Dear NASW Members - National Association of Social Workers

Dear NASW Members:
We are very pleased to provide the NASW membership with a summary of the organization’s activities
from the last 15 months. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished with a small, yet focused, group of
committed staff and organizational leaders when the full power of 150,000 members is behind them.
We hope this special insert to the July 2007 NASW NEWS gives you a sense of how the collective
resources of our organization—including membership dollars, non-dues revenue, and donations—have
been used to both advance the mission and impact of the social work profession, and support the
professional growth of our members.
On behalf of the NASW national and chapter staff, as well as the volunteer leadership of the Association,
thank you for letting us serve you this year.
Sincerely,
Elvira Craig de Silva, President
MARCH 2006
NASW Center for Workforce Studies
releases findings from the first national
study of licensed social workers which
shows an impending shortage of social
workers in services for children and the
elderly. NASW Aging Initiative launches
with the Social Work Month 2007
theme, “Life’s Journey.” A new SocialWorkChat.org feature is made available
to all members. The final report from
the 2005 Social Work Congress is
released; it includes proposed action
strategies for 2005-2010 from leading
social work organizations.
APRIL 2006
NASW presents at the Child Welfare
League of America (CWLA) Symposium,
“Reducing Disproportionality in the
Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice and
Education Systems.” NASW co-sponsors
“Pain Management at the End of Life”
teleconference with Hospice Foundation
of America. NASW is represented at the
United Nations Disaster Management
Training Institute. Also, Social Work
Day at the UN is well attended and
addresses disasters, poverty and violence
against children.
MAY 2006
NASW National Social Work Award
recipients are announced. This year’s
honorees include Political Activist
Barbara Boatright (IA), Professor and
Community Organizer Darlene Grant
(TX), International Scholar M.C. Terry
Hokenstad (OH), as well as Michigan
Governor Jennifer Granholm and HIV
Community Activist Anthony Gillespie
(IN). NASW helps defeat a U.S. Senate
bill, Health Insurance Marketplace
Modernization Affordability Act S. 1955
that proposed to undo state health
insurance consumer coverage protection.
JUNE 2006
NASW hosts the first in a series of three
town hall meetings to discuss health
disparities in end of life care; the grant
was provided by the Aetna Foundation.
The NASW NEWS wins its second
consecutive Excel Award for association
publication excellence. NASW cosponsors a Hill briefing to celebrate the
10th anniversary of Jaffee v. Redmond –
a Supreme Court decision that
recognized the confidentiality of patient-
Betsy Clark, Executive Director
therapist communication. A social
worker was the plaintiff in the case and
Roll Call covered the briefing. The
NASW Press releases Ethical Standards
in Social Work.
JULY 2006
The U.S. delegation to the International
Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
World Conference in Munich develops a
joint policy on AIDS and human rights,
and presents workshops on social work
ethics, public education and NGO
development strategies. 80 countries
attend. Social work is cited among eight
“best careers for job satisfaction” by a
Wall Street Journal/Career Journal poll.
The fifth WebEd online CE course
launches: HIV/AIDS—The Social
Worker’s Role.
AUGUST 2006
NASW President launches “Weaving the
Fabrics of Diversity” presidential
initiative. NASW co-sponsors national
VOICE Awards with SAMHSA to
recognize positive Hollywood portrayals
of mental illness. The National
Association of Professional Geriatric
Case Managers approves the NASW
case management specialty certification
as a provision of active NAPGCM
membership. The NASW Press releases
Finding Help for Struggling Teens.
SEPTEMBER 2006
A Social Work Ethics Summit is
convened to explore future implications,
applications and education of the
NASW Code of Ethics. The first of
four Help Starts Here campaign ads is
published in O, The Oprah Magazine;
it features a youth development success
story. NASW participates in the
Congressional Black Caucus Annual
Conference, and helps celebrate the
100th anniversary of social workers in
healthcare at Massachusetts General
Hospital.
OCTOBER 2006
Sales of the new Help Starts Here
campaign postage stamp begin. The
NASW Foundation and NASW Social
Work Pioneers® honor Knee/Wittman
Award Recipient, Paula Allen-Meares,
dean of the University of Michigan
School of Social Work, for her lifetime
achievements in health and mental
health. The second campaign
advertisement in O Magazine features a
cancer survivorship story. NASW
participates in the Hispanic Caucus
Institute and Public Policy Conference.
NASW leadership responds to the tragic
death of a Kentucky social services aide.
Related stories air on CNN’s Nancy
Grace, Court TV and in the Associated
Press.
