— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   The NASW Foundation in June presented its International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award to James Karls, who developed the person-in-environment (PIE) social work evaluation system. Karls died due to complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on June 29, days after the award presentation. He was 80. “Dr. Karls’ legacy of creating the first assessment system based on a social worker’s education and expertise is a legacy of pride for the social work profession,” said NASW Foundation President and NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. “Long after his retirement...

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NASW national staffers were part of a delegation that represented the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in June. Hosted at the U.N.’s headquarters in New York City, the meeting attracted high-level participation from U.N. member states along with representatives from hundreds of civil society and U.N. agencies to review the progress toward universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. NASW representatives in attendance included Luisa Lopez, acting director of the NASW Division for Practice, Human Rights and International Af...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   NASW representatives attended a recent summit that drew more than 800 association and nonprofit leaders to explore their role in creating a better world and using social responsibility to build healthier, successful organizations. The “Global Summit for Social Responsibility: Leveraging the Power of Associations for a New Magnitude of Leadership” was held in May and was attended by NASW Special Assistant to the Executive Director Rebecca Myers and NASW Manager of Credentialing and Continuing Education Stephanie Chambers. The summit was sponsored by the American Society of Association Execu...

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There are thousands of foundations in the U.S. Every year, these institutions decide where to donate billions of dollars to various charitable causes, research projects and scientific endeavors. Being a leader or a board member of a foundation may not appear to be a typical career path for a social worker, but the social workers involved in philanthropy who spoke to the News said they found the job personally engaging and professionally rewarding. They also noted that more social workers need to consider being part of the charity sector. According to the Foundation Center, a foundation is a nonprofit corporation or a charitable trust with t...

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Stressing Equal Rights In "Survey Finds Women Under Stress" [April News], I find no mention of how we can help women who are under the stress of being in the "sandwich generation" by advocating for equal rights among the genders! Instead, we as social workers are encouraged to help women better manage their stress and depression? There is an entire gender out here who are not being called into question. As we as a society grow, develop and hopefully mature I pray that I will see more of those responsible, caring and feminist men doing their parts to help raise their children, take care of their parents and manage their households. As if it...

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NASW Senior Government Relations Associate James Finley represented the association at a Capitol Hill briefing in June entitled “Senior Suicide: Understanding the Risk, Preventing the Tragedy.” The briefing was hosted by the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN) USA in cooperation with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Reps. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.) and Tim Murphy (R-Pa.). SPAN USA is the nation’s only suicide prevention organization dedicated to leveraging grassroots support among suicide survivors and others to advance public policies that prevent suicide. Finley’s presentation was titled “Pub...

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NASW has produced a revised and expanded reference booklet specifically designed for clinical social workers who deal with third-party reimbursement issues. Mirean Coleman, NASW senior policy associate, said the booklet, Third-Party Reimbursement for Clinical Social Work Services, is the most comprehensive NASW guide yet on the subject. Available through NASW Press, the booklet covers areas involving clinical social work and third-party reimbursement. “We’ve addressed the important questions that people most commonly have about reimbursement,” Coleman said. “Among the topics, it discusses types of third-party payers ...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   The NASW Legal Defense Fund’s Amicus Brief Database has made more than 200 briefs available to members through the association’s Web site. The database was launched in 2006 to provide members with a resource for accessing friend-of-the-court briefs which NASW has filed or joined in legal cases. The briefs in the database span more than three decades. The database includes the text of the briefs filed, summaries of cases, the courts in which the cases were filed, legal citations, outcomes and links to U.S. Supreme Court decisions. “This kind of legal information is primarily availab...

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June 2008 Board's Action Context Governance Agreed to alter the format of the 2008 Delegate Assembly In light of financial challenges facing chapters, the national office, and society, and also out of concern for the environment, the Board agreed to alter the format of the 2008 Delegate Assembly from a face-to-face to an electronic meeting. ...

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NASW’s Website has expanded its social work blogs, giving members and non-members alike an opportunity to post their comments on a variety of issues related to the social work profession. The site, Social Work Blog, allows visitors the opportunity to share comments from time to time related to different issues, said Brandon Maddox, manager of Web services at NASW. “Any and all feedback is welcome, whether you’re a social worker, a social work student, social work supporter, or your life has been affected by social work,” he said. “This is part of our goal to encourage discussion and provide an avenue for social...

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