For Immediate Release February 27, 2008

Contact
Gail Woods-Waller
202-336-8236 or gwaller@naswdc.org

Allison Nadelhaft
202-336-8228 or anadelhaft@naswdc.org

Dr. Dorothy I. Height Joined U.S. Congressmen Ed Towns and Chris Shays Today to Seek Support for H.R. 5447, The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act

Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Dorothy I. Height, Dr. Elizabeth J Clark, PhD, ACSW

WASHINGTON—Congress is being asked to help the nation’s 600,000 professional social workers better serve families and communities in need. U.S. Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY) has introduced a bill that will establish a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to study policy issues associated with recruitment, retention, research and reinvestment in the profession of social work, and will support replicable programs of excellence throughout the country.

Original cosponsors include Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH).

The United States is experiencing unprecedented levels of human, social service and health care needs. These needs now transcend social and economic strata, affect the old and the young, and place tremendous burdens on those in the middle. As a result, millions of Americans, from all walks of life, are served daily by social workers.

However, competing policy priorities, fiscal constraints, significant educational debt, comparatively insufficient salaries, increased administrative burdens, and unsupportive work environments are just a few of the common obstacles encountered by professional social workers. These barriers impede the delivery of essential services, affect recruitment and retention in the profession, and compromise access to necessary care—especially for the most vulnerable.

Social Work Reinvestment Commission

H.R. 5447 will create a commission to research social work’s impact in practice areas such as aging, child welfare, military and veterans’ affairs, mental and behavioral health and disability, criminal justice, and health. It will also study issues facing the profession, including fair market compensation, high social work educational debt, and social work safety, as well as state level social work and reciprocity agreements. These recommendations will be presented to Congress and the Executive Branch.

Demonstration Grants

H.R. 5447 will support demonstration grants related to workplace improvements, social service research, social work education and training, and programs of excellence. These competitive demonstration grants will support efforts underway within both the private and public sectors, at colleges and universities, and within community-based organizations that already administer programs in high need, high demand areas.

The bill is named after two American social work pioneers and civil rights icons, Dr. Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. (see attached backgrounder for details)

At today’s briefing in the Cannon House Office Building, Mr. Towns said, “I am honored and privileged to recognize the historic efforts and legacies of two of my personal heroes in supporting a profession that each of us has been proud to call our own. Through the Social Work Reinvestment Act we have a unique opportunity to outline, develop, and implement strategies that truly help the people of America. Social workers have a direct and measurable impact upon millions of families; they deserve our gratitude and support.”

Dr. Height reminded the audience, “Social workers seldom seek recognition for their work because they are focused on meeting the needs of their clients and communities. Yet, we must stop asking them to do more with less. They simply need adequate support for work that they do. A national investment in the social work profession can improve the quality of the lives of millions of people.”

Mr. Shays said, “Social workers are dedicated to improving the quality of life for so many and it is important that we return the favor. I am grateful for the work they do and this legislation will provide independent advice on how to improve their profession.”

According to Dr. Elizabeth Clark, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, “State-based efforts to improve working conditions and educational supports for social workers will be greatly strengthened by the proposed national legislation. We’re thrilled that such distinguished Members of Congress want to ensure the future of our profession.”

For more information about H.R. 5447, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act, please visit www.socialworkreinvestment.org.

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[click the image below to order]

Special Features:

Complete A-Z coverage of the field of social work — international in scope — both in coverage and authorship 400 subject entries written by leading scholars in the filed 300 brief biographies of key figures in the history of social work Each article fully cross-referenced Easy-to-use Index

NEW! EXPANDED! Revised and Completely Updated

Co-published by the National Association of Social Workers and Oxford University Press

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and Oxford University Press are proud to announce the new 20th edition of The Encyclopedia of Social Work, which is scheduled to be published in Spring 2008. This new edition of the Encyclopedia includes coverage of areas that have come to the fore since the 1995 publication of the 19th edition including demographic changes from immigration, technology, the implications of managed care, faith-based assistance, evidence-based practice, gerontology, and trauma and disaster. Each thoughtful article is written and signed by a top academic or social work practitioner and includes a bibliography for further reading.

Partnering with Oxford University Press for the first time, the NASW Press endeavors to maintain the quality of the latest edition and at the same time to include new material to keep abreast of changes in the profession and society at large.

ISBN: 978-0-19-530661-3
2008
Item # O6613
4-Volume Set, 1,700 pages
$395 until 3/31/08; $495 there after

	Visit www.naswpress.org or Call 1-800-227-3590

Dear Colleague,

Over the years, NASW has asked you to speak out on behalf of many causes and issues. You have always risen to the occasion. Significant strides have been made in areas such as children’s health care, employment nondiscrimination, and fair pay legislation.  Your advocacy has resulted in the enhanced mental health, social and psychosocial functioning of clients across the country.

I am calling on you today, however, to ask each of you to take a small action, that when combined, can ensure the future of the profession.

