By Melvin H. Wilson, MBA, LCSW NASW Senior Policy Consultant Social Justice and Human Rights And Samantha Fletcher, PhD, MSW Executive Director, NASW New York State Chapter Police in Rochester, NY on Jan. 30 used pepper spray and handcuffs to subdue a nine-year-old girl. The incident leading up to this police encounter is reported to have been related to ... Read More »
By Melvin H. Wilson, MBA, LCSW Senior Policy Consultant Social Justice and Human Rights The incoming Biden-Harris Administration’s firm commitment to immigration reform and making it one of the first issues they addressed on their first day in office is a welcome turn of events. By all accounts, the administration has come up with an ambitious immigration legislation plan. In addition, ... Read More »
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Massachusetts Chapter wrote a letter in the Boston Globe in support of the Massachusetts Bail Fund. Here is a copy of the letter: The cash bail system must be abolished as a discriminatory practice that disproportionately harms our Black, Latinx, and low-income neighbors. Until that goal can be realized, the Massachusetts Bail Fund ... Read More »
By Rena Malai, News staff NASW member Sammy Rangel has cumulatively spent about 16 years in prison throughout his life, mainly for charges related to theft and violence. Rangel, who originally is from Chicago, said he started getting into trouble with the law at age 11. He repeatedly ran away from home, and joined a gang — eventually becoming its ... Read More »
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) chapters and officials are reacting to the death of Freddie Gray while in custody of Baltimore City police, the resulting civil unrest, and the charges filed against six police officers in connection with Gray’s death. Here are NASW responses: We are horrified and deeply saddened by the circumstances which led to his death. We ... Read More »
President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have begun to make good on their promise to reform criminal justice sentencing reform and encourage sensible drug policies. A first step toward sentencing reform began with Holder’s March 13, 2014 announcement of a new policy intended to shorten sentences for certain federal drug offenders. Just weeks later on April 20 Holder announced ... Read More »
New research shows that the 1996 federal welfare reform, while bringing some improvements to the nation’s poor, has made extremely poor people in America worse off, according to an article on phys.org. NASW member Marci Ybarra, assistant professor at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, analyzed these changes and their potential outcomes in a study ... Read More »
Social workers should be aware of an important component of the Affordable Care Act, which can provide immediate coverage for Individuals with pre-existing health care conditions. The Federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) is a transitional program that will be in effect until 2014, when the new Health Insurance Exchanges become operational. The PCIP offers comprehensive benefits including physician’s services, ... Read More »
NASW Remains Active on Health Care Reform Congress is working now to reconcile differences on health care reform legislation. Negotiating room is limited by the very close 60 vote margin in the Senate for initial passage. Democratic leaders must find compromises on divisive issues such as abortion coverage, taxes and fees to pay for expanded coverage, inclusion of a government-run ... Read More »
The Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing entitled, “Prohibiting Price Fixing and Other Anticompetitive Conduct in the Health Insurance Industry” scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, 2009. The hearing concerns identical new bills (S. 1681 and H.R. 3596) that NASW is watching. The legislation would eliminate a long-standing federal law that excludes the insurance industry from federal anti-trust regulation. Under ... Read More »
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