Disaster Mental Health Social Work Social worker Jack Sarmanian says the personal rewards of being a disaster mental health worker far outweigh the challenges. The Maine resident was among a group of disaster mental health workers with the American Red Cross deployed to Moore, Okla., in May. A devastating EF-5 tornado ravaged the surrounding community, resulting in 25 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Survivors of the storm emerged to discover entire neighborhoods flattened and more than 1,000 homes destroyed. A multiple agency resource center was quickly established to help survivors heal from their many losses. “What was most a...

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The Institute of Medicine* released a report in September called New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research, which was funded by the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect. Joan Levy Zlotnik, director of the NASW Social Work Policy Institute, said the previous report, “Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect,” was published in 1993. The new report updates the state of research on child abuse and neglect and provides statistics that indicate changes since then. “The impact of child abuse and neglect can last a lifetime,” Zlotnik said. “A lot of prevention and treatment models have been developed over the last ...

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September 2013 Board's Action Context Finances Received financial statements as of June 30, 2013. Treasurer Mary McCarthy reported that as of June 30, 2013, NASW’s total asset position was $15.0 million. Total expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, were $16.2 million, $1.3 million below budget due to cost containment efforts across divisions. ...

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The NASW Foundation announced five new inductees to the NASW Social Work Pioneers® program. The program was created to honor members of the social work profession who have contributed to the evolution and enrichment of the profession. The new inductees are: Phyllis Black Black designed and implemented the first required course in social work ethics in the country and has given extensive presentations and produced publications on the role of ethics in social work. She moved social work curricula from content-based to competency-based. From her days as a social worker in Harlem and Baltimore to leading the Council on Social Work Educati...

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Stupid Cancer is a nonprofit organization that helps empower and educate young adults who have been diagnosed with the disease, and also guides them to live their lives to the fullest. NASW member Jennifer Finn has been working to promote Stupid Cancer in Billings, Mont., and she is the Montana state representative for the Association of Oncology Social Work. “We work with so many young adults and their families, but it is always heartbreaking to receive referrals for patients who are still raising young families,” said Finn, a Billings Clinic social worker. “I can’t help but hug my children a little tighter when I...

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There were more than 62,000 homeless veterans in the U.S. in January 2012, according to information from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Social workers across the nation are working to end veteran homelessness through various outreach programs and initiatives, both large and small. But, they say it is important to first identify the reasons for the homelessness, which can include substance abuse, poverty and mental health issues. In 2009, President Barack Obama and VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced a goal to end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. In response, the VA — which employs more social workers than any o...

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These are the recent words of Marian Wright Edelman, founder and director of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), describing the importance of investing in early childhood. Early childhood education is also a priority of the Obama administration, as the president made clear in his second inaugural address. We know that the first five years of life are critical to brain development, suggesting that the 19th- and 20th-century public education model from kindergarten through high school is not good enough for the 21st century. As NASW president, I was honored to attend the 40th anniversary celebration of the CDF, which included a daylong...

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Veteran’s Day is always celebrated in November, a time when we pause to remember the service and sacrifices of service members, veterans, and their families. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, joined us at July’s Hope Conference to announce a collaboration between NASW and the Joining Forces Initiative that she and first lady Michelle Obama created to ensure that the health, mental health and economic needs of this population are being met. In her remarks, Biden reminded us that many service members, veterans, and their families seek services in their home communities from providers who are not affiliated with t...

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The NASW Legal Defense Fund has updated NASW’s sample forms and information materials that highlight the latest rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the 2013 Omnibus HIPAA Final Rule in January. At press time, enforcement of the rule was set to go into effect on Sept. 23. The changes require health care providers, health plans and other entities that process health insurance claims to update their HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, Business...

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Vermont Department of Mental Health Commissioner Paul Dupre announced that NASW member Frank Reed has been appointed deputy commissioner for the department. Reed has been with DMH since 1999, serving most recently as interim deputy and commissioner for the department. Reed is a licensed clinical social worker who has served as president of the NASW Vermont Chapter and as a behavioral health surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, a national accrediting organization for mental health treatment services. A statement from DMH said Reed’s extensive knowledge of Vermont’s designated hospital and c...

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