Organizations and Links
The following are brief descriptions of a variety of useful organizations, including website information. If there are other organizations you would like to bring to the attention of AASCIPSW membership, please inform Jayne Kleinman, jjk1009@hotmail.com 203-631-4800.
The Abilities Expopresents expositions around the country in various locations, showing independent and assisted living products and services dedicated to helping to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Abilities Expo also offers a full line up of free consumer and professional workshops, offered by leading individuals in the healthcare, education, and retail fields. http://www.abilitiesexpo.com/IAEBrandManager/v42/index.cvn
ABLEDATA provides information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States. ABLEDATA provides a database of assistive technology containing information on more than 34,000 assistive products (over 22,000 of which are currently available). This data base is available on the Web www.abledata.com
The Action Network for Social Work Education and Research (ANSWER) was created in 1995 to provide specific resources to strengthen advocacy efforts related to the social work research infrastructure, as well as a number of specific efforts related to social work education and training. http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/answer/default.asp
The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the national medical society representing more than 7,000 physicians and physiatristswho specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. They treat acute and chronic pain, and musculoskeletal problems, tendonitis, pinched nerves, and fibromyalgia. They also treat catastrophic injurires resulting in paraplegia, quadriplegia, or traumatic brain injury; and individuals who have had strokes, orthopedic injuries, or neurologic disorders such as multiple sclerosis, polio, or ALS. www.aapmr.org
The American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologist and Social Workers is an organization of psychologists and social workers who provide for the emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial care of persons with spinal cord injuries or disorders. AASCIPSW, incorporated in 1986, operates exclusively for scientific, charitable and educational purposes and provides members the opportunity to develop and refine leadership skills through active participation in the Association. http://www.aascipsw.org
The American Case Management Association (ACMA) is the first and only non-profit membership organization for Hospital/Health System Case Management professionals.http://www.acmaweb.org
The American Network of Home Health Care Social Workers is a professional association organized for the benefit of social workers employed in home health care settings. http://www.socialworkers.org/swportal/details.asp?pVal=5&pType=2
The American Psychological Association (APA) is a scientific and professional organization that represents psychologists in the United States. With 148,000 members, APA is the largest association of psychologists worldwide. APA seeks to advance psychology as a science and profession and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare by the encouragement of psychology in all its branches in the broadest and most liberal manner, the promotion of research in psychology and the improvement of research methods and conditions, the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of psychologists through high standards of ethics, conduct, education, and achievement, the establishment and maintenance of the highest standards of professional ethics and conduct. www.apa.org/about
The American Public Health Association–Social Work Section was established in 1970 and provides a focus for social work within the American Public Health Association. The section provides an opportunity for social workers to collaborate with other health professionals and the general public around APHA activities designed to develop health policy to improve the quality of life. http://hshp.syr.edu/aphasw/index.htm.
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is the oldest and largest organization of public health professionals in the world. The association works to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats. APHA represents a broad array of health officials, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health providers at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions. http://www.apha.org
The American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) is an organization of rehabilitation counseling practitioners, educators, and students who are concerned with improving the lives of people with disabilities and enhancing their development throughout their life span. They work to promote excellence in the rehabilitation counseling profession rehabilitation in counseling practice, research, consultation, and professional development. http://www.arcaweb.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx
The Association for Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) is a membership organization for community organizers, activists, nonprofit administrators, community builders, policy practitioners, students and educators. http://www.acosa.org
The Association of VA Social Workers encourages development of comprehensive social work services to veteran beneficiaries through education and training, leadership, promotion, and the sharing of information to enhance the effectiveness of social work. The Association also advocates for the recruitment, retention, and increased recognition of VA social workers. http://www.vasocialworkers.org
The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is a federation of nine provincial and one territorial social work organizations providing a national leadership role in strengthening and advancing the social work profession in Canada. www.casw-acts.ca
The Consortium for Spinal Cord Medicineprovides evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to health care practitioners based on current research findings, graded by expert methodologists for scientific strength and validity. The Consortium updates these guidelines and develops new ones and promotes a SCI/D research agenda that encourages scientific rigor and outcome evaluation. There are both print versions and downloadable versions of the guidelines. http://www.pva.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pubs_main
The Council on Social Work Education is (CSWE) is a nonprofit national association representing more than 3,000 individual members as well as graduate and undergraduate programs of professional social work education. Founded in 1952, this partnership of educational and professional institutions, social welfare agencies, and private citizens is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the sole accrediting agency for social work education in this country. http://www.cswe.org/CSWE/About
Influencing State Policy (ISP) assists social work faculty and students in learning to effectively influence the formation, implementation, and evaluation of state-level policy and legislation. Please explore our site to learn more about ISP and use the resources provided. http://www.statepolicy.org
The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) seeks to enrich the quality of life for everyone affected by multiple sclerosis. With a wide array of programs and services and ongoing support and direct services to people with MS and their families, MSAA also serves to promote greater understanding of multiple sclerosis and the diverse needs and challenges of people with MS. http://www.msaa.com
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. They work to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. http://www.socialworkers.org NASW has created a portal http://www.socialworkers.org/swportal which includes social work organizations and NASW chapters. WebEd is the venue for online course offerings. http://www.naswwebed.org. Advocacy information is available at http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/answer/events/default.asp.
