Congress has recognized the critical role that social workers play in the everyday challenges faced by our nation and recently held a hearing in the House of Representatives to determine the role of social work in the future. On July 29, the House Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities held the first hearing on the profession of social work. You can view the hearing, “Caring for the Vulnerable: The State of Social Work in America,” here. This hearing is an important milestone for the Social Work Reinvestment Initiative.

In order to better reach you and your colleagues, who lead very busy lives, NASW has added renewal courtesy calls to the membership renewal process. These courtesy calls will be made around the time of your membership expiration date as a helpful reminder to renew your NASW membership so you continue your benefits uninterrupted. You will be able to renew your membership immediately over the phone, as well as renew your ACSW credential or Specialty Practice Sections membership. If you prefer to renew online instead, or via the renewal invoice mailed to you, please do. It is an exciting time to be an NASW member, and we are making every effort to make sure you are a part of it. For more information on the renewal courtesy calls, email NASW Membership Services at membership@naswdc.org, or call 800.742.4089 or 202.408.8600 ext. 499.

FREE to all NASW members, the NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) Amicus Brief Database offers more than 30 years of “friend of the court” briefs filed with the courts by, or on behalf of, NASW. These briefs ensure that a social work perspective is represented in cases of interest to our profession. View the database here. You will need your NASW username and password to log in. Forgot your username or password? At the Member Login page, simply click “Forgot your username or password?” Or, call Membership Services at 800.742.4089 or 202.408.8600 ext. 499.

Study Tip: Find other helpful resources for your studies in the NASW Student Starter Toolkit.

California’s recent decision on same-sex marriages is setting a foundation for change in the legal treatment of sexual orientation. Find out more about the watershed ruling and NASW’s involvement in “Social Workers and the California Same-Sex Marriage Cases.” Click here. You will need your NASW username and password to log in. If you cannot remember your username or password, click “Forgot your username or password?” at the Member Login page. Or, call Membership Services at 800.742.4089 or 202.408.8600 ext. 499.

If you were contacted recently to participate in the Clinical Social Work Practice Information Survey, we urge you to complete the survey today. The results of this comprehensive multi-specialty survey of clinical social workers and other health care professionals will determine payment for clinical social workers who render psychotherapy services, as well as determine accurate and fair representation for clinical social workers. For more information, click here.

You still can earn the free CEU for a past NASW Lunchtime Teleconference or SPS practice teleconference by listening to the conference’s pod cast, downloading the audio file, or reading the transcript. Click here to view the NASW Lunchtime Teleconference archives and here to view the SPS practice teleconference archives. The NASW Lunchtime Series is free and exclusively for NASW members. The SPS Practice Teleconference Series is free and exclusively for NASW Specialty Practice Sections members.

COMING SOON! NASW Lunchtime Teleconference and SPS practice teleconference schedules for 2008-09.