by Charles E Lewis Jr | Sep 20, 2026
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on August 6, in “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs,” that it aims to expand access, reduce red tape, and refocus the program on its core mission of preparing the nation’s most vulnerable...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Sep 15, 2026
The Supreme Court gave voters and state election officials a significant reprieve Monday by refusing to let the Trump administration’s new Postal Service restrictions take effect before the November midterm elections. Seven justices voted to deny the administration’s...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Sep 2, 2026
It was disturbing to learn of reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were arresting parents near school bus stops during pickup and drop-off times. How cruel must someone be to target parents and children near schools? Trump border czar Tom...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Aug 16, 2026
Social worker facilitating a neighborhood issues forum. Community organizing has been a mainstay of social work since its inception more than a century ago. It remains a significant focus of where we put our resources to work. In some ways, it is so ingrained in our...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jul 29, 2026
Of the numerous books on writing I’ve read, one that stands out is “Show, Don’t Tell: A Writer’s Guide” by William Noble. It taught me that rather than describing the mood or setting, show the action. Rather than tell the reader that the character was angry, describe...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jul 3, 2026
Despite troubling policies and actions by the current administration in the White House, social workers should embrace the Declaration of Independence’s yet-unfulfilled aspirations as the nation celebrates 250 years of existence. Public opinion suggests that the...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jul 1, 2026
Effective today, July 1, 2026, most incoming MSW students face a new and troubling financial reality. They will no longer be eligible for federal Grad PLUS loans, which many graduate students have relied on to cover the difference between ordinary federal aid and the...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jun 16, 2026
What will Democrats do if they regain the levers of governmental power? Where is their governing plan? What policies, programs, and priorities will they pursue during the first two years? This is what Americans are waiting to hear. Yes, we want the MAGA regime reined...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jun 9, 2026
From left: CRISP Director Charles Lewis, Jr.; former Congressman Ed Towns; Mayor Karen Bass; National Catholic School of Social Service Dean Jo Ann Regan; and former NASW CEO Angelo McClain at the 2018 CRISP Awards ceremony. Karen Bass was elected to Congress in 2010,...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | Jun 2, 2026
Social workers and nurses have one month to preserve their existing access to federal graduate student loans. Under the Department of Education’s Reimagining and Improving Student Education (RISE) final rule, published on May 1 and scheduled to take effect on July 1,...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | May 17, 2026
Some of you will remember this headline as the title of a book written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in the aftermath of the Montgomery boycott and March on Washington. The impetus for writing the book was the now-renowned “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” which he...
by Charles E Lewis Jr | May 11, 2026
CRISP is proud to announce that Dr. Angelique Day, our Legislative Director, has accepted an appointment at Oxford University’s Rees Center as Senior Academic Research Leader in Children’s Social Care. This is a significant professional achievement for Dr. Day, but it...