By NASW Director Public Policy Sarah Christa Butts, LMSW Given the social work professions’ values and primary mission to enhance human wellbeing and help meet basic human needs, especially of people who are vulnerable and living in poverty, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) strongly opposes rule changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would eliminate benefits for ... Read More »
NASW is joining with partners to promote the June 30 national protest rally and mobilization against the Trump Administration’s “Zero Tolerance” Family Separation Policy. The Zero Tolerance Family Separation Policy has caused the separation of families entering the United States. With his Executive Order last week President Trump stopped the policy of separating families as they enter the United States. There are, however, ... Read More »
By Alison Laurio, News contributor When Maura Nsonwu was a teenager and her mother, Mary Anne Busch, was working on her master’s degree in social work, her mother called the children into the room to try out a family therapy technique: family sculpture. It calls for the client and all family members to be physically placed in a way that ... Read More »
November 25, 2015 NASW continues its support for National Family Caregivers Month this November. This year’s theme, Respite: Care for Caregivers, emphasizes that respite is essential to family caregiver well-being. Social workers play an integral role in helping family caregivers to access respite services. Use the materials listed below to enhance your outreach efforts and to highlight ... Read More »
Recent decades have brought significant changes in family form and function, as well as new service delivery models that promote health and well-being for people with various disabilities within their homes and communities. Nevertheless, providing care to family members continues to be part of family life. Caregiving and care sharing take place across the life course and involve various configurations. ... Read More »
Discrimination is not just harming the emotional well-being of Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Discrimination also hurts their pocketbooks and makes it more likely they will live in poverty, according to a new report done in partnership with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Paying and Unfair Price: The Financial Penalty of Being LGBT in ... Read More »
Policymakers often express concern about family stability in their communities, and promote marriage and homeownership as two of the leading means for increasing and maintaining family stability. But how do marriage and homeownership affect one another? Does homeownership increase or decrease the likelihood of a person getting married? Does it increase or decrease the likelihood of a couple getting divorced? ... Read More »
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds the decision of the Department of Defense to extend certain benefits to same-sex couples. These benefits will include hospital visitation rights, life insurance survivor benefits, and the issue of a military dependent ID card. The military ID card allows unescorted access on base, allows use of military family resources (such as the ... Read More »
Social Workers Believe Law Can Improve the Lives of Uninsured Populations 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 ... Read More »
On April 26, 2012 the U.S. Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) including the provision of expanded protections for Native Americans, immigrants (including undocumented), and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. However, it soon became clear that the Republican lead House of Representatives would not vote for the Senate version of the Act so long as ... Read More »
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