[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Pages 16888-16889]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       60TH ANNIVERSARY OF NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I wish to recognize and commend the 
National Association of Social Workers,

[[Page 16889]]

NASW, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Today NASW 
is the largest membership organization of professional social workers 
in the world, with 130,000 members, including 3,500 in my home State of 
Maryland. As a social worker myself, I am proud to be a dues-paying, 
card-carrying member of NASW, and I congratulate them on 60 wonderful 
years.
  In 1955, seven organizations had the vision to come together to form 
NASW in an effort to unify and strengthen the social work profession. 
The visionary leaders of those organizations understood that we can 
achieve more when we work together.
  And they have achieved so much. In the six decades since NASW's 
founding, members have been on the front lines, advocating and 
organizing for just causes such as fighting for child welfare and 
juvenile justice, working to end poverty, and protecting victims of 
domestic violence. NASW was directly involved in passing the Civil 
Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and the Violence Against Women Act 
and supported the creation of Medicaid and Medicare. I have seen the 
importance of this work firsthand, as I began my own career as a social 
worker in Baltimore, helping at-risk children and educating seniors 
about the Medicare program.
  NASW has been there time and again, to help social workers do what 
they do best--care for people at every stage and every age. Social 
workers reach every part of our communities, from hospitals and mental 
health clinics to corporations and schools. Working every day and in 
every way for others, social workers truly put service above 
themselves. They meet people where they are--in their communities, in 
their homes, in their everyday lives.
  I am so glad that NASW has been such a wonderful champion and 
partner, fighting to make sure social workers have what they need to 
make a difference for countless people nationwide. From professional 
development, to ethics consultation, to publications on standards and 
changing trends in the profession, NASW continues to make a difference 
in the social work profession as it reaches its 60 year mark.
  Social workers do so much, and they deserve someone in their corner 
who works as hard for them as they work for others. That is why I was 
proud to reintroduce the Social Work Reinvestment Act this year, which 
would create a National Coordination Center for supporting and sharing 
the good work and research that social workers are doing around the 
country. The bill also includes grant funding for education, training, 
and research; and it is going to help address the social worker 
shortage with better recruitment, retention, and compensation. Just 
this month, I was also glad to be an original cosponsor of the 
Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015, which would help seniors 
gain access to vital mental health services provided by social workers 
through the Medicare Program.
  Social workers constantly seek solutions that reduce economic 
inequality, racism, hunger, and all forms of discrimination. They also 
ensure access to health care and mental health care for our Nation's 
most vulnerable populations. For the past 60 years, NASW members have 
cleared paths to brighter days in America. And I am excited for what 
social workers and NASW will do in the next 60 years. Thank you.

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