issue released December 14, 2011.

From the President

Dear Members,

It’s been a long time since our last newsletter!  This does not mean that we haven’t been working really hard for the events of the coming year.  The AASWG MA Chapter board met in September for our annual retreat where we began to formulate our plans for the 2011/2012 year.  We have reorganized the board structure into four committees - membership, communication, conference planning, and board governance.  Also, we have opened up the committees to include non-board members for those AASWG MA Chapter members who would like to help but would rather not make the significant commitment of becoming a board member.  Please send us an e-mail to aaswgma@gmail.com and let us know if you would be interested in joining our fun and committed group!

The conference committee has been working tirelessly preparing for our annual conference  that will be held on Friday, March 9, 2012.  We have an incredible slate of workshops and an amazingly inspiring keynote speaker, Ariel Botta, LICSW.  Our theme this year is Staying True to Ourselves Through Change:  The Adaptive Capacity of Social Work With Groups.   One of the most gratifying parts of our annual conference is honoring those group workers who are the inspirational leaders among us.  Please contact us if you would like to honor someone who you know is a committed, compassionate group worker.

Finally, we have some REALLY BIG NEWS!  The AASWG MA Chapter will be hosting the 2013 AASWG International Symposium!  We are so excited about bringing together group workers from around the world to Boston.  We are even more thrilled about the opportunity to bring together the agencies, social workers, and schools of social work in Massachusetts and Maine and the surrounding communities so we can show the world of group workers our commitment to social work with groups.  We want you to be involved!  Please join us in planning this event!  We will be hosting socials in Boston, Worcester, and Western Massachusetts over the next couple months to provide you more information about Symposium 2013 in Boston.  Join us and find out how you can be involved.  Our first event will be held on December 6, 2011 at Bella Luna Restaurant in Jamaica Plain.  Please go to AASWG Ma Chapter Facebook to RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=171943726228669 .

There are so many exciting ways to get involved this year and hope you will consider joining this professional organization.  If you have any interest or questions, feel free to contact me at aaswgma@gmail.com.

Best,

Patty Underwood, LICSW

AASWG MA Chapter Board President

Events

November 28
Central MA Event
6-8 pm
Piccadilly Pub Restaurant
602 Southbridge Street
Auburn, MA 01501
RSVP

December 6
Boston Event
6-8 pm
Bella Luna Restaurant 284 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain
RSVP

Lots of planning is getting underway and we need your help and support. Bringing International AASWG Symposium to Boston is a big venture and we need everyone to get involved.

Join a committee, chair a committee, bring your ideas, eat great food!

Meet the 2011/2012 Board Members

Patty Underwood, LCSW – Board President

Leah Hart Tennen, MPH, CHES, LICSW - Board Vice-President
Tfawa Haynes, LICSW – Board Treasurer
Erika Vargas, MSW – Board Secretary

Heather Carroll, LICSW – Board Member
Mark Gianino, PhD, LICSW- Board Member
Dana Grossman Leeman, PhD – Board Member
Donna McLaughlin, MSW, LICSW – Board Member
Lucille Mograss, LSW- Board Member
Lindsay Morin, MSW – Board Member
Vanessa Seibald, LICSW – Board Member

Mindfulness in Groups

Try this mindfulness exercise in your next group! Bowl full of Lemons: Pass around a large bowl of lemons for each participant to take one.  Direct participants to observe and experience their own lemon as thoroughly as possible (noticing the color, texture, smell, uniqueness of their lemon).  At the end of five minutes or so, have participants put all the lemons back in the bowl.  Turn your back to the participants and mix up the lemons in the bowl.  Turn back around and ask participants to pick out their own lemon. Then participants can tell how they know it is their lemon and describe their experience of this exercise.