The NASW Foundation recognizes Dr. Roberta Rubin Greene
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The National Association of Social Workers Foundation (NASWF) has announced the recipient of its 2015 Knee/Wittman Outstanding Achievement Award is Dr. Roberta Rubin Greene, professor emerita at the University of Texas-Austin. She is being recognized for her contributions to health and mental health practices, particularly for older adults.
"Dr. Greene has devoted her life to promoting principles of social and economic justice," NASWF Director Robert Carter Arnold. "For more than 30 years, she has educated students and practitioners about key health issues in gerontology and has been instrumental in advancing nursing homes reforms. We applaud her work."
The NASWF Knee/Wittman award was established through a bequest of 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, including direct or clinical social work; social work education; social work research and administration related to health or mental health problems, issues or programs.
"I am honored to receive this award from an organization I care a great deal about: the National Association of Social Workers. I have worked alongside social work pioneers, like Ruth Knee, on several initiatives related to aging and nursing home reform and am proud of each one. Thank you for this recognition," said Dr. Greene.
Dr. Greene is emerita faculty at the University of Texas-Austin, previously holding the Louis and Ann Wolens Centennial Chair in Gerontology and Social Welfare and directing the Life Care Institute. She was dean of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Social Work and associate dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Georgia.
During her tenure as the staff director of NASW’s Commission on Families, she was instrumental in the passage of the Nursing Home Reform provisions of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, which increased services for residents, including social worker services. There are more than 600,000 social workers in the United States and it is one of the fastest-growing professions in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Social workers are skilled professionals who have gone through extensive training to receive a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate in social work. Social workers are licensed by the state after receiving their degree. They help improve the quality of life for families, veterans, the elderly, minorities and people living with mental illnesses. There are more than 600,000 social workers in the United States and it is one of the fastest-growing professions in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For more information about the NASW Foundation, please visit naswfoundation.org or e-mail naswfoundation@naswdc.org.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 130,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.
The NASW Foundation (NASWF) is a charitable organization created to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through the advancement of social work practice.