Social Work Advocates Magazine

NASW News’ “Social Work in the Public Eye” NASW member Evan King’s mantra is “hungry kids can’t learn,” she says in an article on Oregonlive.com. King’s efforts to prevent hunger among students at Rowe Middle School in Oregon were recently recognized when she received the Advocate for Children Award, which the article says is the most prestigious award the Oregon ... Read More »

The NASW Pennsylvania Chapter held a rally on April 16 at its state capitol rotunda in honor of its annual Legislative Advocacy Day. More than 800 social work students and professionals carried signs that read, “Social Workers Change Futures.” Throughout the day, social workers met with their legislators to advocate for Senate Bill 807, which would establish licensure for bachelor-level ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff Attending a virtual party might sound more like a video game experience than a sophisticated research tool. But according to Amy Traylor, assistant professor at the University of Alabama school of social work, virtual reality experiences can aid some types of social work research and treatment methods. “We know that people in a clinical setting ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equality Act of 2008 still awaits a final federal rule to implement the law. However, progress was made for patients’ rights on April 30 when the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont gave its interpretation of the law in the case C.M v. Fletcher Allen Health ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff Social workers at Santa Fe Dialectical Behavior Therapy in New Mexico are taking an active role in promoting more social workers with a specialty in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT. According to Santa Fe DBT co-founder and social worker Cedar Koons, DBT is an evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder developed by Marsha Linehan, ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff On May 19 and 20, tornadoes tore through the Oklahoma City area, causing deaths and injuries and affecting thousands of residents. The storms left a path of devastation in surrounding towns, including the cities of Moore and Shawnee, and leveled homes and buildings. It was the first time NASW member Lauren Black experienced a tornado, ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff NASW co-sponsored a webinar in May for the Child Mind Institute’s “Speak up for Kids” campaign, which aims to protect and promote children’s mental health. The institute created the campaign in 2010, giving partner organizations the opportunity to nationally promote children’s mental health and work toward eliminating barriers to care. “NASW was pleased to partner, ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff NASW was an organizational co-sponsor of the second national summit on young children’s mental health, which was held in May. The event, called “Healthy Development: Changing Frames and Expanding Partnerships to Promote Children’s Mental Health and Social/Emotional Wellbeing,” brought together 65 participants from different disciplines who built on the recommendations of the first summit ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff NASW CEO Angelo McClain attended the National Conference on Mental Health at the White House on June 3. He was among 150 leaders and health care experts from across the country who discussed ways of working together to reduce stigma and aid those struggling with mental health problems. “I was struck throughout the day ... Read More »

By Laetitia Clayton, News staff Social workers who are animal lovers might find that veterinary social work offers the best of both worlds. Even though the practice has been around in one form or another for about 30 years, it’s still emerging as a recognized professional area of social work, said Elizabeth Strand, director of veterinary social work at the ... Read More »