Spring 2022 Education Committee Report

open notebook with the words "Professional Development Goals" written across the top. A blue highlighter lays across the page.

Thanks to a wonderful committee of dedicated volunteers, MSCSW continues to offer rich continuing education webinars (two hours) each month to both members (free) and non-members ($25; will increase to $30 on 9/1/22 after no increase in 24 years!). We identify timely and clinically pertinent topics presented by very competent clinicians and/or academics in the field. We hope to reclaim the in-person format of providing half-day or full day workshops for some of our programming when it is prudent to do so. In the meantime, there has been an explosion of participation in our virtual webinars for two years due to the increased accessibility to those outside the MSP metro area as well as the convenience of tuning in from home.

Our Committee planning format has been to brainstorm topics and presenter ideas as well as to track the topic requests of participants on the post-webinar surveys. Each Committee member commits to “sponsoring” one or two events each season. The sponsor works with the presenter to nail down details in concert with our Event Coordinator and then to host the webinar for that evening, making an introduction and fielding questions.

The Education Committee is always enthusiastic for new members to join us as well as inviting MSCSW members’ input on topics and/or presenters. Once folks get the hang of the protocol, sponsoring a webinar is a great way to give back to the Society. Historically, we have been quite fortunate to also tap our membership talent to step up as presenters.

Currently we are benefiting from the contributions of Committee members Tricia Burrows, Monica Sowden, Jennifer Andrews, Lauren Royce, Mark LaChapelle and our newest dynamo recruit, Sandra Laski who is taking the helm of Education Committee Chair. Collectively, this group will continue making abundant contributions to keep MSCSW’s pivotal education mission a cornerstone as it has for 44 years! Continue to watch for the monthly Education offerings.