The NASW Iowa Chapter (NASW-IA) worked with the NASW Foundation and the University of Iowa School of Social Work, in 2018-2019, to assess the Iowa social work labor force. The initiative was funded by a generous $50,000 grant from the Telligen Community Initiative.   “We wanted to gather information in a concise and organized way that would allow us to make the case that we need more professional social workers in the state of Iowa and how professional social workers...

September is FASD Awareness Month, an opportunity to highlight social work’s critical role in participating in FASD assessment and referrals, providing FASD-informed services, and advocating for individuals and families living with FASDs. But it is also a reminder and a call to action: Primary prevention of alcohol use during pregnancy can reduce the prevalence of FASDs. Social workers are encouraged to put prevention into practice by screening clients for risky alcohol use,...

National Women’s Health Week—May 12-18—is a reminder for all women to take care of themselves and to make their personal health a priority. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health created National Women’s Health Week, now in its 20th year, to encourage women to build positive health habits.    The recommendations—familiar but often overlooked in our stressful, busy lives—merit repeating: eat...