N.C. in Top 10 - don't applaud yet
North Carolina is ranked sixth in the nation, but this statistic is nothing to be proud of.
The ranking represents the state’s number of reported cases of gonorrhea.
Crazy right?
In an age in which free condoms are easily available. Information about the importance of safe sex is accessible on the internet. Everyone knows unprotected sex spreads the HIV virus, but still too many teens risk their lives by not using condoms.
On Monday, Planned Parenthood, MTV and Kaiser Family Foundation announced GYT: Get Yourself Tested. It’s a nationwide campaign, primarily online, to increase testing and treatment of STDs among teens and young adults under age 25.
In Charlotte, the campaign will make it easier for teens to get tested. Anyone who is symptom-free can walk into Planned Parenthood and get tested the same day or the next one. People who have symptoms must make an appointment to see a doctor, but typically they too can be seen the same day or the next day, said Lisa Bryan development associate of Planned Parenthood Health Systems. Also, high school students receiving annual exams at Planned Parenthood can receive free testing for gonorrhea and syphilis.
The online campaign, www.GYT09.org, provides information about STDs and testing locations. The mobile companion uses the GYT short code (49809).
These organizations are sounding the alarm here because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, North Carolina ranks 6th nationally in cases of gonorrhea with 16,666 reported cases in 2007.There were more than 30,000 cases of chlamydia in 2007. It’s a good bet many of those cases involve people under age 25.
According to the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services, there were 2,253 cases of gonorrhea reported in males under 25 from January to September last year. Of those, 816 were ages 0-19. The infection numbers for females were nearly double.
Bryan says the high number of infections among teens underscores the need for comprehensive sex education. The organization supports the Healthy Youth Act. This N.C. bill allows parents to choose between abstinence-only sex education and comprehensive sex education.
"Comprehensive sex education should be an option in the public schools because if teenagers aren’t taught how to protect themselves and be safe, then yes, they are putting themselves at risk for contracting HIV," Bryan said.
Some healthcare professionals already say the AIDS rates in some Mecklenburg County zip codes are comparable to those in sub-Saharan Africa. If the STD numbers among people under 25 are any indication of where we’re headed, we’re in trouble.
http://wassupobs.blogspot.com/2009/04/nc-in-top-10-dont-applaud-yet.html
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
NC House panel would give 3rd sex ed option: None
The House Health Committee approved a third option for the sex ed curriculum: parents can choose for their children to not go through sex education.
For the full story, see: http://www.wbt.com/news/details.cfm?article_id=45981
For the full story, see: http://www.wbt.com/news/details.cfm?article_id=45981
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Community Briefs from BlueRidgeNow.com
This is National Social Work Month
The Laurels of Hendersonville, along with the National Association of Social Workers celebrates National Social Work Month 2009.
This year’s theme — Social Work: Purpose and Possibility — highlights the many ways that social workers help in all communities. Social workers are purpose driven, compassionate individuals who work across a range of areas to help those who are most vulnerable. Social workers provide assistance in hospitals, help children in schools, provide treatment at mental health clinics and play many different roles in our society.
As a community we are grateful to the many social workers who enhance the lives of those around us on a daily basis. Join the Laurels of Hendersonville and the National Association of Social Workers in saluting and saying thank you to these very special individuals.
(from Community Briefs Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, April 6, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. BlueRidgeNow.com)
The Laurels of Hendersonville, along with the National Association of Social Workers celebrates National Social Work Month 2009.
This year’s theme — Social Work: Purpose and Possibility — highlights the many ways that social workers help in all communities. Social workers are purpose driven, compassionate individuals who work across a range of areas to help those who are most vulnerable. Social workers provide assistance in hospitals, help children in schools, provide treatment at mental health clinics and play many different roles in our society.
As a community we are grateful to the many social workers who enhance the lives of those around us on a daily basis. Join the Laurels of Hendersonville and the National Association of Social Workers in saluting and saying thank you to these very special individuals.
