The conference opened Wednesday evening with a reception held poolside, allowing members to make new friends as well as renew “old” friendships. The mingling continued into the opening dinner. Keynote Speaker Greg Pacini, MS, LPC, then presented an interactive lecture on compassion fatigue. He helped us understand the difference between “burn-out” and compassion fatigue. He provided useful information on how to recognize compassion fatigue in ourselves, and how to manage it. His presentation provided attendees with a great opportunity to reflect on why we do the jobs we do, and bring our focus back to our mission.

The following morning’s plenary session was a well attended workshop titled “The Nature and Nurture of the Drug Exposed Child” by Dr. Ira Chasnoff of the Children’s Research Triangle in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Chasnoff educated us on the impact of prenatal substance exposure on the fetal brain, giving particular emphasis to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He provided participants with real life stories of the children and families his team works with, linking research and theory to clinical practice.

Dr. Chasnoff also presented a workshop following the plenary session. His presentations were very well received by conference attendees, and many asked that he be considered for future NAPSW events. Discussions are under way to see if he will be available for next year’s conference in Las Vegas.

Thursday’s workshops continued through the day with topics ranging from managing multiples, open adoptions, use of doulas, bereavement photography, and perinatal loss.

On Friday morning, the regional meetings kicked off. These meetings gave participants a continued chance to network with peers in their geographic locations, while focusing on regional news and issues impacting perinatal social work in their area. This year’s regional meetings were highly attended, and many made comments about the continued need for such networking opportunities at future conferences.

Immediately following the regional meetings was a plenary session made up of teen parents. These young moms provided participants with their views on pregnancy care during teen years, and shared how helpful their social workers and health care teams were to them. Their stories of success through struggle were inspiring. The day continued with workshops.
Conference organizers planned an exciting night out on the town for Friday. Members were given the opportunity to explore St. Louis beginning in “The Hill,” a neighborhood similar to “Little Italy,” There they dined at Favazza’s Italian restaurant. Following dinner they were given a guided tour of downtown St. Louis, stopping at the City Museum for a night of hands-on fun.

Saturday began with a group breakfast and presentation of the NAPSW Award for Excellence. This year’s winner is Debra Segi-Kovach.

Saturday ended the annual conference with participants laughing as they exited. This was due to the hilarious closing presenter, Lyn Hester, BS. Lyn kept the group in stitches as she delivered her message on the benefits of humor in the medical community. She shared humorous stories, many of them personal, and provided us with ways to continue the humor in our lives long after we left the conference. Among her bag of goodies were clown noses, noise makers and beads to remind us to make every day a celebration.

St. Louis was an ideal location that was easy to get to by planes, trains and automobiles. While the conference drew a large number of participants from Midwest areas, attendees from each region, including Canada, were well represented.
The conference was held a short distance from downtown St. Louis at the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Clayton. The weather cooperated during our May 4-7 conference dates, and participants could be seen taking advantage of the spring climate by walking around Clayton, browsing the shops and dining in the variety of restaurants. Many also took advantage of the location and explored St. Louis, visiting the world famous Gateway Arch, Union Station and touring the many historic neighborhoods.

Look to the future for the 30th Annual Conference in exciting Las Vegas in April, 2006! The location will be at the Flamingo Hotel located on the strip. Conference organizers are already lining up keynote speakers and workshops destined to assist you in your continuing education needs. As Las Vegas has become a family friendly vacation area, plan on attending in 2006 with your family!

—Faith Baker, LISW