SENATOR LACHOWICZ NAMED LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR BY NASW

Posted: June 24, 2014 | Senator Lachowicz

Social work organization praises Lachowicz for her leadership and commitment to social work practices

 

AUGUSTA – Democratic Senator Colleen Lachowicz of Waterville received the ‘Legislator of the Year Award’ from the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers for her work advancing social work practices during the second session of the 126th Legislature.

Senator Lachowicz receives her award from President-Elect Cathleen Dunlap

 

“I am truly honored to receive this award and to have the opportunity to stand up for all Mainers,” said Senator Lachowicz, a licensed clinical social worker. “In my position as Senator, I am committed to fighting to improve the quality of life for people in the state of Maine and ensuring their unimpeded access to services.”

 

The NASW – Maine Chapter, with approximately 1,300 members, is the major professional social work organization in the state. Each year the board of directors names a ‘Legislator of the Year,’ who has shown leadership in public policy surrounding issues important to the social work profession. Previous recipients of the award include Senator Emily Cain and Representative Peggy Rotundo.

 

“It was a pleasure to honor one of our own this year,” said executive director Susan Dore Lamb. “Senator Lachowicz exemplifies the best of the profession’s values and has shown great leadership in bringing critical issues to the attention of her colleagues.”

 

During the 2014 legislative session, Senator Lachowicz sponsored bills to expand health insurance coverage for children with autism and ensure that cancer patients and other residents of hospice and nursing homes have access to non-smoked forms of medical marijuana.

 

Senator Lachowicz also supported bills to increase safety for victims of domestic violence, prevent child abuse and neglect, and create a task force to end student hunger in Maine. She supported a supplemental state budget that restores proposed cuts by Governor LePage to critical education funding, eliminates and reduces waitlists for people with disabilities to get critical homecare services, and increases funding to Maine nursing homes.

 

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