The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds the decision of the Department of Defense to lift the ban on women in direct combat roles, setting a historic precedent and opening up more than 230,000 positions to women. Each of the military branches has to produce an implementation plan by May 15, with progress assessments due every subsequent 90 days. This change will reduce discrimination and allow for equality of opportunity, including allowing women to access promotions that they may not have been able to qualify for in the past. Further, this change reflects the reality of war, particularly those in Iraq and Afghanistan.   

More than a quarter of a million women have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and 152 women have been killed in action.  “The modern battlefield means there are no front lines or safe areas…My [female] Marines supported infantry units. They patrolled every day. They wore the same gear. They carried the same rifles. And when my Marines were attacked, they fought back,” stated Zoe Bedell, a Captain in the USMC and OEF vet.  “The time has come for our policies to recognize that reality [on the ground],” stated Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. 

The policy changes will not lower or eliminate physical fitness or mental requirements for combat positions; “[but] everyone is entitled to a chance,” said Defense Secretary Panetta.  U.S Representative and Veteran Tammy Duckworth said, “The decision to allow women to serve in combat will allow the best man or woman on the front line to keep America safe.”

NASW continues to work with the White House Joining Forces Initiative to provide optimal care for our military Service Members, Veterans, and their families.  NASW will be rolling out five free military-related continuing education courses and a military credential for social workers in the Spring of 2013. Standards for Social Work Practice with Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families are available now.

Supported by the National Coalition to End Child Abuse Deaths, of which NASW is a member, the Protect Our Kids Act creates a bipartisan, two-year Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, consisting of 12 members who will be appointed by President Obama and Congressional leaders.  The commission will work to evaluate current programs and prevention efforts, and recommend a comprehensive national strategy to reduce and prevent child abuse and neglect fatalities.

Joan Levy Zlotnik, PhD, ACSW, director of the NASW Foundation’s Social Work Policy Institute said, “The passage of this important bipartisan legislation acknowledges that too many children in our country die due to child abuse and neglect. The recommendations from the commission will help federal, state and local agencies understand more about prevention and intervention to better meet the needs of children and vulnerable families.

The National Association of Social Workers is also pleased that the recipient of its 2012 Public Elected Official of the Year Award, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), was a key sponsor of the Protect Our Kids Act.

For more information:

Camp, Paulsen and Doggett Statements About Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 (January 3, 2013)
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=316141

We Can Do Better: A Report on Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America (3^rd Edition, August 2012)
http://www.everychildmatters.org/storage/documents/pdf/reports/can_report_august2012_final.pdf

Protect our Kids Act Introduced, NASW News (February 2012)
https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2012/02/protect-our-kids.asp?back=yes

Government Accountability Office: Report on Child Fatalities from Maltreatment (July 2011)
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-811T

NASW is committed to supporting the health and well-being of our nation’s Service Members, Veterans, and their loved ones.  The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the needs of all people, and this includes the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, who have made great sacrifices in order to protect us. 

Social workers already provide these services in numerous settings. The United States Department of Defense (DoD), where military social work was established over 50 years ago, includes civilian social workers assigned to military components and over 500 active military personnel who are practicing social workers. Additionally, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established the first social work program in the Veterans Bureau in 1926, and is now the largest employer of Master’s level social workers in the nation. Due to the influx of returning Service Members from Iraq and Afghanistan, and the ongoing needs of Veterans of all eras, there is a growing demand for mental and behavioral health services. All social workers have an obligation to seek education about and respond to the needs of our nation’s military.

NASW has been a proud member of the White House Joining Forces initiative since 2011. Joining Forces is a comprehensive national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give our Service Members and their families the opportunities and services they have earned. NASW has already committed to the following:

• Standards for social work practice with Service Members, Veterans and military families, which are available to all social workers today.
• A free online five-course training module available for all social workers to prepare to work with, or enhance their knowledge on the needs of, Service Members, Veterans, and military families. This training module will be available in early 2013, and social workers can earn free continuing education units upon completion.
• A professional credential for social work with Service Members, Veterans, and their families. This credential will be offered free for one year to NASW members and is geared towards social workers that work primarily with this population. This credential will be available in 2013.
• We’ve also launched a webpage with resources and information for social workers.

We thank those social workers who are already working with Service Members, Veterans and/or their families and we hope that those who have not had the opportunity to work with this population will consider volunteering or learning more about how you can fulfill your professional responsibility to those who serve.

