By Mel Wilson, NASW Senior Policy Advisor The Nebraska legislature recently restored the voting rights of 7,000 people with felony convictions who have already completed their full sentences. However, two days before the law (Legislative Bill 20) was set to go into effect, the state’s Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued a formal opinion asserting that the legislature violated Nebraska’s Constitution, claiming the law infringed on the executive branch’s exclusive authority to restore civil rights for Nebraskans. But experts say the Attorney General’s opinion does not carry the force ..read more

Article by Kim M. Simpson, Connect to End COVID-19 Communications Lead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social workers, like most helping professionals, ramped up quickly under intense circumstances to help individuals and families to make informed decisions about COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. As part of a national response to the pandemic, Connect to End COVID-19 is a $3.3 million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded initiative to help social workers and their clients to make informed decisions about life-saving vaccines. Since July of 2021, NASW and the NASW Foundation h ..read more

NASW Press offers continuing education credits on a wide array of books via the NASW Social Work Online CE Institute. Titles range from burnout, self-care, and meditation to ethical standards in social work, digital practice, economic well-being, social entrepreneurship, and mentoring women for leadership, to name a few. See examples of CEU titles below and visit the NASW Press website to learn more. ___________________________________________ Prior to 2020, the field of social work was limited in its adoption of digital practice. However, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional ..read more

Message from the the NASW Texas Chapter regarding Hurricane Beryl: As we assess the damage done by Hurricane Beryl, we know that many are without power and are evaluating their needs. We want to make sure we get the right resources to those in need. If you’re in the area impacted by the storm and have specific ways that we can help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: naswtex.naswtx@socialworkers.org. In the meantime, the Texas Standard offers resources for safety and support, and ABC 13 in Houston provides additional ways to donate and seek help. The NASW Texas Chapter is here to keep socia ..read more

  By Rachel Boyer, MSW, LMSW Ahead of the 2024 NASW National Conference, more than 200 social workers from 36 states and one U.S. Territory attended 172 meetings with Congressional offices in both the U.S. House and Senate on June 18, 2024. The purpose of these meetings was to build bipartisan support for key legislation that will expand access to care and assist the social work workforce. “NASW members offer a critical and unique perspective of their community to their representatives in Congress,” says NASW’s Public Policy and Advocacy Manager Dina Kastner, MSS, MLSP.  “NASW’s Advo ..read more

PRESS RELEASE: WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association for Rural Mental Health, and National Association of Social Workers on June 28 released the following statement responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Johnson v. Grants Pass: Today the Supreme Court held that laws that criminalize sleeping in public when no safe and accessible shelter options are available are not cruel and unusual punishment. As we described in our amicus brief in this case, which Justice Sotomayor ..read more

Do you have eight minutes to help your fellow social workers? We want to know your thoughts on discussing COVID-19 vaccines with clients, and your experience with NASW’s Connect to End COVID-19 initiative. Eight minutes is all it takes to help us better train and educate social workers to have informed conversations with clients about COVID-19 vaccination. Your responses will be completely anonymous. Connect to End COVID-19 is a national NASW initiative funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote COVID-19 vaccine confidence, access, and uptake, especially amo ..read more

By Nicole Roder, LCSW-C Did you know that clients with borderline personality disorder are over-represented in all levels of mental health care? Nicole Roder, LCSW-C Research shows that about 20 percent of all patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals meet criteria for BPD, as well as 10 percent of people seeking outpatient mental health treatment. As a DBT therapist, I specialize in treating these folks, who come to me desperate for help with changing their suicidal behaviors and dysregulated emotions. For clinical social workers, this means that we will almost definitely encounter a clien ..read more

Social workers can use the printed word, books, and poetry to empower clients, promote social justice, and offer hope By Heather Rose Artushin, LISW-CP The printed word can be used to empower clients and offer hope in troubled times. People have long understood the healing power of words. In ancient Egypt, intentional words of healing were written on papyrus, then dissolved into a solution so that it could be physically ingested, like medicine. Today, a growing body of research confirms that reading and writing can be therapeutic, even reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Reading fic ..read more

By Nicole Roder, LCSW-C Did you know that clients with borderline personality disorder are over-represented in all levels of mental health care? Nicole Roder, LCSW-C Research shows that about 20 percent of all patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals meet criteria for BPD, as well as 10 percent of people seeking outpatient mental health treatment. As a DBT therapist, I specialize in treating these folks, who come to me desperate for help with changing their suicidal behaviors and dysregulated emotions. For clinical social workers, this means that we will almost definitely encounter a clien ..read more