FEBRUARY 2007
NASW Social Work Pioneers® host the
second Social Work Reinvestment
Listening Conference. U.S.
Representative Adolphus Towns
introduces H.R. 425 to support social
work evaluations in the workplace.
NASW legal counsel is interviewed on
CNN’s Lou Dobbs program about drug
testing in schools.
NOVEMBER 2006
Historic U.S.-China Social Work Forum
is held in Beijing, China. Findings from
a national survey of Sandwich
Generation women, co-sponsored by
NASW and the New York Academy of
Medicine, are featured in USA Today,
CBS Early Show and UPI. NASW Social
Work Pioneers® host the first of two
Social Work Reinvestment Listening
Conferences. The third campaign
advertisement in O Magazine features a
veteran’s counseling story. NASW
provides testimony at the U.S.
Department of Labor about fair student
loan repayment. Most NASW endorsed
candidates win in the mid-term elections.
MARCH 2007
NASW celebrates the first World Social
Work Day (March 27) by launching a
Web portal with search access to more
than 100 social work organizations and
schools. New sites will be added
throughout the year. NASW’s Health
Initiative is launched with the Social
Work Month 2007 theme, “Hope and
Health.” Social Work Day at the United
Nations focuses on best practices for
women in development. Newly elected
U.S. Representative Carol Shea Porter
introduces H.R. 266 to commemorate
National Professional Social Work
Month. Several legislators offer
supporting comments throughout the
day which are aired on C-SPAN.
DECEMBER 2006
The fourth campaign advertisement in O
Magazine features a senior support story.
The New York State Court rules on the
forensic expertise of social workers.
Social workers are lauded as “masters of
the difficult art of formulating treatment
plans.” NASW co-sponsors the 5th
International Conference on Social Work
in Health and Mental Health in Hong
Kong, China. The NASW Press releases
Our Diverse Society.
JANUARY 2007
U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye introduces
the National Center for Social Work
Research Act S.106 and the Strengthen
Social Work Training Act S.64 in the
110th Congress. NASW meets with U.S.
Department of State officials to explore
recruiting more social workers to the
international workforce. NASW amicus
curiae briefs address same sex marriage
(MD), school desegregation (WA), and
mental health record privacy (MD).
Favorable rulings are achieved on a
same sex marriage case (NJ) and a gay
foster care parents case (AR). NASW
Board of Directors approves new cultural
competence indicators for the profession.
APRIL 2007
NASW chapter and national leaders
convene for a national lobby day to
kick-off legislative action for the Social
Work Reinvestment Initiative. U.S.
Senator Barbara Mikulski introduces the
Clinical Medicare Social Work Equity
Act S. 1212. The NASW Center for
Workforce Studies adds a searchable
clearinghouse on its Web site and makes
the national social work survey data sets
available to researchers. NASW and the
Case Management Society partner on
Transitions of Care meta-guidelines.
MAY 2007
NASW Legal Defense Fund releases a
new Law Note, “Social Workers and the
Legal Rights of Children.” May 2 is
designated National Mental Health
Parity Day by a bipartisan coalition in
the U.S. House of Representatives.
NASW is a strong proponent of H.R.
1424. NASW hires a national firm to
help draft the Social Work Reinvestment
Act. The NASW Press releases
Foundations of Social Work Practice,
4th Edition.
BUDGET
MEMBERS
NASW National serves members and the social work profession on an
annual budget of approximately $19 million. One-half of that amount is
derived from membership dues which are divided equally between the
national office and each member’s state chapter. The other half is
generated through revenue producing activities, such as publication and
label sales, affinity programs, section memberships, specialty credentials
and advertising. In addition, the NASW Foundation secures donations and
grants every year to support projects such as the National Social Work
Public Education Campaign and the NASW Social Work Pioneers® Legacy
Project. NASW’s Political Action and Candidate Election Fund (PACE) and
Legal Defense Fund (LDF) also depend on member donations. One-third
of NASW’s members contribute to one or more of these auxiliary funds
annually. The NASW Insurance Trust is another related entity which offers
competitive insurance coverage to members.
NASW Members are accomplished practitioners, educators, researchers,
policymakers and students. 70% of active NASW members are full dues
paying regular members. Approximately 30% are partially subsidized
members, including students, gold card members and transitional student
members. Of the regular members, 91% hold master’s degrees in social
work from CSWE accredited colleges and universities; 5% hold doctorate
degrees; and 4% hold a bachelor’s degree. 94% of these members are
licensed, certified or registered in their respective jurisdictions. 45% of
regular NASW members work only in organizational settings; 23% work
only in private practice; 18% work in both, and nine percent are not
currently employed in social work. The average NASW member is 51 years
old (median age) and female (80%) with at least 16 years of experience.
