By Janlee Wong, NASW-CA Executive Director
As we celebrate this holiday, all social workers should exercise lots of self care, being with family and friends, pets and nature. Enjoy a nice meal and some fun entertainment. My family and I saw the Nutcracker and Charlie Brown’s Christmas in DC. The highlight was the National “Zoo Lights,” so festive and some of animals enjoyed it too (bison). We needed this because we’ve had to endure another year of anti-family federal policies. From separation of children and families, inhuman detention facilities, to work requirements for Medicaid recipients (most are children and the elderly, disabled) and continued threats to the Affordable Care Act and Medicare, Social Security. We need healthcare reform (Medicare for All) badly because insurers and healthcare corporations charging enormous amounts and making it difficult to get needed mental health care on a timely basis. So take care of yourself and store up enough good feelings to work hard on political action for the 2020 election year. We hope by this time next year, things will be better and we’ll once again have the necessary policies to help our clients.
