Social Work Today magazine has just published the top ten list of social workers who were nominated by their peers for outstanding performance in the past year. We are proud to reprint these inspirational comments from the finalists in their own words.
Twenty years-ago it seemed like every family in the country was struggling with a teenager suffering from an “eating disorder”. In recent years this serious social, mental health, psychological, and medical problem seems to be garnering a lot less attention. Did we lick it, or have we just stopped talking about it?
A colleague recently wrote us and noted that we rarely cover the American Indian community in this blog. She was correct. We confess that our oversight is probably a reflection of a broader cultural blindness to Native American social issues in general. Perhaps this numbed sensitivity comes from the fact that Native Americans do not make as much noise as other underprivileged minorities. It seems to be part of their native dignity to suffer in silence without complaint and, unfortunately, in American social justice “the squeaky wheel gets the oil”.
Topics: Social Services Industry News
Topics: Social Services Industry News, education
Changing Times... Jewish Federations of North America
The Jewish Federations of North America brings together a network of 148 local federations which collectively raise and allocate more than $3 billion annually for social welfare, social services, and educational needs. The JFNA has spent three decades in an effort to create an ongoing mechanism that would productively connect local federations to a group of national Jewish organizations. Its mission was “to bring together seven national Jewish agencies and the Jewish federation network into a common space, promoting deeper relationships and creating synergy among them.”
Nonprofit's Role
There are 640,000 students currently registered in the Los Angeles Unified School District and 480,000 (75%) of them are Latinos. The LA. School Report reminds us that this past March 1st was the 50th anniversary of the big “blowout” when “thousands of young Latinos marched out of their East Los Angeles classrooms…for their right to be educated.”Topics: Social Services Industry News, Nonprofit General, education
The US Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) defines domestic violence as a "pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner". The definition adds that domestic violence "can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender" and can take many forms.
Topics: Social Services Industry News
It seems that society has always struggled with substance abuse. The human animal is uncomfortable with the constant torture of his normal brain chemistry and now and then seeks to escape to a more comfortable altered state. This, however, is a dangerous game. Apparently, we easily become addicted to the substances that alter brain chemistry and quickly slip into substance use disorders.
The Web
The modern era of nonprofit marketing began more than 25 years ago when nonprofits realized that without a website they were virtually out of business. Everyone went out immediately and launched a website.
Topics: Global Vision Technologies, Social Services Industry News, Nonprofit General