Dear Colleague, As NACSW Convention 2009's Workshop Coordinator, I would like to invite you to submit a proposal for a workshop or poster session at Convention 2009 in Indianapolis,  Indiana.  Whether you work with individuals, groups, congregations or faith-based organizations, communities, government, or any area of service, your proposal is welcome!

Twyla Lee

I. Information About Workshop Submissions

NACSW's conventions sponsor workshops and poster sessions that contribute to the growth of social workers and related professionals in the integration of spirituality, faith and practice. You are invited to submit proposals that present model integration practices, report on research findings, or provide valuable information and insights relevant to the project of integrating faith and practice. Workshop sessions are 90 minutes long.  In some cases, workshop presenters will be asked to share the time in a 90-minute workshop session with one or two other presenters (resulting in 45 minute or 30 minute presentations).

<<To skip immediately to the webpage to submit a workshop proposal, simply follow the instructions and fill out/submit the proposal submission form located at: http://www.nacsw.org/Convention/WebPresentations_2009.htm by no later than March 1st, 2009.>>

Please don't hesitate to contact NACSW Convention 2009 Workshop Coordinator, Twyla Lee (tlee@huntington.edu) with any questions you might have about workshop submissions.

For more information about the convention, you can download a convention flyer at: http://www.nacsw.org/Convention/Preliminary2009.pdf.   

A. Tracks

Proposals may be submitted for the following tracks:

1. Social Work Direct Practice - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to case management, counseling, psychotherapy, pastoral care, work with individuals, groups, or families.  

2. Faith of the Social Worker - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to nurture of the social worker's faith, calling and vocation, spiritual disciplines, how faith informs practice, ethics of faith and client relationships, and the client's spiritual formation.  

3. Community Organizing and Development - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to community organizing, assets-based community development and community-oriented interventions, rural communities, international social work, urban communities, collaboration between congregations or faith-based organizations and communities, and advocacy.

4. Social Work Administration and Policy - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to management and leadership of organizations, grant writing, budgeting, organizational policy-making, etc.  In addition, presentations in this track may include but are not limited to social work policy, planning, church and denominational policy and politics   

5. Social Work Education - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to those pertaining to teaching  social work, accreditation issues, educational policy, and the integration of faith into social work curricula.

6. Rural Social Social Work - Presentations in this track may include but are not limited to policy issues, social work direct practice, community services and outreach with a special focus on the role of congregations and faith-based organizations in rural settings.

The proposal submission process will ask you to identify which of the tracks best identifies the overall focus of your presentation. NACSW will make every effort to accommodate your track recommendation, although reserves the right to make the final track allocation based on the overall program balance. Special content is welcomed in areas such a spirituality and religion, international social work, social justice and advocacy, and work with a wide array of populations and critical social issues. 

NACSW is not able to provide remuneration for workshop or poster presenters. Presenters agree to register for the convention at their own expense at the usual convention rate, and to make their presentation at the time selected by the Convention planning committee. 

B. Criteria for Workshop Selections:

Proposals will be selected by a peer review process including some of following criteria:

1. Does the workshop or poster includes creative, innovative ways of integrating faith and practice that will add to the body of knowledge available on the topic addressed?

2. Does the workshop or poster include a practical component which participants can readily apply in practice/ministry?

3. Is the proposal clearly informed by the current literature or by experience of the presenter?

4. Are the concepts in the proposal clear and is the proposal overall understandable and well-organized?

Please note that NACSW's conference niche is in providing trainings that focus on integrating faith with some aspect of social work practice. As such, in most cases our workshop selection process looks for workshop proposals that include an integrative component consistent with NACSW's Statement of Faith and Practice. If your submission represents an alternative perspective, please note this on your proposal so that if it is accepted, we can indicate this in the convention program listing.

II. Procedure for Workshop and Poster Submissions

Before submitting your proposal, for examples of high quality proposals from prior conventions we suggest that you refer to the:

• Example Workshops page (if you are interesting in submission a workshop proposal) or;
• Examples Posters page (if you are interested in submitting a poster proposal)

Please submit your workshop proposal online by no later than March 1, 2009 (this is a firm deadline). To submit a proposal, simply follow the instructions and fill out/submit the proposal submission form located at: http://www.nacsw.org/Convention/WebPresentations_2009.htm. This process requires the following information:

• Name and contact information for the person(s) making this submission

• A title and one page (250-500 words) summary of the presentation

• A 50-word abstract suitable for printing in the final convention program

• Learning objectives for the presentation

As noted above, all workshop sessions are 90 minutes long.  In some cases, workshop presenters will be asked to share the time in a 90-minute workshop session with one or two other presenters (resulting in 45 minute or 30 minute presentations).

If for whatever reason you are or anticipate having difficulty submitting your proposal online as described above, please contact the NACSW office (info@nacsw.org or 203-270-8780) for assistance.

III. Proposal Selection 

Proposals are blind peer reviewed (that is, the reviewers will not know the names of the person(s) submitting proposals).  By May, 2009, presenters will be notified about whether or not their proposals have been accepted for the convention. 

Also, NACSW plans to publish a compilation of materials based on its convention workshops as a way of extending the impact and reach of its workshop presentations. All presenters will be strongly encouraged (but not required) to submit a paper based on the material they will be presenting for consideration publication in NACSW Convention 2009 Proceedings.

IV. Presenter Registration

If my presentation proposal is accepted, I agree to attend NACSW's Convention 2009 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to register (at my own expense at the usual convention rate) by no later than October 1, 2009, to make my presentation at the time selected by the Convention 2009 planning committee, and to provide my own handouts at no expense to the convention. I understand that if I do not register for the convention by October 1, 2009, my presentation may be removed from the convention workshop program. 

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF SUBMISSIONS - MARCH 1, 2009!