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Social Worker Bill Passes Committee
HBO Alzheimer's Project; Loyola University's Seidenburg Awardee
2009 Reports on Poverty Project More People Falling into Poverty as a Result of the Recession
Grant Focuses on Illinois Domestic Violence
Medical Care for the Homeless: Study Finds that Homes Lessen Need for Emergency Care
Senior use of Psychiatric Drugs Spikes
Christine Radogno Among Crain's "Women to Watch"
Grieving for Departed Pets Can be Devastating
Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Motivational Speaker Sean Stephenson Uses his Disorder to Inspire Others Government Relations Action Alert May 6, 2009 Higher Education Act. Government Relations Action Alert On August 14, 2008, President Bush signed P.L. 110-315 into law, which fully reauthorized the Higher Education Act (HEA) for the first time since 1998 and included loan forgiveness for national need occupations. The loan forgiveness provisions directly benefit social workers by allowing a person with a degree in social work, who is employed by a public or private child welfare agency, to have part of his or her college loans forgiven. For each year of work, up to $2,000 would be forgiven, up to a maximum of $10,000 over five years. While the law authorized the loan forgiveness program, Congress needs to appropriate funding in order for the program to operate. We are asking Congress to act quickly to fund this important program. Repayment is particularly challenging for social workers, whose salaries continue to be among the lowest for professionals in general and for those with master's level educations in particular. In 2001, 22 percent of social workers earned under $30,000 and 20 percent earned between $30,000 and $39,999. The median salary for social workers with two to four years experience was $35,600. While passage of this law was an important victory for NASW and the social work profession, a profession with historically low salaries and high student debt, there is still more work to be done. This program must be funded so that social workers and other professionals in public service can get relief from their student debt. Action Needed: Please contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to fully fund the loan forgiveness provisions in P. L. 110-315, so that social workers and other professionals can receive relief from burdensome student debt and focus on their careers in public service. Thanks for your advocacy! Nancy McFall Jean, MSW Lobbyist/Senior Government Relations Associate |
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A bill, sponsored by Peoria Senator Dave Koehler , to protect school social workers, counselors and psychologists was approved by the Illinois House Education Committee and put on the calendar for a second reading. The bill has already passed the Illinois Senate. The bill prohibits schools from punishing or discriminating against social workers and others who refuse to share privileged or confidential student information. 
The NASW IL Chapter is fortunate to have been selected to serve as a FREE pre-screening venue for the HBO Alzheimer's Project, 5:30 p.m. tonight at the Chapter offices, 404 S. Wells St. 4th, Chicago, Ill. This is part of HBO's grassroots public service outreach campaign to shine a spotlight on Alzheimer's disease, as well as inform the public, spur conversation and excite individuals to participate in a search for a cure to this devastating disease. | This edition of the NASW IL Weekly Update was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here.
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To contribute news to the NASW IL Weekly Update, contact Yvette Craig, Senior Content Editor If you have any questions regarding your NASW IL membership, feel free to contact us at contact@naswil.org.
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