NASW- Wisconsin Chapter

LAST WEEK TO REGISTER! Explore how trauma-informed principles, ethical decision-making, and professional resilience intersect in contemporary social work practice with this 1.5-hour ethics CE training.

Register before 10/07 at: https://bit.ly/4ApwHw6

Will you be attending the Annual Hybrid Conference? If so, check out some of these amazing workshops:

🟩What You May Not Know About Organ Donation
🟩Children's Grief and an Alternative Option for Healing
🟩The Power of Belonging: Simple Strategies That Create Connection

Register today: https://naswwi.socialworkers.org/Conference

Making Space for the Other - Tzimtzum, Relationships, and the Practice of Social Work

Join the NASW-WI Jewish Social Workers Network for our next gathering as we explore Professor Mordechai Rotenberg’s The Psychology of Tzimtzum: Self, Other, and God.

Our discussion will focus specifically on Chapter 1 and Rotenberg’s exploration of tzimtzum, the Kabbalistic concept of self-contraction and creating space for the other. In developing a Jewish psychology, Rotenberg offers an alternative to approaches that understand relationships primarily through individualism, competing needs, power struggles, and conflict. Instead, he places dialogue, mutual responsibility, and relationship with the other at the center.

At the heart of tzimtzum is the possibility of creating space for the other, and thereby creating space to coexist. Importantly, this does not mean erasing ourselves or giving up our own perspective. Tzimtzum can be understood as a dynamic process of contraction and expansion—making room for another while remaining present ourselves. In this sense, making space for the other can strengthen rather than diminish the self, creating the possibility for genuine dialogue and relationship.

What might this mean for the practice of social work? How do we make space for another person without erasing ourselves? How might we move from an “I or Thou” relationship toward an “I and Thou” relationship? What does it mean to take responsibility for each other while also maintaining our own presence and agency? And what becomes possible when we approach difference not as a competition for space, but as an opportunity for dialogue, inclusion, and coexistence?

We'll explore these questions through a Chavruta-style discussion, bringing Jewish thought into conversation with our experiences and practice as social workers.

No prior knowledge of Kabbalah, Hasidic thought, or Jewish traditions is required. Participants are asked to read Chapter 1 in advance. If you are unable to obtain the book, a link to the relevant reading will be provided upon registration.

October 12, 2026 — Rosh Chodesh Heshvan
⏰ 6:30 PM Central Time
📍 Zoom registration https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-PwyTLlnQy-19frsI_HB1A

Come learn, reflect, and connect with Jewish social workers from across Wisconsin.

NASW-WI Conference Spotlight: “More Than a Meal”: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Rural, Older Homebound Adults and Volunteers in a Wisconsin Home-Delivered Meals Program

Presenters: James Power, MSW, APSW, PhD, and Ashley Olson, BSW, MSW

Many rural, homebound older adults in Wisconsin lack consistent access to nutritious food, safe living conditions, and social connection. Home delivered meal programs play a vital role in meeting these needs by reducing food insecurity, offering routine welfare checks, and easing social isolation. This qualitative study explored the experiences of both meal recipients and volunteers in a rural Wisconsin county, capturing personal narratives that highlight the social, emotional, and community impact of these programs. Findings underscore that home delivered meals function as essential social support systems—far beyond nutrition—with implications for social work practice, aging services, and rural policy development.

Register: https://naswwi.socialworkers.org/Conference

LAST WEEK TO REGISTER! Engage with real-world insights from case studies and explore social work core values to learn how to advocate for ethical and equitable policies that protect food access for all people.

Register before 10/02 at: https://bit.ly/4y4I237

The NASW-WI 52nd Annual Conference is coming up! Look through just a few of the great workshops we have scheduled.

Workshops offered Friday, Nov. 6th during the 9 a.m. slot include:

🟦From Stuck to Free Using Brainspotting to Deepen Healing and Self-Connection

🟩Addressing the Dog in the Room: Service Dogs, ESA's and Pets

🟨Faith, Hope, and Healing: Integrating Spirituality into Social Work Practice

◻️Crisis and Neurodiversity

Learn more and register today at https://naswwi.socialworkers.org/Conference

Member Spotlight 🔦⁠
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We're proud to recognize one of our outstanding members, Rosalie Migas, for their dedication, achievements, and positive contributions. Thank you for being an important part of NASW!

NEW! Learn how to recognize and respond to unethical behavior among colleagues while upholding professionalism and client safety led by NASW-IL CEC member Vince Cieslak, MSW, LCSW, CADC, CDVP. 1 ethics CEU available.

Register before 11/18 at: https://bit.ly/4yWF14Y

Conference Spotlight: Cultural Humility: Addressing the Goldilocks Syndrome

Presenter: Dr. Witni Jackson, DSW, LCSW, MAC (she, her)

Friday, November 6th, 2026, 9:00 a.m.- 10:15 a.m.

This continuing education course introduces clinicians to the principles of cultural humility, using the “Goldilocks Syndrome” as a framework to explore the challenges of achieving balance in culturally responsive practice. The course critically examines the impact of colonialism on the helping professions, emphasizing the importance of decentralizing the colonizer’s perspective and promoting client-centered care. Participants will learn practical strategies for self-reflection, bias recognition, and collaborative learning to ensure ethical and culturally humble practice. Through case studies and self-assessment, this training prepares clinicians to navigate cultural complexities with sensitivity, humility and respect.

Register: https://naswwi.socialworkers.org/Conference

Back-to-school season is well underway! Build your understanding of digital safety while exploring the critical role social workers play in protecting and empowering young people. View Preventing Online Harms to Children and Youth to hear from experts as they share research, resources, and strategies to support youth safety, well-being, and healthy technology use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQlWROy_CTg

#2026