For Immediate Release August 27, 2004

Contact NASW Communications 202-336-8228 lcurry@naswdc.org

The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) Honors Grace Lebow, LCSW-C, ACSW with the 2004 Knee/Wittman Lifetime Achievement Award

WASHINGTON The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) is pleased to announce that Grace Lebow, LCSW-C, ACSW has been awarded the Knee/Wittman Lifetime Achievement Award for her dedication and commitment to providing mental health services to older adults and their families throughout her career.

The Knee/Wittman Awards are given to recognize individuals who are models of excellence and have made significant contributions in the field of health and mental health. The Knee/Wittman Award Program was established to recognize those who represent the values, ethics and approaches exemplified by two dedicated social work pioneers, Ruth Knee and Milton Wittman .  The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a professional social worker who has made exemplary contributions in health and mental health practice.

Ms. Lebow was instrumental in developing the NASW Clinical Registera tool for identifying clinical social workers with specific practice specialities. This tool was a model for a tool Ms. Lebow implemented to specifically identify care managers and geriatric social workers for the Aging Services Network.

The Aging Services Network is a private agency Ms. Lebow and partner Barbara Kane started to provide both care management and counseling services for older people and their families separated by geography. Today, the network has more than 250 participants nationwide.

Over the many years of Ms. Lebow's career, she has focused on providing resources and tools to consumers looking for answers. She has been a pioneer in care management with older people and providing mental health services to the aging.

It is with great honor that the NASW Foundation present Ms. Lebow with this award.

For more information about the award, or to interview Ms. Lebow, please contact the NASW Communications Department at 202-336-8228 or media@naswdc.org

The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF), in Washington , DC , focuses on enhancing the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.