(from Community Briefs Published: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 4:30 a.m. Last Modified: Monday, April 6, 2009 at 9:06 p.m. BlueRidgeNow.com)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Act-4-JJ Campaign
The JJDPA Reauth bill number is S. 678 (easy to remember). Once the text of the bill is available and with time to look at how it matches with recommendations and current law, we will circulate a side-by-side analysis and the text of bill itself, from Act-4-JJ. Pls note, the text below is from Senator Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Please stay tuned!
www.act4jj.org
The Act-4-JJ Campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC) is very pleased to inform you that a strong JJDPA Reauthorization bill has been introduced today, March 24, 2009, by Senators Leahy, Specter, Kohl and Durbin. The following are announcements and analyses of the major provisions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, on behalf of Senator Leahy and his colleagues.
NJJDPC and Act-4-JJ will stay in touch to provide a bill number (once one is assigned) and to offer further commentary.
Best regards,
--Liz Ryan, Campaign for Youth Justice & Nancy Gannon Hornberger, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Co-chairs of the Act-4-JJ campaign and working group
Leahy-Specter-Kohl-Durbin Introduce Juvenile Justice Reauthorization Bill
WASHINGTON (Tuesday, March 24, 2009) – Senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday reintroduced legislation to reauthorize expiring programs in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Committee members Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act to authorize key programs designed to protect children.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On The Introduction Of The
“Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act”
March 24, 2009
I am introducing today important legislation designed to protect our communities and particularly our most precious asset, our children. I am pleased to be joined by Senator Specter and Senator Kohl, who have been leaders in this area of the law for decades, and Senator Durbin, who is the new Chairman of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee. Our legislation is intended to keep children safe and out of trouble and also to help ensure they have the opportunity to become productive adult members of society.
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported this important bill last July. I was disappointed that Republican objections prevented this vital bipartisan legislation from passing the Senate in the last Congress, but we will redouble our efforts to pass this bill this year.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act sets out Federal policy and standards for the administration of juvenile justice. It authorizes key Federal resources for states to improve their juvenile justice systems and for communities to develop programs to prevent young people from getting into trouble. We are recommitting ourselves to these important goals with this proposed reauthorization. We also push the law forward in key ways to better serve our communities and our children.
The basic goals of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act remain the same: keeping our communities safe by reducing juvenile crime, advancing programs and policies that keep children out of the criminal justice system, and encouraging states to implement policies designed to steer those children who do enter the juvenile justice system back onto a track to become contributing members of society.
The reauthorization that we introduce today augments these goals in several ways. First, this bill encourages states to move away from keeping young people in adult jails. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that children who are held in adult prisons commit more crimes, and more serious crimes, when they are released, than children with similar histories who are kept in juvenile facilities. After years of pressure to send more and more young people to adult prisons, it is time to seriously consider the strong evidence that this policy is not working.
We must do this with ample consideration for the fiscal constraints on states, particularly in these lean budget times, and with deference to the traditional role of states in setting their own criminal justice policy. We have done so here. But we also must work to ensure that unless strong and considered reasons dictate otherwise, the presumption must be that children will be kept with other children, particularly before they have been convicted of any wrongdoing.
As a former prosecutor, I know well the importance of holding criminals accountable for their crimes with strong sentences. But when we are talking about children, we must also think about how best to help them become responsible, contributing members of society as adults. That keeps us all safer.
I am disturbed that children from minority communities continue to be overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. This bill encourages states to take new steps to identify the reasons for this serious and continuing problem and to work together with the Federal Government and with local communities to find ways to start solving it.
I am also concerned that too many runaway and homeless young people are locked up for status offenses, like truancy, without having committed any crime. In a Judiciary Committee hearing last year on the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, we were reminded of the plight of this vulnerable population, even in the wealthiest country in the world, and inspired by the ability of so many children in this desperate situation to rise above that adversity.
This reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice Act takes strong and significant steps to move away from detaining children from at-risk populations for status offenses, and requires states to phase out the practice entirely in three years, but with a safety valve for those states that are unable to move quite so quickly due to limited resources.
As I have worked with experts on this legislation, it has become abundantly clear that mental health and drug treatment are fundamental to making real progress toward keeping juvenile offenders from reoffending. Mental disorders are two to three times more common among children in the juvenile justice system than in the general population, and 80 percent of young people in the juvenile justice system have been found by some studies to have a connection to substance abuse. This bill takes new and important steps to prioritize and fund mental health and drug treatment.
