Tips and Tools for Social Workers

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) encourages everyone to recognize the vital role social workers play in supporting those affected by PTSD.

Activities in observance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day are occurring throughout the month of June. Each of us can do at least one thing to enhance awareness—whether in ourselves, our colleagues, our clients, or others in our lives—of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Find ideas and free resources to achieve this goal, even in five minutes or less, in this edition of Tips and Tools for Social Workers.

Medicaid is an insurance plan that provided access to care to 78 million people to include those with limited income, children and families, pregnant women, people with disabilities and people in long term care facilities. Medicaid has not only provided access to medical care, but it has also played a significant role in access to substance use treatment. In March 2025, Congress recommended reducing the budget to $880 billion over the next 10 years which would impact the role Medicaid plays in providing critical services to individuals with mental health and substance use conditions. This behavioral health practice tool highlights the importance of Medicaid assistance for those who are dealing with substance use disorders and why cutting Medicaid would further harm the communities in which we serve as social workers.

Adverse Childhood Experiences are negative or traumatic events that may have harmful consequences to a child or adult’s health and mental wellbeing across the lifespan. ACES are linked to poor health, suicides, overdoses, and mental health challenges.

In 1963 President John F. Kennedy established the annual observance of Older Americans Month, which is celebrated each May. As of this writing, many federal policies, programs, and structures that support health and well-being as we age are at risk of elimination or drastic alteration by the Trump Administration and the Republican-dominated Congress. This publication provides outlines the history of and current threats to some of these policies, programs, and structures. It concludes with advocacy in which we can engage, as social workers, to preserve publicly funded and administered programs that help all of as we age.

Happy National Women’s Health Week! Social workers can participate by making sure clients know about alcohol’s unique health risks for women, including breast cancer and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Learn more about these risks and how to talk about alcohol use with clients in this new NASW Social Work Blog post.