Tag Archives: social justice

The National Association of Social Workers has a strong position against discrimination of persons based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.  Criminalizing relationships based on one’s sexual orientation or gender identity violates fundamental human rights, limits one’s ability to fully engage in their community and society, and hinders effective public health responses to HIV and AIDS.     President Obama, in a ... Read More »

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) commends Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on the August 12, 2013 announcement of the Smart on Crime initiative.  Among other things, the initiative proposes to end mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders and prioritize more appropriate alternative sentencing, such as drug rehabilitation programs. The Smart on Crime ... Read More »

Today, NASW celebrates the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s special message to Congress regarding the state of mental health in the United States.  President Kennedy’s remarks brought the issue of stigma, and access to care, to the forefront of his domestic agenda.  As a result of this initiative, the Community Mental Health Centers Act was signed into law, ... Read More »

The elections are over, and it’s time to examine how these results will affect the judiciary branch of government: U.S. Supreme Court The lower courts (such as the Appeals Courts) Special Courts (such as U.S. Tax Courts) Court Support Organizations (such as the U.S. Sentencing Commission) Including the nine Supreme Court Justices, there are 874 judgeships in the judiciary branch—all ... Read More »

June is PRIDE Month.   On June 1, 2012, President Obama issued a Proclamation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, accompanied by a video message of support. The National Association of Social Workers is committed to advancing policies and practices that will improve the status and wellbeing of all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.      NASW has long held ... Read More »

The minimum wage is typically regarded as gender neutral, but there’s another aspect to this issue: workers whose tips are part of their overall compensation.  From that point of view, women are doing considerably worse than men. The federal minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers is $2.13, the same as in 1992.  Granted, restaurants are supposed to fill in the ... Read More »

Yesterday, GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney explained his reasons for seeking the Presidency and said that he is running for the middle class and that he is, “not concerned about the very poor.” His excuse was that, “we have a safety net there. If it needs a repair, I’ll fix it.” He even went further when pressed that his statement ... Read More »

In 2010, almost 400,000 immigrants were held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. “Many of these individuals are parents and primary caregivers of U.S. citizen children and have no criminal record,” writes NASW’s International Committee in a recent Human Rights Update issued by NASW.  “Social workers are often responsible for ensuring the welfare of the children who must live ... Read More »

The recent anniversary of our country’s independence reminds us that as Americans we have certain duties that we owe to our country.  Most particularly, citizens have a responsibility to be involved in the political process through voting and can participate in various other forms of activism, such as campaigning, contacting Members of Congress, and joining political organizations. Social workers have ... Read More »

Background On December 10 the world will celebrate Human Rights Day.  Every year, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948. This year the day recognizes the work of human rights defenders worldwide who act to end discrimination. The Role of Social Workers Social work ... Read More »