Julie Weckel Named the 2015 Social Worker of the Year

Julie Weckel, LMSW, ACSW receives the 2015 Social Worker of the Year Award from Tanya Blackmer, LSMW, ACSW, CSW-G at the NASW-Michigan Annual Conference’

Do the words leader, advocate, educator, researcher, mentor, and policymaker sound familiar?  How about committed, resourceful, innovative, respectful, ethical, understanding?  These are the words describing Licensed Master Social Worker Julie Weckel. These are the strengths she gives her family, her clients, her community and beyond as she combines these attributes into a personal and professional belief in the dignity and worth of all persons. 

I applaud the tireless work, the vision, ambition, motivation and leadership qualities Julie exhibits in her geriatric clinical private practice, Geriatric Connections to promote the ideals of social work and the NASW Code of Ethics.  Her home-based therapy, case coordination and consulting services to the elderly and persons with disabilities and their family caregivers in Southwest Michigan is an innovative treatment approach few in the state of Michigan pursue because most feel comfortable in an agency or office setting.  Her expertise in coordination and community collaboration, advanced care and service planning, quality of life issues, elder abuse, and long-term care has helped her make a mark for herself in Southwest Michigan for over 20 years.

Julie is very knowledgeable of legislative task force issues, she knows and demonstrates the trends and treatment modalities in healthcare, and she directs discussions with other social workers as a member and chair of the Private Practice and Aging Work Groups at NASW-Michigan since each group’s inception in 2011 and 2003 respectively.  She has led the Private Practice Work Group in developing a manual to open a private practice in Michigan, which was published in April of 2015. Julie has shared her knowledge with colleagues by facilitating workshops almost annually at the NASW-Michigan conference, and by being an NASW-Michigan board member for many years.  Plus, her willingness to mentor, teach, and model social work values to students pursuing their BSW & MSW degrees is her commitment of giving back to the future of social work.

Beyond her social work activities, Julie served in a volunteer role for the Berrien Springs community soccer program from 2004-2012, and is the current Berrien Springs High School varsity soccer coach.  This shows her diversity and commitment to her family & her community.

There have been so many families and individuals that have benefited from her knowledge and never-ending commitment to social work. I am honored to nominate Julie Weckel as the 2015 Social Worker of the Year. 

Tanya Blackmer, LMSW, ACSW, CSW-G