Place the interests of children in foster care first | Opinion
KnoxNews
[Mary Boo is the Executive Director of the North American Council on Adoptable Children, Adam Pertman is President and CEO of National Center on Adoption and Permanency; Mel Wilson is Manager for Social Justice and Human Rights at the National Association of Social Workers and Pam Wolf is CEO and founder of the Harmony Family Center.] A battle is being fought in the Tennessee state legislature — and 8,558 children are caught in the middle. Tennessee, like so many states, is facing a huge shortage of families to care for the growing number of children in foster care. (Last year, Tennessee saw an 11.2 percent jump in its foster care population — the sixth-largest increase in the country). But the Tennessee legislature is considering two bills that would allow agencies to reject hundreds of willing, qualified, loving families that children in state custody so desperately need.

Democratic lawmakers, LGBT advocates want NC to ban ‘conversion therapy’
WRAL.com
The bill also would prevent public money from being used to subsidize the therapy, given to organizations that practice it or cover it under insurance. If the ban is enacted, North Carolina would be the first state in the Southeast to have one in place. The state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers immediately backed the proposed ban[.]

Cynthia Catchings is a member:
The science behind how long therapy takes
Ladders
Usually, therapists meet with clients weekly or once every two weeks. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach as it depends on your unique needs and goals. Some forms of therapy require daily sessions! “I have clients that I have seen for years and are on a once a month maintenance plan and others that require once-a-week appointments,” [Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S] said. “Similarities in clients that I see for longer periods of time are severe depression or anxiety or dependency issues.”

Kimber Nicoletti-Martinez is a member:
Nicoletti-Martinez invites ‘everybody to the table’ in sexual assault prevention
The Record (Goshen College)
A presentation on Tuesday evening given by Kimber Nicoletti-Martinez, MSW, LCSW and director of the Multicultural Efforts to End Sexual Assault (MESA) program at Purdue University, marked the beginning of events and workshops held at Goshen College for Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The presentation entitled “Inviting Everyone to the Table in Sexual Prevention Work” was held in the Umber Center. The event was sponsored by PIN, GSWA, Student Senate and Student Life.

Timothy Rehner is a member:
Ohio State University Lima welcomes new dean
hometownstations.com
Dr. Timothy Rehner is the college’s 7th full-time dean. He comes to the Lima area with plenty of experience as a professor and director of social work at the University of Southern Mississippi. During his time there, his focus was on diversity, social justice, and social welfare. He also won numerous social work awards throughout his more than 25-year career at the university. Rehner hopes his past experiences will help guide him as dean of OSU Lima.

Poll: Public Overwhelmingly Believes Housing Affordability Should Be a Top National Priority
YubaNet.com
“Social workers have long worked to ensure all Americans have access to safe and affordable housing,” said Dr. Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW, Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers.  “Sadly, this informative poll has confirmed that there is a great need for such housing in our nation.  Affordable housing is crucial because it is often the first step in helping people overcome a variety of challenges such as mental illness, child and family homelessness, chronic illness and addiction. It also paves the wave for people to have better economic and educational opportunities.”

Stacey Jackson-Roberts is a member:
Maryland lawmakers pass bill allowing minors to receive PrEP without parental consent
Metro Weekly (DC)
Stacey Jackson-Roberts, a therapist and clinical social worker at Chase Brexton Health Care, expressed hope that the bill would allow health practitioners to reverse the increase in the number of HIV diagnoses among youth, particularly black youth. She also noted there are currently disparities among different populations regarding the accessibility of PrEP, making the bill even more necessary for those at higher risk of contracting the virus.