Featured Articles

Chapters fight state efforts to restructure licensing boards

By Paul R. Pace, News staff Many NASW chapters have been opposing recent efforts by governors and legislatures around the country to restructure state social work licensing boards. The goal of state policymakers is to consolidate these boards with a variety of others state professional regulatory boards and subject them to centralized state oversight. Chapter leaders say this is a ... Read More »

Researchers study ways to achieve equality

By Alison Laurio, News contributor Damon Smith had been suspended from school more than 15 times. “You start thinking it’s cool,” he said. “You think you’re going to come back to school and catch up, but unless you’re a genius you won’t. It made me want to mess up even more.” After Ralph J. Bunche High School in Oakland, Calif., ... Read More »

Biblio/poetry therapy used in numerous settings

By Alison Laurio, News contributor Humans understood the power of words to heal long before they could write them. The holy men of primitive peoples chanted poetry for the good of their tribes and its members. Later in human history, in the fourth millennium B.C. in Ancient Greece, words were used as medicine when they were written on papyrus. The ... Read More »

In aftermath of school shooting, NASW Florida Chapter offers resources, action items social workers

Dear NASW Member, The National Association of Social Workers – Florida Chapter (NASW-FL) offers its heartfelt condolences to the students, staff and families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We share your loss and grief at the senseless tragedy. The outpouring of community support has been outstanding in providing support to the students, faculty, staff and families. The ... Read More »

More states consider physician-assisted death

By Alison Laurio, News contributor “Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more.” “The world is a beautiful place, ... Read More »

NASW Illinois Chapter Statement on the death of Pamela Knight

The NASW-Illinois Chapter expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Pamela Knight. Ms. Knight died last week as a result of injuries suffered during an attack on her in September 2017 while working to protect children in her capacity as an investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Every day social workers across the United ... Read More »

NASW attends first pain care policy congress

By Paul R. Pace, News staff A key step in implementing solutions for the opioid overdose epidemic was reached in San Diego in October where days later the opioid crisis was officially declared a national public health emergency. Seventy representatives from more than 50 organizations, including NASW, gathered in California for the first ever Integrative Pain Care Policy Congress during ... Read More »

Women’s March Witness: “It was immediately clear the participants had a sense of purpose”

protesters at Women's March carry placards in front of the White House; signs read Black Lives Matter; Putin's Tool, Our Fool

Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA, social justice and human rights manager at the National Association of Social Workers, attended the Women’s March of 2018 in Washington, D.C. He wrote about his experience: The Women’s March of 2018, drew hundreds of thousands of marchers to major cities nationwide such as Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Denver, Dallas, and Montgomery, ... Read More »