NASW News

Social work students join the protest of the New York City Police Department’s “Stop-and-Frisk” policy in October. From left: Eleni Zimiles from the Columbia University School of Social Work and Undoing Racism Project intern; Sharielle Applewhite from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and Undoing Racism Project intern; and Kathleen Algire-Fedarcyk from Columbia University School of Social Work and NASW-NYC policy intern. Recent MSW graduate Mary Ruth Govindavari said she strongly opposes the New York City Police Department’s stop-and-frisk policy, which empowers officers to stop pedestrians, question...

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The Associated Press interviewed NASW member William Meyer for an article about postpartum depression as it relates to 34-year-old Miriam Carey, a Connecticut resident who was shot and killed by police after she tried to drive through White House barricades and led them on a car chase around Capitol Hill in October. Carey’s 1-year-old child remained in the backseat of the car the entire time, but survived the incident. Many sources claim that postpartum depression could have caused Carey’s erratic behavior, but the AP article says experts urge caution in assuming this and worry it could discourage women from seeking help with pr...

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The Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care honored several NASW members during its 48th annual meeting and conference award ceremony held in October. Stanley G. Remer, adjunct social work faculty at Valley Forge Christian College, won the Ida. M. Cannon Award; Virna Little, senior vice president for Psychosocial Services and Community Affairs at the Institute for Family Health, received the Health Care Social Work Leader of the Year Award; Paula Crombie, director of the Social Work Department at Yale-New Haven Hospital, won the Eleanor Clark Award; and Carolyn Messner, director of Education and Training at CancerCare, received the ...

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Discussions aim to bridge gap between social work researchers and practitioners. The NASW California Chapter hosted the second annual Translational Research/Translational Practice Roundtable in October to help social work practitioners and researchers gain a better understanding of each other. About 50 NASW members and social workers came together to participate in group discussions. Bridging the gap between social work researchers and practitioners is a little like bringing native French and German speakers together in one room and trying to have them talk to each other, said NASW-California Executive Director Janlee Wong. But having pr...

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NASW Social Work Pioneers® (photo right) pose for a group photo during their 9th annual program meeting in Washington, D.C., in October. — Photo by Patricia McDougall The NASW Social Work Pioneers® hosted their 9th annual program meeting in October in Washington, D.C., where a group of panelists discussed “Reports from the Field: Challenges for Social Workers.” The panelists, all Pioneers, were Elaine Congress, associate dean at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Work in New York City; Cudore Snell, former dean at the School of Social Work at Howard University School of Social Work in Washington, D.C.; a...

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Sam Hickman, executive director of the NASW West Virginia Chapter, said the recent Children’s Policy Symposium held at the West Virginia State Capitol was a success. The symposium was sponsored by the Our Children, Our Future Campaign to End Child Poverty, organized by the West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, of which NASW-West Virginia is a member, Hickman said. “Several people, including Sabrina Shrader, an MSW student from Southern West Virginia, gave very authentic and compelling testimony about their experiences living in poverty, dealing with substance abuse, depending on social safety net programs, etc.,&rd...

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Four individuals recognized for contributions to social work NASW has announced the recipients of its 2013 national awards program. The four awards, given annually, are Social Worker of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Public Citizen of the Year and Public Elected Official of the Year. This year’s recipients include a direct practice social worker who created a new online resource in her community; a longtime NASW member who has worked to help thousands of people find affordable housing; a conscientious citizen who helps seniors stay in their homes; and a Florida state representative with a successful track record of aiding fam...

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he NASW Foundation has announced the recipients of the Knee/Wittman and the International Rhoda G. Sarnat awards for 2013. Knee/Wittman Lifetime Achievement: Charles Glisson This award recognizes a professional social worker who, over the course of his or her career, has made an exemplary contribution to health/mental health practice and who has spent at least 25 years in the field, whether currently active or retired. Glisson is the Founding Director of the Children’s Mental Health Services Research Center at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and he has been named Chancellor’s Professor, the highest honor that is given ...

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NASW participated in the Council on Social Work Education’s 59th annual program meeting, held Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 in Dallas. More than 2,000 social work educators, professionals and leaders attended the conference, titled “Global Social Work—The World Is Here.” Attendees had the opportunity to network and participate in presentations, workshops and discussions on a variety of topics, including advocacy, job searching and research statement writing. NASW President Jeane Anastas, NASW Social Work Policy Institute Director Joan Levy Zlotnik and NASW Senior Governance Associate Kelsey Nepote participated in the meeting, s...

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The Child Welfare: Wicked Problems/Wicked Innovations Institute held a Capitol Hill briefing in November to present the Wicked Problems concept to a congressional audience, and to remind policymakers to keep the issue in mind when drafting policies concerning child welfare. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Children’s Home Society of America partnered to create the Wicked Problems/Wicked Innovations series. It consisted of three two-day symposiums that were held in different locations over the course of a year and a half. NASW hosted the third symposium at the national office in March. The Children’s Home...

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