This article summarizes recommendations following the domains of awareness, knowledge, and skills in the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice (NASW, 2001) to support culturally attuned social work practice with multiracial people. We argue that a culturally attuned practice approach, one that is inclusive of multiraciality is not only timely, but also consistent with the profession's ethical obligation to provide culturally relevant services to all consumers and clients.

This article draws from an interdisciplinary body of scholarship, including social work, to highlight both shared and distinct experiences among multiracial populations. We posit that by comprehending the experiences of multiracial people and how multiracial identities are influenced by multisystemic factors, including the intersection of other identities (for example, gender, socioeconomic status, sexuality), we can expand rather than constrict the lens social workers use to understand ethnic and cultural identity processes within and across diverse groups. This article guides social workers through the first phase of competence--initially expanding our knowledge, awareness, and skills to be more inclusive of multiracial individuals and families. By introducing an initial discussion of this topic, we hope to challenge traditional notions of homogeneous racial groups and expand our commitment to the growing group of people who identify as multiracial.  Complete article.

Teaching Empathy: a Framework Rooted in Social Cognitive Neuroscience and Social Justice     

Shortly after World War II, social scientists attempting to understand the atrocities of the Holocaust began searching for explanations about the catastrophic failures of humanity that had occurred during the conflict. One of their most basic discoveries was the importance and centrality of empathy in sustaining the social contract (Laub & Auerhhhn, 1989). Lack of empathy underlies the worst things human beings can do to one another; high empathy underlies the best. Social work can almost be seen as an organized manifestation of empathy--to such an extent that social work educators and practitioners sometimes take it for granted. We propose that a targeted and structured explication of empathy is an extremely useful, if not essential, foundation for all social work theory and practice. Moreover, recent advances in the analysis of subjective human experience and corresponding activity in the brain have helped define the components of empathy both as a subjectively experienced phenomenon and as an observable activation of identifiable "neural networks." We posit that both the analytical and physiological identification of empathy will be of great benefit to social work educators and practitioners.  Continue here.

Social and Emotional Learning Programmes That Work 

This article summarises the key findings and and implications of three large-scale systematic reviews of outcome research on the impact of SEL programmes for school-age children and young people (ages 5-18).  The Universal Review, Indicated Review and After-School Review addressed whether SEL programmes:  (1) significantly improve participants' skills, attitudes, behaviours and academic performance; (2) are effective in school and after school; and (3) have features that are associated with more positive effect.  Click here for more.

. . . In the wake of this most recent tragedy, our attention has appropriately turned to gun control. After every mass shooting there is a clarion call for restrictions on guns. Usually, little is done on this front. However, the spate of mass shootings and the death toll of young people in the streets of Chicago and other cities, make this the moment for significant controls. And, we know we need more. The lessons from Newtown and Chicago also require that we address the root causes of this violence. 

The Newtown shooting also evokes a rational focus on school safety. Ultimately, keeping our children safe is the highest priority. And, in fact, all data show that our schools remain the safest place for children. Unfortunately, some of the early reactions, rooted in the well-intentioned desire to do something swiftly to protect young people, revolved around placing more security and more guns in schools. The first of these calls came from the National Rifle Association which believes the answer is an armed officer at every school. Other proposals include increasing law enforcement in schools,

Sponsored by Nickelodeon and the NEA Foundation, NEA Foundation-Nickelodeon Big Help Grants provide up to $5,000 to K-8 public school educators in the United States.  The Big Help Grants program is dedicated to the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches to addressing four key concerns - environmental awareness, health and wellness, students' right to a quality public education, and active community involvement. The grants target these four concerns as areas of great promise in helping students in the twenty-first century develop a global awareness that encourages and enables them to make a difference in their world.  Applicants must be practicing U.S public school teachers or public school education support professional.  The application process is the same as for the NEA Foundation's Student Achievement grants. Applicants should specify that their request is for the Big Help Grants program in their application.  Application deadlines are February 1, 2013 and June 1, 2013.  Link to RFP.