skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

What's in a Name? "Social Worker" Credentials Misused

play audio
Play

Thursday, July 21, 2011   

INDIANAPOLIS - An undercover video in Ohio has led to a misunderstanding that has spread to Indiana, and likely will travel beyond in the coming days. Social workers in the region are stepping forward to set the record straight.

The video, "Project Veritas," appears to show Ohio Medicaid employees helping illegal-immigrant Russian drug dealers apply for benefits. The men were actors, and articles about the video condemn the state employees while calling them "social workers."

However, Danielle Smith, associate director of the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), says they are not social workers, either by license or degree.

"When the title is incorrectly used, and especially when it's used on a negative story like this undercover video, it really drags down the profession and causes a lot of problems for those of us who are licensed social workers and who have degrees in social work."

Josephine Hughes, NASW's Indiana Chapter executive director, says there are often misunderstandings about social workers, but points out that the term shouldn't be used as a catch-all for someone who helps others. In fact, Indiana has a law about who can use the title.

"This is a professional designation restricted to those who have a MSW or BSW from an accredited school of social work, and/or are licensed by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency."

There are about 10,000 social workers in Indiana, and some who live in Indiana work in Ohio. NASW reports that most licensed Hoosiers work with children and families in school settings.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021