Hot Topics in Social Work Advocates

NASW’s award-winning bimonthly e-magazine, Social Work Advocates, examines national headlines from a social work perspective. It brings everything — association news, social work trends, chapter happenings, social work education, member stories, and more — together in an easy-to-read format. Social workers rely on the e-magazine to keep them up-to-date and teach them about emerging issues. While some content is available to everyone, only NASW members have a subscription to the full magazine, and the complete archive of past issues.

Here is a peek at a few must-reads from previous issues:

Roe Provided Autonomy, Self-Determination: Privacy Rights May Prove Vital Since Court Overturned Abortion Law

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a “relevant social justice matter for social workers,” said NASW member Lee Westgate, former NASW manager of public policy. “Social work professional licensure has only existed in a post-Roe world. Additionally, the social work professional Code of Ethics is predicated upon the essential principles of individual autonomy and self-determination.” The social work profession has a mandate to help people with essential rights. Kristi S. Wood, MSW, APSW, a social work lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and chair of NASW’s National Committee on Women’s Issues, believes social workers should focus on the 13 states with trigger laws—automatic bans that were triggered once Roe was overturned—and pressure those legislatures.

Inflation and Social Work: Advocacy, Empowerment, Resources Can Help Struggling Clients

Inflation is raising the stakes for social workers and how they help their clients. Gwen Bouie-Haynes, PhD, LMSW, executive director of NASW’s Mississippi Chapter, said her staff has been working with community organizations and in underserved areas to address the rental assistance needs of tenants because of the COVID-19 pandemic, evictions and the increased cost of living. “This is an opportunity for social workers to seize the moment to impact change,” said Bouie-Haynes. “As a social work profession, we need to be louder now more than ever.”

There Is Help for Kids Impacted by COVID: Social Workers are Part of the Solution

The COVID-19 virus and its mutated versions, the shutdowns, online schooling, masks, loss of favorite activities, news of deaths, and more have resulted in ongoing challenges for many people and a nationwide mental health crisis for America’s youth. While some things are improving, many children are still struggling. Social workers are addressing the growing need to focus on children’s mental health related to the pandemic.