On January 29, 2013 President Obama gave his “The Time is Now” speech which ushered in his administration’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislative initiative. A day earlier, a bipartisan group of four Republican and Four Democrats (the “gang of eight”) also announced that they will introduce comprehensive immigration legislation. Because the president received 70 percent of the Hispanic... 

Today, NASW celebrates the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s special message to Congress regarding the state of mental health in the United States.  President Kennedy’s remarks brought the issue of stigma, and access to care, to the forefront of his domestic agenda.  As a result of this initiative, the Community Mental Health Centers Act was signed into law, which funded the development of mental health... 

In the last two weeks NASW has participated in several activities in the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy.  Last week, NASW CEO Betsy Clark participated in the White House meeting with mental health groups where she met with Vice President Biden’s Task Force.  Since then, NASW has remained engaged in ongoing efforts with the Obama Administration and the mental health community.  This week NASW was included on two conference... 

In 2009, NASW was pleased to see President Obama build a diverse Cabinet and even participated as a co-sponsor in the celebration of Women Appointees of the Obama Administration. Conversely, since returning from the holidays the President has made four high level appointments all of which are white men. With the departures of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and Administrator of the... 

NASW CEO Betsy Clark, and other mental health and disability rights advocates, met at the White House on Wednesday to provide input for Vice President Biden’s Task Force on Gun Control and Violence. The meeting was led by Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius, and included Attorney General Eric Holder, Pam Hyde from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration... 

With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 (H.R. 6655/S. 3705) received unanimous support in the Senate just before the 112th Congress adjourned last week, and passed the House of Representatives in December by a vote of 330-77. Supported by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths, of which NASW is a member, the Protect Our Kids Act creates a bipartisan, two-year Commission to Eliminate... 

Senator and Social Worker Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) has been named Chair of the Committee on Appropriations. She follows after Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) who died in December. Senator Mikulski will be the first woman to hold this powerful position, which reflects the growing representation of women on Capitol Hill. The Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee which has jurisdiction over all discretionary... 

A letter was sent to members of Congress yesterday from 164 national organizations, including NASW, asking that Medicaid be excluded from potential budget cuts, currently under consideration in the fiscal cliff negotiations. The signers also argued against proposals to restructure Medicaid, such as converting it to a block grant program.  The letter to Congress emphasized the value and efficiency of the program and stressed... 

The elections are over, and it’s time to examine how these results will affect the judiciary branch of government: U.S. Supreme Court The lower courts (such as the Appeals Courts) Special Courts (such as U.S. Tax Courts) Court Support Organizations (such as the U.S. Sentencing Commission) Including the nine Supreme Court Justices, there are 874 judgeships in the judiciary branch—all of whom are appointed by the... 

Senator Daniel K. Inouye died Monday, December 17, 2012, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) fondly remembers him as the first Japanese American elected to Congress, the first Congressman representing Hawaii, the second longest serving Senator in U.S. history, a highly decorated World War II Veteran, and a longtime friend to the profession of social work. According to the New York Times, Senator Inouye...