The Canadian Association of Social Workers was founded in 1926 with the goals of establishing uniform practice standards for Canadian social workers and addressing the conditions in which they worked. CASW is a national federation with eight provincial and territorial partner organizations and individual members in provinces outside of the federation.  CASW is a dedicated member of the IFSW and has been proactive in forming social work policies worldwide. CASW holds similar principles to NASW, including the promotion of social justice, the recognition of human diversity, and emphasis on strengthening the profession. CASW has long been an ally to NASW, and the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding signifies continued partnership between the two organizations.

In 2007, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs established the Veterans Crisis Line, a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, and text messaging service that connects Veterans in crisis, and their families and friends with qualified and caring responders from the VA who provide support, referrals to local VA services, and fast-tracked mental health care at VA hospitals.  Since its launch in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has answered more than 640,000 calls and made more than 23,000 life-saving rescues.  The anonymous online chat, a service added to the Veterans Crisis Line in 2009, has helped more than 50,000 people, and in 2011, the newly implemented text messaging service provided another outlet for Veterans to receive 24/7 support.  To access round-the-clock help and support from the Veterans Crisis Line call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or send a text to 838255.

Learning to recognize the warning signs of suicide is a crucial component of prevention.  The signs of suicide may not always be obvious, but it is important to be aware of behaviors that may indicate that a Veteran is in crisis.  Hopelessness, anxiety, agitation, mood swings, sleeplessness, rage, anger, risky behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, and becoming withdrawn are all indicators that a Veteran may be at-risk and needs support.  Furthermore, thinking or talking about, as well planning and attempting suicide are all behaviors that require immediate medical attention.  Suicide Prevention Month serves as a reminder that knowing the warning signs and taking action to help is an integral part of helping to prevent Veteran suicide.  For further information about the warning signs please visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/SignsOfCrisis.

Suicide Prevention Month is a call to action to every American to stand-up and support the Veteran community.  There are many ways to help including spreading the word about the Veterans Crisis Line and visiting www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/SPMSupport to download free Suicide Prevention Month materials that educate individuals about the suicide risk face by Veterans and the resources that are available.  Through education, we can all be advocates for preventing Veteran suicide.

“This video is a valuable tool to share with friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members to understand the basics about our Social Security system,” said James Roosevelt, Jr., President and CEO of the Tufts Health Plan and grandson of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who signed the original Social Security Act on August 14, 1935.

The “Just the Facts” video is a tool for schools, colleges, community and religious organizations, and journalists to educate their students, communities, viewers and readers about Social Security and how it has performed over the years through good times and bad.  NASI has also prepared a companion resources page at www.nasi.org/learn for viewers to further explore each topic discussed in the video: Social Security: Just the Facts

Follow the conversation on Twitter: #SocialSecurity77.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2012      

CONTACT:
Gail Woods Waller
gwaller@naswdc.org or 202.336.8236

Dr. Jill Biden Joins Leymah Gbowee, Bob and Lee Woodruff, Dr. Kenneth Doka, Donna Brazile and Roberto Pacheco for National Social Work Conference in Washington

National Association of Social Workers Conference Held July 22-25

WASHINGTON, DC (July 19, 2012)—Professional social workers play a critical role in nationwide efforts to support American troops and their families. On Wednesday, July 25, 2012, Dr. Jill Biden will join the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) at their national practice conference, Restoring Hope: The Power of Social Work, to announce a new professional initiative aimed at educating all social workers—regardless of practice area or focus—on the challenges facing the nation’s veterans and military families.  Dr. Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, military mom and lifelong educator, started Joining Forces with First Lady Michelle Obama last year to encourage all Americans to support and honor our veterans and military families in their own communities.

NASW Conference participants will also hear from other dynamic keynote presenters Sunday, July 22, through Wednesday, July 25, on issues ranging from peace mediation, family trauma and recovery, to disenfranchised grief, youth empowerment and political advocacy.  They include:

Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient (July 23, 4:00 p.m)

Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist, trained social worker, and women’s rights advocate. She is founder and president of the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, head of the Liberia Reconciliation Initiative and co-founder and executive director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa (WIPSEN-A). She is also a founding member and former Liberia Coordinator of Women in Peacebuilding Network/West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WIPNET/WANEP). Gbowee’s leadership of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace brought together Christian and Muslim women in a nonviolent movement that played a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s civil war in 2003.

