Biennial Conference


captain-cook-hotel

Save the Date!

September 20-23rd

NOW: In Person!
Alaska Airlines Flight Code -- ECME662
Location:
The Hotel Captain Cook
Anchorage, Alaska
Code for groups: NASW23
Online Booking Link: AK Chapter Of the National Assoc. Social Workers
Click for Individual Hotel Rate


Present at the 2023 Conference!

Complete our Breakout Session Presenter Proposal form

Award Nominations

Find the nomination form and instructions here

Nominate someone for an award now!


Read the Full Awards Criteria

REGISTRATION COMING SOON






Schedule coming soon

Information Coming soon

Award Nominations

Find the nomination form and instructions here

Nominate someone for an award now!


Criteria for Awards:

Social Worker of the Year

  1. NASW membership in good standing
  2. Personal and professional integration of experience and education to help people
  3. Taking risks for better social services
  4. Enlisting public support for improved social services.
  5. Contributing to the public’s knowledge of social work in the area of the recipient’s expertise
  6. Representing the professional ethics of social work as defined in the NASW Code of Ethics

Read the Full Description

Public Citizen of the Year

  1. Non-Social Worker
  2. Personal action to help people
  3. Taking risks for better social services
  4. Enlisting public support for improved social services
  5. Contributing to the public’s knowledge of social work in the area of the recipient’s expertise
  6. Reflecting the professional ethics in social work as defined in the NASW Code of Ethics

Read the Full Description

Legislator of the Year

  1. A current elected member of the Alaska State Legislature or representing Alaska in the U.S. Congress
  2. Represent NASW Alaska Chapter’s mission within their voting and service record as a legislator.
  3. Taking risks for better social services
  4. Outspoken advocate of social service and social work issues;
  5. Contribute to the public’s knowledge of social work and social issues.
  6. Substantially assisted in the advancement of our policy agenda and legislative priorities

Read the Full Description

Students of the Year

  1. Enrolled in Social Work degree program in NH or in another state and doing a field work practicum in Alaska
  2. Demonstrated integration of academic knowledge and personal experience to help people.
  3. Demonstrated leadership within school or field work setting
  4. Involvement in the community to improve, extend, or expand social services
  5. Representation of professional ethics of social work as defined in the NASW Code of Ethics

Read the Full Description

Agency/Department of the Year

Agency:
  1. Be an overall organization, social institution, or large employer, such as a school district, medical institution, advocacy or client service system. This also includes a department within an organization and a social service agency/group practice.
  2. Have a professionally trained social worker involved in the leadership/creation/ management of the nominated program
  3. Have a focus on continuing professional development and education
  4. Have recognition and encouragement of the continuum of professional credentials of staff development: i.e. BSW, MSW, ACSW, Specialty.
  5. Be involved in managerial and administrative development of an effective employee/work environment.
  6. Currently employed staff of NASW-Alaska may be utilized as a resource but may not make nominations or write letters of support.
  7. Current NASW Alaska Board members or Leadership Search Committee Representatives agencies, departments or programs may not be considered for any award
Department:
  1. Allows/encourages its staff to be involved in professionally affiliated groups, to do presentations on their services area, to serve on task forces, board of directors, and committees, and to work as field liaisons and mentors, which all enhance the social work profession
  2. Develops new or innovative services, programs, and outreaches to serve their clients or to serve emerging social programs, such as AIDS, homelessness, and chemical dependency programs
  3. Supports an advocacy focus for its client population, for example, taking a leadership focus to meet gaps and needs in services or coordinating and assessing resources while also advocating politically for legislation that works to improve client situations.

Read the Full Description



Find the nomination form and instructions here

Nominate someone for an award now!

Wednesday September 20 – Dr Chase

Thursday September 21 – Dan Bigley

Friday September 22 – Dr Jessica Sanigaq Ullirich

Saturday September 23 – Dr Debra Lavender-Bratcher

Bios

Dr Yvonne Chase

Yvonne Chase

Yvonne Chase, PhD, ACSW, LCSW, is an Associate Professor at the University of Alaska/Anchorage. She has an MSW from Howard University and a PhD in Social Work from Norfolk State University. Dr. Chase is active on state, national and international levels. Her areas of interest include social work ethics, child welfare, serving diverse client populations, and the global social work community.

Dan Bigley

Dan Biglet

Dan Bigley is the CEO of Denali Family Services in Anchorage. A grizzly bear mauled him in the summer of 2003 on the shores of the Russian River and left him for dead. The odds were against him, but Dan survived, and after many surgeries and rehabilitative efforts he has made quite the life for himself and his family. Dan earned his M.S.W. in '09 from UAA. He authored Beyond the Bear with Debra McKinney; it was published in 2013 and is now being made into a movie.