When asked to indicate primary, secondary and tertiary practice areas,
52% of members select “mental health.”
ASSOCIATION OBJECTIVE
BENEFITS / FUNCTIONS
ACTIVITIES / RESULTS
Professional Development
Books and Journals
Continuing Education Credits
Credentials and Certifications
JobLink Employment Bank
Student Scholarships
•
•
•
•
1,162 employers posted 2,267 positions for 10,553 social workers on JobLink since Jan. 2006.
Social workers from 80 countries have completed WebEd courses 95,000 times.
40,000 members hold the ACSW credential.
More than $50,000 was awarded to student scholarship recipients in FY 2006.
Public Policy & Advocacy
Amicus Curiae Briefs
Coalitions and Partnerships
Lobbying and Political Action
Public and Practice Policy
Social Work Reinvestment
Workforce Research
•
•
•
•
NASW participates in more than 100 national coalitions and partnerships.
NASW filed 15 amicus briefs since Jan. 2006 and launched an online brief bank.
75% of NASW-endorsed candidates won their races in the 2006 mid-term election.
Social Work Dictionary and Social Work Speaks are NASW Press best sellers.
Practice Protection & Advancement
Code of Ethics Reviews
Insurance Services
Legal Guidance
Practice Standards
Research Journals
Specialty Practice Sections
•
•
•
•
•
18,000 members belong to nine practice sections; a 15% increase since Jan. 2006.
70,000 members currently hold NASW liability insurance coverage.
12 NASW Standards for Practice guides are current and available online.
Social Work remains one of the most cited social science journals in the world.
The most downloaded document on the NASW Web site is the Code of Ethics.
Governance & Leadership
Annual Leadership Meeting
Chapter Management
Delegate Assembly
Leadership Committees
National Board of Directors
• Association leaders launched the President's Diversity Initiative and the Social Work
Reinvestment Initiative this year.
• More than 180 new volunteer leaders were appointed to 44 national committees.
Operations & Stewardship
Facilities and Procurement
Financial Management
Grants Management
Human Resources
Information Technology
Membership Support
• NASW Foundation received $2.1 million in grants and donations in FY 2006.
• NASW launched a new member campaign with welcome packets and follow-up calls.
• On average, the NASW Call Center responds to 15,000 member calls every month.
Branding & Promotion
Affinity Programs
Fund Development
Graphic Design
Media and Public Relations
Membership Communications
Merchandise and Label Sales
Public Education Campaign
Web Services
•
•
•
•
SocialWorkers.org has been visited more than 6.5 million times since Jan. 2006.
62 schools of social work sponsored the Help Starts Here public education campaign.
Social workers purchased more than 134,000 Help Starts Here postage stamps in eight months.
Social work was cited as a top career choice by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. News &
World Report and The Boston Globe this year.
ALABAMA
The Alabama Chapter collaborated
with the State Department of
Education to provide CE and
professional development
opportunities for school social
workers. The chapter’s successful
conference this March, “Diversity of
Help,” included workshops on
school social work, death and dying,
foster care, culture awareness,
prison populations, addictions,
HIV/AIDS, and spirituality.
ALASKA
The Alaska Chapter installed a new
executive director this year.
Membership is up and they have
instituted a new teleconferencing
option for the Anchorage area. CEU
classes now reach more rural social
work colleagues. The chapter is also
using technology to offer more
networking opportunities to members.
ARIZONA
The Arizona Chapter, in partnership
with the Arizona State University
School of Social Work and the
Arizona Coalition of Human Service
Providers, developed a state-of-the
art continuing education series. The
chapter linked social workers in
Flagstaff, Tucson and Phoenix via
large television screens, a satellite
uplink and speaker phones. The
chapter also created a Supervisors’
Academy to meet training needs
created by recent licensure laws.
ARKANSAS
The Arkansas Chapter just finished
the third year of a contract with the
Department of Health to develop
protocols for mental health response
to a catastrophic event. They have
written a manual, trained over 250
mental health providers, and
developed eight teams around the
state to respond to an emergency.
They will now focus on creating
collaborative relationships with
county first response teams.
CALIFORNIA
The California Chapter took
positions on 88 bills, 38 of which
were signed into law. State Budget
victories included $93 million to
provide child welfare caseload/
workload relief. In addition, 34
states accepted the chapter’s CEUs,
creating a 50% increase of
registrants for their online
continuing education and
professional development programs.
