Recent Mentions of NASW in the News
WCMH
“This shift essentially raises the financial barrier to graduate education in fields that are critical to healthcare and social services,” said Mel Wilson, senior policy adviser for the National Association of Social Workers. “It risks creating a two-tier system where medicine and law remain accessible through federal support, while nursing and social work become financially prohibitive for many.”
The 74
Dina Kastner, public policy and advocacy manager for the National Association of Social Workers, said federal loan limits “will really have an impact” on social work students. “For people who are going to graduate school — particularly in a profession like social work, where a graduate degree is needed for a lot of the work that social workers do — it’s definitely a problem,” she said in an interview.
IndyStar
The Indiana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers released a statement that said it has "grave concerns" with the university's handling of the situation. The organization said societal issues like systemic racism and injustice are inconvenient but critical conversations in the social work field.
Chalkbeat Chicago
Kyle Hillman of the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, another group that signed the letter to board members, said school-based social workers develop trusting relationships with students and work closely with educators. They can also bill Medicaid for services, which Hillman said is a better use of these taxpayer resources.
Pacific Daily News
Malia Salisbury, policy committee chair of the Guam chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said with the high cost of living on the island, “one-third of our island’s population relying on food assistance, and no projected end of the government shutdown, it is imperative that our leaders continue to support initiatives that will provide security for our most needy.”
USA Today
“There is an inherent desire to maintain tradition, but we must refocus our moral compass,” says Kyle Hillman, the legislative affairs director for the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. His organization supports Sen. Glowiak Hilton’s bill but would like to see a faster timeline for implementation.
WVXU
Funding awards include $23,425 to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Foundation: The Ohio chapter of the NASW will use this funding to offer the CEU-accredited Navigating New Laws training to additional Cincinnati based mental health providers. This training equips providers understand state laws so that they can safely serve transgender youth and is led by a transgender social worker. Access to affirming and confidential mental health care is identified as a leading need among transgender youth.
WAVE
“AI is not a licensed professional and does not protect the public,” said Brenda Rosen from the National Association of Social Workers. “Unlike a licensed mental health professional, AI chatbots cannot recognize nonverbal cues, cannot escalate when a client is in crisis, and cannot be held accountable for harm. And yet, these tools are being promoted and used in mental health settings across the country.”
WCTV
“We just want to be here to help. And this compact will allow us to do that,” said Christina Cazanave-McCarthy, Florida Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Executive Director.
Fortune
Regulators and advocates of the laws say they are open to changes. But today’s chatbots are not a solution to the mental health provider shortage, said Kyle Hillman, who lobbied for the bills in Illinois and Nevada through his affiliation with the National Association of Social Workers.