April 2012 Board's Action Context Finances Received financial statements as of Feb. 29, 2012. As of Feb. 29, 2012, net assets increased by $880,000 from the prior year. NASW’s total asset position is $14.8 million. The total value of the Association’s investments was $11.3 million, an increase of $231,000 from our position in February, 2011. This was due to strong investment gains. Ex...

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New agency combines previous entities that dealt with disability, aging and developmental disabilities. A single agency will now oversee the federal efforts previously supported by three entities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities are now combined in the new Administration for Community Living, or ACL. The consolidation correlates with President Obama’s goal to promote care for people with disabilities and older adults in home- and community-based settings. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted in a stat...

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Four ‘trailblazing’ women recognized during event’s 25th anniversary luncheon. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., left, is recognized with a 2012 Fearless Trailblazer Award during a luncheon at the Women Money Power summit, held in March in Washington, D.C. Feminist Majority Foundation Board Chairwoman Mavis Leno is at right. Mikulski also accepted a Trailblazer award for Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who was not able to attend the event. Women Money Power, a project of the Feminist Majority in partnership with the Feminist Majority Foundation, held its 2012 summit in March in Washington, D.C., which included a 25th anniversa...

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Recipients of the 2011 NASW Foundation Awards were recently announced. Peter B. Vaughan, dean at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in New York City was selected to receive the Knee/Wittman Lifetime Achievement Award. Patricia Brownell, associate professor at Fordham University, stated in her support letter that in addition to being an educator, author, speaker and skilled clinician, Vaughan has continued his pioneering work by being an active researcher. “He has served as principal investigator and co-principal investigator on a variety of projects, including those for the Philadelphia Naval Base, the West Ph...

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates the social work profession will grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, a faster-than-average rate for all occupations. “Employment is expected to increase in health and social service settings. In addition, particular attention will be given to increasing the current inadequate supply of behavioral health workers,” said Tracy Whitaker, director of the NASW Center for Workforce Studies & Social Work Practice. This was one of several insights Whitaker provided at the National Network of Social Work Managers’ 23rd Annual Management Institute in April, held in San Diego, Calif. W...

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Michael Collins, left, and Diane DiSanto are both social workers who are transferring the skills they learned to their political careers. Collins is chief of staff for the office of John Lewis, D-Ga., and DiSanto is a legislative assistant to Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. The political bug can bite anyone — even a social worker. That’s what happened to NASW member Kristen Pendergrass. “I graduated with my MSW in 2008, about the time of the Obama campaign,” said Pendergrass, who is the legislative aide to Massachusetts state Rep. Thomas P. Conroy. “The political bug bit me.” Christie Getto Young, policy a...

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President Barack Obama signs the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 in a ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria on March 30, 2010. NASW cites the president’s passage of the health care act as one of the reasons it is endorsing Obama for re-election this fall. (AP file photo) NASW’s Political Action Committee is endorsing the re-election of President Barack Obama, citing that his actions in office reflect key elements of the association’s legislative and policy agenda. “NASW is pleased to endorse Barack Obama for president once again,” said NASW Executive Director Eliza...

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Richard Reed, MSW, special assistant to the president of Homeland Security and senior director for continuity policy, presents the seminar “When Disasters Strike — Being Prepared and Responsive” during NASW’s Annual Leadership Meeting in April, held in Washington, D.C. When disaster strikes, how should social workers respond? Richard Reed, special assistant to the president of Homeland Security and senior director for continuity policy, answered this question in April when he spoke at NASW’s Annual Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C. Reed, who has an MSW, presented “When Disasters Strike — Bei...

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Help women by empowering, not patronizing, them I would like to comment on the editorial written by Elizabeth Clark that appears in the May issue of NASW News. It is unfortunately typical that articles such as hers try to fear monger readers into thinking the world is going to end because someone can’t get free birth control. I am aware that NASW has a long history of supporting women’s rights and issues, so I understand Ms. Clark’s point of view, but I do take issue with that viewpoint — and suspect many other social workers do too. If NASW wants to help women, they should stop treating them like entitled childre...

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Through the work of the Legal Defense Fund, NASW joined an amicus brief filed in the Superior Court of Arizona for the case, State v. King. NASW is among a coalition of amici groups and professionals that are supporting a petition for post-conviction relief for a woman who exhibited symptoms of postpartum psychosis, but who was not properly diagnosed or treated. In 2002, Hope Lynette King was convicted of felony child abuse and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The brief states that it is now understood that King likely suffered from postpartum psychosis, an illness that many in the medical and mental health communities were not fully aware ...

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