March Is School Social Work Month In Tucson
Tucson Patch
In thousands of ways, social workers help people help themselves. They assist people of every age and background. In schools, social workers help students address troubles that could interfere with their learning. They act as a connection for school, home, and community services to help children with emotional, developmental, and educational needs. School social workers are trained mental health professionals who assist with mental health concerns, behavioral challenges, positive behavioral support, academic and classroom support, and consultation with teachers, parents and administrators.

Katherine van Wormer: Social workers oppose F-35s in Madison
Madison.com
Dear Editor: I’m so proud of my organization — the National Association of Social Workers, Wisconsin — for speaking out against plans to bring fighter jets to the airport in Madison. The profession of social work is informed by values of social justice and integrity, values that are violated when economic and political interests are put ahead of the public welfare. All schools of social work are now required to teach the importance of environmental justice. After conducting research on the impact of the F-35s to the local community, the NASW-WI issued the following statement…

Gov. McMaster declares March as National Social Work Month
abc4news.com (SC)
“To be a social worker means to elevate and empower others,” said Michael Leach, the Department of Social Services State Director. “Being a social worker also means helping individuals through complex, difficult, and traumatic situations. It means to have hope and to give hope, while equipping others with the tools they need to solve problems, to cope, and to succeed. Being a social worker means having the commitment and resiliency to push forward and continue to serve, even when you feel you have nothing else to give.”

Lauren Zingraff is a member:
Nursing homes could face ‘wildfire’ spread of coronavirus
WRAL (NC)
Four of the six people in the U.S. whose deaths have been attributed to coronavirus lived in a nursing home in Washington state. Lauren Zingraff, executive director of Friends of Residents in Long Term Care, a Raleigh-based nonprofit, said residents in nursing facilities are at greater risk for the virus and others like the flu. “It’s a nightmare,” Zingraff said. “One person can be sick, and then it’s just going to spread like wildfire because everyone is in the same residence, in the same space.”

Disrupting the cycle: Unprecedented effort tries to untie foster care, homelessness in Austin
Community Impact Austin
Will Francis, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers’ Texas chapter and member of the Travis County Child Protective Services Board, said most young adults like Sullins follow a similar path. “Almost all kids just look at you when you offer them extended foster care [at 18] and say, ‘This same system that has been the biggest burden of my life is now the solution to my problem? No way,’” Francis said. “That to me is one of the giant red flags. You have a safe support system that includes housing, and kids are rejecting it and instead they’re staying on couches and ending up completely homeless.”

Advocates say expanding Medicaid could help the homeless. Greg Abbott says he’s weighing options.
KSAT
Without insurance coverage, a person experiencing homelessness is most likely to access health care in a hospital emergency room or in jail, said Will Francis, executive director of the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. “The guy on the street who’s 35 and sleeping in a tent is probably not likely to get care until some type of emergency happens,” he said.

Gun owners and advocates against gun violence debate proposed 35% tax on ammunition
Hartford Courant
The Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, who wrote in support of the bill, said usage fees are common for products that “have a potential of harmful effects to others.… Excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and gas are prime examples where the state raises funds to defray the costs associated with product usage,” said the group. “This bill takes this same approach.”

Conversion therapy on children could be outlawed in Ohio
Norwalk Reflector
“It is a horrific reality that conversion therapy is indeed happening in Ohio, even by licensed professionals within social work, counseling, and psychology despite the practice being condemned by our professions’ ethical codes. This bill is an important step forward to ending this incredibly dangerous practice in our state,” said Danielle Smith, executive director of the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Karen Moore and Karen Thompson are members:
Social workers lobby Ky. legislators, governor to highlight the need for more workers
local12.com
“Kentucky has the most child abuse cases anywhere in the country. It’s No. 1 in the country, and we need to get that problem under control. So, we need more social workers,” said Karen Moore, a licensed clinical social worker and the executive director of SAFY (Specialized Alternatives for Families & Youth). Karen Thompson, a licensed clinical social worker from Northern Kentucky was also in Frankfort for Tuesday’s rally.

Karen Koenig is a member:
How To Fight With Your Partner, According To Conflict Experts
Style Caster
Karen Koenig, a psychotherapist, M.Ed, and Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Sarasota, Florida, agrees: “The goal is not to have no conflict, but to be able to value what the other person has to say, and try to do what’s best for the couple.”… Koenig agrees that being able to walk away from heated moments is an important skill. “Say, ‘We’re too excitable to talk about this now,’ and then agree on a time to come together and be active listeners,” she advises.

Joseph Lynch is a member:
High winds topple barn being built to benefit veterans with PTSD
WHSV (VA)
The barn under construction was part of a larger goal. “The idea is to have a place that’s like a home setting where people can come, veterans can come, families can come and have a safe space to heal,” said Joseph Lynch, a clinical social worker with the organization.

Ian Holloway is a member:
Pentagon-Funded Study Shows Troops’ Opposition to Transgender Ban
Gay City News
“That speaks to the importance of diversity in the armed forces, and there have been some concerted efforts to increase representation in the military,” said one of the study’s authors, Dr. Ian Holloway, who is a licensed clinical social worker and an associate professor of social welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.