The bill tackles several other key facets of juvenile justice reform. It emphasizes effective training of personnel who work with young people in the juvenile justice system, both to encourage the use of approaches that have been proven effective and to eliminate cruel and unnecessary treatment of juveniles. The bill also creates incentives for the use of programs that research and testing have shown work best.
Finally, the bill refocuses attention on prevention programs intended to keep children from ever entering the criminal justice system. I was struck when Chief Richard Miranda of Tucson, Arizona, said during our December 2007 hearing on this bill that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. I heard the same sentiment from Chief Anthony Bossi and others at the Judiciary Committee’s field hearing last year on young people and violent crime in Rutland, Vermont. When seasoned police officers from Rutland, Vermont, to Tucson, Arizona, tell us that prevention programs are pivotal, I pay attention.
Just as the last administration gutted programs that support state and local law enforcement, so they consistently cut and narrowed effective prevention programs. It would have been even worse had it not been for Senator Kohl’s efforts. We must work with the Obama administration to reverse this trend and help our communities implement programs proven to help kids turn their lives around.
I thank the many prominent Vermont representatives of law enforcement, the juvenile justice system, and prevention-oriented non-profits who have spoken to me in support of reauthorizing this important Act, and who have helped inform my understanding of these issues. They include Ken Schatz of the Burlington City Attorney’s Office, Vermont Juvenile Justice Specialist Theresa Lay-Sleeper, and Chief Steve McQueen of the Winooski Police Department. I know that many Judiciary Committee members have heard from passionate leaders on this issue in their own states.
I have long supported a strong Federal commitment to preventing youth violence, with full respect for the discretion due to law enforcement and judges, with deference to states, and with a regard for difficult fiscal realities. I have worked hard on past reauthorizations of this legislation, as have Senators Specter and Kohl and others on the Judiciary Committee. We have learned the importance of balancing strong law enforcement with effective prevention programs. This reauthorization pushes forward new ways to help children move out of the criminal justice system, return to school, and become responsible, hard-working members of our communities. I hope all Senators will join us in supporting this important legislation.
www.act4jj.org
The Act-4-JJ Campaign of the National Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Coalition (NJJDPC) is very pleased to inform you that a strong JJDPA Reauthorization bill has been introduced today, March 24, 2009, by Senators Leahy, Specter, Kohl and Durbin. The following are announcements and analyses of the major provisions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, on behalf of Senator Leahy and his colleagues.
NJJDPC and Act-4-JJ will stay in touch to provide a bill number (once one is assigned) and to offer further commentary.
Best regards,
--Liz Ryan, Campaign for Youth Justice & Nancy Gannon Hornberger, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Co-chairs of the Act-4-JJ campaign and working group
Leahy-Specter-Kohl-Durbin Introduce Juvenile Justice Reauthorization Bill
WASHINGTON (Tuesday, March 24, 2009) – Senior members of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday reintroduced legislation to reauthorize expiring programs in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Committee members Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act to authorize key programs designed to protect children.
Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.),
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee,
On The Introduction Of The
“Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act”
March 24, 2009
I am introducing today important legislation designed to protect our communities and particularly our most precious asset, our children. I am pleased to be joined by Senator Specter and Senator Kohl, who have been leaders in this area of the law for decades, and Senator Durbin, who is the new Chairman of the Crime and Drugs Subcommittee. Our legislation is intended to keep children safe and out of trouble and also to help ensure they have the opportunity to become productive adult members of society.
The Senate Judiciary Committee reported this important bill last July. I was disappointed that Republican objections prevented this vital bipartisan legislation from passing the Senate in the last Congress, but we will redouble our efforts to pass this bill this year.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act sets out Federal policy and standards for the administration of juvenile justice. It authorizes key Federal resources for states to improve their juvenile justice systems and for communities to develop programs to prevent young people from getting into trouble. We are recommitting ourselves to these important goals with this proposed reauthorization. We also push the law forward in key ways to better serve our communities and our children.
The basic goals of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act remain the same: keeping our communities safe by reducing juvenile crime, advancing programs and policies that keep children out of the criminal justice system, and encouraging states to implement policies designed to steer those children who do enter the juvenile justice system back onto a track to become contributing members of society.
The reauthorization that we introduce today augments these goals in several ways. First, this bill encourages states to move away from keeping young people in adult jails. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that children who are held in adult prisons commit more crimes, and more serious crimes, when they are released, than children with similar histories who are kept in juvenile facilities. After years of pressure to send more and more young people to adult prisons, it is time to seriously consider the strong evidence that this policy is not working.
