Social Work Advocates Magazine

By Laetitia Clayton, News staff More than 200 people gathered at a reception and dinner in April to celebrate and recount memories with NASW CEO Elizabeth J. Clark, as she prepared to step down from her position after 12 years. The event was held during NASW’s Annual Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C., and included past NASW presidents, colleagues and others ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff NASW co-sponsored a Capitol Hill briefing in April to discuss the rights of parents with disabilities, as well as the recommendations to protect these rights. The briefing, called “Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children,” was based on a report from the National Council on Disability released in September ... Read More »

NASW signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Indian Society of Professional Social Workers in March 2013. The ISPSW is the oldest association of professional social workers in India. It was established in 1970 as the Indian Society of Psychiatric Social Work and was renamed with its present title in 1988, because of an increase in practitioners, trainers and ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff Former U.S. Rep. and social worker Edolphus “Ed” Towns recently announced the launch of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy, or CRISP. Towns created the institute to complement the mission and work of the Congressional Social Work Caucus, which he founded in 2010. At an April reception for CRISP in Washington, ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff Pressure cooker bombs killed three people and injured about 164 when they exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in April. In response to the tragedy, NASW’s Massachusetts Chapter has gathered resources and information online to help those affected by the bombings. “We have put together a resource list for families of victims, ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff Social workers are doing their part to help shape their states’ health insurance marketplaces, formerly known as health insurance exchanges. A key component of the Affordable Care Act, health insurance marketplaces are being constructed so individuals and small businesses can shop for coverage. As of May 2, 17 states and the District of Columbia ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff NASW’s new CEO, Angelo McClain, said he is eager to build on the foundation that social work pioneers have worked hard to achieve. “There are many of us who were around 30 plus years ago when the social work profession did not get the respect it deserved,” said McClain, who started work as NASW’s ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, News staff As part of the NASW Annual Leadership Meeting in April, attendees advocated for the profession on Capitol Hill. About 100 chapter leaders made personal visits to their congressional representatives during Advocacy Day on April 11. Their efforts garnered 22 co-sponsors of the Social Work Reinvestment Act as well as some who signed on to ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, News staff Much like a social worker attending to the welfare of others, being a college president is like being a mother hen that knows no boundaries, said James Kelly, past president of NASW and current president of Menlo College in California. As a college president, Kelly said he uses every social work skill he possesses on ... Read More »

By Rena Malai and Paul R. Pace, News staff NASW chapter executive directors, presidents and presidents-elect traveled to Washington, D.C., in April to participate in the 2013 Annual Leadership Meeting held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill. The four-day meeting, with the theme “A Profession of Leaders in a Leading Profession,” offered an opportunity for NASW leaders to network, ... Read More »