The National Network for Social Work Managers is dedicated to equipping people-centered leaders. Individual members are middle and upper level managers from 38 states and two countries outside the U.S., 0rganizational members include educational institutions, service agencies and a variety of private organizations. www.socialworkmanager.org
The National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) seeks to promote ethical and excellent practice in rehabilitation. As the oldest advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, NRA provides advocacy, awareness, and career advancement for rehab counselors, physical, speech, and occupational therapists, job trainers, consultants, independent living instructors and other professionals involved in the advocacy of programs and services for people with disabilities. http://www.nationalrehab.org/website/history/index.html
The National Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NRCA) was founded in 1958 to represent the unique concerns of practicing rehabilitation counselors. NRCA is the largest national organization representing rehabilitation counselors practicing in a variety of work settings: private non-profit agencies, hospital-medical settings, educational programs, private-for-profit businesses, state/federal agencies, private practice, unions, and others. NRCA advances rehabilitation counseling as a profession and dedicates itself to the pursuit of self fulfillment for all persons with disabilities. http://nrca-net.org
The National Spinal Cord Injury Association was founded in 1948. It the nation’s oldest and largest civilian organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of Americans living with the results of spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D) and their families. NSCIA provides a Peer Support Network and raises awareness about spinal cord injury and disease through education programs developed to address information and issues important to our constituency, policy makers, the general public, and the media.
http://www.spinalcord.org
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with SCI/D as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans’ benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights. http://www.pva.org/site/PageServer?pagename=homepage
The Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) is an interdisciplinary association made up of people with common interests in technology and disability. RESNA seeks to improve the potential of people with disabilities by promoting research, development, education, advocacy and provision of technology, and by supporting the people engaged in these activities. http://www.resna.org/index.php
Rehabilitation Psychology Division 22 of the American Psychological Association was established in 1956 as one of the earliest Divisions in APA. Division 22 members conducted the early research on individual, interpersonal, and social changes related to changes in appearance and physical capacity, as well as the social psychology of stereotyping and prejudice faced by persons with disability. Members work to change attitudes towards persons with disability from pity, charity, and aversion to understanding and acceptance. http://www.apa.org/divisions/div22/history.html
The Social Welfare Action Alliance is a national organization of progressive workers in social welfare. They send out “Advocacy Alerts” emails where immediate response is needed at www.socialwelfareactionalliance.org
The Social Work Health Leadership Foundation (SWHLF) was established in 2005 by members of the Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care to support the advancement of social work leadership in health care and eventually fund research in the field. http://www.sswlhc.org/html/swhlf.html.
TASH is an international membership association focusing on research, education, and advocacy. TASH members are people with disabilities, family members, fellow citizens, advocates, and professionals working together to create change and build capacity so that all people, no matter their perceived level of disability, are included in all aspects of society. There are twenty-five chapters and thousands of members from thirty-four different countries and territories. http://www.tash.org/who_we_are.html
United Spinal Association is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to providing expertise, creating access to resources and strengthening hope, thereby enabling people with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) to fulfill their potential as active members of their communities. Unite Spinal seeks to ensure quality health care, promote research, advocate for civil rights and independence, educate the public, and enlist its help in expanding opportunities for all paralyzed Americans. http://www.unitedspinal.org