President Barack Obama has nominated two NASW members for key administration positions.
Beatrice “Bea” Hanson has been nominated to be the director of Office of Victims of Crime in the U.S. Department of Justice.
Hanson is the chief program officer for Safe Horizon, a nonprofit crime victim assistance agency in New York City.
According to a White House statement, Hanson oversees more than 600 professionals who provide services to more than 350,000 people affected by violence annually. She directs the organization’s services and support for victims of child abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence, rape and other violent crimes.
Hanson joined Safe Horizon (formerly named Victim Services) in 1997 as the director of emergency services. She was promoted to her current role in 2004.
Hanson is also involved in social work leadership. She serves on the executive committee of the board of the New York City NASW Chapter. She has served as adjunct faculty at the Hunter College School of Social Work and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services.
Prior to joining Safe Horizon, Hanson was director of client services for New York City’s Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project.
NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, on behalf of the association, sent the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee a letter of recommendation to confirm Hanson’s nomination.
Clark explained that Hanson possesses the right combination of education and experience to guide the Victims of Crime program. She said Hanson’s education as a social worker provides her with the values, ethics and skills to address and manage complex human situations.
She is completing a doctoral degree in social work from the Social Welfare Program at the City University of New York.
Obama has also nominated NASW member David K. Mineta to be the deputy director for demand reduction in the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
According to the White House, Mineta currently serves as the deputy director of one of the nation’s largest behavioral health organizations specifically targeting the underserved Asian and Pacific Islander communities: Asian American Recovery Services, Inc. It provides substance abuse prevention and treatment services to thousands of California residents across Santa Clara, San Mateo and San Francisco counties. Mineta has worked for AARS since 1996.
He is serving his third term on the Jefferson Union High School District’s Board of Trustees and is a commissioner on San Mateo County’s First Five Commission, which coordinates the granting and oversight of early childhood education and health funds. He has also held various positions with Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, the Santa Clara County Alcohol and Drugs Department, and Asian Americans for Community Involvement.
On behalf of NASW, Clark sent a letter of recommendation to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to confirm Mineta’s nomination.
Clark said Mineta brings expertise in adapting models and programs that work for all people, and understands the unique needs created by cultural, geographic, gender and age diversity.
Mineta earned a master’s degree in social work from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of California, Berkeley.
At press time, a confirmation hearing date had not been set for either candidate.