NASW has launched a new web education course for members titled An Advanced Course in Ethics and Malpractice Risk for Social Workers. The new NASW WebEd course is free to members and offers 3.0 continuing education credits to social workers who complete and pass the test. NASW developed this course to take social workers beyond a basic understanding of the NASW Code of Ethics. This advanced course will identify steps in making ethical decisions by incorporating the application of an ethical decision-making framework and by providing information and tools for managing risks.

The NASW Assurance Services, Inc. (ASI) has funded the development of this course created by the NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review in partnership with the NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and the Social Work Ethics and Law Institute, a program of the LDF. The course can be accessed at www.naswwebed.org.

Addressing the Health Concerns Affecting Rural and Underserved Communities (1.0 Free CE Credit)—June 16, 2010

Social workers practicing in rural and underserved communities often see the affect that rising levels of chronic disease have on individuals and families. Learn about and get involved in community-level initiatives to address the implications of poor health in these communities. Learn more about this webinar and register here.  NASW Specialty Practice Sections members only.

To learn about Sections membership, visit www.socialworkers.org/sections

Draft available for public review and comment. Family caregivers constitute the foundation of care for older adults but often provide such care at risk to their own health and well-being. Social workers across practice settings play a critical role in supporting family caregivers at the individual, family, group, community, and organizational levels.

To view the standards and submit comments, visit www.socialworkers.org/practice/aging/standards

Please consider the following questions as you review the standards:

1. How applicable are the standards to social workers across practice levels, professional roles, and practice settings?
2. How relevant are the standards to the experiences and needs of family caregivers of older adults?
3. Are the standards easy to understand? Are there any concepts that need to be clarified?

NASW Specialty Practice Sections held a webinar providing an overview of recent research studies of compulsive hoarding in older adults, discussing ethical and legal issues, and new developments in knowledge and skills for practice with older adults who hoard. Specialty Practice Section members can view the webinar in its entirety.

Presenter(s):

• Barbara A. Soniat, Ph.D, MSW

Moderator(s):

• Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW

Excerpts from the webinar

“Where do you draw the line, when is it more than clutter?  Hoarding is an obsession or excessive acquiring.  When you have an obsessive acquiring or excessive acquiring coupled with difficulty discarding materials, that results in inability to use the space for its intended purpose…”

“We have recently seen a lot of attention from the media, and as well as in clinical and research literature about hoarding.  The severity of hoarding behaviors range from mild to severe, at its most severe level, we’ve seen hoarding result in serious injury and in some instances death of people…”

Questions Raised:

1. What causes hoarding?
2. Is there a connection between hoarding and anxiety disorders or OCD?
3. Why does hoarding seem more prevalent in older adults?
4. What treatments have proven successful with persons that hoard?

Did You Know?
Hoarding only affects 1% of the population.