CSWE Gathering for Society Members and Friends:

If you are attending the CSWE Annual Program Meeting, or if you live in the Philadelphia area, please join us on Friday, October 31, 2008, from 5:00-6:15 pm in the Grand Ballroom K at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown Hotel.  You will have a chance to network, participate in some discussion about the future of the Society, and eat homemade cookies.

Arizona Mini-Conference January 29-31--More News:

A pre-conference seminar on Spirituality in the Workplace…Workshops on Co-Creating Heaven on Earth... Life's Purpose... Recognizing Undiscovered Strengths...Visioning Practices…Culturally Diverse Models of Forgiveness and Reconciliation…Meaningful Messages in Movies…Spiritual Answers to Life's Issues…Conscious Choices-Positive Patterns…    and Sacred Space openings and closings and an evening celebration…       Plan to come if you can!
A notice with program details, a conference schedule, workshop descriptions and presenter biographies, and registration materials are all now available.  Give us a few days to get them up on the web site, and you will be able to access them at  http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/research/spirituality. (Click on January 2009 Conference.)  If you need information sooner, contact Jan Shuman at (520) 882-4370 or shu1@mindspring.com.

More Information re: Call for Papers/Presentations for the Fourth North American Conference on Spirituality and Social Work (June 18-20, 2009):

We sent the Call for Papers/Presentations in the August Message.  Since then, the planning committee for the conference has suggested some ideas or points for papers:
 * How can religion, spirituality, or faith be harnessed for empowering individuals, families, groups or communities? 
  * How can spirituality, religion and faith influence the quality and course of treatment across diverse groups?
 * Under what conditions do religion, spirituality, or faith have a negative impact on individuals, families, groups, or communities?
 * What treatment options are available for trauma due to negative experiences with religion, spirituality, or faith?
 * When is advocacy necessary for diverse and oppressed groups with reference to religion, spirituality, or faith?
 * When does the right to practice one's faith overstep freedom of choice of oppressed groups?
 * What evidence-based practices incorporate spirituality religion, and faith?
 * When can spirituality, religion, and faith be both an oasis of empowerment and tranquility and a crucible of conflict?
The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2008. 

Too Much Life, Not Enough Time:

I apologize to all of you who have sent articles, poems, essays, and other materials for publication in the Society's refereed publication, The Forum.  I have had the best of intentions and so has Tom Capshew, our co-editor, but we have not produced an issue this year.  We plan to put an issue out this fall.

New Books By Member,  Recently Published: 

Andrew Bein, PhD, LCSW, clinician, consultant, and professor at California State University, Sacramento has written a book which both practitioners and academics may find of value.  It is The Zen of Helping:  Spiritual Principles for Mindful and Open-Hearted Practice (Wiley, 2008, 201 pages).  It's available through amazon.com.

 C. Lynn Anderson, D.Min., ACSW, clinical social worker, Adjunct Professor at Ferris State University, and consultant through Sara's Circle, has written a book combining the wisdom of the world's religious and spiritual traditions with the insights of psychology.  Where Our Journeys End:  Searching for the Beloved in Everyday Life (2008, Dog Ear Publishing) is available at amazon.com.