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News Items – June 7, 2017

©Thinkstock

©Thinkstock

NASW is a signatory:
100 National Groups to Trump: End the Assault on Civil and Human Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
Following a recent claim by a White House spokesperson that the Trump administration “has an unwavering commitment to the civil rights of all Americans,” The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with 99 national organizations dedicated to protecting those very rights, called on the President to stop the systemic assault on civil and human rights. In their letter, the groups cite the Trump administration’s deep cuts to key civil rights office budgets, the withdrawal of numerous important civil and human rights policies, and the appointment of officials who appear bent on retreating from statutory civil and human rights agency priorities. The groups call upon the president and his administration to reverse course, and to demonstrate a far greater commitment to the civil and human rights of all people in this country and to the federal laws created to protect them.

Stacy Kolomer is a member:
Report: New Hanover 11th healthiest NC county
Star News Online (NC)
Access is an even greater issue for those living in rural areas or those in poverty, said Dr. Stacy Kolomer, director of the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s School of Social Work. Kolomer said that although Columbus County or Brunswick County may not be far from Wilmington, many people may not be able to afford to drive a car or take off work for a day. “That’s the reality,” she said. “Unless you are living near a big medical hub, most people have to commute for good healthcare, or just live with the fact that you are not going to have a lot of choice.”

Miriam Nisenbaum is executive director of NASW-TX:
Will the Latest Foster Care Reforms in Texas Actually Solve the Crisis?
Houston Press
“There’s a tendency to think that this [legislation] is a magic bullet that will solve everything,” said Miriam Nisenbaum, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers Texas chapter. “That’s simply not true.” The first concern, Nisenbaum said, is whether the state can recruit enough willing nonprofits or other local government entities who are up to the task to help CPS. Then, Nisenbaum said, there needs to be complete confidence that DFPS will adequately evaluate and monitor these contractors to make sure they are providing the kids high standards of care. These details, she said, have yet to be fully worked out and discussed.

Susan Grettenberger is a member:
Guest column: It wasn’t just Bill Maher’s use of the N-word that was offensive
Detroit Free Press
[Susan Grettenberger is professor and Social Work Program Director at Central Michigan University. She is vice president of social policy for the National Association of Social Workers-MI Chapter, and president of the Michigan Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Educators.] What strikes me in the whole furor that erupts in such incidents is the lack of understanding on the part of those not part of the community affected by slurs, whether the targets are racial, gay related, Islamic or other. The dismissal of objections as political correctness points to a lack of empathy for those affected.

William Huleatt is a member:
Why Child Abuse in Military Families May Be Going Unreported
The Pew Charitable Trusts
In 2015, a national commission examined how to ensure that no children die from abuse or neglect. To help military children, the commission recommended federal legislation to require information sharing between state agencies and Defense Department family advocacy offices. The Defense Department is asking states, not Congress, to take these steps because the rules will need to be administered and enforced at the state level, and they should be crafted to local officials’ liking, said Bill Huleatt, a social worker for the Family Advocacy Program. Even in states that haven’t enacted these laws, many county social services agencies have already agreed to report incidents to family advocacy offices at local bases. But whether that is happening is unclear.

#ChrissySentMe: Good deeds inspired by Canadian killed in London terror attack
The Village Sun-Times
Christine Archibald was killed in London during a terror attack Saturday. Global Affairs Canada has identified a former B.C. resident as one of the seven innocent people who died in yesterday’s terrorist violence on London Bridge and at Borough Market in the British capital. Cassie Ferguson Rowe says her brother, Tyler Ferguson, held her and she died in his arms. “Christine Archibald was a truly outstanding student who completed her coursework at Mount Royal in 2014 and officially received her Social Work diploma in 2015”.

 

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