Social Work in the News – February 7, 2008

Mourning the victims with crosses, bunting, moments of silence …
Chicago Sun-Times
And at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, players and fans held a moment of silence at a girls basketball game in honor of a school social worker and the …

Wake County Social Worker Assaulted on the Job
WRAL.com – Raleigh, NC
Raleigh — Wake County Human Services is evaluating its security practices following an attack on a social worker at its offices on Tuesday. …

Changes proposed to deal with Children’s Administration workload
The Olympian – Olympia, WA
Jim Hargrove, chairman of the Senate Human Services Committee, pointed to a recent study that says the agency would need another 1500 social workers to do …

Central State shortfall costs 16 jobs
Louisville Courier-Journal – Louisville, KY
By Deborah Yetter Layoffs of 16 workers at Central State Hospital — including several psychologists and social workers — have alarmed advocates who say …

Killer’s life marked by poverty, crime
Tulsa World – Tulsa, OK
His life “offered him no opportunity — no opportunity for a way out,” said Linda Sanders, a Texas-based licensed clinical social worker. …

St. Elizabeth Regional Health employees receive certifications
Lafayette Online News – Lafayette, IN
… and Bronwen Everton, ACSW, LCSW, division director of Social Work/Discharge Planning; all completed coursework and received certifications as advance …

Social Work Safety – Diruhi Mattain

The safety of social workers across the country is brought to the attention of the public when a social worker is killed in the line of duty. This is an issue of great importance to the National Association of Social Workers and its 56 chapters every day. The recent tragedy of the murder of a social worker in Massachusetts brings to light the diminishing resources of social workers and the increasing complexity of client issues.

NASW expresses our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Diruhi Mattain. We also extend our sympathy to her colleagues at Family Continuity, Inc.

NASW has been called upon by the media to provide the social work perspective on this important issue. While we are working diligently to inform journalists of the issues affecting social workers, we strongly advocate that improved safety precautions be taken for all social workers. [Click here for Social Work Safety  information]