NASW News

Findings, recommendations presented about workforce for older adults with mental health and substance use issues. NASW co-sponsored a Capitol Hill briefing in September to present findings and recommendations from the July 2012 Institute of Medicine report The Mental Health and Substance Use Workforce for Older Adults: In Whose Hands? The Hill briefing, “Building the Mental Health Workforce for America’s Diverse Aging Population,” was held in cooperation with Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. Three members of the IOM report committee were presenters: social worker Maria Aranda, Chairman Dan Blazer and Michael Hoge. One of the ...

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Social work education needs medical courses I agree with Jeane Anastas’ column Social Work Education Needs Boost, in which she stated that social work undergraduates had the lowest academic achievement. This low achievement contributes to the lack of respect social workers experience from other disciplines. As Anastas indicated in her article, social workers are intelligent and engage in creative problem-solving daily. Many social workers find employment in hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis clinics, home health care, and elderly services where they are working with medical professionals — MDs and RNs. Ev...

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The NASW Legal Defense Fund filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in a petition asking the court to review the case City of New York v. Southerland. The brief requests review in order for the court to uphold immunity for a child protection caseworker who acted to remove children from their father’s home due to abuse and neglect. The father challenged the legality of the removal due to imperfections in the application for the initial warrant that permitted the caseworker to gain access to the father’s residence, and because the caseworker did not return to court for a second warrant once he discovered that the children...

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Attendees listen during a Sept. 14 workshop called “Providing Services in Complex Times: Working with Clients Living with HIV/AIDS and Co-occurring Mental Health Disorders.” The NASW North Carolina Chapter hosted the workshop, held in Charlotte, N.C., as part of an HIV/AIDS training initiative. The NASW Chapter HIV/AIDS Partnership Initiative to strengthen HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment is receiving an enthusiastic response from attendees, according to those involved with the effort. NASW and eligible chapters are conducting training and workshops to expand the knowledge and capacity of mental health services provide...

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September 2012 Board's Action Context Finances Approved pre-audited financial report for period ending Aug. 31, 2012 For the two months ending Aug. 31, 2012, NASW’s total asset position was $14.5 million, an increase of $36,000 from the same time last year. Year-to-date revenue totaled $3.2 million, $197,000 less than what was budgeted. Year-to-date expenses totaled $2.6 million, $200,000 l...

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NASW member Linda Kulik has been elected to serve as the district president for the School Social Workers Association of Georgia-District 7, according to an article on CatWalkChatt.com. Kulik, who is a resident of Chickamauga, Ga., previously worked in Northern Virginia schools as a social worker and has more than 25 years of experience in the field. “I have participated in committee meetings at NASW, which resulted in the development of a NASW position statement on confidentiality in schools,” she said. School social workers serve the system by supporting educators who work with students as they prepare to go to college and s...

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Goal is to reach out to journalists to promote clarification of social work title protection. NASW and its chapters are building an education campaign this fall that promotes clarification of social work title protection in news stories and headlines so that social workers are not misrepresented in the media. When headlines incorrectly state that a social worker is to blame for misbehavior, the social work profession suffers from the mistake, said Kathy Boyd, executive director of the NASW North Carolina Chapter. It can also have a negative impact for clients, she said. “We have heard cases where people avoid seeing a social worker...

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NASW, through its Legal Defense Fund, joined the National Women’s Law Center in August in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The brief supports the university’s admissions process that allows consideration of race as one factor among many in the process of selecting a diverse student body. Abigail Fisher, a white female applicant, is challenging the school in her denial of admission. The brief notes that a state university should have the freedom to draft admission policies that support a diverse educational setting. “An educational environment that brings togethe...

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The term “life coach” was among the 100 new additions to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary this year. The phrase started in the mid-1980s and is commonly used to describe those who help others achieve their personal best. Many social workers — who are skilled in helping clients cope with challenges — say coaching comes naturally, and they report having success in launching their own personal- and executive-coaching businesses. Los Angeles social worker Jacqueline Ashley said coaching is a good fit for her and her clients. “I was inspired to get involved because I was excited about the idea of hel...

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NASW Assurance Services Inc. recently announced a liability insurance program for NASW members that offers new discounts, enhanced benefits and extended customer service. Tony Benedetto, executive vice president of ASI, said the program is designed to meet the needs and challenges unique to social work. It is intended to protect members from parties who might seek damages or hold the social workers in question accountable for malpractice. Social workers who already have coverage under the liability policy of their employer, agency or school are encouraged to purchase their own individual coverage as well, he said. “Having the righ...

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