The size and cost of America's prison system has skyrocketed in the past 30 years. Yet, according to reports by the Pew Center on the States, recidivism rates remain high. After decades of building more jails and prisons, the U.S. Department of Justice along with lawmakers are putting new faith behind programs that help prisoners successfully reenter society. NASW was a supporter of the Second Chance Act that was passed into law in 2008. While the measure was approved, putting money behind the first-of-its-kind legislation was the next hurdle. NASW joined more than 250 organizations nationwide in sending letters to lawmakers this year to en...

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Things are about to change for the only state in the nation that does not offer master's level training in social work education. Thanks to a grassroots effort started by the NASW South Dakota Chapter, state lawmakers in March approved funding for the creation of an MSW social work curriculum at the University of South Dakota. The program could start as early as fall 2010. South Dakota has been the only state in the nation not to offer an MSW either by a private or a public university, said NASW South Dakota Chapter Executive Director Joan McMillin. "I can't tell you how many people have come up to me and said they would stay here if they c...

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  Gretchen Brown, chair of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), and J. Donald Schumacher, president and CEO of NHPCO, meet Britain's Queen Elizabeth II at a reception in the U.K. honoring the 25th anniversary of Help the Hospices, a leading charity.

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff The Act was reintroduced Dorothy Height's 97th birthday. The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (SWRA) was reintroduced in the Senate on March 24 by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). This date is significant because it was Dr. Dorothy Height's 97th birthday. S. 686 is the companion bill to H.R. 795, which was introduced in the 111th Congress on Feb. 3 by Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.). Mikulski and Towns are both social workers. NASW worked to have the act reintroduced in both chambers in time for Height's birthday. "We are pleased that the Dorothy I. Height and Whit...

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Evolving Opportunities After reading "Study Eyes Career Choices" [February News], I reflected back on my decision while in college to change my career path to social work. Back in 1953 my life and the social work field were very different. I was single, attended college in New York City and only knew, when speaking with a friend who introduced me to social work, that "helping people help themselves" sounded like the path I wanted to pursue. Graduate school in New York introduced me to field placements that were very meaningful for me. Once I married and we traveled to where his education and positions took us around the country, my social wo...

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Alfred Kahn taught at Columbia University for 57 years. NASW Pioneer® Alfred J. Kahn died on Feb. 13, 2009, in Hackensack, N.J. He was 90. Kahn, who served two terms on the NASW Board of Directors, taught at the Columbia University School of Social Work for 57 years. He was known as a one-man watchdog who monitored the social services offered by the city and state of New York, according to a New York Times obituary. He was a longtime consultant to the Citizens' Committee for Children, for which he wrote dozens of reports on matters such as truancy, children's courts and child-guidance programs, the article stated. Kahn's efforts wer...

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Eleanor Belser, a former member of the NASW national Board of Directors, passed away at her home in Mar Vista, Calif., in March. She was 89. Belser joined NASW in 1966 as an MSW student and remained a member until her death. She was active at the state and national levels. When she was semi-retired, Belser was elected to the NASW National Board of Directors. She served on the board from 1987-1990. Additionally, Belser served on the Boards of Directors of the Center for Social Policy and Practice, the Social Workers Research & Education Fund, and the NASW California Chapter's Social Work Image Council. She was an active supporter of NASW...

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Keynote speaker Sandra Lopez discussed practical approaches for clinical social workers to meet the growing needs of diverse seniors.NASW's first practice conference, "The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?" held March 15-16, 2009, in Las Vegas was a success, with more than 400 social workers from across the country attending.NASW President James Kelly said the event, which focused on helping social work private practitioners better serve the expanding aging population, was well received among presenters and attendees. "People were satisfied that our topics were so current," Kelly said. Attendees had the oppo...

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— Heidi Sfiligoj, News Staff   The Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Social Worker (ACHP-SW), a credential designed for social workers who specialize in hospice and palliative care is growing popular among professionals and employers. NASW and its Credentialing Center partnered with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) to offer the credential program, which launched in November. "NASW was pleased to partner with NHPCO to develop this important credential," said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. "Hospice care has always included social workers, and the profession needed a credential to i...

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Pamela Duhl was quoted in the Chicago Tribune in a story about best ways to deal with anxiety in the face of possibly losing one's job. The article broke down the different emotions that can arise in a person during the threat of a lost job. It noted that being anxious doesn't solve anything. Duhl, a licensed clinical social worker, said it's important to acknowledge fears, but to also move on to healthier activities such as exercise, meditation and socializing. Putting anxiety in its place is important, Duhl said in the article. "For people who don't have anxiety disorders, it's not that they don't worry, it's that they don't get stuck in i...

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