We must do this with ample consideration for the fiscal constraints on states, particularly in these lean budget times, and with deference to the traditional role of states in setting their own criminal justice policy. We have done so here. But we also must work to ensure that unless strong and considered reasons dictate otherwise, the presumption must be that children will be kept with other children, particularly before they have been convicted of any wrongdoing.
As a former prosecutor, I know well the importance of holding criminals accountable for their crimes with strong sentences. But when we are talking about children, we must also think about how best to help them become responsible, contributing members of society as adults. That keeps us all safer.
I am disturbed that children from minority communities continue to be overrepresented in the juvenile justice system. This bill encourages states to take new steps to identify the reasons for this serious and continuing problem and to work together with the Federal Government and with local communities to find ways to start solving it.
I am also concerned that too many runaway and homeless young people are locked up for status offenses, like truancy, without having committed any crime. In a Judiciary Committee hearing last year on the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, we were reminded of the plight of this vulnerable population, even in the wealthiest country in the world, and inspired by the ability of so many children in this desperate situation to rise above that adversity.
This reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice Act takes strong and significant steps to move away from detaining children from at-risk populations for status offenses, and requires states to phase out the practice entirely in three years, but with a safety valve for those states that are unable to move quite so quickly due to limited resources.
As I have worked with experts on this legislation, it has become abundantly clear that mental health and drug treatment are fundamental to making real progress toward keeping juvenile offenders from reoffending. Mental disorders are two to three times more common among children in the juvenile justice system than in the general population, and 80 percent of young people in the juvenile justice system have been found by some studies to have a connection to substance abuse. This bill takes new and important steps to prioritize and fund mental health and drug treatment.
The bill tackles several other key facets of juvenile justice reform. It emphasizes effective training of personnel who work with young people in the juvenile justice system, both to encourage the use of approaches that have been proven effective and to eliminate cruel and unnecessary treatment of juveniles. The bill also creates incentives for the use of programs that research and testing have shown work best.
Finally, the bill refocuses attention on prevention programs intended to keep children from ever entering the criminal justice system. I was struck when Chief Richard Miranda of Tucson, Arizona, said during our December 2007 hearing on this bill that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. I heard the same sentiment from Chief Anthony Bossi and others at the Judiciary Committee’s field hearing last year on young people and violent crime in Rutland, Vermont. When seasoned police officers from Rutland, Vermont, to Tucson, Arizona, tell us that prevention programs are pivotal, I pay attention.
Just as the last administration gutted programs that support state and local law enforcement, so they consistently cut and narrowed effective prevention programs. It would have been even worse had it not been for Senator Kohl’s efforts. We must work with the Obama administration to reverse this trend and help our communities implement programs proven to help kids turn their lives around.
I thank the many prominent Vermont representatives of law enforcement, the juvenile justice system, and prevention-oriented non-profits who have spoken to me in support of reauthorizing this important Act, and who have helped inform my understanding of these issues. They include Ken Schatz of the Burlington City Attorney’s Office, Vermont Juvenile Justice Specialist Theresa Lay-Sleeper, and Chief Steve McQueen of the Winooski Police Department. I know that many Judiciary Committee members have heard from passionate leaders on this issue in their own states.
I have long supported a strong Federal commitment to preventing youth violence, with full respect for the discretion due to law enforcement and judges, with deference to states, and with a regard for difficult fiscal realities. I have worked hard on past reauthorizations of this legislation, as have Senators Specter and Kohl and others on the Judiciary Committee. We have learned the importance of balancing strong law enforcement with effective prevention programs. This reauthorization pushes forward new ways to help children move out of the criminal justice system, return to school, and become responsible, hard-working members of our communities. I hope all Senators will join us in supporting this important legislation.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (S.686)
Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce that Senator Mikulski, a fellow social worker, reintroduced the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (S.686) on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The date is significant because it was Dr. Height’s 97th birthday. This legislation is a testament to her lifetime of work on behalf of others, as well as the indelible mark that Whitney Young left on our profession.