On February 14, 2008 the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 5447) was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Congressman and fellow social worker Edolphus Towns (D-NY) along with original cosponsors Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Rep. Susan Davis (D-CA), Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH).

This groundbreaking legislation bears the names of two of the United States’ greatest social justice advocates and social workers and serves as an investment in the professionals that will care for the millions of aging baby boomers, wounded veterans, the ever-increasing numbers of people diagnosed with cancer, over six million youth with a serious mental illness, and the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS among others. Yet, insurmountable education debt, insufficient salaries, and serious safety concerns are threatening the profession.  The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (H.R. 5447)will explore the many successful efforts already undertaken by our nation’s social workers, while examining the persistent challenges to these efforts. 

Social work has always been at the forefront of ensuring that the most vulnerable in society have a safety net of protection. Our communities are in need, more than ever for vital services provided by over 600,000 social workers across the nation.  Passage of this legislation is crucial to ensure an adequate social work workforce.  The future of this profession depends on the steps that we take to reinvest in it today.  We cannot make this happen without the assistance of every one of our members across the country. 

Please help us ensure that the profession of social work will grow and thrive in the coming decades. I am asking you as a leader in the profession, to encourage your Representative to cosponsor H.R. 5447 today by clicking here http://capwiz.com/socialworkers/issues/bills/?bill=11013991.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Franklin at (202) 408-8600 ext. 537 or efranklin@naswdc.org.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
NASW Executive Director

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The School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign would like to express its deepest sympathies to victims’ families and to the entire Northern Illinois University community in the wake of Thursday’s tragic shootings on the DeKalb campus.

Steven Kazmierczak, who has been identified as the person responsible for the shootings, was a student in the master’s program in the U. of I. School of Social Work.

For the social work community, the situation has been especially difficult to comprehend, as the person responsible for this tragedy was one of our own.

As we provide support to our students, faculty/staff, and community, we remain mindful that such serious actions are not always predictable or understood. We intend to work together with everyone involved to bring to an end to personal pain and senseless violence.

Sincerely,

The UIUC School of Social Work
Faculty, Staff, Students, and Alumni

Washington, D.C. – February 14, 2008 – The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds the introduction today of H.R. 5447, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act by Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT). This is a significant initiative which, if enacted, will enable the nation’s 600,000 professional social workers to better serve families and communities in need.

At a time when demand for high-quality social services in our nation is at an all-time high, and at a time when professional social workers themselves are facing a range of daunting challenges, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act is deserving of the full support of all – social workers as well as the general public.

Named for two of the United States’ greatest champions of social justice, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act would establish a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide a comprehensive analysis of current trends within the professional and academic social work communities. Specifically, the Commission will develop long-term recommendations and strategies to maximize the ability of America’s social workers to serve their clients with expertise and care.

This legislation also creates competitive demonstration grants which will support efforts underway within both the private and public sectors, at our nation’s institutions of higher learning, and within community-based organizations already administering services to underserved client populations. This investment will be returned many times over both in support of ongoing efforts to establish effective social service solutions and in direct service to affected client communities.

The volume and nature of our human, social service and health care needs are changing. Whether it’s the more than one million veterans returning from the Iraq war, the more than 500,000 children in our foster care system, or the hundreds of thousands of families dealing with health, homelessness, or addiction issues, professional, experienced social workers are in greater demand than ever.

At the same time, social worker salaries are significantly lower than those in comparable professions, social workers are retiring and leaving the profession in great numbers, and schools of social work are finding it more difficult to recruit young, dedicated people into the profession. The programs and initiatives of the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act will go a long way to ensure our supply of professional social workers can keep up with rising demand.

About NASW

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C. (www.socialworkers.org), is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 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.

Social Workers Support First Annual National Healthcare Decisions Day

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in collaboration with other national, state and community organizations, supports the first annual National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16, 2008. National Healthcare Decisions Day is designated to encourage advance care planning for all adults.

In support of National Health Care Decisions Day, NASW Executive Director Elizabeth Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH will be participating in a continuing education webinar event entitled “National Healthcare Decisions Day 2008: The Law, the Talk and the Care.” This webinar will take place on March 19, 2008 at 2pm, and will also feature Ira Byock, M.D., director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Bill Colby, J.D., senior fellow with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, who represented the family of Nancy Cruzan in their family’s right-to-die case, the first such case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Social workers are advocates for advance health care planning, and are an excellent resource for persons who are unsure or unclear about the benefits of advance planning. Social workers can offer information regarding advance health care planning, including information about the process of creating an advance health care plan, choosing a health care agent, as well as helping to prepare and further explain the meaning of advance health care documents.

“Advance care needs may include financial, health, future or long-term residential plans,” says Dr. Clark. “Social workers can work with individuals considering advance health care options to explore the goals and values that will guide your decision making process. Letting your family know your wishes ahead of time is a gift you can give your family.”

NASW is proud to support the first annual National Health Care Decisions Day and is hopeful that this day will create a heightened sense of awareness among Americans to make advance health care decisions.

For more information on National Healthcare Decisions Day, please visit www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org.

About the National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 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.