— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   NASW is currently offering two teleconference series through which NASW members can earn continuing education units. NASW's Lunchtime Series is open to all members and provides updates on NASW activities and projects. The Specialty Practic Sections Teleconference Series offers section members practice-specific content. Both teleconference series provide 1 CEU per class, after participants have completed an online test. Audio recordings and transcripts of each teleconference are also posted online, two days after the teleconference takes place. The Lunchtime Series teleconferences run from 1 to 2 p.m....

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— Lyn Stoesen, NASW News StaffNational Professional Social Work Month in 2009 will promote the theme, focusing on recruiting new social workers to the profession: "Purpose and Possibility." To advance this message, NASW is developing a Web page that will offer "50 Ways to use Your Social Work Degree." Social Work Month, held each March, is linked with NASW's National Social Work Public Education Campaign, explained public relations manager Allison Nadelhaft. "This is the fifth year of the campaign and we are focusing on one of our overarching public education goals: recruit new social workers to the field," she said. "People who become ...

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NASW took part in a joint effort to highlight the needs of America's children and families with the national "Step Up for Kids Day" on September 16. NASW was among the sponsors of a national press conference in Washington, DC, hosted by Every Child Matters. NASW member Michael Petit is president and founder of the organization. He and other supporters called upon senators John McCain and Barack Obama to address the needs of children during their presidential campaigns. "The plight of millions of American children living on the knife's edge today may be the single biggest issue that is not getting the attention it deserv...

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Social workers are being encouraged to contact their representatives in Washington, D.C., to support a new bill recently introduced in the House and Senate that aims to increase the number of school social workers. Social worker and U.S. Rep. Edolphus "Ed" Towns (D-NY) introduced the Increased Student Achievement Through Increased Student Support Act, H.R. 6654. The companion bill was introduced by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), S. 3364. If passed into law, the act would greatly improve the lives of children by creating a better trained and prepared school social work workforce, said Nancy McFall Jean, NASW senior government relations associat...

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How much help are social workers to their clients if they are stressed, sick or tired and haven't made time for self-care? Obviously the professional value they have to offer may be compromised, but social workers in particular - professionals who are often trained to focus on the needs of others - often neglect their own well-being. As a result, they may suffer not only in their professional lives, but in their personal lives as well. Social workers and stress. In 2004, NASW conducted a benchmark national study that provided a wide range of information regarding social workers' roles and work environments. The findings pointed to an impend...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   NASW has recently taken several significant steps in efforts to bolster the public's understanding of the profession through increased involvement with the entertainment industry and by leveraging the considerable communications resources of schools of social work to inform national media outreach. These efforts also tie into the 2009 National Professional Social Work Month, held in March, which focuses on the theme "Purpose and Possibility" [see related story in this issue]. NCN transition In one significant move, the NASW Communications Network has been incorporated as part of the NASW Foundation...

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NASW's Social Work Reinvestment Initiative gained support from other social work organizations in the fall, helping to unify support of the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr., Social Work Reinvestment Act. At the end of September, 81 cosponsors in the U.S. House cosponsored the legislation (H.R. 5447), which proposes to establish a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to study policy issues associated with recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the social work profession. Democratic presidential candidate and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama recently joined colleagues in the Senate in cosponsoring the companion bill (S. 285...

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In recent months, NASW has worked to support efforts to improve long-term care services, including participating in conferences, Capitol Hill briefings and meetings with organizations that promote quality care. "Many aspects of long-term care are integrally related to social work practice," explained NASW Aging Practice Associate Chris Herman. "We continue to advocate policies and research that recognize and advance our professional values." In October, Herman attended a conference offered by NCCNHR: The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care (formerly the National Citizen's Coalition for Nursing Home Reform) on quality care. N...

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NASW Pioneer® Margery Carpenter was recognized by the International Council on Social Welfare at its 80th anniversary in Tours, France. She was honored for the many years of leadership and service provided to the organization. Carpenter has attended 18 of the 22 conferences. She has been a volunteer coordinator of the U.S. Council, ICSW, for many years.   Loren Gelberg-Goss (no photo) was quoted in the Bend Bulletin in Bend, Ore., in a story about how the roles of aunts and uncles have changed in recent years. The story mentioned Bend residents Kyle and Heidi Weaver who spend several days each week with their niece Morgan, 6, and ...

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Remember Crime Victims I read with interest your article about offender reentry ["Conference Examines Prisoner Reentry," February]. I do believe that communities and social workers must get on board to assist in the safe and successful reentry of released offenders, but you seem to have forgotten about the innocent victims of these offenders' crimes. When we talk about offender reentry, one of the points we must consider is making sure that we are providing services and safety to the offenders' victims. If victims and victim-service providers are not at the table, we are not serving anybody well. I have spent over 33 years in corrections &...

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