A Grand Response from Social Work Is Needed in Ferguson
Social Work Helper
Whenever tragedy strikes, social workers are among the first responders helping people cope with their grief and loss and empowering people to put their lives back in order. Social workers provided support troops at the Boston Marathon bombing, they assisted children and families during the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and they were ever present during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I imagine there are social workers on the ground in Ferguson, Missouri. If not in a healing role, I would bet there are social workers among the protesters. The Missouri chapter of NASW is in Jefferson City located little more than a 2 hour drive away.

Social Work Appears Absent in #Ferguson Global Conversation
Social Work Helper
As Editor-in-Chief of Social Work Helper, I recently published an article entitled “A Grand Response from Social Work is Needed” in Ferguson written by Dr. Charles Lewis who is the President of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy. Due to my coverage on the shooting of Mike Brown and the police response in Ferguson, Missouri, I have received lots of comments and responses from both social workers and non-social workers via email and various social media outlets. As a result of comments I have received on Facebook, it makes me extremely fearful that some of these people are actually social workers, and I pray they are not working with minority communities. Maybe it’s a good thing the national media and reporters are not patrolling social worker forums and social media platforms to see what social workers think about national and global events. If they did, many would not be able to withstand the scrutiny placed on their statements.

In Ferguson, a movement builds for political engagement
MSNBC
Brown’s Aug. 9 death and the response to it have caused a “dramatic shift,” said Miranda Jones, whose social services organization, Better Family Life, set up a voter registration table at the spot on Canfield Drive where Brown died, and where a makeshift memorial now sits. “They understand now that they have a powerful voice, and that voting is one way to make that voice heard.”

Renee Levine was a member:
Renee Levine, social worker
Philly.com
Renee Shai Levine loved reading to children, not only infants but also elementary students. She was convinced it would “encourage them to read and listen,” reinforce their development, and prepare them for their future lives, her son Stefan said. “She felt everyone could achieve excellence.” Mrs. Levine, 82, a school social worker, died Saturday, Aug. 17, after a long battle with cancer.

D.C. trip offers an inside peek at veterans’ policies
USC News
For USC School of Social Work students interested in working with veterans and military families, a trip to the nation’s capital provided a meaningful lesson in understanding how policies are made. The summer immersion trip to Washington, D.C., offered 19 MSW@USC online students the opportunity to meet each other in person and a chance to appreciate the concept of government policy — a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action and funding priorities — that could help them better serve their clients as future clinicians.

Behavioral-Health Help Could Be Coming to Your Doctor’s Office
Public News Service
Stacy Collins, senior practice associate for health care with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), says good preventive care includes dealing with behavioral health issues such as depression and anxiety. She notes health-care providers are beginning to realize the best way to treat behavioral health issues is to integrate treatment into the places where people already receive care. “It’s behavioral health professionals, clinical social workers and psychologists based in your doctor’s office,” says Collins. “This is health care looking at your needs holistically.”