COVID-19 Update: Planning Continues for the 55th Annual Fall SSWLHC Conference

Dear Social Work Colleagues, Today I am writing with a message of support and solidarity to all of you working in health care who are facing the challenges of COVID-19. As social work leaders and clinical professionals our roles are more critical than ever before. We must be the voice for patients and families who may become isolated but are in need of basic supports and resources. We must be the voice of calm, reason, and reassurance to our colleagues and our community. To do this and to sustain this we will need to be creative as many of our organizations are asking us to stay home and work by phone or video. That is certainly the case at my organizations and my leaders are working as we speak to create support structures to keep our staff engaged, connected and caring for others. Many of you have wondered if the Society will still plan to hold its annual conference in October. The answer is YES-for now. Our Board of Directors is currently monitoring this but will wait to make a decision until the beginning of May.  We remain hopeful that the virus will subside and we can gather in seven months time. If the conference cannot be held, we may explore alternative opportunities for video remote presentations. The conference is important to our members and important to the Society as it is our main revenue source for our organization and our final decision will be thoughtful. In the meantime, conference registration will open soon and vendor sponsorships are being accepted.  I would also encourage you to seek support from your colleagues via our List Serv and by calling each other. In a time of social distancing we must commit to staying connected to each other. Thinking of you and offering my support, Heather Brungardt, President Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care