• The Colorado Social Work Licensure Task Force (composed of representatives from Colorado-based professional social work organizations, university social work programs, and social workers with lived-experience regarding difficulty passing the ASWB licensure exams) was formed in the Fall of 2022 in response to the issues and exam disparities demonstrated by the 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis Report, which was published on August 5, 2022.

• The Task Force is interested in surveying ALL Colorado-based social workers (both licensed & non-licensed individuals) about their reaction to the ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis info and associated exam disparities, and to help inform our advocacy efforts moving forward in the state of Colorado as it relates to potential changes to future social work licensing requirements.

• Please take a moment to complete the survey by clicking here: https://bit.ly/2023COLicensureSurvey or scanning the QR code – all Licensure Task Force members are sharing the same survey/link broadly with our networks & we hope to reach as many Colorado-based social workers as possible!

Notice: Dual Membership Option Ending on 8/18/23

The School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) has updated their membership options and have new rates as of 8/1/23. CSSWA has previously offered a dual membership option (CSSWA + SSWAA).

Payment was provided to SSWAA, on behalf of CSSWA dual members, through a manual process of the CSSWA Treasurer writing and mailing checks via USPS. This process often caused a delay for our members in configuring their SSWAA account and accessing SSWAA members-only resources.

Because of the various membership levels now available for SSWAA and the noted lag in dual members accessing resources, beginning 8/18/23, the dual membership option will no longer be available on CSSWA.org.

Between 8/1/23 - 8/18/23, any new dual members will be enrolled in the basic SSWAA membership option along with an annual CSSWA membership.

Any existing dual members will be converted to the CSSWA Regular membership level on their next renewal date.

The CSSWA Regular Membership rate of $50 annually will not increase. The Student, Retired, and Affiliate Membership levels and rates will also remain in tact.

We fully encourage our CSSWA members to continue or enroll in SSWAA membership - not only because it supports advocacy and policy efforts at the national level, but there are also fantastic SSWAA member benefits including professional liability insurance and great professional learning opportunities.

We will have a link to SSWAA membership information and enrollment on our CSSWA Join page. Removing the dual membership option will allow you the flexibility to select your preferred SSWAA membership level and will expedite the time it takes to access members-only resources and benefits.

If you have any questions, please contact us at csswa.1@gmail.com.

We're in full swing of planning our 2023 Colorado School Social Work Conference. This will be our first in-person state conference in many years! We're excited for school social workers across our state to come together for a day of learning, growth, and connection.

Conference Information

• Date: Wednesday, September 27, 2023
• Time: 8:30 am - 3:45 pm
• Location: Adams 12 Conference Center: 1500 E. 128th Ave, Thornton, CO 80241

To apply to be a conference Breakout Session Presenter, Sponsor, or Exhibitor, please visit the links below:

• Breakout Session Presenter: bit.ly/CSSWApresenter23
• Conference Sponsor: bit.ly/CSSWAsponsor23
• Conference Exhibitor: bit.ly/CSSWAexhibitor23

The Colorado School Social Work Association stands in solidarity with the Colorado Society of School Psychologists in condemning the acts of racism that took place on February 8, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center during the National Association of School Psychologist Conference.

As school social workers, our ethical values of social justice and integrity guide our work. School social workers are committed to being transformational leaders in promoting equity, inclusivity, and social justice in our schools and in the communities in which our students live and learn.

As Colorado school social workers and with the 2023 National School Social Work Conference coming to our state, we want to be clear that racism and inequality do not have a place in Colorado. We anticipate and are excited for a conference full of learning and connection rooted in an environment of inclusivity. The Colorado School Social Work Association will continue our leadership in promoting the viability and professional excellence of Colorado school social workers, and through that leadership, it is our responsibility to address and disrupt both instances of and systems of inequity. 

The mission of the Colorado School Social Work Association is to enhance the wellbeing of students, families, and the community within the educational system. We must live out this mission and engage in our work in an actively anti-racist manner, and we are committed to this work as our own organization and in solidarity with our Colorado school psychologist colleagues.

