How PSCSW Can Help You – and You Can Help PSCSW!
PSCSW is a volunteer organization of social workers supporting social workers — joining a committee is a wonderful way to get involved and meet other members. Click on a committee or program below for more information.
| Committee Name | Committee Description |
|---|---|
| CE Co-Sponsorship Program | Plans and coordinates clinical training for members and other masters level social workers: develops programming; selects and oversees faculty and supervisors; reviews and approves course syllabi to ensure they meet clinical and ethical standards. |
| Clinical Awards Program | PSCSW conducts an awards program for second-year-practice students in Pennsylvania. Students are encouraged to submit clinical case studies in our competition. Prizes include cash awards, Society membership, and a recognition ceremony. |
| Clinical Book Discussion Program | The PSCSW Book Club is open to all PSCSW Members. The purpose of the book club is to provide a forum for members to read books and then come together to discuss themes of the book as they relate to clinical practice. A secondary purpose of the group is to build community amongst our members while providing an interesting way to earn continuing education credits (CEs). |
| Clinical Film Discussion Program | At PSCSW film programs, open to all PSCSW members, participants earn CEs while meeting at a member’s home to view a film which has themes or issues related to clinical practice, followed by an educational presentation and stimulating discussion. The committee coordinates presenters and hosts and helps organize and promote the programs. |
| Coffee and Conversation Program | Coffee and Conversations are informal Continuing Education events open to members and nonmembers that provide a forum for sharing, learning and networking among members and potential members of PSCSW and offer low cost continuing education credits. This committee generates speaker ideas and plans the series that takes place in members’ homes, generally on Sunday mornings for 2-3 hours. |
| Development of New Professionals Committee | The Student Support & Membership Committee monitors and administers the Clinical Awards for Excellence Program; the New Professional Mentoring Program; and the Low Fee Supervision List. |
| Ethics Program | The Ethics program provides free-of-charge consultation for members to address ethical issues that arise in the course of their own practice. The committee also provides a forum for members to explore ethical dilemmas brought to their attention by PSCSW members. In addition, the committee reviews complaints concerning unethical practices involving a member of PSCSW through the use of an ad hoc committee. Adjudication procedures are designed to insure thoroughness and even-handedness. Findings and a recommendation are reported to the Executive Committee for action. Throughout this adjudication process, the identities of the member and the complainant remain confidential. |
| Governance Committee | The Governance Committee Monitors board procedures and adherence to PSCSW By-Laws. The committee also updates revisions and amendments to the By-Laws with Board approval. |
| Legislative Committee | The legislative committee focuses on the representation of clinical social work in Harrisburg. This committee collaborates with PSCSW’s lobbyist regarding bills introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature that affect clinical social workers, and it communicates important legislative matters with PSCSW members. Members of this committee participate in advocacy efforts to help strengthen the clinical social work profession in the state of Pennsylvania. This committee has had instrumental roles in advocating for licensure, vendorship and clinical social work regulations. |
| LGBTQ* Subcommitee | The LGBTQ* Committee is an inclusive group of PSCSW members who identify as LGBTQ* and/or allies. The group provides professional networking and peer support, while exploring the intersection of identity and advocating for social justice. The asterisk (*) in our name is intentionally used for the purpose of being inclusive of all gender and sexuality related identities. |
| Licensing Program | The function of the Licensing component of the Professional Standards Committee is to provide PSCSW members with information and assistance as they seek LSW and LCSW licensure. The Licensing component of the Professional Standards Committee also establishes an interpretive and advocative presence with the State Board, State Legislature, and State Regulatory review bodies as PSCSW members move through the LSW and LCSW licensing process. |
| Low Fee Supervision Program | The Low Fee Supervision program matches LCSW candidates working in agency or fee-for-service settings with qualified supervisors offering supervision at a fee of $50 per hour or at the lowest rate of the fee-for-service practice. |
| Medical Social Workers Subcommittee | This is a group of social workers from various areas of the healthcare field. The members come from private practice, hospitals, outpatient medical, and community non-profit settings with a shared interest in serving those with medical issues. Additionally, they welcome social workers and social work students who are interested in entering the healthcare field. Activities include peer support, CEU events. |
