— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   A documentary film on social worker and civil rights leader Whitney M. Young, Jr. will be completed this spring and made available to community groups, high schools, colleges and universities. The documentary is part of a Film and Leadership Development Project, which aims to develop leadership skills among community organizers and students in high school, college and graduate school so that they can work effectively to promote democracy and work toward racial, social and economic equality throughout the world. The film and training course teaches students about Whitney Young's leadership style. Y...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   The NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) recently released its annual report for the 2007-2008 fiscal year, which began July 1, 2007, and ended June 30, 2008. LDF offers financial support to many members' legal cases and also provides support for friend-of-the-court briefs filed by NASW. Additionally, LDF supports educational projects and programs to enhance the legal status and knowledge of the social work profession. LDF obtains the bulk of its funds for case support and other projects from the dues renewal check-off by members on their annual renewal applications. "During the program year, the Legal D...

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In November, NASW participated in a successful psychosocial oncology summit in Hungary. The meeting was an important initial step in addressing cancer care in the region, which, like many like other former Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe, faces challenges in dealing with the growth of cancer. NASW and CancerCare Inc. of New York City received a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) to implement a project that addresses the best practices in psychosocial care and services for people with cancer in the U.S. and Hungary. CancerCare is a nonprofit agency providing emotional support, information and practical help to peopl...

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Organizers for NASW's Annual Practice Conference, "The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?" taking place in Las Vegas March 15-16, 2009, are making the event environmentally friendly. Pictured right: Keynote speaker Sandra Lopez The conference will take place in conjunction with the American Society on Aging/National Council on Aging 2009 Aging in America Conference. The NASW practice conference will offer social work-specific educational content and unique networking opportunities through workshops, general and breakout sessions, as well as keynote addresses. Registration was still open at press time. Going gr...

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NASW has recently joined letters that promote women in leadership positions, support health insurance programs for children and address federal support for Medicaid. NASW joined a group of leading women's rights organizations in encouraging President Barack Obama to appoint more women to high-level leadership positions. In December, a letter signed by NASW was sent to then-President-elect Obama and his transition team to highlight the need for gender balance in White House, Cabinet and executive positions. The letter urged Obama to establish a Cabinet-level Office on Women that would deal not only with the status of women, but also with the...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   For three years, the National Social Worker Finder has been helping consumers, hospitals, schools, physicians and others locate social workers. The Finder is part of NASW's Public Education Campaign and is promoted on the HelpStartsHere.org Website. It was launched in September 2005 as a public service so that people could find licensed social workers to meet their needs and to show the breadth and depth of experience social workers offer. It was created by HelpNet Inc. in partnership with NASW. HelpNet, founded by Bill Blout, a licensed social worker and NASW member, had developed the HelpPRO Ther...

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NASW and the NASW Center for Workforce Studies have issued a report that examines some of the reasons social workers chose their career paths. The study, "Who Wants to be a Social Worker? Career Influences and Timing," was developed in an effort to gain insight into the profession, which is facing a workforce shortage, said Tracy Whitaker, director of the NASW Center for Workforce Studies. "By better understanding the influences of different groups, the profession increases its capacity to target its recruitment efforts most effectively," she said. "The profession has a unique opportunity to recruit new professionals at different points in ...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   In its transition plan sent to President Barack Obama's administration, NASW outlines policy recommendations about how social workers can help achieve the goals of the new administration. "NASW agrees with the Obama administration's agenda and our documents show how social workers can help move that agenda forward," said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. NASW explains how social workers can help the new administration in critical areas in a document titled "Turning Priorities Into Action: How the Social Work Profession Will Help." The document suggests reviving the economy by enacting pa...

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A groundbreaking research study conducted by Caitlin Ryan, director of the Family Acceptance Project, and her team at the Cesar E. Chavez Institute at San Francisco State University, was the subject of a news report that aired on National Public Radio's All Things Considered in December. The study, published in the Dec. 29 journal "Pediatrics," found that the gay, lesbian and bisexual young adults and teens at the highest risk of attempting suicide and having some other health problems are ones who reported a high level of rejection by their families as a result of the their sexual orientation. "A little bit of change in rejecting behavior, ...

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From the President Yes we can. No matter what one's political leanings are, most Americans would agree that we have witnessed one of the most historic elections in our nation. I think we can also agree that our country is facing an overwhelming number of challenges that will test our national character and perhaps push us to choose less wasteful lifestyles - for today and into the future. I can't help thinking that the economic downturn, as painful as it is, can actually help more of us focus on what really matters. For social workers, that means focusing on vulnerable people. Amidst all the important and exciting talk of what is possible w...

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