depend on whether there is a surviving system available to sustain the task.

To dissociate the neuronal systems for the same task, they use structural and functional MRI of subjects who vary in their cognitive abilities, demographics and neurological status. This allows them to characterize individual variability in the neuronal networks of neurologically normal populations and to examine how brain damage affects cognitive abilities in patient populations. In particular, Dr. Price’s lab aims to determine how the impact of damage to one system depends on the integrity of another.

The language tasks they use are designed to tap various aspects of reading, speech perception, speech production and language control (e.g. in bilinguals). Their studies typically compare the neuronal networks for verbal stimuli to those involved in perceptual, conceptual or motor processing of non-verbal stimuli such as music, environmental sounds, numerals and pictures of objects.

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