Leelah Alcorn — assigned the male gender and the name Joshua Ryan Alcorn at birth — came out as transgender at 14 years old. Alcorn’s parents refused to accept her female gender identity and sent her to conversion therapy when she was 16. In December, the 17-year-old Alcorn committed suicide. She arranged for a suicide note to be posted on social media to raise awareness about discrimination against, and lack of support for, transgender people. Alcorn’s suicide drew international attention, and — along with an online whitehouse.gov petition against reparative therapy — President Barack Obama in April cal...

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NASW chapters came out vigorously against legislation in Indiana and California that would make it OK to discriminate against people from the LGBT community. In Indiana, Gov. Mike Pence on March 26 signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which would have allowed businesses to deny service to people if business owners believed such an action violated their religious beliefs. Several religious organizations and businesses, including Apple, the NCAA and the Disciples of Christ, immediately condemned the law, which critics said could be used to discriminate against LGBT people. There was also a nationwide call for a boycott of In...

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People generally don’t understand human and social services, says social worker Irv Katz, president emeritus of the National Human Services Assembly. The Reframing Human Services Network — powered by the assembly — looks at how people think about these services and researches methods to bring about a better understanding. Katz says it’s about developing a research-based industrywide movement to change the dialogue about human needs, human development and human services — because these services are currently not on the radar screen. “As a social worker, I’m really excited to be involved,” Kat...

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The clean-tasting tap water and pristine beauty in Arkansas are a couple of things people may not know about the “natural state,” says NASW-Arkansas Executive Director Holly Barron (photo right). It’s also where Barron has spent the last 20 years of her life, and the past year as head of NASW’s Arkansas Chapter. Although most executive directors of NASW’s chapters hold social work degrees and come from professional social work backgrounds, Barron has degrees in communications and gender studies. She says running a chapter is essentially like running a business — something she has plenty of experience i...

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The long and complicated relationship between the United States and Cuba has been slowly improving since President Barack Obama took office in 2008 and Raul Castro became president of Cuba. David Strug, front center, and 13 social work educators pose at Revolution Square (Plaza de la Revolucion) in Havana, Cuba. The group traveled to Havana last summer to observe Cuban social work practices. Late last year, the two leaders announced the beginning of a process to normalize the relationship between their countries, which could open diplomatic relations that have been nonexistent since 1961. On April 11, Obama and Castro met at the Summit...

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Board's Action Context Finance Received the preaudited year-to-date financials for the period ending April 30, 2015. As of April 30, 2015, total assets were $14.3 million and total liabilities and deferred income were $13.1 million. For the same reporting period, total revenue from operations was $12.4 million and total expenses were $14.7 million. There was an unrealized gain on investments of $0.4 million. ...

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— Laetitia Clayton and Rena Malai, News staff NASW 2015 Annual Leadership Meeting Ana Bonilla-Galdamez accepts the NASW National Award for Social Worker of the Year during a ceremony April 30 in Washington, D.C. The event was part of NASW’s Annual Leadership Meeting, where association leaders come together to advocate for social work on Capitol Hill and hold meetings regarding organizational matters. About 115 NASW leaders met in Washington, D.C., in late April to visit with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, discuss the state of the association, and honor seven individuals who were chosen to receive NASW National and Foundation awards....

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Brant Duda When a person reaches the age of 18, it can be a significant time for many different reasons. According to an op-ed written by NASW member Brant Duda on cleveland.com, turning 18 as a foster youth meant he could make his own choices, and youth services could no longer tell him what to do. But in their rush to get away from problems, foster youths may forget that they will be alone to deal with responsibilities, he says. Youths who leave foster care at 18 with little or no support can suffer terrible outcomes, Duda writes. Left to fend for themselves, one in four in Ohio experience homelessness by age 19. One-third will be ...

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Grassroots advocacy often begins with a single individual who is passionate about a cause and feels compelled to act. These advocates, in turn, rally supporters, then contact legislators and other government officials at either the local, state or federal level to raise awareness regarding their cause. Grassroots advocacy is one of the most common forms of lobbying in the U.S. — and one of the most effective. In doing this work, individuals can have as much — or even more — of an influence on changing public policy, regulations and public perception as professional lobbyists. Social workers considering starting a grass...

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Intensity, commitment, clarity and confidence are words that readily come to mind as I reflect on this year’s Annual Leadership Meeting and the most recent meeting of the national board of directors. These two gatherings are critical components of the association and complement each other in purpose and structure. While I have attended numerous NASW Annual Leadership and board meetings over the past 20-plus years, this year’s events will forever stand out in my mind and heart for two important reasons. First, and maybe the most obvious, is that I never have been — or will again have the opportunity to be — the pres...

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