NASW Social Work Talks

Clawbacks are when an insurance company requires a provider to return money they've been paid in the past. Clawbacks can occur months, or even years, after the service has been provided. Rebekah Gewirtz, MPA, Executive Director of NASW's Massachusetts Chapter, speaks with us about how her chapter is fighting against clawbacks in her state.

NASW member Debra Walsh Keane talks about why libraries need social workers, the kinds of services library social workers provide, as well as the rewards and challenges of the job. Debra is the social work coordinator for the Jefferson County Public Library in the Denver area. She's also a member of the Public Library Association's Social Work Task Force. See the show notes for resources and a transcript. And if you liked this episode, please leave us a review in iTunes!

Ellen Kahn is a social worker and Director of the Children, Youth and Families Program at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). We speak with her about HRC's work to serve youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. See the show notes for resources and a transcript. If you like this episode, please leave us a review in iTunes!

Animals provide some of our most reliable, uncomplicated and valued relationships, which contributes to our health and well-being. Philip Tedeschi, LCSW, is Clinical Professor and Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work. We speak with Professor Tedeschi about the benefits of animal-assisted interventions in social work. See the show notes for resources and a transcript. If you like this episode, please leave us a review in iTunes!

Martha Gonzalez-Cortes is Senior Vice President of Community Investment at Kalamazoo Community Foundation in Michigan. She has a deep working knowledge of immigration policy issues, and a passion for finding systemic solutions to challenges faced by immigrant and refugee families. We speak with her about immigrant children in the United States who have been separated from their families, and what can be done to put an end to this inhumane practice. See the show notes for resources and a transcript. And if you liked this episode, please leave us a review in iTunes!

Athena Viscusi, LCSW, is a Psychosocial Care Specialist at Doctors Without Borders. She's directed mental health programs in Haiti, South Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Myanmar, and Palestine. She's hired, trained and supervised local workers in refugee camps and worked with clients in cholera and Ebola treatment centers. Prior to this, she was a community mental health provider in Washington, DC. She worked with immigrants and refugees, at a domestic violence shelter, and a homeless outreach and substance abuse treatment program. She also directed a gang intervention program that provided services to youth and their families.

Allison Peeler, LMSW, believes social workers need to drop the outdated story of "underworked and unpaid" and to redefine the way they view themselves and their earning capabilities. See show notes page for resources.

Valerie Arendt, MSW, MPP, discusses why it's so important for social workers to negotiate their salaries. Arendt is the Executive Director of NASW's North Carolina Chapter. See the show notes for resources, and please leave us a review on iTunes!

Suze Orman is a New York Times best-selling author and smart money expert. She hosted the award-winning "Suze Orman Show" on CNBC for 13 years. Her books include "Women & Money," "The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke" and "The Courage to be Rich." We spoke with her about balancing working in a helping profession and taking care of yourself first. See the show notes for resources and if you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review!

Social work has the highest debt-to-salary ratio of any profession. Robert Schachter, DSW, LMSW, describes how social workers in New York City advocated for pay equity in one of the highest cost-of-living cities in the country. Dr. Schachter served for 27 years as the Executive Director of the NASW New York City chapter.