COLORADO
The Colorado Chapter hosted a
successful conference with Peter
Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary as a
keynote speaker. The chapter is still
working to convince state officials
and employers that mandatory
continuing education can strengthen
the social work profession and
support consumer protection goals.
CONNECTICUT
The Connecticut Chapter received a
$75,000 grant to organize members
on the issue of universal health care.
The chapter hired a health care
organizer to undertake actions that
included sending 2,000 “health care
for the holidays cards” to legislators,
holding regional meetings, and
conducting phone banks.
DC METRO
More than 1,000 social workers
attended the DC Metro Chapter’s
continuing education programs this
year. Courses in ethics, clinical
supervision, money in the clinical
setting, eating disorders, the new
Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual,
bariatric surgery, and a monthly
“hot topics” lunchtime series were
very popular. Former PACE member
and social worker Tommy Wells—a
newly elected member of the DC
Council—spoke at the 4th Biennial
Social Work Conference.
DELAWARE
The Delaware Chapter developed a
coalition of human service
organizations and agencies to
influence state laws. As a result of
these coordinated efforts the
coalition has had significant input
into the development of legislation
affecting human services.
FLORIDA
The Florida Chapter has 18 local
units sponsoring monthly
membership meetings and more
than 100 workshops annually. The
chapter’s legislative priorities include
social work title protection, mental
health parity, suicide prevention,
and adoption rights for gay and
lesbian individuals. 400 students
participate in the annual lobby day
and about 600 social workers attend
the chapter’s conference every year.
significant increase in registrations.
At Social Work Lobby Day in
February 2007 students and faculty
attended from all four of Maine’s
schools of social work.
GEORGIA
The Massachusetts Chapter got a
bill passed that adds social workers
to the list of health professionals
who have protections from frivolous
law suits. The chapter was also a
lead member of a coalition to raise
the minimum wage in Massachusetts
to $8—the highest in the country.
Public education ads are placed in
Boston’s Logan Airport and the
governor, speaker of the House and
Senate president spoke at the annual
legislative advocacy day.
The Georgia Chapter held the
second Annual “Navigation After
Graduation” Conference in March
for social work students. This year’s
event was expanded to include a
workshop on state licensure and
exam preparation, and a panel on
job search tips. The conference
allowed students to network with
veteran social workers from a wide
variety of practice settings.
HAWAII
The Hawaii Chapter’s PACE
Committee was active in the 2006
congressional and state elections.
The CE Committee sponsored four
workshops and a licensing exam
prep class. The Legislative
Committee passed legislation to
increase the personal needs
allowance for elderly and disabled
adults in nursing homes and
community care homes. Three
mayors, the lt. governor, and the
governor of Hawaii all signed Social
Work Month 2006 proclamations.
ILLINOIS
The Illinois Chapter continues a
collaboration between its
International Activities Network
(IAN) and the City of Chicago’s
Sister Cities Program. This year they
also approved mini-grants for
programs and projects consistent
with the chapter’s strategic plan.
Approved programs included:
Springfield Mentoring Committee,
Committee on Diversity and Cultural
Competence, Southern Illinois
District Member Outreach, and the
International Activities Network.
MASSACHUSETTS
MINNESOTA
The governor signed the Minnesota
Chapter’s bill upgrading the
requirements for clinical licensing.
Clinical coursework (360 hours),
increased hours of supervision, and
continuing education hours will be
required by 2011. Supervisors will
also need 30 hours of formal
training. More than 500 students,
faculty and practitioners attended
the 2007 Day at the Capitol.
MISSISSIPPI
The Mississippi Chapter assists in
rebuilding efforts along the Gulf
Coast. The chapter is seeing more
activity among social workers in this
area through continuing education
programs and the chapter’s Annual
Meeting of the Profession. The
chapter’s Social Work Salary
Realignment Bill made it through all
but the last committee in the state
legislature, on the first introduction.
MISSOURI
The Indiana Chapter is home to two
consecutive NASW Public Citizen of
the Year national award recipients.
In the last two years, the chapter
has trained just over 1,000 social
workers through its continuing
education training series. The most
popular workshop is the licensure
preparation course.
The Missouri Chapter had an
excellent 2007 legislative session.
