Greetings, AOSW members! As the Director-at-Large, I am responsible for the states in the Eastern Region, and I am also the liaison for AOSW’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs).

Each state has a designated State Representative and your State Representative works hard to ensure that AOSW members in the state stay connected. This representative can provide you with invaluable connections and networking on an ongoing basis, especially between conferences.

The role of the State Representative is to keep AOSW members in their state engaged in the organization. There are many creative ways in which this occurs. Some states hold regularly scheduled, ongoing “meet and greets;” others host conferences or continuing education workshops, while others simply meet at local venues for fellowship and to unwind.  

State Representatives are responsible for serving as a liaison among members in individual states and the AOSW Board Director-At-Large, as well as keeping members of specific states engaged and networking. This can happen formally (putting an event together), or informally (connecting members via email groups). Serving as a State Representative provides members with a wonderful opportunity to identify potential award recipients within specific states. State Representatives play a major leadership role in AOSW.

Currently, there are a few states without an identified liaison—North Carolina, Michigan and Vermont. If you are interested in exploring this leadership opportunity, please email me.

If you have any thoughts or ideas or feedback for your state, share them with your State Representative. You’ll find their contact information on the AOSW website.

Kim and Stoner (2008) demonstrated that when social workers perceive high levels of role stress, a supportive work environment helps to maintain attachment to their organization. However, as we know, it may often be difficult to find support within your organization, so networking with others in your state may go a long way in preventing burnout and renewing your spirit to continue to provide the best possible services to our patients.

Reference
Kim, H., & Stoner, M. (2008). Burnout and turnover intention among social workers: Effects of role stress, job autonomy, and social support. Administration in Social Work, 32(3), 5-25. doi:10.1080/03643100801922357