For additional information on Racial Equity and Social Justice resources in our profession, please visit sswaa.org/racial-equity-and-social-justice. For more details on the steps being taken by the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center to address the harm caused, we invite you to read the updates provided by the National Association of School Psychologists.

Check out the February 2023 CSSWA Newsletter for exciting updates, announcements, and events!

Are you interested in becoming more involved with CSSWA? 

We are looking for volunteers (both CSSWA members and non-members) who are interested in joining our Conference Planning Committee to plan our Fall 2023 Conference. 

Our first meeting will be held virtually through Zoom on Thursday, October 27th from 5:00 - 6:00 pm

Objectives of the first committee meeting:

• Selecting Fall 2023 conference date and location
• Strategic planning for the year ahead with timeline of tasks to be completed
• Determining future committee meeting dates and times

If you are interested, please sign up through this link prior to the meeting. You will receive the Zoom link after signing up.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

We hope to see you there!

The University of Northern Colorado is conducting a research study to identify components of trauma-informed lockdown drills to improve current crisis prevention strategies to promote student wellness. This study has been approved by the University of Northern Colorado IRB (IRB #2205039462).

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete. Interested participants must:

- Be at least 18 years old to consent to participate

- Be currently employed at a school/school district in Colorado

- Have expertise in crisis prevention/crisis response

- Fluent in English

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete. Your responses will remain confidential, and your participation is completely voluntary. The information gathered from this survey will help the research team better understand the components of trauma-informed lockdown drills and preferences of school personnel, in turn, will inform crisis prevention responses. Please click the link below to begin the survey.

Survey link: https://unco.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0fbVtccsUhQlABE

The University of Denver is working to complete a qualitative field research study on school-based mental health professions here in Colorado.

CSSWA invites all school social work licensees (whether or not your title is "school social worker") to share your thoughts about the pathways and decision processes involved in pursuing a school-based mental health career, as well as your attitudes towards current practices around school-based mental health and wellbeing promotion. 

This inquiry will inform best-practices for rural, frontier, suburban, and urban school districts throughout Colorado. 

The survey will take about 15-20 minutes, with an opportunity to participate in an anonymous focus-group at a later date.

Click Here to be a part of this important project TODAY!

We encourage you to share this survey with all school-based mental health professionals including school psychologists, school social workers, school counselors, and school specialists employed by the Office of Behavioral Health at the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Click this link to view the flyer for more information about this project.

The 2022 Colorado School Social Work Conference has been postponed. This difficult decision was made for a variety of reasons including scheduling challenges. We plan to return to an in-person state conference in Fall 2023.

As school social workers, we value strong professional development and collaboration with local, state, and national partners.

In the spirit of these values, we encourage you to explore and attend two upcoming conferences:

1) Colorado Safe Schools Summit presented by the Colorado School Safety Resource Center

• Thursday, October 20, 2022: In-person in Thornton, CO and Virtual
  
• Friday, October 21, 2022: Virtual Only
  

2) National School Social Work Conference presented by the School Social Work Association of America

• Wednesday, March 29 - Saturday, April 1, 2023: In-person in Broomfield, CO
  

If you have any questions or would like additional information about the information shared here, please do not hesitate to contact the CSSWA Board.

You may notice that CSSWA's website looks a bit different. That's because it is! Welcome to our new site!

We have transitioned to a new platform, WildApricot, to support our organization's website and member management needs.

Members will be able to log in to their accounts, explore membership options, enroll in auto-renewal, and view members-only benefits such as supervision and job boards, a member directory, and exclusive resources.

Our News & Updates page will be updated frequently to include school social work, education, and Colorado-related announcements, articles, and happenings around our state. 

Finally, our Events page will be the go-to destination for conferences, webinars, professional learning opportunities occurring in Colorado and beyond. 

If you would like to share information on our News & Updates or Events page, please feel free to contact us.