2009 Statewide Conference – Go Interactive
from NASW IL
Yesterday morning, I was reviewing the 2009 Conference brochure, now currently available on the NASW IL Web site, http://www.naswil.org/. What intrigued me the most is the interactive nature of this year's conference. There will be full integration of text messaging/e-mail polls, and discussions on Twitter. Using these mediums, attendees will be able to submit short vignettes of information they may collect from one of the plenaries or from the over 70 workshops that will be offered. More

Quinn OKs Bill for Health Hotline
from The Associated Press via The Chicago Tribune
Gov. Pat Quinn has signed a new law to create a "2-1-1" hotline for people to call when they need information about services like food banks and shelters. The goal is to provide a single, easy-to-remember number that people can call for information about social services and other resources when they need help. It's hoped the 24-hour phone service eventually will be active statewide. More

Express Stamps Program Gets Food to the Hungry Faster
from The Chicago Tribune
Liz Bryant didn't think she had the time to apply for food stamps. The thought of waiting in line for hours at a bureaucratic state office -- then another month for the help to arrive -- sounded nightmarish for the 22-year-old single mother. But with only a part-time job to provide for her 2 1/2 -year-old son, Bryant knew she needed help putting food on the table. More

Express Stamps Program Gets Food to the Hungry Faster
from The Chicago Tribune
Liz Bryant didn't think she had the time to apply for food stamps. The thought of waiting in line for hours at a bureaucratic state office -- then another month for the help to arrive -- sounded nightmarish for the 22-year-old single mother. But with only a part-time job to provide for her 2 1/2 -year-old son, Bryant knew she needed help putting food on the table. More

New Test Spots Dyslexia Early
from KABC-TV
One in five students had dyslexia -- a disability that makes learning, and especially reading, difficult. Most cases aren't diagnosed until third grade or later. By then, their chances of catching up in reading are just one in seven. But some educators are tackling the problem before a child even knows how to open a book. More

The Evolution of a Social Work Researcher
from The New Social Worker Online
Research is a critical tool for all social workers. The process of becoming a researcher should start during social work education. This article will discuss, from the perspective of an undergraduate social work student and her professor, the transformation from classroom research student to actual researcher during the field practicum experience. The field site was a child protective services agency, and the student carried out a program evaluation. Here, we describe the process of this evaluation, as well as the results. More

The Battle for Autistic Kids' Service Dogs
from The Chicago Sun-Times
Like seeing-eye dogs for the blind, trained dogs are now being used to help autistic children deal with their disabilities. But some schools want to keep the animals out, and families are fighting back. Two autistic elementary school students recently won court orders in Illinois allowing their dogs to accompany them to school. Parents say the animals calm their children, ease transitions and even keep the kids from running into traffic. At issue is whether the dogs are true "service dogs" -- essential to managing a disability -- or simply companions that provide comfort. More

When You’re Your Mother’s Keeper
from The New York Times
When Suzanne Cooper’s elderly mother moved in three years ago, her Alzheimer’s was in an early stage. The 84-year-old was still fairly lucid, so Mrs. Cooper could leave her home, while picking up her son, Griffin, from nursery school or going food shopping. But in time, the mother turned more inward, having long conversations with herself at the kitchen table or just staring. More

Lonely Planet
from Newsweek
There are more than 300 million of us in the United States, and sometimes it seems like we're all friends on Facebook. But the sad truth is that Americans are lonelier than ever. Between 1985 and 2004, the number of people who said there was no one with whom they discussed important matters tripled, to 25 percent, according to Duke University researchers. Social isolation in all adults has been linked to a raft of physical and mental ailments, including sleep disorders, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of depression and suicide. More

Experiencing Life, Briefly, Inside a Nursing Home
from The New York Times
For 10 days in June, Kristen Murphy chose to live somewhere she and many others fear: a nursing home. Murphy, who is in perfect health, had to learn the best way to navigate a wheelchair around her small room, endure the humiliation that comes with being helped in the bathroom, try to sleep through night checks and become attuned to the emotions of her fellow residents. And Murphy, 38, had to explain to friends, family and fellow patients why she was there. More

Bullying Thrives in the Workplace, Especially in a Downturn
from The Salt Lake Tribune
About 37 percent of the U.S. work force -- or 54 million workers -- report they have been bullied at work, and 12 percent see it and are vicariously made miserable. Forty-five percent report they haven't experienced or witnessed bullying, so on the one hand you've got an epidemic, while on the other the problem is an "undiscussable" epidemic. More

Upcoming Events NASW IL Statewide Conference Mark Your Calendar...It's now 13 days away! (9/9/09-9/11/09)