“You can tell people of the need to struggle, but when the powerless start to see that they really can make a difference, nothing can quench the fire.” – Leymah Gbowee -

Bob and Lee Woodruff, ABC and CBS Journalists, Authors, Veterans Advocates  (July 23, 9:00 a.m.)

Bob Woodruff was named co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight in December 2005 and Lee Woodruff was a public relations executive. On January 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Bob was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq. One year later, the Woodruffs co-wrote a bestselling memoir, In an Instant, chronicling Bob’s injuries in Iraq and how their family persevered through a time of intense trauma and uncertainty. Lee Woodruff now contributes to CBS This Morning, has written Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress and will publish Those We Love Most, a novel, this fall.  The Woodruff family established the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury (BWFF) to raise money to assist members of the military with cognitive rehabilitation and care following a traumatic brain injury suffered in service to their country.

“Our children remind me every day of the resilience and hope that resides in the human spirit.”               -Lee Woodruff-

Dr. Kenneth Doka, Gerontology Professor and International Grief Expert  (July 23, 1:30 p.m.)

Kenneth J. Doka, PhD, is a Professor of Gerontology at the Graduate School of The College of New Rochelle and Senior Consultant to the Hospice Foundation of America. A prolific author, Doka’s books include Beyond Kübler-Ross: New Perspectives on Death, Dying, and Grief, Spirituality and End-of-Life Care; Grieving Beyond Gender: Understanding the Ways Men and Woman Mourn; and numerous other books in the areas of illness, death, dying, and grief. In addition to the books he has written, Doka has published over 100 articles and book chapters. He is editor of both Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying and Journeys: A Newsletter to Help in Bereavement.

“Grief is a reaction to loss. We can experience it when we lose any significant form of attachment, not just death.”   – Dr. Kenneth Doka –  

Donna Brazile, Political Strategist, Analyst, CNN and ABC News Contributor  (July 25, 11:45 a.m.)

Donna Brazile is founder and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, DC. She has worked on every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, and became the first African-American woman to manage a presidential campaign. In August 2009, O, The Oprah Magazine chose Brazile as one of its 20 remarkable visionaries. She has also been named among the 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian magazine, Top 50 Women in America by Essence magazine, and received the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s highest award for political achievement. She is a frequent contributor to both CNN and ABC news programming.

“Politics was something to do – and it could have an immediate impact, not just on me, but on my family and my community.”  – Donna Brazile -

Roberto Pacheco, Centro Cultural Waly Salomão, AfroReggae Cultural Group (June 24, 8:30 a.m.)

Roberto Pacheco is one of the coordinators of the largest cultural centre in favelas in Latin America—“Centro Cultural Waly Salomão” in Vigario Geral—which encompasses “Grupo Cultural AfroReggae.” The goal of Grupo Cultural Afro Reggae (GCAR) as a major non-governmental organization is to promote cultural and artistic endeavors in the favelas, with the objective of offering their underprivileged residents alternatives besides guns, drugs, and a life of crime.  Pacheco develops and runs a variety of programs, as well as choreographs the artistic groups Makala & Akoni. The group has performed in Australia, Caribbean, United Kingdom, and the U.S.

NASW President Jeane Anastas, PhD, LMSW says that due to the worldwide economic crisis, many people are living with great uncertainty and without much needed services and supports.  “It is during these times that social workers are needed most,” she says.   “This conference is about harnessing the collective power of social work to best serve citizens, our communities and our country. We are honored to have allies, such as Dr. Biden and the First Lady, for our efforts.”

NASW’s national practice conference shines a spotlight on many issues important to the social work profession.  Plenary panels, breakout sessions and pre-and post-workshops feature social work leaders from academia, government, nonprofits, businesses, foundations, associations, schools and hospitals, as well as the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Attendees represent more than 650,000 professional social workers in the United States.

Conference Plenaries:

Sunday, July 22 — Leadership and the Power of Social Work (4:00 p.m.)

For over 100 years people have been attracted to social work as a profession. How do social work skills and expertise help create community leaders?

William Pollard, PhD, MSW, President, Medgar Evers College

Nancy A. Humphreys, DSW, Director, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work,

Professor of Policy Practice, University of Connecticut School of Social Work

Monday, July 23— Building Resiliency after Trauma (10:15 a.m.)

