Lutheran Adoption Service (LAS), a partnership between LSSM and Lutheran Child and Family Service of Michigan (LCFS), had opened an office in the Grand Rapids area. LAS staffer Christopher Fisher is working from the new LCFS office at 1715 Sutherland Drive SE, Kentwood, MI 49508. The phone number is (616) 281-4706, fax is (616) 281-4696, and email is cfish@lssm.org.

The Michigan Federation Board of Directors was very pleased this week to unanimously approve the application for Full Membership from Hands Across the Water, a private, nonprofit agency based in Ann Arbor. The agency, led by Director Kathleen Nelson, provides both domestic and international adoption, education and foster care services. Please visit www.hatw.org for more information. Welcome to the Federation Kathleen!

Jim Scherrer, Executive Director of Child and Family Services of Northwestern Michigan, attended the Child Welfare League of America National conference last week in Washington DC and presented Senator Stabenow with the CWLA Congressional Advocate of the Year award.

Wedgwood Christian Services recently announced the formation of the Wedgwood Institute, whose purpose is to provide top-quality opportunities for Lifelong Learning to agency employees, clinical professionals and others in the West Michigan community and throughout the state. Wedgwood Institute will offer a diverse range of topics designed to deepen understanding and strengthen the quality of responses to the needs of children, clients and customers. The Institute’s offerings are aimed at four basic audiences: Wedgwood employees; clinical professionals—providing advanced-level training to therapists, social workers, psychologists and others required to earn CEs; community-oriented education; and management and leadership. See what’s available by clicking here. Two trainings are scheduled for this fall:

➢  September 19: Trauma Treatment with Adolescents (5 CECHs, Course Approval #031607-03)
➢  November 14: Substance Abuse Prevention: A Community Collaborative Approach (CECHs pending)
Download the brochure using this link: Wedgwood Institute Sep 19 and Nov 14 trainings

For more information or to bring Wedgwood training to your agency/area, contact Vito Lentini, MS, Assoc. Dir., Staff Development at Wedgwood Christian Services, (616) 831-5642, vitol@wedgwood.org

Below is a registration form for the upcoming training on Grant Writing is Elementary offered by Judson Center. This training is appropriate for BMSWs, SSTs and LMSWs. For additional information, visit www.judsoncenter.org for upcoming trainings.This program is approved by the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative for 5 CE Clock Hours. Course approval is # 052907-03. JudsonGrantWritingTrainingJudson Center is an approved provider of Continuing Education (CE) in the State of Michigan and is excited about providing CEs for professionals in the field of Social Work. They believe that professional development is critical to providing quality and competent services to the consumers we work with. They also believe that quality training needs to be affordable.