NASW News

Social Work Pioneer® Carl E. Munson was recognized for contributions to clinical practice. Two social workers who have made significant contributions to the profession were honored with the NASW Foundation's annual Knee/Wittman Awards in October. The awards program was established to recognize the values, ethics and approaches exemplified by two dedicated social work pioneers, Ruth Knee and Milton Wittman. This year, Carlton E. Munson and King Davis were honored for their efforts with a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. The event was sponsored by NASW and the NASW Foundation. NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, who is also pre...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   NASW has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in a case before the North Carolina Court of Appeals addressing a custody dispute between a same-sex couple. In the case Boseman v. Jarrell, Melissa Jarrell has requested that the court void a final adoption order to which she agreed over three years ago and, therefore, destroy the parent-child status between the child and his second parent, Julia Boseman. In the brief, NASW argues that North Carolina law and public policy bar this from happening and asks the court to respect the 2005 final adoption order. NASW supports the lower court's ruling that it is...

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The conference will take place in Las Vegas, Nev., in conjunction with the Aging in America conference. Program details have been announced for NASW's Annual Practice Conference, "The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?" The conference will include 3 tools-to-use workshops, 16 breakout sessions, 2 general sessions and a keynote address. The conference, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas from March 15-16, will offer social work-specific educational content and unique networking opportunities. It is being held in conjunction with the American Society on Aging / National Council on Aging 2009 Aging in America Conference. Sandra Lop...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, NASW News StaffOn Oct. 7, 2009, President George W. Bush signed into law the "Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act" (H.R. 6893), which is aimed at certain deficiencies in the child welfare system. "This law recognizes the importance of providing foster care youth with needed support as they transition to adulthood, which can be a vulnerable time for many of them," said NASW Senior Lobbyist Nancy McFall Jean. The bill extends federal foster care payments, at state option, for youths who remain in foster care up to the age of 21. It aids relatives in caring for foster children by extending adoption assista...

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Donna Steffey spoke to the Northern Virginia Daily about ways to help children when a family is dealing with a financial crisis. Children as young as 5 or 6 can have a basic understanding of money, Steffey, a licensed clinical social worker with Generations Counseling Center, said in the article. "Kids pick up on just about anything. They are more tuned in than most parents realize," she said. For many middle-class families with young children, this is the largest financial downturn they've experienced, making it even more of a source of insecurity. She encouraged parents to talk to their children about financial problems in a general way...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   Elizabeth J. Clark joined other leaders to endorse the program. NASW has endorsed Give an Hour, a national nonprofit grassroots organization with the goal of creating a national network of licensed mental health professionals who can offer free mental health services to military personnel and their families. NASW first announced its endorsement of Give an Hour in the July issue of the NASW News, but joined the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Association of Pastoral Counselors at the Reserve Officers Association on Nov. 10 in Washington,...

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— 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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