Increasingly, throughout the world people experience trauma and have experienced torture. Perspectives of refugees seeking asylum, holocaust survivors, and developing nations are critical.

S. Megan Berthold, PhD, LCSW, CTS, Assistant Professor of Casework, University of Connecticut, School of Social Work

Ellen Minotti, MSW, Director, Social Services of Cambodia

Roberta Greene, PhD, MSW, Professor and the Louis and Ann Wolens Centennial Chair in

Gerontology and Social Welfare, School of Social Work University of Texas at Austin

Tuesday, July 24 — HOPE for our Children (9:30 a.m.)

During this time of fiscal constraint and competing policy priorities, social work efforts on behalf of children and youth are more important than ever.

Terry Cross, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, Executive Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association

William Bell, PhD, MSW, President and Chief Executive Officer, Casey Family Programs

Sheryl Brissett-Chapman, EdD, ACSW, LICSW, Executive Director, National Center for

Children and Families

Tuesday, July 24—Building HOPE with Honor for Veterans and Military Families  (1:30 p.m.)

With over 2.3 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are significant opportunities and challenges facing our nation’s service members, veterans, and their loved ones.

Anthony Hassan, EdD, MSW, Clinical Associate Professor and Director, USC Center for

Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, University of Southern California

Carol Sheets, LICSW, ACSW, National Director of Social Work, U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs

LTC Jeffrey S. Yarvis, PhD, MSW, MEd, MS, Deputy Commander for Behavioral Health,

Fort Belvoir Community Hospital

“Hope is an important concept, not only for the social work profession, but for society,” says NASW CEO Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH. “Hope is a way of thinking, feeling and acting. It is an essential function in solving both individual and community problems.”

The presenting sponsor for the NASW National Conference is NASW Assurance Services, Inc. and the University of Southern California School of Social Work is the event’s gold sponsor. Other supporters include the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, the John A. Hartford Foundation, Monahan Law Group, LLC, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Novick Group, Inc., Silver School of Social Work at New York University, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Corporate Color, and Watkins IT & Watkins Meegan.

For information about the “Restoring Hope: The Power of Social Work” conference, visit www.professionofhope.org. For Joining Forces, visit  http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces

# # #

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with nearly 145,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.  The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is a charitable organization created to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH is CEO of the National Association of Social Workers

Q: The ACA was upheld, but experts predict an avalanche of new enrollees in 2014, which will overwhelm our health care system. What should be done?

Dr. Clark: Between 30-40 million new enrollees means that, among other issues, we need to think about using health care providers in such a way that everyone practices at the top of their license.  Some of the ACA demonstration projects are already showing greater cost efficiencies when we stretch staff into new areas, such as using social workers to help people coordinate their care in the community after being discharged from the hospital.  Medical homes and Accountable Care Organizations—promoted heavily in the ACA—will also be critical in our efforts to expand care to more people and keep costs down.

Q: The Court has ruled against the provision for withholding Medicaid funds from states that refuse to expand their Medicaid programs. Without the Federal penalty, how will we have uniformity in the Medicaid expansion, so that all individuals under 133% of the Federal Poverty Line are covered?

Dr. Clark: Unfortunately the ruling makes it harder to achieve a national Medicaid floor – a key aim of the ACA.  But leaving those at the very bottom uninsured is not acceptable social policy. NASW and its members will work with reluctant states to get them to do what is right – and expand their Medicaid programs to the level set by the ACA.

Q: Is a mandate to purchase health insurance really the best way to address the health insurance crisis in the United States?

Dr. Clark: Policymakers have been wrestling with the issue of un-insurance and under-insurance for well over 20 years—and the problem is only getting worse.  Every hour of every day, a social worker somewhere in the U.S. is dealing with the effect of our government’s inability to address the health insurance crisis—families going into bankruptcy because they can’t pay their medical bills; people with chronic illness rationing their medication because they can’t afford to pay for all their prescriptions; hospital ERs bursting at the seams because people have no coverage to allow them to seek regular care at a doctor’s office.  The individual mandate is a reasonable solution.  It expands the risk pool and makes insurance more affordable for everyone.  It is also an avenue for more affordable, more appropriate care.

Q: How can we implement a law that will only add to our astronomical federal debt?

