LEADING FROM POSSSIBILITY

In the face of all the challenging and fascinating issues that come to the profession and the Chapter, we have a wonderful ‘good news’ announcement about one of our many dedicated NASW members. If I had a trumpet I would sound a congratulations blast. Here is to Ms. Melinda Strauss, former chair of the MA Chapter’s LGBT Shared Interest Group that has been meeting since the 1980s. Melinda is being honored with several other mothers by Keshet, an organization that works for the full inclusion and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews in Jewish life.

Melinda, LICSW, and 6 other women are the founding members of the Keshet Parent and Family Connection, a national mentoring and leadership program for Jewish parents and family members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Jews. This group provides confidential peer support to parents and other family members dealing with any state of their child’s or family members coming out process and to young adults struggling with how to tell their families about their identities. All the mentors have worked through their own process of accepting, understanding and celebrating their children and their identities.

Melinda, dear mentor, we honor you as a fierce and loving mother, a highly dedicated professional social worker and a supreme mench!