On March 17, the House of Representatives passed the Professional Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution honoring social workers by a vote of 419-0.  Social worker and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter managed the bill during the debate.  To view the debate and final passage, please go to:

Video of Reps. Shea-Porter and Guthrie managing the social work month resolution:
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/292544-2 (Once on the site, go to: transcript on the left and scroll down to 5:47:17 (Shea-Porter) to begin the video.  End at 5:51:3).

Video of the actual vote:  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/292567-1 (Once on the site, go to: transcript on the left and scroll down and begin at 1:23:49 and end at 1:31:55).

As the debate for health care reform continues in Congress, there are many resources available from many organizations.  On the NASW Health care reform page, you will find informative documents including a one-pager from Health Care for America Now entitled, Five Immediate Benefits to Health Care Reform.  Go to the resources section of the health care reform page to read more.

Every now and then, something very significant takes place during my work day. Yesterday was one of those days. I had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with Congressman John Lewis from Georgia. I imagine almost all of you recognize his name. He is often called “one of the most courageous persons in the Civil Rights Movement” and he has dedicated his life to protecting human rights and securing civil liberties. Just this past weekend, Congressman Lewis attended the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL, the march that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. .

His office contains the numerous honors that have been bestowed upon him during the last half century. While it felt almost like a museum,. Mr. Lewis is living testament to a lifetime of work on behalf of others..

Mr. Lewis is dynamic, passionate and engaged. He understands and appreciates what social workers do and what our goals are. Two of his staff, including, his chief of staff, are social workers.

If you have not read Congressman Lewis’ book, Walking with the Wind:: A Memoir of the Movement, I hope you will take the time to do so. Congressman Lewis reminds us of what one person can do to change the world.

As another Social Work Month begins , we want to acknowledge social workers everywhere for the outstanding work that you do. Together, we are making a difference.

Happy Social Work Month.

Elizabeth J Clark, PhD, ACSW
Executive Director, NASW

On March 10, 2010 NASW attended a fundraiser for the Honorable Chaka Fattah (D-PA) seeking his support for the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R.795).  Representative Fattah is a Member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and without fail, embraces the mission of social work especially social service administration to underserved populations.  During the event, Representative Fattah spoke with conviction about the importance of social work to his congressional district (2^nd) and the measureable outcomes due to intervention that have dramatically improved the lives of many.  The Congressman also discussed his commitment to NASW’S education agenda.

March is Women’s History Month and NASW’S longstanding advocacy as well as success on women’s issues prompted an invitation from the Women in Politics Institute to attend a panel discussion and reception acknowledging the contributions of women in government, including those within the Obama Administration.  The event will occur on March 23, 2010 at the Katzen Arts Center on the campus of American University located in Washington, D.C.  Invited guests include the following luminaries: The Honorable Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, U.S. Department of State, Tina Tchen, Director, White House Office of Public Engagement and Anita McBride, Former Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush.

NASW was pleased with the announcement yesterday that the Census Bureau has created a supplemental poverty measure. The measure will use the best new data and methodologies to obtain an improved understanding of the economic well-being of American families and of how federal policies affect those living in poverty.

The current poverty level is determined by a family’s cash income and the cost of food. Since food has become a smaller share of a family’s income, it has become outdated. The supplemental poverty measure takes into account more variables such as location, housing, medication, utilities and child care.

The supplemental poverty measure does not replace the existing poverty measure, which will still be used to determine program eligibility for programs like SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

The National Academies of Science have long advocated an alternative poverty measure. A report released in 1995 called for an alternative poverty measure.

On February 23, 2010 NASW attended a fundraiser for the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD.) to discuss his support for the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R.795).  Representative Cummings, while conveying the significance of social work within the 7^th Congressional District, specified how instrumental the profession is to the alleviation of poverty as well as how social workers help to eradicate dire circumstances on behalf of underserved communities.  In addition, the Congressman proudly articulated the contributions of the Morgan State University School of Social Work, especially their efforts in improving the education system in Baltimore city and the tireless work of social workers throughout human service agencies, especially during an austere economic climate.

