Mila Tecala has an overall goal: helping people put their lives back together. It also is what she likes best about being a clinical social worker. “I got this really nice note,” she said. “It said ‘One of the things you taught me in therapy is instead of cursing the storm, I learned how to dance in the rain.’ That’s one of the comments that makes my work worthwhile.” An MSW, clinical social worker and NASW member, Tecala named her Washington, D.C., private practice the Center For Loss and Grief. “Death or loss is the most common occurrence for all of us,” she said. “I named the c...

Read More

Imagine a world where asking for help is recognized as a strength and a hallmark of courage. Imagine a world where people coping with mental illness aren’t stigmatized, devalued or diminished. Imagine further that mental illness is considered a disease, just like cancer, wherein seeking prevention and treatment is viewed as routine good health-seeking behaviour. Imagine a world where people don’t have to struggle with asking for help, but can be confident that when doing so they/we won’t be judged as weak or lacking, but will be supported. For far too long, instead of being celebrated for the courage to seek help, people ...

Read More

The Joint Commission appointed new NASW members to its Professional and Technical Advisory Committees (PTACs) for Behavioral Health and Home Care for 2016-2017. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the U.S. NASW serves on PTACs for three Joint Commission accreditation programs: Behavioral Health, Home Care, and Nursing Care Center. NASW representation on the committees is a joint venture involving collaboration between members in the field and national office staff. The following NASW members were appointed to represent the association in the PTACs for 2016 and 2017: ...

Read More

The NASW Foundation has announced five newly elected Social Work Pioneers®. Social workers who have made great strides in expanding the profession into new frontiers and for enriching human development and understanding are reflected in the latest round of inductees. Capt. Barry D. Adams Adams is the U.S. Navy’s top-ranked social worker as the Navy’s Social Work Specialty Leader. He is credited with breaking barriers for social work roles in the military by obtaining positions typically reserved for psychiatrists and psychologists. In a civilian and military career spanning more than 28 years, Adams has served as a Na...

Read More

Elizabeth S. Dudley, (photo right) left, legislative aide to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., accepts an award honoring Mikulski from Edolphus “Ed” Towns, former Democratic congressman from New York and founder of the Congressional Social Work Caucus. The award was given as part of Social Work Day on the Hill activities in March, during a reception to recognize Mikulski’s service in Congress and the work she has done to support and advance social work. Mikulski, a social worker and the longest-serving woman in Congress, will retire this year. She was not able to attend the reception. Look for a complete roundup of Social W...

Read More

On Feb. 17, the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations, a coalition of 72 national organizations, hosted Seniors Decide 2016, the only presidential candidate forum dedicated to issues that affect older adults. As a member of LCAO, NASW promoted the forum through MemberLink, SectionLink and chapters. NASW Senior Practice Associate Chris Herman represented the association at the forum, which took place at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. LCAO invited all Democratic and Republican presidential candidates to participate in the event. Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., participated by Skype, and former congress...

Read More

Social justice has always been a cornerstone of social work, says Gary Bailey (photo right), former NASW president and professor of practice at the School of Social Work at Simmons College in Boston. “I see (students) who come in with so much energy and belief that they can be a positive change in the world,” Bailey said. “We need to lift up the voices of young people and to support them for their vision of a world that can be more inclusive, more just and more fair.” Attendees of NASW’s national conference — “Leading Change, Transforming Lives,” this June 22-25 in Washington, D.C. — w...

Read More

The Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, or CRISP, held its inaugural Policy & Politics Symposium on March 2 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The event focused on efforts to increase the knowledge and skills of social workers in the areas of social policy and political activity. The symposium’s Voter Registration Panel, photo right, highlighted the importance of voting and examined the current presidential campaigns and some of the candidates. From left are: Khaliyl Lane, a member of the legislative staff for U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Tanya Rhodes Smith, director of the Nancy Humphr...

Read More

Funding included to improve the training and skills of child welfare workforce When President Obama released his final budget for Fiscal Year 2017 on Feb. 9, there were several opportunities for social workers in child welfare, behavioral health and early childhood home visiting. Of particular note is the focus on improving the child welfare workforce, policy priorities long sought by NASW. The budget provides funding to improve the training and skills of the child welfare workforce, by helping caseworkers obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work. It also provides incentives to state child welfare agencies to hire...

Read More

The word marketing used to get a bad rap, says Deborah Talen. Over time, people have developed a greater appreciation for its significance — even for nonprofits. “It’s about understanding the needs of the people you are trying to serve,” said Talen, who was recently appointed executive director of the NASW Minnesota Chapter. “In the nonprofit world (marketing is) your clients or members. Marketing makes a lot of sense in nonprofit settings.” Talen, who has a strong background in nonprofit and membership organization management, said she found early on in her career that working for nonprofits suited her ...

Read More