| Membership Committee | The Membership Committee works to attract new members and to welcome those who have recently joined. They are often active with telephone and e-mail communication and attend educational events to answer questions about membership and call new members to welcome them. They also sponsor an annual brunch for new members. |
| Mentoring Program | The Mentoring Program matches members up with a qualified mentor in their field of interest. The Mentoring Program is designed to help clinical social workers with professional transition, career direction and focus. |
| Newsletter Committee | The committee publishes the PSCSW newsletter, The Clinical Voice, three times a year. Articles are written by our members, with content focusing on clinical theory, comparative analyses of treatment methods, case studies, book reviews, reflections on the impact of our clinical work in the world and on ourselves. They also publish reviews of recent PSCSW workshops, programs, and speakers. Each issue of The Clinical Voice includes a column written by the president of the PSCSW Board describing issues under discussion by the Board, new policies, plans, and ideas. The committee encourages members to share their ideas, knowledge and experience and communicate with peers by writing for The Clinical Voice. |
| Nominating Committee | The Nominating Committee is responsible for the nomination of officers and Members at large to be presented for approval by the Board and then for election by the general membership. |
| Post Masters Program | Plans and coordinates clinical training for members and other masters level social workers: develops programming; selects and oversees faculty and supervisors; reviews and approves course syllabi to ensure they meet clinical and ethical standards. |
| Private Practice Subcommittee | The Private Practice Committee’s goal is to help members learn from and provide support to one another, provide business expertise and network to create successful private practices that will contribute to the community and improve the image of the social work profession. |
| Professional Seminars Continuing Education Committee | PSCSW offers a variety of opportunities to earn continuing education credits with members with similar interests, including… |
| Professional Standards: Ethics & Licensing Committee | The Professional Standards Committee oversees issues of ethics and licensing. |
| Regional Programs | Because PSCSW membership has expanded beyond it’s initial base in Philadelphia and Montgomery Counties, Coffee and Conversation and other programs are now conveniently available in Bucks County, Chester County and Lancaster County, organized by local coordinators. Events in every area are open to all PSCSW members regardless of where they live, as well as to nonmembers, so feel free to register for any event of interest wherever it is held. |
| Social Workers of Color Subcommittee | The Clinical Social Workers of Color (SWOC) committee is a sub-committee of likeminded clinical social workers within the general membership of PSCSW that provides opportunities for education, support, self-care and professional development, which promote social and economic justice. Their vision is to ensure that social workers of color are educated, informed, supported, empowered and provided with a means to connect with the larger world of social work context, which will enable them to foster social and economic justice for all and to fully maintain the ethical standards of the social work field. |
| Sociocultural Committee | The purpose of the Social/Cultural Committee is to give members of PSCSW an opportunity to come together in a relaxing and pleasurable way while also providing an opportunity for activity participants to learn about different aspects of cultures and each other through a variety of experiences. |
| Special Interest Committee | PSCSW has several subcommittees which support members with specific interests and welcome new members. |
| Student Support & Membership Committee | The Student Support and Membership Committee coordinates membership outreach to graduate social work schools by working with student representatives and faculty liaisons. They send out licensing and promotional material to the schools and coordinate licensing presentations for students. They also arrange for students to volunteer at PSCSW educational conferences in exchange for free attendance. |
| Technology and Social Media Committee | The Technology and Social Media Committee makes use of technology to promote membership growth and retention, and to spread the word about the organization, its mission, and upcoming events. This committee provides consultation regarding social media presence and the intersection between ethics and social media. Technical assistance is also available to PSCSW staff and board members in the performance of their duties. |
Contact Committee
Please complete the form below to learn more about a PSCSW Committee or Program.
"*" indicates required fields