Dr Jessica Sanigaq Ullirich

Jessica Sanigaq Ullirich

Jessica Saniguq Ullrich is an Inupiaq scholar, a tribal citizen of Nome Eskimo Community and a descendant of the Native Village of Wales. Jessica worked in the Alaska child welfare system as a frontline family services worker, ICWA Specialist, and developed and supervised the first Alaska Native family services unit in the state before becoming a child welfare trainer. Jessica’s passion and drive has been to end the disproportionate number of Alaska Native children removed from their families and community. Jessica’s dissertation research from 2019-2020 focused on the development of an Indigenous Connectedness Framework for child and collective wellbeing that was guided by 25 knowledge bearers of Alaska Native child welfare. Now as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the School of Social Work, she focuses on the promotion of connectedness, wellbeing, relational healing, as well as social and environmental justice. Jessica is currently engaged in efforts that involve digital storytelling with Alaska Native youth on documenting community strengths; culturally based intervention development for her Tribe; Tribal child wellbeing and prevention efforts; authentic youth engagement in child welfare; language revitalization and connectedness for systems change. Storytelling through research, education, and authorship is central to her work.

Dr Debra Lavender-Bratcher

Debra Lavender-Bratcher

Debra Lavender-Bratcher PHD, LCSW, (she, her, hers), associate professor of Social Work Practice at Texas Tech University Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Department, College of Arts and Sciences. She received her master’s degree in social work (MSW) from University of Denver and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in the states of Colorado, Alaska, and Texas. Her earned doctorate from Capella University is in Human Services: Community and Social Services. She has over 20 years of professional experience working with families, individuals, and groups, in the areas of addiction, mental health, grief, and diversity. Her academic focus is Community Outreach and Engagement. She facilitates learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at the TTUHSC Free Medical Clinic hosted by Lubbock Impact, a nonprofit organization that serves the working poor. She is board member of Council of Social Work Education (CSWE). She is a member of the steering committee for the South Plains NASW Chapter, part of the NASW state and national organization. She is on the City of Lubbock Urban Design and Historic Preservation Commission. Dr. Lavender-Bratcher philosophy is “Ubuntu, I am because We are.”

Topic: Power of We: Social Workers Reaching Communities
This presentation will address social work diversity and ethics in community work. 90 minutes

captain-cook-hotel

The Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska! More information to come


Code for groups: NASW23 Online Booking Link: AK Chapter Of the National Assoc. Social Workers
Click for Individual Hotel Rate

Alaska Airlines Flight Code -- ECME662

Exhibitor information to come


SPONSORS

Greetings from the NASW Alaska Chapter 2023 Biennial Conference Planning Committee! You or your agency can be a part of connecting social workers from around this great state. While that may sound dramatic, it’s true! The NASW Alaska Chapter’s conferences have a long, rich history in Alaska, and we are honoring that history and the importance of connection by holding our Biennial Conference live in Anchorage in September 2023.

Our conference theme is Alaskan Social Workers: Strengthening Roots through Connection. We will be providing informational and inspirational keynote speakers to our social workers about connecting with their micro (self/individual clients), mezzo (agencies/colleagues), and macro (community/social justice/research and development) systems, which will collectively strengthen the roots of social work and our Alaskan culture. We are working to organize an incredible slate of presenters to provide a three-day conference that not only provides training, advocacy and networking, but also focus on human connection, grassroots work, resilience-building, and with real-life takeaways that attendees can start to use right away.

Whether you offer health and human service products and services, continuing education opportunities, or simply want to get in front of social workers, the 2023 NASW-Alaska Conference is the place to be. By becoming a sponsor or vendor, you would get in front of social workers throughout Alaska and the country at every career level and every area of practice e.g., health and mental health care, substance abuse, child welfare, veterans and military families, school social work, criminal justice, aging, and care coordination– serving people of all ages – from infants to the elderly.

In addition to more traditional modes of sponsorship such as advertising in our conference program/materials and exhibition booths, we will again offer the opportunity to donate a conference registration fee. By donating a conference registration fee, you will receive recognition in our conference program, and pre-conference marketing which can include social media. We’re thrilled to host our live NASW-Alaska 2023 Biennial Conference in Anchorage and thank you for your support of our conference and the healing of our state.

Partner Levels

Bronze Partner ($500)

  • Company name, logo and partner level included in all promotional materials
  • Company name included on webpage for 1 year
  • Social media shout out a week after the event has ended

Silver Partner ($1500)

  • Company name, logo and partner level included in all promotional materials
  • Company name included on webpage for 1 year
  • 5 Social media shout outs after the event has ended

Gold Partner ($2500)

  • Company name, logo and partner level included in all promotional materials
  • Company name included on webpage for 1 year
  • On-going social media shout outs for a month after the event has ended
  • A live shout out during the event

SPONSORSHIP
Interested in highlighting your company? Download the Sponsor Packet for the full application form.


Information coming soon


Call for Presentations

2023 NASW - Alaska Chapter Biennial Conference

September 20th, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 2023
The Hotel Captain Cook | Anchorage, AK

Proposals are for 1- or 2-hour segments (longer sessions will be considered)

Thank you for considering offering training at the Alaskan Social Workers: Strengthening Roots through Connection conference. Submitted proposals are not automatically accepted, though all are acknowledged. After proposals are reviewed, accepted presenters will be notified and each presenter will be offered $100 off full registration rate.

Important Notes, and if you have any questions please email us.

  • Please use brevity in the submission of your proposal.
  • Presenters are expected to provide their own handouts. Presenters should be prepared for an audience of 25-50 attendees per break-out session and 300 attendees for keynote sessions.
  • Presentations should be targeted toward social work practitioners and students, as well as other health, mental health, and community wellness practitioners.

Complete our breakout session form!