The new bills are similar to those introduced during the last session of Congress, although some revisions, which we believe strengthen the Act, have been made. The legislation provides for:
• Creation of a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide recommendations and strategies to Congress to address the challenges facing the profession – recruitment, working conditions, and increased demand for social workers.
• Establishment of demonstration grant programs in the areas of workplace improvements, research, education and training, and community based programs of excellence to address the “on-the-ground” realities that we are facing now.
Our profession is essential to creating healthy individuals, families, and communities. During my time at NASW, one of our main goals for the Association has been to ensure that professional social work survives and thrives. Passage of this legislation is essential to fulfilling this mission.
But, passage of this legislation cannot happen without your support. Members of Congress need to hear from you why spending federal tax dollars on the profession of social work is necessary and important in these challenging times. They need to know why our profession is critical to solving the economic and social challenges we are facing.
Please take these two easy steps:
• Contact your Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor the legislation and to work for its passage.
• If you have not yet done so, contact your Representative in Congress regarding co-sponsorship and working for passage.
Using our CapWiz system makes these contacts easy. The system can assist you in finding the correct contact for your Members of Congress. You can use our pre-formatted letter or you can revise the letter. In addition, if your Senator or Representative has already co-sponsored the legislation, a thank you message will be automatically generated.
The progress we’ve already made would not be possible without your outstanding advocacy. We look forward to continue working with you to strengthen our profession and reinvest in our clients and ourselves.
If you have any questions contact Elizabeth Franklin at efranklin@naswdc.org or visit www.socialworkreinvestment.org.
Yours Truly,
Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
Executive Director
I am pleased to announce that Senator Mikulski, a fellow social worker, reintroduced the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (S.686) on Tuesday, March 24, 2009. The date is significant because it was Dr. Height’s 97th birthday. This legislation is a testament to her lifetime of work on behalf of others, as well as the indelible mark that Whitney Young left on our profession.
The new bills are similar to those introduced during the last session of Congress, although some revisions, which we believe strengthen the Act, have been made. The legislation provides for:
• Creation of a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide recommendations and strategies to Congress to address the challenges facing the profession – recruitment, working conditions, and increased demand for social workers.
• Establishment of demonstration grant programs in the areas of workplace improvements, research, education and training, and community based programs of excellence to address the “on-the-ground” realities that we are facing now.
Our profession is essential to creating healthy individuals, families, and communities. During my time at NASW, one of our main goals for the Association has been to ensure that professional social work survives and thrives. Passage of this legislation is essential to fulfilling this mission.
But, passage of this legislation cannot happen without your support. Members of Congress need to hear from you why spending federal tax dollars on the profession of social work is necessary and important in these challenging times. They need to know why our profession is critical to solving the economic and social challenges we are facing.
Please take these two easy steps:
• Contact your Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor the legislation and to work for its passage.
• If you have not yet done so, contact your Representative in Congress regarding co-sponsorship and working for passage.
Using our CapWiz system makes these contacts easy. The system can assist you in finding the correct contact for your Members of Congress. You can use our pre-formatted letter or you can revise the letter. In addition, if your Senator or Representative has already co-sponsored the legislation, a thank you message will be automatically generated.
The progress we’ve already made would not be possible without your outstanding advocacy. We look forward to continue working with you to strengthen our profession and reinvest in our clients and ourselves.
If you have any questions contact Elizabeth Franklin at efranklin@naswdc.org or visit www.socialworkreinvestment.org.
Yours Truly,
Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
Executive Director
Thursday, March 19, 2009
NASW Press Release on Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution
NASW Press Release on Resolution for Social Work Month and World Social Work Day
Government Relations Update March 19, 2009
NASW Press Release on Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution
More Info
With corrected link.
For Immediate Release Contact:
March 19, 2009 Gail Woods Waller
202-336-8236
gwaller@naswdc.org
NASW Applauds Passage of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution U.S. Congress Recognizes Contributions of Professional Social Workers
Washington, DC-On March 17, the Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution, H. RES. 240, passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 421 - 0. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter from New Hampshire. Representative Shea-Porter is one of nine social workers in Congress.
The resolution recognizes with gratitude the contributions of the 600,000 social workers who have chosen to serve millions of people each day through their work, and encourages young people to seek out educational and professional opportunities to become social workers.
