Balancing act This letter is regarding your recent article on the military seeking social workers. As a social worker in the Army Reserve for eight years, military commanders value and appreciate our profession. Serving as commissioned officers we do provide care for military service personnel and their families but our primary mission is to be a “force multiplier,” to return men and women to duty. If their condition significantly inhibits their mission capability, job functioning, it is customary for removal from service through a medical board. Serving our country and caring for soldiers is a remarkable experience but does ...

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The labyrinth meditation room at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md. NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark attended a conference at the White House in January supporting Joining Forces, a national initiative that assists U.S. service members, veterans and their families. Joining Forces is led by first lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, Vice President Joe Biden’s wife. The initiative mobilizes all sectors of society to give U.S. military service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned, according to the initiative’s Web page [archived]. The focus of the January mee...

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January 2012 Board's Action Context Financial Approved Form 990 Form 990 for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2011, showed total revenue of $18.4 million. Received the financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2011 Treasurer Diana Stroud reported that as of Dec. 31, 2011, NASW’s total asset po...

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The process of downsizing can be intimidating for anyone, but especially for those transitioning into a later stage of life, according to an online article by the Associated Press/Canadian Press. Older people who must move out of their home into a more manageable living arrangement — a term the article calls “late life downsizing” – can cause stress not only for them but also their children, the article says. Social worker Tracy Greene-Mintz, who specializes in relocation stress syndrome, says in the article that this transition can take an emotional toll on an older person, causing anxiety, depression, sleeplessness ...

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From the Director NASW carefully considers slogans and campaigns to use while celebrating Social Work Month each March. Sometimes we highlight a particular practice area, such as children and families, aging or community organizing. Other times we have focused on a concept, such as ethics or social justice. This year’s theme, Social Work Matters, celebrates the profession of social work as a whole — and acknowledges the importance of our chosen work. Many social workers have gained great historical prominence. Counted among these would be Jane Addams, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, civil rights activists Dr. Dorothy I. Height and ...

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Bob and Lee Woodruff, right, and CNN’s Donna Brazile, below, are among the speakers who will be at NASW’s “Restoring Hope: The Power of Social Work” conference in July. What does hope mean to you? “Hope is the reason that the field of social work exists,” says Eric Rogers. “We believe that our efforts positively impact our world, our nation, our communities, families and individuals for the better. Hope is the fuel for the engine that drives change.” Rogers has been a soldier and a social worker, and is now the executive director of Give an Hour, a volunteer program that encourages social w...

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  Photo: TASWO members stand with NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, center. From left are Makala, Mbilinyi, Swai and Mbise. A delegation from the Tanzania Association of Social Workers visited NASW’s national office in Washington, D.C., and its New York City chapter in November to exchange information and make site visits that will aid the annual work plan between the two associations. NASW’s Human Rights & International Affairs Division established a twinning partnership between NASW and TASWO with funding from the American International Health Alliance. The alliance is supported by the U.S. Department of...

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Children’s mental health symposium Social workers participated in the 27th Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy, held in October 2011. The theme focused on building services for children who experience trauma through exposure to domestic violence and become involved with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Attention also was given to trauma-informed services, which were highlighted by the many components of the SAMHSA-funded National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Conference participants included Joan Levy Zlotnik, director of the NASW Foundation’s Social Work Policy Institute, who presented a poster on...

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Deborah Estreicher, head librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, Calif., had an idea. “Being a librarian, I came across many people that needed social work services,” Estreicher said. As librarians, “we helped in the best way we could. But I thought it would be better to have something in place — a service where people could go if they needed help.” The San Jose public library also serves as the student library for San Jose State University, so Estreicher instinctively reached out to Peter Allen Lee, professor and acting director of the School of Social Work at the university. Lee, in ...

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A new resource has been launched that provides social workers and educators greater insight into the religious and spiritual viewpoints of the clients they serve. “It’s important to recognize a client’s spirituality and religion and acknowledge it,” said Sharon Issurdatt, NASW senior practice associate. To further this effort, NASW has become a member of the Council on Social Work Education’s Religion and Spirituality Work Group. It represents 18 members from various social work organizations and schools of social work, including the North American Association of Christians in Social Work in Connecticut, Yeshi...

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