Dr. Clark: The ACA is one of the few pieces of legislation in recent history that expands health insurance access while also addressing our county’s out-of-control health care costs.   The law includes many promising health care payment innovations such as Accountable Care Organizations, Medicare bundled payment programs and penalties for hospitals that experience excessive re-admissions and hospital-acquired infections.  The law may not be perfect – but it’s a foundation that we should keep building on.

For more information: www.SocialWorkers.org

WASHINGTON, DC (June 28, 2012) The National Association of Social Workers today celebrates the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).   NASW has been an outspoken advocate for improving health care access, quality, and services for millions of Americans not currently served by the nation’s health care system. Thanks to today’s ruling, many health care advocates, including NASW, are excited about working to make essential provisions of the law a reality.

While the Court has ruled that states must comply with requirements to receive Medicaid expansion funding, they cannot be penalized by removing funding for existing Medicaid programs.  NASW and its members will work with states to do what is in the best interest of their most vulnerable citizens—and expand Medicaid eligibility to the level set by the ACA.

In the two years since ACA was signed into law, several implemented reforms have had a positive effect on the lives of many struggling families, people with chronic illnesses, and millions of young adults who were previously uninsured. Responding to state and corporate opposition to the law, the Supreme Court of the United States has now ruled that the ACA and its key provision—a federal mandate to require all citizens to obtain health insurance or pay a penalty—is constitutional.

“NASW believes this decision supports ACA provisions already implemented, and ensures that future changes can improve health care access for millions of Americans in need,” says Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, NASW CEO.  “The nation has a great opportunity to expand coverage and access, and bring spiraling health care costs under control with today’s victory.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling will have an impact on:

• Affordable Health Care. ACA makes health care affordable for all Americans—including those with employer-sponsored insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. Insurers can no longer rescind coverage.  States will be expected to implement Health Insurance Exchanges to facilitate the purchase of private coverage for individuals and small businesses.

• Coverage Restrictions. ACA seeks to limit the common industry practice of excluding people from coverage because of pre-existing health conditions or restricting benefits for seriously ill patients. Insurers can no longer exclude children and adults from coverage based on pre-existing conditions, including cancer, autism, and mental health conditions such as depression. They can’t reinstate lifetime limits on the dollar value of coverage.

• Medicaid Expansion. The ACA provides health care coverage for more of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Medicaid will be expanded, reducing the costly use of emergency rooms.

• Dependent Coverage. ACA helps families ensure their children have adequate medical services during their key transition years as young adults.  6.6 million dependent young adults can continue their insurance coverage.

• Preventive Care. Under ACA, all Americans have better access to preventive care. Medicare and private health insurance plans will offer preventive services, thus increasing the number of people who will receive annual check-ups and cancer-screenings.

• Mental Health Care. ACA provides better coverage for mental and behavioral health needs in health care plans.

• Health Care Workforce. ACA seeks to strengthen the healthcare workforce, and provides training funds for social workers.  The law addresses an increased need for medical social workers, aging specialists, and mental health practitioners to assist high need and high-cost communities.

• Primary Care. ACA expands the role and value of primary care.  The health care industry’s commitment to increasing care quality through the Accountable Care Organization model can continue.

• Senior Benefits. The ACA improves preventive services and medication benefits for seniors. Critical Medicare benefits such as co-pay free preventive services and closing of the medication coverage gap will be sustained.

More information about NASW’s advocacy on health care reform can be found at SocialWorkers.org. Read NASW’s amicus briefs in Florida v. USDHHS and United States Dept. of Health and Human Services v. Florida at http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/healthcarereform.  

 “You don’t have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.”  You may be familiar with this public service campaign promoting adoption from foster care, which was produced by The Advertising Council, the leading producer of public service campaigns in the country. The Council is looking for individuals who will share compelling stories about the way public service advertising (like commercials or public service announcements, print or internet ads, bus stop ads or billboards) have played a role in their decision to adopt from foster care.

They are interested in anyone who saw a PSA that made them think more seriously about becoming a parent through adoption.  They want to find families who would like to be profiled no later than July 1, 2012.

Here’s a description of the campaign: http://www.adcouncil.org/Our-Work/Current-Work/Family-Community/Adoption-from-Foster-Care. With permission, some stories will be captured on film and used to support the work of The Ad Council in their efforts to produce effective public service campaigns.

Interested parties should email: stories@humaninterestfilms.com