North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory recently appointed NASW member Holly Heath-Shepard to the state’s Brain Injury Advisory Council, according to an article published in The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C. Heath-Shepard also was voted in as the chairwoman of the group, which is exploring ways to better support victims of brain injuries and their families. The article notes that Heath-Shepard guided her son through a year of treatment after an explosive device in Iraq took two of his limbs and left him with a mild brain injury. She told the news source that her recent efforts to help victims of traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, r...

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The NASW Foundation recently announced 12 new NASW Social Work Pioneers®. The 12 individuals, along with six who were selected in December 2014, will officially be recognized during NASW’s 60th anniversary celebration on Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C. The Foundation created the Social Work Pioneer® program to honor social workers who have made a valuable contribution to the profession through practice, teaching, writing, research, program development, administration, advocacy, legislation, and election to public office. The Pioneer program identifies and recognizes individuals whose unique dedication, commitment and determinat...

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The power of unity is one reason, social workers say, belonging to NASW is important to them. From developing the NASW Code of Ethics and professional standards for care to advocating for social justice and services for those in need, NASW’s history shows membership matters. This month marks the association’s 60th anniversary. With that in mind, members reflect on why belonging to NASW benefits them professionally, aids in their clients’ well-being and furthers human development and understanding. The association’s 60th celebration is an opportunity to show others that NASW is made up of people who have the skills, ...

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National standards for safety are needed for social workers and social services employees, NASW CEO Angelo McClain said in the aftermath of the August slaying of Vermont Department for Children and Families employee Lara Sobel. National Public Radio Vermont interviewed McClain in reaction to the shooting death of Sobel, who was allegedly killed by a 40-year-old woman who was upset that her daughter was taken from her custody. According to a news article published at WCAX.com, Jody Herring has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Sobel, who was assaulted as she left work on Aug. 7. Herring was also charged with aggravated ...

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Massachusetts Chapter files bill to require licensed social workers to have proper education, training Consumers in Massachusetts have a right to expect that licensed social workers are educated and trained as professional social workers, according to a state House bill that was filed by the NASW Massachusetts Chapter. Rather than focusing on the term “title protection” for social workers, the bill stresses the need for a licensed social worker to have a degree from an accredited school of social work as a consumer protection. It seeks to remove a current exemption that allows state, county and municipal employees to identify...

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NASW member Dana Courtney (photo right), third from left in front row, joins her fellow NAACP branch members from Alamance County in North Carolina as they head to a rally in Raleigh, N.C., for the NAACP’s “America’s Journey for Justice” march. One of the goals of the march, which traveled from Alabama to Washington, D.C., is to advocate for congressional passage of the 2015 Voting Rights Advancement Act. NASW member Dana Courtney said she feels it was her duty as a longtime social worker to participate in the “America’s Journey For Justice” campaign, a march sponsored by the NAACP that stresses am...

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NASW Connecticut Chapter Executive Director Steve Karp was among advocates recently invited to a bill signing by Gov. Dannel Malloy. Malloy signed into law a priority bill of the chapter that called for eliminating life sentences without parole for youth under 18 who have been tried as adults. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miller v. Alabama in 2012 that such laws are unconstitutional, based on the understanding that juveniles have underdeveloped capacity to understand the consequences of their actions compared with adults.

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By Rena Malai and Paul Pace, News staff President Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Whitney M. Young Jr. (photo right), executive director of the National Urban League, and second vice president of NASW, who was invited to the White House in 1964 to offer suggestions on ways to ease African-American unemployment. His suggestions included an expansion of the public works program and an acceleration of manpower training. Congress passed a training bill shortly thereafter. (NASW News, February 1964) Since its official start in 1955, NASW has supported and advocated for legislation aimed at helping people live better, healthier and more fulfill...

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By Rena Malai and Paul R. Pace, News staff As NASW celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, the NASW Code of Ethics recognizes its 55th year and two NASW committees celebrate 40 years — the National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity and the National Committee on Women’s Issues. NASW Code of Ethics The NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review launches a yearlong celebration this month to recognize the 55th anniversary of the Code of Ethics. The office will lift up social work ethics through a social media campaign, special programming and the sale of promotional anniversary items such as mugs, T-shirts and wate...

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A history panel (photo right) shows the beginnings of NASW in 1955, and illustrates how the association was active in advocating for many of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Reforms in 1965. In honor of its six decades, NASW will host a 60th Anniversary Forum on Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C. Invited social work leaders will not only celebrate the past but also look to the future needs of the profession by participating in several interactive panels and roundtable discussions. The morning panel presentations will be live-streamed. Anyone can sign up for $35 to access the proceedings remotely — whether it is on a mobi...

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