By Greg Wright, NEWS contributor Carla Damron may have retired after working for 31 years as a social worker in mental health, but she is staying busy as an advocate and educator for the profession. Not only is Damron the executive director of NASW’s South Carolina chapter, but she also has started on her fourth mystery novel featuring fictional social worker and amateur sleuth Caleb Knowles, which she hopes to complete... 

By Rena Malai, NEWS Staff NASW’s Social Work Policy Institute, in collaboration with PolicyLab of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and contributing partner the University of Southern California School of Social Work, held an interdisciplinary symposium in November to discuss ways to better meet the health care needs of children served by the child welfare system and those at risk of involvement in the system. Alice... 

By Rena Malai, NEWS Staff The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose, Calif., has developed a “Social Workers in the Library” program, which offers social work consultations in a neutral setting. Deborah Estreicher, head librarian at the Dr. Martin Luther King  Jr. Library in San Jose, Calif., had an idea. “Being a librarian, I came across many people that needed social work services,” Estreicher... 

At an age when many people are considering retirement, Capt. Dan Grinstead was instead leaving for his first deployment to Afghanistan, according to an article on 9news.com, a website for Denver’s local NBC affiliate. Capt. Dan Grinstead Grinstead, an Iowa native in his 60s and a social worker for 35 years, felt that his services would be best put to use helping soldiers cope with the multitude of stresses they face... 

By Paul R. Pace, NEWS Staff A new resource has been launched that provides social workers and educators greater insight into the religious and spiritual viewpoints of the clients they serve. “It’s important to recognize a client’s spirituality and religion and acknowledge it,” said Sharon Issurdatt, NASW senior practice associate. To further this effort, NASW has become a member of the Council on Social Work Education’s... 

By Rena Malai, NEWS Staff In an attempt to prevent child deaths that result from abuse and neglect, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, have introduced the bipartisan Protect Our Kids Act, along with companion legislation by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas. The National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths, of which NASW is an active member, advocated for the introduction of the legislation through its ongoing... 

By Rena Malai, NEWS Staff Mary Adams works full time as a bank teller for Wells Fargo and is a proud mother of six children, who range in age from 7 months to 23 years old. Her oldest son is in college, and Adams goes to church every Sunday, where she’s famous for her homemade banana pudding. She’s a positive and outgoing 40-year-old woman, and she radiates an enthusiasm for life that’s contagious. But Adams also... 

Have you or someone you know been quoted in the media about his or her social work skills? NASW members are highlighted in each issue of the NASW News about the ways they help people overcome challenges and the important contributions they make to society. NASW News welcomes submissions for the “Social Work in the Public” Eye section. Send any news links and details to naswnews@naswdc.org.  Read More →

By Maren Dale, Special to the NEWS Credit: John Michael Yanson Social workers need to be business savvy. Among the 10 imperatives for the next decade of the profession adopted by participants of the Social Work Congress in 2010 is “infusing models of sustainable business and management practice in social work education and practice.” Fortunately, there are social work entrepreneurs who have blazed the trail... 

NASW News exclusive: By Paul R. Pace, News Staff As the age of communication possibilities continues to expand, maintaining client confidentiality for social workers is a paramount concern. Protection of clients’ confidential information is not only a social work cornerstone, it is also a legal obligation, according to the latest NASW General Counsel Law Note, Client Confidentiality and Privileged Communications, recently...