NASW News

NASW is endorsing Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president, calling him an ally to social workers and the clients they serve. The association’s Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Board of Trustees approved the endorsement recently and the NASW Board of Directors enthusiastically confirmed the decision during its June meeting, said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. Obama has vowed to strengthen the Medicare system. PACE is the political action arm of NASW. As a political action committee, PACE endorses and financially contributes to federal candidates from any party who support NASW’s policy agen...

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NASW recently announced its annual national awards program recipients. Among those selected by the NASW Board of Directors and the Awards Committee are a social work professor whose extra efforts continue to help those in the Latino community; a retired director of a youth association who has received national recognition for a model program; a retired U.S. Marine who is striving to support the rights of gay and lesbian citizens serving in the Armed Forces; and a civic leader who utilizes her social work skills to ensure that those in need receive vital government services. National Social Worker of the Year Elvia Krajewski-Jaime is a soci...

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Supporters of NASW’s advocacy efforts celebrated a milestone victory in July when the U.S. Senate and House overrode President Bush’s veto of Medicare legislation, H.R. 6331, that restores funding for clinical social work payments cut in 2007. NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark said she wanted to thank the thousands of NASW members who took the time to contact their senators and representatives to support passage of the bill vital to clinical social workers. “NASW is thrilled that mental health services are finally receiving full recognition by this Congress,” Clark said. The bill, known as the Medicare Impr...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   NASW hailed a June decision from the United States Supreme Court that held that the imposition of the death penalty for child rape violates the Eight Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The association also lauded a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that found that a strip search of a 13-year-old girl was unconstitutional. NASW had filed briefs in both cases. Death penalty NASW and its Louisiana Chapter filed two amicus curiae briefs in the case, Kennedy v. Louisiana. One brief urged the court to accept the case for review; the second addressed the merits of the ...

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NASW Social Work Pioneer® Warren C. Lamson passed away at his residence in Solomons, Md., on May 5, 2008. He was 93. Lamson graduated from Wayne State College in 1938 with a bachelor’s degree in education and from the University of Nebraska Graduate School of Social Work in 1942 with an MSW. He taught in Nebraska public schools prior to attending graduate school. Lamson served in the Adjutant Generals Department of the Army as a first lieutenant in World War II. He specialized in clinical psychology and psychiatric social work. Following his discharge from the Army, Lamson became chief of the Social Work Branch of the Denver Regio...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   The NASW Foundation in June presented its International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award to James Karls, who developed the person-in-environment (PIE) social work evaluation system. Karls died due to complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on June 29, days after the award presentation. He was 80. “Dr. Karls’ legacy of creating the first assessment system based on a social worker’s education and expertise is a legacy of pride for the social work profession,” said NASW Foundation President and NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. “Long after his retirement...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   The NASW Foundation in June presented its International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award to James Karls, who developed the person-in-environment (PIE) social work evaluation system. Karls died due to complications related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on June 29, days after the award presentation. He was 80. “Dr. Karls’ legacy of creating the first assessment system based on a social worker’s education and expertise is a legacy of pride for the social work profession,” said NASW Foundation President and NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. “Long after his retirement...

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NASW national staffers were part of a delegation that represented the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in June. Hosted at the U.N.’s headquarters in New York City, the meeting attracted high-level participation from U.N. member states along with representatives from hundreds of civil society and U.N. agencies to review the progress toward universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. NASW representatives in attendance included Luisa Lopez, acting director of the NASW Division for Practice, Human Rights and International Af...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   NASW representatives attended a recent summit that drew more than 800 association and nonprofit leaders to explore their role in creating a better world and using social responsibility to build healthier, successful organizations. The “Global Summit for Social Responsibility: Leveraging the Power of Associations for a New Magnitude of Leadership” was held in May and was attended by NASW Special Assistant to the Executive Director Rebecca Myers and NASW Manager of Credentialing and Continuing Education Stephanie Chambers. The summit was sponsored by the American Society of Association Execu...

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There are thousands of foundations in the U.S. Every year, these institutions decide where to donate billions of dollars to various charitable causes, research projects and scientific endeavors. Being a leader or a board member of a foundation may not appear to be a typical career path for a social worker, but the social workers involved in philanthropy who spoke to the News said they found the job personally engaging and professionally rewarding. They also noted that more social workers need to consider being part of the charity sector. According to the Foundation Center, a foundation is a nonprofit corporation or a charitable trust with t...

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