President-elect Barack Obama wants to hear from you about your ideas for change. In addition to the website posts at www.change.gov, there is another format for participation. On December 13 and 14 people will be hosting “Change is Coming” house meetings to reflect on what has been accomplished and to plan the future of this change movement. Ideas and feedback will be collected and used to guide the administration... 

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise – Leadership Leadership calls for creativity, integrity, and competence ….. all core values of the social work profession. The theme for World AIDS Day 2008 is LEADERSHIP.  Started on December 1, 1988, World AIDS Day is about increasing awareness, fighting stigma and discrimination, and improving education.  For social workers worldwide – World AIDS Day provides... 

- Visit www.socialworkers.org after you vote and let NASW know that you voted and see how other social workers are voting. - Election Night Watch With Your Social Work Colleagues – If you’d enjoy some good social work company tonight as history is made, the chat room will be open at www.socialworkchat.org starting at 9 PM EST  Read More →

For the past eight years civil rights have been in jeopardy at the Justice Department. The Department has become politicized and there is a litmus test to fill positions in the Civil Rights Division. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company makes it more difficult to take action on pay discrimination. Lily Ledbetter was told that she could not sue for discrimination because... 

Excesses on Wall Street are impacting Main Street. The country is in an economic crisis and we need leaders who have a viable plan for the economy. How will America jumpstart the economy, provide middle class Americans tax relief; supporting fair trade; and create additional new jobs? Social workers, what are your thoughts?  Read More →

The op-ed below was submitted to local media by Richard Cook, University of Maryland School of Social Work. This link to resulting article in the Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.vozzella07sep07,0,6995248.column This week the nation is hearing again that Barack Obama started his work on human concerns in Chicago as a community organizer. While the world is familiar with what a soldier does,... 

Take Action! On September 17, 2008, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 6893, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893), by voice vote. This legislation targets specific deficiencies in the child welfare system and addresses some of the most important needs affecting foster children in America today, including extending federal foster care payments up to... 

Take Action! Background Last year the House passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act (H.R. 2381/S. 1843). Sen. Kennedy introduced S. 1843 on July 20, 2007. It currently has 45 cosponsors. The Senate may bring this bill to a vote in the next couple of weeks. Lilly Ledbetter is a woman who was denied her fair pay claim because the Supreme Court held that the discrimination began too long before she... 

September 16, 2008 As I travel around the country representing the National Association of Social Workers, I meet many social workers who work with clients and communities in different capacities. Many of these social workers have dedicated their lives to serving those living in poverty, particularly children. How do families become impoverished? We know that 13 million children live below the poverty line. We also... 

Take Action! Senator Blanche Lincoln recently introduced, “Increased Student Achievement Through Increased Student Support Act (S. 3364),” a bill that will have a tremendous impact on the lives of children by creating a better trained and prepared school social work workforce to address the psychosocial and emotional issues that can impede educational performance. Our nation currently faces a serious shortage...