NASW has issued a social justice brief regarding President Obama’s nominations to the D.C. Circuit Court in June. Mel Wilson, manager of the NASW Department of Social Justice and Human Rights, authored the brief, titled President Obama Nominates Three to the D.C. Circuit Court: Why Should Social Workers Care? (PDF) Wilson points out that Obama’s nominations have points of view that correlate with NASW’s commitment to social justice and human rights and have the potential to bring philosophical balance to the court. The D.C. Circuit Court is officially called the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit. It...

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NASW was once again a co-sponsor of the Circle of Life awards, which honor and celebrate innovation in palliative and end-of-life care. Other sponsors of the July award ceremony in San Diego were the American Hospital Association, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, National Hospice Foundation and the Catholic Health Association. The award winners for 2013 were: Denver Hospice. The organization was noted for its interest in partnering with a variety of organizations, including Kaiser Permanente and the Department of Veterans Affairs. It was also praised for creating separate grief centers for adults and children, deve...

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The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT project has released its annual data book, which provides a picture of the well-being of children in the United States. The book can be a useful tool for NASW members, said NASW Senior Practice Associate Roxana Meruvia Torrico. “KIDS COUNT shows the latest data in a range of areas, including education; health and poverty; and family and community,” Torrico said. “It also provides information related to overall child well-being by state, and this provides a national picture as well as state-by-state information about children’s well-being.” The book includes 10 ...

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After more than 20 years as a mediator with the Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, Ill., longtime NASW member Kathleen Borland has turned her attention globally, according to an article in Chicago’s Skyline newspaper. Borland, LCSW, is retired from her position as mediator and devotes her time to the social services program at Chicago Sister Cities International, which she founded in 1960 and volunteers for as chairwoman. Sister Cities International is a nonprofit organization that works to globally strengthen social work network ties and partnerships between the United States and communities in more than 136 countries. As an N...

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Living next to animal hoarders can be a source of frustration for neighbors who have to deal with the smells, noise and disruption that comes from having too many pets in an enclosed space. According to an article on the blog Gothamist, animal hoarding is inhumane for the pets and can cause unlivable conditions for the owners. This is what a married couple in Queens, N.Y., discovered after they issued several formal complaints to their city board about their animal hoarding neighbors, who had six dogs and “many cats,” and actively practiced animal rescue. NASW member Mark Gaynor, who specializes in animal hoarding issues, was ...

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Crowds surround the reflecting pool (photo right) with the Washington Monument in the background during the “National Action to Realize the Dream” march on Aug. 24 in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C.’s National Mall vibrated with energy on Aug. 24 as tens of thousands of people from across the U.S. gathered to celebrate the “National Action to Realize the Dream,” the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. NASW members and staff were among those who attended the march, and some of them also were at the original march 50 years ago. “Because of its involvement in the orig...

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October is National Depression Awareness Month. On Oct. 10, organizations and communities across the country will observe “National Depression Screening Day” to educate people about the various signs and symptoms of depression and about the availability of free anonymous behavioral health screenings. In June, President Obama hosted the White House Summit on Mental Health, which was a call for action to improve mental health care nationwide. The summit convened individuals who have personally experienced mental illness, health care experts, advocates, civic leaders, foundation representatives, and others to identify innovative wa...

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Deborah Gioia, associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, talks to attendees of the symposium “Enhancing the well-being of America’s veterans and their families: A call to action for a national veterans policy.” The meeting was held at the NASW national office in June. Diverse disciplines convened at NASW’s national office in June to discuss the possibility of drafting a covenant for the nation’s veterans. The symposium, “Enhancing the well-being of America’s veterans and their families: A call to action for a national veterans policy,” provided a platform to ex...

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A survey of past training workshops shows how participants used what they learned. NASW-U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy Chapter Partnership Initiative. Fourteen participants from across the U.S. traveled to Washington, D.C., in July to take part in the 2013 Training of Trainers, convened by the NASW HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project. By increasing the number of skilled trainers, the Spectrum Project can build the capacity of the NASW-U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy Chapter Partnership Initiative for the next project year. Now in its 16th year, the Spectrum Project trains participants to expand the knowledge and capacity of mental health servic...

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Carol Burton, executive director of Centerforce in northern and central California, was honored at the White House’s Champion of Change event in June. Centerforce works to support, educate and advocate for individuals, families and communities impacted by incarceration. Burton is a national expert on children and families of the incarcerated who has developed curricula and media material and served as an adviser on several initiatives including Sesame Street Workshop’s newly released “Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration.” Burton received the Champion of Change Award for her outstanding work on behalf of c...

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