Spring 2026 Issue

Editor’s Note: Celebrating Our Silver Anniversary
By Heather Hogstrom
Social Work Today
Vol. 26 No. 2 P. 4

This year marks the 25th anniversary of Social Work Today. Looking back over that span of time, one of the most obvious changes has been the proliferation of electronic tools in social work practice. While now commonplace, telehealth services were new and unfamiliar just a decade or two ago. The next technology on the way to ubiquity is AI, which has skyrocketed in the last couple of years. AI tools are available to relieve the administrative burden for social workers by transcribing notes, crafting emails, scheduling clients, and more. However, it’s important to ensure that the tools are HIPAA compliant, clients’ sensitive data remains private, and therapeutic recommendations are based on professional judgement rather than AI-generated suggestions. For more on “What to Consider When Considering AI,” turn to page 14.

Also growing is the field of global social work. As discussed in “Social Work Without Borders,” social issues transcend national boundaries. Whether it’s by supporting refugee and immigrant populations here in the United States, serving in communities abroad, or learning how social work is practiced in different parts of the world, social workers can be involved in cross-cultural work and international issues that have widespread effects.

Another emerging topic is best practices in social worker safety, as discussed in the feature on page 10. Social workers face a disproportionate risk of assault and threats, which is often treated as simply part of the job. However, a proposed federal workplace violence prevention standard, paired with a culture shift in how organizations think about risk, could help make workplaces safer.

Finally, featured in this issue is “Keeping Veterans in PTSD Treatment,” which examines research on why veterans may not be engaged with PTSD psychotherapy. Veterans in trauma-focused therapy are caught between wanting to heal and trying to avoid emotional pain, resulting in about one-quarter of them dropping out. Social workers can help prepare veterans for the emotional realities of trauma-focused therapy and increase engagement by matching the right treatment with a veteran’s needs.

Thank you for your support over the last 25 years. Enjoy the issue!

— Heather Hogstrom
SWTeditor@gvpub.com