REGION G: San Fernando Valley, Ventura County, Antelope Valley, Santa Barbara County

San Fernando Valley Unit Report

 By Shauna Blakely

The NASW SFVLU and New Professionals Network-LA (NPN-LA) recently hosted the Social Work Month Awards Celebration entitled “Social Workers Matter — A Day of Self Care.” This event was held at the USC Radisson Hotel on March 30, 2014 with presentations by several distinguished professionals.

Professor Kim Goodman, LCSW, from the USC School of Social Work is an expert on “Self Care and Social Work.” She discussed why self-care is important to social workers and focused on active mindfulness and active meditation.

Daniel Rothenberg, MSW, a graduate of CSUN School of Social Work, is a professional social worker and professional comedian. He spoke on the healing aspects of laughter and humor as well as the necessity of laughter and humor to self-care.

Friday Lilly, a USC School of Social Work MSW student, is a musician and has researched the positive effects of music upon healing and wellness. She spoke of this and referenced her husband and his quintet, as he is a graduate student at the USC Thornton School of Music.

Tapas Fleming, a California licensed acupuncturist, taught a technique or two to the audience that left us soothed and relaxed.

The Social Work Month Awards went to Rothenberg who received a Social Work Innovator Award from our unit, and Lilly received a Social Work Innovator Award from the New Professionals Network-LA.