DOROTHY IRENE HEIGHT: ‘Godmother of the civil-rights movement’ was a portrait in powerful change. Google Doodle salutes her accordingly.
The Washington Post
THERE IT SITS, the gleaming portrait of Dorothy Height looming radiant and elegant and true, and yet it cannot touch the handiwork of the subject herself. Because Dorothy Height, as the original artist of a highly influential life, rendered the most beautiful cultural through-line of all. What, for the better part of an American century, did her life not touch — in the name of civil rights and women’s rights and family support and freedoms? So often, when leadership or stewardship or just plain social “glue” was needed to buoy the movements she believed in, Dorothy Height was there. (Please also see: Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act)

Grief Expert Edy Nathan, MA, LCSW, Shares Key Insights on Malaysian Flight Disappearance
Broadway World
World renowned grief expert Edy Nathan, MA, LCSW, today released several key insights in light of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370. As a practicing therapist specializing in grief in all forms, Nathan shares a unique perspective on the impact this tragic event could have on surviving loved ones.

[Video] Social workers group honors two Evanston residents
Evanston Review
March is Professional Social Work Month, and while Susan Trieschmann of Evanston is not credentialed as a professional social worker, those honoring her say she has a special gift for mentoring others. Trieschmann and Terry Northcut, also of Evanston, were recognized March 19 for their commitment to the social work ideal that all people matter. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Illinois Chapter hosted an event to honor Northcut, an associate professor at Loyola University, and Trieschmann, executive director of Curt’s Cafe, a nonprofit that provides job training for at-risk youth. Trieschmann was honored with the Public Citizen of the Year award, while Northcut received the Social Worker of the Year award.

The Strengths Perspective: It’s More than Some Catchy Tagline
Social Justice Solutions|
One of the unique features of social work practice is the deliberate inclusion of strengths in assessment, intervention, and goal setting with clients. This framework, known as the Strengths Perspective, empowers individuals, families, organizations, and communities to discover their inner strengths and build on their natural environmental resources to thrive (Saleebey, 2000).

Helping Veterans Find Their Foothold: How Social Workers Are Making a Difference
Takepart.com
“Military culture, much like mainstream culture, is hardly pro–mental health care,” says former Military Intelligence Captain Robert Fields. However, taking advantage of that care can make a difference not only in the lives of former military personnel but in the communities they call home. “If you’re getting help with the things that you need, then you’re not going to be doing things that are potentially harmful to others.”… Today [Fields] is pursuing his master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern California, one of the few master’s programs in the country with a sub-concentration in veteran care.

Therapist says Southwest Virginia’s drug, mental health problems are extensive
Southwest Virginia Today
After more than a decade of observing firsthand individuals’ struggles with substance abuse and mental health problems, an Abingdon therapist believes that for all of today’s news coverage of those issues, people are only seeing the tip of the iceberg in Southwest Virginia. He calls the need for services to help address those issues impressive. This week, he’s in Bethesda, Md., beginning a six-month educational program designed to bolster his skills to help meet those needs. Michael Hayter, a licensed clinical social worker who is certified in substance abuse counseling, owns Appalachian Clinical Services, a substance abuse and mental health treatment program.

In choice to end life, many questions and lots of gray
Herald Tribune [Sarasota, FL]
“In the institutional setting, you will lose control of your last days,” [Kathy] Black said. “The system is replete with everything to keep us alive long after a natural death would ensue. Underneath much of this is our discomfort and fear in talking about these issues.”

Governor Patrick tells social workers they deserve better
The Herald News
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick told a gathering of social workers Tuesday they should be given a raise and more technology to do a job he said the public misconceives and attempts to simplify.

A Staggering Percentage of Military Kids Have Mental Health Issues—Will This Simple Fix Help?
Yahoo! News
A study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that kids from military families have significant mental health challenges. About 30 percent of “participants reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks during the past 12 months,” while nearly one in four reported having considered suicide. Ron Astor, a professor at the University of Southern California’s School of Social Work, one of the study’s coauthors, says the study found that although the majority of military kids are doing well (considering the circumstances), for the ones who aren’t, the isolation and invisibility they experience has a profound negative effect.

VA Maryland Health Care System to Hold 8th Annual Welcome Home for Returning Veterans
SFGate
“The purpose of the event is to express our country’s gratitude to returning Veterans for their service, and to introduce these Veterans to the VA benefits that they have earned. We also want to empower returning Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being and help facilitate a smooth transition by linking them with employers looking to hire Veterans and local colleges and universities that accept the Post 9/11GI Bill,” said Christopher Buser, LCSW-C, BCD, lead social worker of the Managed Care Clinical Center and the clinical director of the Post-Deployment Health Reintegration Program for the VA Maryland Health Care System.

Social Work Month:

Social Work Month: All People Matter
DCMilitary
March is Social Work Month, a celebration of the 116-year-old profession, according to Dr. Marie Salimbeni, service chief of the Education, Training and Research Service of the Social Work Department at Walter Reed Bethesda. Social Work aims to improve social conditions and quality of life opportunities for everyone by improving relationships within families, making social support systems more effective and building stronger communities, Salimbeni added.

Social Workers Celebrate National Social Work Month on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Travel and Tour World
The state’s largest group of social workers, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), MS Chapter, is hosting its annual conference for the first time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Over 400 social workers from hospitals, clinics, schools, universities, non-profit and government social service agencies, community centers, and numerous private practices will participate in the March 26-28 conference entitled “All People Matter”  to be held at the IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi, MS.