Today the President’s Middle Class Task Force released its annual report with significant recommendations that would provide support for families.   Chaired by Vice-President Joe Biden with social worker Dr. Jared Bernstein serving as Executive Director, recommendations were categorized in the following four areas:

• Protecting Workers and Creating Middle Class Jobs
• Retirement Security
• Balancing Work and Family Responsibilities
• Pathways to the Middle Class
  

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) enthusiastically supports the recommendations of the Task Force and wrote a letter, along with a number of other groups, specifically regarding “Helping Families Balance Work and Caregiving Obligations.” The proposed policies in this area supported our own suggestions and experience in working with families who care for their older relatives.

In 2006 and 2008, NASW, in partnership with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), conducted research focusing particularly on sandwich generation women (SGW) who were between the ages of 35 and 54 and caring for their own children and aging relatives. Key findings from our surveys support the need for the expanding the Dependent Care Tax Credit, which has only been raised once in 28 years, as well as expanding the $102.5 million Caregiver Initiative, which provides resources for respite care, transportation, and assistance with activities of daily living.

To see all of the letters on this issue, click here.  For more information on the Middle Class Task Force, go to www.astrongmiddleclass.gov.

Within four weeks of taking office, Congress presented a “stimulus package” to President Obama, who signed it.  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is now one year old.  About half of the money has been distributed, mostly to states, as well as to extend unemployment benefits, expand eligibility for Food Stamps, support Medicaid for states.  Independent economic analyses of ARRA show where it has been effective.  It’s hard to make the argument that things would have been worse for people without the package, because for many people, their economic situation is difficult and challenging.  However, reading accounts of the mass suffering during the depression makes us glad that we did not have to witness similar challenges.  It was the work of social workers led by Frances Perkins and Harry Hopkins that supported people and institutionalized programs like unemployment insurance and social security to ensure people could be cared for throughout the ups and downs of economic cycles.

NASW, partnering with you, our members, continues this legacy of providing direct aid and advocating for structural economic changes.  (See our advocacy alerts on extending benefits to people who have lost their jobs and supporting Medicaid relief to states.) We look forward to continuing these efforts.

You may find these recent articles of interest regarding the ARRA:   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/economy/17leonhardt.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes and  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704804204575069772167897834.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLTopStories

Take Action Now! - Social Work Reinvestment

On February 3, Ed Towns (NY-10) introduced H.R. 795, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act. To date there are 38 cosponsors. The act establishes a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to address the future of the profession. It also establishes demonstration programs that address the current state of the social work profession. You can contact your member of Congress and ask them to become a cosponsor of the legislation.

Pay discrimination denounced

The first 6 weeks of the 111^th Congress have been exciting. Congress passed and the President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Public Law No. 111-2). The law reverses a Supreme Court decision that acutely limits women workers’ capacity to sue for wage discrimination. It changes the law to declare that an unlawful practice occurs when a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted, when a person becomes subject to the decision or other practice, or when a person is affected by the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid. Therefore, a person can file a complaint about wage discrimination after any pay check that includes the pay discrimination. NASW Executive Director, Betsy Clark, was invited to the bill signing ceremony at the White House. You can view the video of the signing on our Web site.

Children’s Health Care passed

Another big win was passage of SCHIP legislation (Public Law No. 111-3). This legislation includes a mandate that mental health treatment be on par with medical health services. More specifically, the new law prohibits SCHIP plans from setting lower treatment limitations or higher financial requirements on coverage of mental health or substance use services than they set for other health services. It will cover around 4 million additional uninsured children. It is paid for, primarily with a 62-cent increase in the federal tobacco tax. It will extend federal support of CHIP through 2013. It encourages states to enroll children who are already eligible but not yet covered, and gives states new tools to reach uninsured children. It removes the five-year waiting period for legal immigrant children and pregnant women who enroll in Medicaid or CHIP. See the final vote. (more…)