News Source: Google News

Congressional candidates square off
KeepMEcurrent.com - Scarborough, ME
Brennan, a licensed clinical social worker and a lifelong educator, said his priorities if elected include immediately ending our country’s military …

UA handles complexities for patients
Arizona Daily Star - Tucson, AZ
… an innovative program at the University of Arizona, where doctors, attorneys and social workers all join forces to give hope to low-income patients. …

Polygamist sect work takes toll on social workers
Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX
After 10 years in social work, Secrest usually leaves her work at the office. But this case “has touched me a lot more than I ever expected,” said Secrest, …

Aging gracefully
MetroWest Daily News - Framingham, MA
Frances D. Kerchner, MSW, LICSW, of Kerchner Associates says, “long-term care has historically consisted of two options for older adults: move in with a …

Weill Cornell Receives Funding to Study Creation of New Elder …
Cornell Chronicle - Ithaca, NY
This grant will provide the resources to take our work to another level,” says Risa Breckman, LCSW, director of social work education and programs in the …

Stressed “Sandwich Generation” Mothers Must Care for Themselves
HealthNewsDigest.com - New York, NY
In a survey of “Sandwich Generation” mothers conducted by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), …

Methamphetamine use exacerbates problems of child abuse, neglect
Reno Gazette Journal - Reno, NV
Social workers said the effects of meth are behind most of the county’s substantiated reports of physical and sexual abuse of children and child neglect. …

Most Valuable Personnel
Washington Post - United States
When I read that social workers were working nights and weekends to do this, I recalled a recent letter to the editor that had bothered me, and when I dug …

Overview of Survey Participants

The 2004 benchmark national study of licensed social workers provided a wealth of information about social workers’ roles and work environments. The study also raised new questions about the social work workforce that required further exploration. Although the 2004 findings pointed to a looming shortage of licensed social workers, there was still much to learn about why this was the case. In what ways did career decision points, educational debt, workplace stressors, and other factors influence the recruitment and retention of this professional workforce? The NASW Membership Workforce Study was an effort to respond to such remaining questions and to gain more insight into the social work workforce.

News Source: Google News

Case managers, social workers shine in patients’ hospital care [4 …
NewsOK.com (subscription) - Oklahoma City, OK
Yet, the star performers for older patients often involve personnel rarely heard of but vitally important: case managers and social workers. …

Lost Boy earns degree in social work from Western Michigan U
Chicago Tribune - United States
Chol, 25, is getting a master’s degree in social work from Western Michigan University. He may be the first of his peers in West Michigan to earn that honor …

Toronto’s panhandling plan: $5 million for social workers
Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
A plan to curb panhandling by spending almost $5 million a year to hire more social workers was unanimously endorsed by the city’s executive committee …

Miracles do happen
Shelby Star - Shelby, NC
Patti Ellis McMurry, LCSW, MA, is Vice President of Access for Hospice Cleveland County. Contact her at 951 Wendover Heights Drive, Shelby, …

Loise Sullivan; Social Worker, Political Activist
Washington Post - United States
Loise Angela Mary Zanzucchi Sullivan, 76, a clinical social worker who was executive director of the Rosemount Center in Washington, died of complications …

Social worker turns loss into positive plan
Lock Haven Express - Lock Haven, PA
By JIM RUNKLE — That’s when the Williamsburg, Va., woman learned she’d never see her brother again. He had been shot down in cold …

The 2nd IFSW
“Social Work: Making a World of Difference”
Photo Competition

Be a part of this competition by entering a photo that captures the theme of Social Work: Making a World of Difference.

A panel of Social Workers will shortlist 25 photos which will be exhibited at the International IFSW Conference in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, August 16-19, 2008. There an International Panel will judge the final placings.

To enter send your photo with title and small description (no more than 15 words) to Veronica Marsman, 74 Forestglen Drive, Timberlea, Nova Scotia, Canada by the 30 June, 2008.

The photo is not to exceed 6inches X 4inches (150mmX100mm). You may submit more than one photograph to the competition, providing it is of a different subject to your previous submissions. Multiple shots of the same subject will not be accepted. Please note that IFSW reserves the right to maintain copyright of the winning picture. The author may use the picture with permission from IFSW.

Please note emailed photographs will not be accepted. Photo Competition rules and conditions of entry are attached.

First prize package is a minimum of 500 US Dollars, second prize a minimum of 250 US Dollars and third prize minimum of 100 US Dollars.

We look forward to your entry of Social Work: Making a World of Difference

Veronica Marsman for IFSW Promotion of the Profession Committee
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
Postfach 6875
Schwarztorstrasse 22
CH-3001 Berne
SWITZERLAND
Tel (41) 31 382 6015
Fax (41) 31 382 1125
E-mail: global@ifsw.org
Web: http://www.ifsw.org

The IFSW web site reference is: http://www.ifsw.org/en/p38001294.html

IFSW Photo Competition rules (more…)

News Source: Google News

Social worker thrives on empowering others
South Bend Tribune - South Bend, IN
Smith recently talked with Tribune correspondent Jennifer Ochstein about how she became interested in social work. I am committed to two home visits per …

Social worker Truong Hong Tam plays with several of her adopted …
Thanh Nien Daily - Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam
A social worker works hard to provide her HIV-infected adopted children with a family she never had while growing up. “Life once taught me anger, …

9/11 Counselors at Risk for Secondary Trauma
U.S. News & World Report - Washington, DC
FRIDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) — Social workers run the risk of suffering severe psychological stress from hearing too many stories of trauma, according to …