The focus of this year's national Social Work Month observance is the future of social work and the need to recruit more students into the profession. The Social Work Month 2009 theme-Social Work: Purpose and Possibility-highlights the infinite possibilities and connections that social workers make in the lives of individuals, families and communities. It also showcases the range of career opportunities available to those who choose the profession.
Socially conscious students, who may have limited knowledge of social work, are encouraged to review profiles of more than 50 dedicated professionals on a new interactive web site: http://50ways.helpstartshere.org. While on the site, they may also take a social work career quiz, link to schools of social work, and learn more about diverse social work career paths.
"Social workers' service makes our communities stronger," says Rep. Shea-Porter. "As the need for social workers is expected to grow at a rate much faster than average, we must attract new people to the profession and retain the dedicated professionals we already have. Through this resolution we honor our nation's social workers, and thank them for caring for us each day."
About the National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with nearly 150,000 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States and its territories. 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 for social justice.
Government Relations Update March 19, 2009
NASW Press Release on Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution
More Info
With corrected link.
For Immediate Release Contact:
March 19, 2009 Gail Woods Waller
202-336-8236
gwaller@naswdc.org
NASW Applauds Passage of Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution U.S. Congress Recognizes Contributions of Professional Social Workers
Washington, DC-On March 17, the Social Work Month and World Social Work Day Resolution, H. RES. 240, passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 421 - 0. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Carol Shea-Porter from New Hampshire. Representative Shea-Porter is one of nine social workers in Congress.
The resolution recognizes with gratitude the contributions of the 600,000 social workers who have chosen to serve millions of people each day through their work, and encourages young people to seek out educational and professional opportunities to become social workers.
The focus of this year's national Social Work Month observance is the future of social work and the need to recruit more students into the profession. The Social Work Month 2009 theme-Social Work: Purpose and Possibility-highlights the infinite possibilities and connections that social workers make in the lives of individuals, families and communities. It also showcases the range of career opportunities available to those who choose the profession.
Socially conscious students, who may have limited knowledge of social work, are encouraged to review profiles of more than 50 dedicated professionals on a new interactive web site: http://50ways.helpstartshere.org. While on the site, they may also take a social work career quiz, link to schools of social work, and learn more about diverse social work career paths.
"Social workers' service makes our communities stronger," says Rep. Shea-Porter. "As the need for social workers is expected to grow at a rate much faster than average, we must attract new people to the profession and retain the dedicated professionals we already have. Through this resolution we honor our nation's social workers, and thank them for caring for us each day."
About the National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with nearly 150,000 members in 56 chapters throughout the United States and its territories. 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 for social justice.
Senior Leadership Program
Are You a Senior Leader?
The UNC Senior Leadership Initiative is a program of the UNC Institute on Aging and is open to any person aged sixty and over, currently residing in North Carolina and having the potential to emerge as a statewide leader in aging. Between 3 and 5 applicants are expected to be selected to participate. Each leader will become involved in a year-long personal development plan and will implement an aging related project to provide a practical leadership experience that benefits both the participant and North Carolina's older adults. A stipend of $2,000 per participant is available to help defray the costs. The application deadline for the 2010 Class of Senior Leaders is February 28, 2009.
For more information about the program and to download the Senior Leadership Application go to:
http://www.aging.unc.edu/seniorleaders/index.html (A copy of the
application is also attached to this email.)
Questions should be directed to:
William Lamb
Associate Director for Public Service
UNC Institute on Aging
919-843-8063
bill_lamb@unc.edu
The UNC Senior Leadership Initiative is a program of the UNC Institute on Aging and is open to any person aged sixty and over, currently residing in North Carolina and having the potential to emerge as a statewide leader in aging. Between 3 and 5 applicants are expected to be selected to participate. Each leader will become involved in a year-long personal development plan and will implement an aging related project to provide a practical leadership experience that benefits both the participant and North Carolina's older adults. A stipend of $2,000 per participant is available to help defray the costs. The application deadline for the 2010 Class of Senior Leaders is February 28, 2009.
For more information about the program and to download the Senior Leadership Application go to:
http://www.aging.unc.edu/seniorleaders/index.html (A copy of the
application is also attached to this email.)
Questions should be directed to:
William Lamb
Associate Director for Public Service
UNC Institute on Aging
919-843-8063
bill_lamb@unc.edu
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