NASW News

NASW and the NASW Credentialing Center have teamed up with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) to offer a new credential program designed for social workers who specialize in hospice and palliative care. The series launches this month in honor of National Hospice Month, said Stephanie Chambers, manager of the NASW Credentialing and Continuing Education Center. "This credential was designed by social work leaders in hospice and palliative care for social workers who meet certain national standards of excellence," she said. Katherine Walsh, professor at Springfield College School of Social Work, was among the selecte...

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NASW has partnered with WGBH Boston to present a national outreach campaign for the documentary Caring for Your Parents. The 90-minute documentary explores the realities of caring for elderly parents. The documentary will air on PBS on April 2 at 9 p.m. Eastern. A number of NASW chapters, including the Illinois, New Jersey, Louisiana and Nevada chapters, are hosting special premiere events for the film. Following the broadcast of the film, a 30-minute "Conversation About Caring" will air. The panel discussion will offer advice and guidance about how to start conversations about care with aging parents. "This is clearly a subject that many ...

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NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark was among a group of leaders representing organizations supporting women's rights to announce a unified endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. A press conference was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in September in which Clark was joined by leaders of the National Organization for Women (NOW); the Feminist Majority; Business and Professional Women; and the National Congress of Black Women to highlight the urgency of supporting Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden. Clark, representing NASW's Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE), said Sen. O...

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A new report from the NASW Center for Workforce Studies shows that many social workers are burdened with unmanageable educational debt. The report, "In the Red: Social Workers and Educational Debt," is based on data from a recent NASW membership survey. "During the past few years, media attention has increasingly focused on the growing burden facing college graduates as a result of debt accumulated from student loans and other educational costs," the report states. "While the amount of educational debt is not confined to a particular segment of the student population, the implications are vastly different for those wh...

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NASW leaders, members and staff in August attended the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) General Meeting and World Conference in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. NASW President James J. Kelly and past presidents Elvira Craig de Silva and Gary Bailey were among the attendees. IFSW prides itself as being the voice of professional social work around the world, with membership representing more than 80 countries and more than 700,000 social workers. IFSW strives for social justice, human rights and social development through a collaboration among social works and their professional organizations. Craig de Silva said this was her secon...

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— Lyn Stoesen, NASW News Staff A Spanish-language version of NASW's Code of Ethics is now available on the association's website and in print.   "We have had many requests for a Spanish version of the Code of Ethics and are very pleased to now offer this new version to social workers,"said Dawn Hobdy, manager of NASW's Office of Ethics and Professional Review. "NASW has many Spanish-speaking members, and many social workers' clients are also Spanish-speaking." The new version of the Code of Ethics was developed by DGTranslations, a company that provides professional English-Spanish translations. ...

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NASW's Social Work Career Center Website has been redesigned and expanded to better assist those looking for information about the profession and ways to improve their vocations. People who visit the site careers.socialworkers.org will find a central location for everything related to social work as a career, whether they are students thinking of entering the field or well-established professionals interested in finding a better job, said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. "The new site is the place to go for social workers looking for resources to develop their careers," she said. "Whatever your next step may be, the Social Work Ca...

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Sep. 2008 Board's Action Context Finances Received the financial report as presented by the Treasurer The Treasurer reported on the pre-audited figures for the periods ending June 30, 2008 and Aug. 31, 2008. As of Aug. 31, total assets were $15.7 million and liabilities and net assets totaled $15.8 million. Program ...

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— Lyn Stoesen, News Staff   In March, NASW will be offering an Annual Practice Conference, "The Aging Boom: Is Your Clinical Practice Ready?" The conference will offer social work-specific educational content and unique networking opportunities through workshops, general and breakout sessions, and keynote addresses. The conference will take place in Las Vegas from March 15-16. It is being held in conjunction with the American Society on Aging/ National Council on Aging 2009 Aging in America Conference. "NASW is pleased to offer this practice conference," said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. "Social workers who atten...

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NASW and the NASW Foundation hosted a gathering of social workers interested in the international arena in September to further the association's global initiative called Social Workers Across Nations (SWAN). The effort aims to pool together the skills of the profession so they can be utilized not only in times of crisis but also in general relief and humanitarian work, said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark. The initiative is an important collaboration considering there are many dedicated social workers involved in international projects, she said. "To be successful, we need to think broadly and consider the multiple options, chal...

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