Social Work Advocates Magazine

By Paul R. Pace, NASW News Staff Social workers play a critical role in end-of-life care, said Karen Bullock, an associate professor at the North Carolina State University Department of Social Work in Raleigh, N.C. When National Healthcare Decisions Day arrives April 16, Bullock wants social workers to encourage individuals and families to have conversations with their loved ones about ... Read More »

By Rena Malai, NEWS Staff The Hull House agency in Chicago made national headlines in January when it abruptly closed its doors after more than 120 years. The social services organization, founded by social work pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams, ran out of money after struggling to raise funds and reduce operating costs for several years in ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, NEWS Staff Imagine a time when children were considered the same as adults. Their shoulders carried the burdens of grown-up responsibilities. Many toiled in America’s coal mines, factories and farms. The thought of focusing attention on the well-being of the nation’s youngest citizens was a radical concept at the dawn of the 20th century. It took ... Read More »

NASW News’ Social Work in the Public Eye: The art of raising responsible children is the subject of an online article by the Huffington Post: “Parents,” which offers parenting tips like basing rewards on achievement, celebrating everyday accomplishments and milestones, and communicating clear expectations. Social worker Ruth Ettenburg Freeman says in the article that acknowledging small accomplishments can reinforce self-esteem ... Read More »

NASW’s Human Rights & International Affairs Senior Practice Associate Amy Bess participated in the U.S. Government Evidence Summit on Protecting Children Outside of Family Care in December. The summit offered the opportunity to exchange feedback and consultation among academics, technical experts and U.S. government program managers as it relates to systems and strategies that are most effective in identifying and ... Read More »

On Tuesday evening, members of the Congressional Social Work Caucus (CSWC) came together for a reception hosted in the U.S. House of Representatives Rayburn House Office building. This event featured CSWC chair Rep. Edolphus ‘Ed’ Towns (New York-10) who emphasized the key role of the CSWC and the importance of supporting the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. ... Read More »

NASW News’ Social Work in the Public Eye: The process of downsizing can be intimidating for anyone, but especially for those transitioning into a later stage of life, according to an online article by the Associated Press/Canadian Press. Older people who must move out of their home into a more manageable living arrangement — a term the article calls “late ... Read More »

In 2012, Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond (left of center in black sweater with glasses) surrounded by students, faculty and alumni of New York City’s Touro College’s Graduate School of Social Work are shown here preparing to canvass the number of people currently living unsheltered in the city.  For the fourth consecutive year, the Touro volunteers canvassed parks, subways and other public spaces ... Read More »

By Paul R. Pace, NEWS Staff It’s March. That means it is National Professional Social Work Month and social workers everywhere are encouraged to spread the message of this year’s theme, “Social Work Matters.” U.S. Rep. Edolphus “Ed” Towns, D-N.Y., will join the more than 60 members of Congressional Social Work Caucus on World Social Work Day, March 20, on ... Read More »

NASW News Letters to the Editor: Where there’s a will … This letter is in response to Dr. Carol B. Sisco’s February 2012 letter “The Military’s loss”. As I read Dr. Sisco’s letter I am reminded of my own experience in joining the military, but with a much different outcome. I was 56 years old in 2007 when I first ... Read More »