IDB awards female social workers
GulfNews - Dubai,United Arab Emirates
By Mariam Al Hakeem, Correspondent Riyadh: The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has awarded this year’s IDB Prize of $50000 to Runa Khan of Bangladesh and …

Students stand up for an endangered social work major
CSB/SJU The Record - St. Joseph, MN
By John Buethe Sophomore social work major Kelly Broughton was one of a handful of students protesting at the opening brunch and address of Scholarship and …

Practice Update

This practice update discusses the new Medical Team Conferences CPT Codes and the Behavior Change Intervention CPT Codes that became effective January 1, 2008.  There are a total of six new codes available for use by clinical social workers when filing a claim form for psychotherapy services rendered. The codes are copyrighted by the American Medical Association and are not available for Web posting by NASW.  Members may obtain a copy by sending an e-mail request to mcoleman@naswdc.org

News Source: Google News

Opposites attract
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Pittsburgh, PA
She is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist with Squirrel Hill Psychological Services, a division of Jewish Family & Children’s Service. …

MSU student wins essay competition on preventing genocide
News-Leader.com - Springfield, MO
Schmidt, a senior social work major from Camdenton, Mo., submitted an editorial piece, “Waiting on the World to Change.” Contestants were required to …

20th Edition of the Encyclopedia of Social Work Published
FOXBusiness - USA
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and Oxford University Press are proud to announce the 20th Edition of the Encyclopedia of Social Work. …

Social work conference to focus on men
Tuscaloosa News (subscription) - Tuscaloosa, AL
TUSCALOOSA | “Caring, Sharing and Preparing to Serve: The First Conference on Social Work With and For Men,” will be Monday and Tuesday at the Bryant …

New book looks at nearly 100 years of social work at the …
News from Washington University in St. Louis - Saint Louis, MO
By Jessica Martin April 24, 2008 — To celebrate nearly 100 years of existence and a new era in social work education, the George Warren Brown School of …

Initiative to promote ’sound young minds’
Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
Sixty-four per cent of elementary schools have a regular psychologist, but only for 14.4 hours per month; 70 per cent have a regular social worker,

Social workers group honors Tucson’s Ryan
Tucson Citizen - Tucson, AZ
Ryan helps physicians and social workers work with patients on issues such as disability, hunger and poor housing. The advocacy program is funded in part by …

Clinical Social Work Practice Update

Mirean Coleman, LICSW, CT
Senior Policy Associate
April 2008

Since 2007, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has been developing quality measures to improve the quality of services performed by Medicare providers. Three quality measures were developed and approved for use by clinical social workers in 2008; and four additional quality measures have been proposed for use by clinical social workers beginning January 1, 2009. Quality Insights of Pennsylvania, a Medicare contractor, has developed the measures in consultation with NASW and an expert work group of clinical social workers in private practice. The proposed four measures for 2009 are:

• Complicated Grief Assessment in a Co-Existing Disorder
• Initial Assessment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Assessment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in a Co-Existing Disorder
• Assessment of Suicide Risk in a Co-Existing Disorder

NASW is seeking clinical social workers who are Medicare providers in solo or group practice and agencies who are Medicare providers and hire clinical social workers to participate in Beta Testing of the four measures to ensure usability for clinical social workers.

In order to participate, clinical social workers or agencies must have a minimum practice of 30 Medicare patients. Beta Testing will occur over a three week period and participants will be trained to use the measures in their practice.

Clinical social workers and agencies who would like to participate in Beta Testing should send the following information no later than April 15, 2008 to mcoleman@naswdc.org:

• Provider’s name
• Name of practice or agency
• address of practice
• telephone number
• e-mail address

This is a great opportunity for clinical social workers and agencies to participate in development of quality measures used in the Medicare bonus incentive program and to receive training on how to use quality measures when seeking Medicare reimbursement. Questions about participation in Beta Testing may be sent to mcoleman@naswdc.org.

This is part one of the video of the Capitol Hill Briefing held on March 31, 2008 about H.R. 5447 (S. 2858)

Click here for part two.

Click here for transcripts and more information on the Social Work Reinvestment Act.

News Source: Google News

Thrisis, the thirtysomething meltdown, when …
Chattanooga Times Free Press - Chattanooga, TN
Larry Wentworth, a licensed clinical social worker who has his own psychotherapy practice in Chattanooga, said a thrisis is very different than a mid-life …

Respect the social workers
TheReporter.com - Vacaville, CA
I am someone who chose this career of working with “the least among these,” as the Bible describes the poor and afflicted, and the literal “least” among us, …

LETTER: Giving thanks for social workers year round, not just in April
Spring Grove Herald - MN
Although Houston County is a small community, it has many hard-working social workers that deserve recognition for their efforts. Social workers touch the …

Bipolar disorder in children: A new look
ElmLeaves - Elmwood Park, IL
Sue Nadel, a licensed clinical social worker at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, urged parents to tell the school about their child’s illness and …

Social Worker: Girls Often Intimidate Each Other Differently Than Boys
WISC - Madison, WI
Judith Utevsky, who’s a licensed clinical social worker for Group Health Cooperative, said that relational aggression takes many forms. …

Homeless Sleep Out Attracts Social Work Students to a Good Cause
Bottom Line - Frostburg, MD
The Social Work Alliance, and more recently the brothers of Alpha Phi Omega, have been hosting the Homeless Sleep Out for four years, and Jessica Hartell, …