Murders on American Military Base Counseling Center Include Social Worker
from National Association of Social Workers
 The National Association of Social Workers expresses shock and sadness at the recent deaths of five soldiers at a U.S. military counseling clinic in Baghdad, including Navy Commander Charles K. Springle, a licensed clinical social worker. Springle was based out of the community counseling center at Camp Lejeune before he was deployed to Iraq in 2008. Springle's friend Bob Goodale told The Associated Press that Springle had dedicated his life to helping service members cope with emotional problems caused by combat stress. More
Illinois Tax Statement - Sign on to Avoid Eliminating Vital Human Services and Social Work Jobs
from NASW IL
 This past Monday afternoon Gov. Pat Quinn announced a Doomsday Budget if the Illinois Legislature does not take action on his tax increase proposals. This proposed Doomsday Budget would cut state spending by 37 percent, slashing the state budget by some $7 billion, affecting every critical area where social work services are provided. The NASW IL Chapter has been working to encourage as many agencies and organizations in the state to sign on to the following tax statement to be sent to Illinois elected leadership. More
Gabe Miller Scholars: Foundation Supports Social Work
from Pioneer Press
Alan Miller, president of The Gabe W. Miller Memorial Foundation in Highland Park, announced the recipients of the foundation's three latest Gabe Miller Scholars. They are: Thomas J. Malczyk from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Rachael Dietkus-Miller also from UIUC and Stephanie Duncan Moss of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. More
New Report Reveals Over 400,000 Illinoisans Pushed Into Poverty by Recession
from Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights
Signs of poverty are seen across the state of Illinois. The 2009 Report on Illinois Poverty, released by Heartland Alliance's Mid-America Institute on Poverty finds that unemployment and poverty are correlated; rising unemployment precipitates an increase in poverty. With the Illinois unemployment rate already more than 9 percent, the ripple effect on Illinoisans will be severe, according to researchers. Click here to download the report. More
Kept From a Dying Partner's Bedside
from The New York Times
When a loved one is in the hospital, you naturally want to be at the bedside. But what if the staff won’t allow it? That’s what Janice Langbehn, a social worker in Lacey, Wash., says she experienced when her partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, collapsed with an aneurysm during a Florida vacation and was taken to a Miami trauma center. She died there, at age 39, as Langbehn tried in vain to persuade hospital officials to let her visit, along with the couple’s adopted children. More
Counseling was Ordered for Soldier in Shooting
from The New York Times
He was a career Army man who joined up because it was a steady job, but he had fallen into debt paying off a $1,500-a-month mortgage, his father said. Now, just weeks from finishing his third tour in Iraq, Sgt. John M. Russell was in trouble with his commanding officer, who ordered him to turn in his gun and receive psychological counseling. More
Stopping Gang Violence
from The Chicago Tribune
Everyone is saddened by the tragedies of the last year which continue to occur and underscore the severity of violence in our communities. Yet we remain hopeful that the efforts of many − including law enforcement approaches, the CeaseFire method and others − will help reverse this terrible trend. The CeaseFire intervention and behavior change method is now statistically proven as effective for reducing shootings and killings. More
Long-delayed Shelter for Homeless Vets set to Open in Southwestern Illinois
from The Chicago Tribune
A long-delayed, $2 million shelter for homeless veterans in southwestern Illinois is nearing completion. A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been set for next month in East St. Louis for the Joseph Center shelter that'll take in its first residents this summer and fall. More
Growing Old with Autism
from TIME magazine
Noah, my younger brother, does not talk. Nor can he dress himself, prepare a meal for himself or wipe himself. He is a 42-year-old man, balding, gaunt, angry and, literally, crazy. And having spent 15 years at the Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., a state facility, Noah has picked up the con's trick of lashing out before anyone could take a shot at him. More
Atlantan Expertly Helped the Elderly
from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Deborah Sullivan brought a passion and concern to her profession that infected co-workers as well as the senior citizens she tried to help. Cliff Burt saw her commitment right away. In the late 1970s, he hired her to oversee the social work department for the DeKalb Community Council on Aging, now called "Senior Connections." Her job: Manage and oversee field social workers who assessed the aging for an array of services such as delivery of home meals. "She was doing case management long before it was widely recognized," said Burt, currently a caregiver specialist for the state Division of Aging Services. "She was a pioneer in the Atlanta area, not only for good social work, but in providing expert care and case management." More
Social Work and Politics: What's Happening in America
from Huffington Post
I plan on bringing you, my dear reader, conversations I conducted with 10 women who are changing the world and rocking their fields. For this first conversation, I spoke to Dr. Patricia Reid-Merritt, who is a Professor of Social Work and Africana Studies at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, N. J. She has a forthcoming book, "Righteous Self-Determination: The Black Social Work Movement in America," due out in time for the fall 2010 semester. More
Organ Donations Decline with Economy
from The Miami Herald
The recession may quietly be taking a toll in an unexpected area − organ transplants. After years of increases, the national numbers of live donors and those seeking transplants have declined at least partly for economic reasons, an expert says. What's more, 2008 was the first time in 20 years that there was a decline in the number of deceased donors used for transplants. More
Government Relations Action Alert
May 19, 2009
Urge Your Senators to Rescind the Hospice Rate Cut Regulation
ACTION NEEDED
Please contact your Senators today and urge them to sign the Specter, Harkin, Roberts, and Wyden Dear Colleague letter, asking President Obama to rescind the hospice rate cut regulation. This letter is similar to the House letter being submitted to President Obama, which garnered 169 signatures under the leadership of Representatives Van Hollen and Brown-Waite and with the support of NASW members. Without additional action, the moratorium on hospice rate cuts will expire later this year.
To send an e-mail: Click Take Action and add your name to a draft letter, which you can edit and e-mail to your Senators.
Background
A CMS regulation to reduce Medicare reimbursement to hospices by phasing out the hospice Budget Neutrality Adjustment Factor (BNAF) over a three-year period took effect on October 1, 2008. Fortunately, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a provision to delay implementation of the rule until September 30, 2009, thereby allowing hospice programs to continue providing high-quality and compassionate end-of-life care to more than 1.4 million individuals and families each year.
When the moratorium expires this autumn, however, the hospice rate cuts will be phased back in at an even greater magnitude for the next fiscal year. These cuts will cause many small, rural hospice programs to close their doors permanently, severely hindering patient access to essential services. Senators Arlen Specter, Tom Harkin, Pat Roberts, and Ron Wyden are circulating a letter to President Obama, asking him to rescind the hospice rate cut regulation immediately and enable hospices nationwide to continue fulfilling their crucial mission.
Thanks for your advocacy!
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