The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), as part of an initiative to promote licensure portability for military spouses, in 2021 awarded a $500,000 grant for the development of an interstate licensure compact for social workers. The compact would give social workers to practice in two or more states, giving the profession much needed license mobility. The Council of State Governments (CSG) has ... Read More »
By Gary Pettengell, ECINS If there were ever a time to truly appreciate the essential contributions to society made by social workers – it would be now. As we find ways to recognize, inspire, and equip social work professionals tackling a confluence of challenges in schools, families, and communities, the most important thing is to acknowledge the immense challenges they ... Read More »
By Marisa Markowitz, LMSW, CASAC-T When students leave the halls of academia and decide to venture on their first social work job, there is trepidation. Will I be able to cut it? Do my skills align with the amount of knowledge I gained in school? Students must decide what type of social worker they want to become, and where they would ... Read More »
By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA The shooting of 13 people in Buffalo of whom ten perished by an avowed white supremacist was a tragedy waiting to happen. The fact that 11 of the 13 victims were Black was no mistake. The victims were targeted in a planned and calculated attack by a white supremacist radicalized into becoming a member of national racist ... Read More »
As America faces a mental health crisis, the need for suicide prevention services is more imperative than ever. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, suicide is ranked as the second primary cause of death in young people among the ages of 10 to 34 and the tenth most frequent cause of death in the United States. Since 1999, ... Read More »
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) wishes to bring attention to the importance of mental health as it affects millions of people in the United States. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), each year 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youths ages 6-17 deal with mental illness[1]. ... Read More »
By Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA The leaked report of a draft Supreme Court ruling to completely overturn the seminal abortion rights opinion Roe v. Wade sent shockwaves throughout the country. While most reproductive health and other social justice advocates expected the conservative-leaning court would “gut” Roe v. Wade, they did not anticipate the absolute evisceration of the law. In that Roe ... Read More »
Here is a list of reproductive rights legal cases handled by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) NASW Legal Defense Fund. McRae v. Mathews (U.S. Dist. Ct, E.D.N.Y., 421 F. Supp. 533 (E.D.N.Y. 1976)) Case Desc.: Challenge to Federal Appropriation Act that denied funding to indigent, pregnant women for elective abortions NASW Supported: McRae Outcome: Won/Favorable. Date Brief Filed: ... Read More »
By Diana Ling, MA, Program Manager and Leslie Sirrianni, LCSW, Senior Research Project and Training Coordinator; Health Behavior Research and Training Institute, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin A troubling trend has taken hold over the past two decades: drinking patterns among men and women have converged – and in some cases, young women ... Read More »
April is Alcohol Awareness Month. It highlights the dangers of unsafe alcohol consumption and promote awareness in reducing alcohol use disorder. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 14.5 million people ages 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder (AUD) in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic alcohol use along with mental health challenges have been exacerbated ... Read More »
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