NASW News

NASW and the NASW Foundation formed the Social Workers Across Nations (SWAN) initiative to provide a mechanism for social workers to offer their expertise and skills to serve humanitarian needs within the international community on a voluntary basis and to develop collaborative links with other countries around the world. Following is a roundup of recent SWAN activities: Australia Marie-Claire Cheron-Sauer, who is past vice president and a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers, visited the NASW National office in Washington, D.C., in late 2012. She met with staff in the executive office, the Social Work Policy Institute, t...

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More focus needed on mental health services There has been much talk of restricting availability of assault style weapons and some talk of changing mental health services reporting requirements, but I have not heard any discussion of the challenges in the field of mental health services and the diminishment of these services. In Michigan, funding and services have been drastically cut, many psychiatric facilities closed to the point that only very limited services are available in some areas. And the services available continue to be diminished by increased pressure to provide services to more people with less cost. Individual practitioner...

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From left, Vice President Joe Biden, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius hold a gun safety discussion on Jan. 25 at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. NASW has been active in recent White House efforts to reduce gun violence, including meeting with Biden’s task force to study the issue and signing support for the Assualt Weapons Ban of 2013. AP Photo NASW has been active in White House efforts to reduce gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings that took place in December in Newtown, Conn. NASW CEO Elizabeth J. Clark participated in a White H...

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At the Dayspring Center for Christian Counseling in Alabama, equine therapy is recognized as an effective method for treating anxiety, depression, substance abuse and trauma, according to an article in The Sand Mountain Reporter. NASW member Leah Gunter Lucas, a social worker at Dayspring, is working with the Cha-La-Kee Ranch in Guntersville, Ala., to offer an Equine Assisted Psychotherapy Program to adults and children. According to the program description, this form of therapy uses horses to help individuals experience emotional growth and learning. Since horses are naturally dynamic, powerful and genuine, they give individuals the oppo...

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Social worker and Maine legislator Michael Brennan, second from right, campaigns for mayor of Portland, Maine, during the 25th Annual Southern Maine Pride Festival in 2011. He won the election later that year. (Courtesy photo, right) When Portland, Maine, Mayor Michael F. Brennan first entered the world of politics, he had just enrolled in school full time for his MSW degree. He did it to broaden his understanding of people and to make him a more conscientious policymaker. “I wanted a better understanding of how to pass policy using clinical approaches,” he explained. “If you can mix intellectual justification with a goo...

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Each year for Social Work Month, NASW creates a theme that is timely and meaningful. For 2013, we wanted to focus on resiliency, an important concept for our clients, our communities and our profession. The special Social Work Month logo shows the interrelatedness of resilience and advocacy, highlighting how advocacy amplifies resilience. When working with clients, social workers observe resiliency on a daily basis. We are often amazed at what individuals can overcome, how they can bounce back after adversities both small and large. Communities are also resilient. Whether facing a deadly and destructive hurricane or the tragedy of a school ...

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Two sets of NASW social work practice standards —Social Work Practice with Clients with Substance Use Disorders and the Social Work Practice in Child Welfare — have recently been revised. NASW also has developed a new set of standards: Social Work Practice with Service Members, Veterans and their Families. The NASW Standards for Social Work Case Management have been updated as well. Tracy Whitaker, NASW director for the Center for Workforce Studies & Social Work Practice, said the standards are revised to reflect changes in practice, practice settings and language and shifts in client populations. The revisions are guide...

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Linda Plitt Donaldson, associate professor at the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America, speaks to attendees at the NASW Social Work Policy Institute's “Critical Conversation II — Influencing Social Policy: Positioning Social Work Graduates for Policy Careers.” Social work students need inspiration and training to be key players in the policy arena. That was among the suggestions by leaders who are involved in analyzing and drafting public policy, many of whom have a social work background. They attended the NASW Foundation’s Social Work Policy Institute’s “Cr...

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NASW staff and leaders participated at the Council on Social Work Education’s 58th annual program meeting in Washington, D.C., in November. NASW President Jeane Anastas was presented with the CSWE 2012 Feminist Scholarship Award at the event and social worker and former U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns was honored with the CSWE Chair Leadership Award for his support of social work with promotion of the Social Work Reinvestment Act and the creation of the Social Work Caucus. At the conference, NASW CEO Elizabeth J. Clark and NASW Special Assistant to the CEO, Elizabeth Hoffler, presented “The Power of Linking Social Work...

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NASW is debuting a blog for social workers that will be available to members starting this month. The blog will address a variety of topics for social workers at all stages in their careers, from students to seasoned practitioners. The goal is to give voice to social work professionals by accepting article submissions. Topics to be blogged about will include trends within the profession, career development, work/life balance, and the day-to-day life of social workers in various areas of practice. NASW will encourage blog posts from members, and those interested in contributing content should check NASW’s Facebook page in the coming w...

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