The new Social Work Practice Act
requires licensure for each degree
level and both master’s concentrations;
loan forgiveness for LCSW’s serving
Medicaid clients; DSS foster care
workers/providers to adhere to
NASW’s Code of Ethics; Medicaid
reimbursement for LCSW’s serving
children 0-6 and removal of
unsubstantiated complaints by
prisoners from a licensed social
worker’s record.
IOWA
NEBRASKA
INDIANA
The Iowa Chapter has developed a
new and improved Web site. The
chapter continues to provide
exceptional learning opportunities,
including presentations by nationally
recognized speakers, Frederic
Reamer, PhD, and Janet Nelson,
ACSW, LCSW. The April 2007
Annual Symposium had more than
150 participants.
KANSAS
The Kansas Chapter defended and
preserved social work insurance
vendorship in the face of a legislative
challenge from other professions. It
also developed a governor-requested
report on mental health parity and
worked to open up the federal
Medicaid program to clinical social
workers in private practice. A
chapter member is featured in the
Help Starts Here campaign.
KENTUCKY
Kentucky Chapter social workers
were successful in bringing social
work safety to the attention of state
elected officials this year when SB
59, The Boni Frederick Memorial
Bill, was passed in the Legislative
Assembly. Past chapter president
Hank Cecil serves on the Kentucky
Social Work Safety Task Force.
LOUISIANA
The Louisiana Chapter is balancing
being a voice for the profession and
an advocate for the recovery efforts
following Hurricanes Rita and
Katrina. The chapter has provided
major social work conferences in
2006 and 2007 to more than 1,100
participants each year. It also
advocated for a salary supplement
for school social workers,
enrollment of social workers as
Medicaid providers, and expansion
of school-based health clinics.
MAINE
The Maine Chapter had good
attendance at the April 2006 “And
Justice for All: The Many Faces of
Social Work” Conference, and at
the 2007 “Help Starts Here: Holistic
Elements of Social Work Practice”
Conference. Each year showed a
The Nebraska Chapter now has its
own office and an executive director.
The chapter hosted many events this
year, including a legislative day with
more than 200 social work students.
70% of the chapter’s state legislative
endorsements were elected. In the
2007 Legislative Session the
Nebraska Chapter also helped pass
a bill expanding the scope of
practice for social workers.
NEVADA
The 2007 Nevada Chapter Annual
Conference was a tremendous
success, both in terms of the record
number of attendees (over 400) and
the quality of the program. A firsttime conference feature was a
“homeless track.” Experts from
Denver, New York, Los Angeles and
Portland presented their
community’s best practices in
addressing this social crisis.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The New Hampshire Chapter was
one of the key organizers of
EngAGING-NH, an effort to build
an aging advocacy network and
policy center in New Hampshire.
The steering committee, which
includes New Hampshire Chapter
members, received funding from the
NH Charitable Foundation to hold
an Aging Summit. 100 activists from
around the state attended.
NEW YORK CITY
Three New York City Chapter
newsletters received wide recognition
beyond the membership for
highlighting social work
contributions with Asian, Latino and
Black communities. 141 people out
of 2,100 applicants were accepted
into the state’s Social Worker Loan
Forgiveness Program, for which the
chapter lobbied. $26,000 in loans
can be forgiven over four years.
NEW YORK STATE
The New York State Chapter played
a central role in a long-fought battle
to obtain parity in mental health
benefits. Provisions include: broad
based coverage of 20 outpatient
visits and 30 inpatient treatment
days a year for both large and small
employers; a state funded benefit
subsidy for small employers;
additional coverage for larger
employers that includes unlimited
treatment for adults with serious
emotional disorders; additional
coverage for children under the age
of 18 with serious emotional disturbances; equalized co-payments and
deductibles; and network adequacy.
NORTH CAROLINA
The North Carolina Chapter had
record attendance at both the
chapter’s annual ethics conference
and the annual lobby day. The
chapter has worked with providers
of online and home study courses to
make pre-approved home education
available to social workers who
need continuing education for
licensure renewal.
OHIO
The Ohio Chapter hosted a
candidate reception with more than
60 legislative representatives and
senators coming to the chapter
office. The chapter’s first lobby day
in 10 years had over 300 attendees.
Chapter members attended 145
continuing education workshops,
earning a total 310 CEU hours.
OKLAHOMA
The Oklahoma Chapter moved to a
new chapter office in October.
March 2007 brought a terrific new
lobbyist, a successful legislative day
at the beautiful Senate Chambers,
and a great annual state conference
– “Weaving the Fabrics of Diversity:
Culturally Relevant Social Work
Practice” – with nearly 500 attendees.
OREGON
The Oregon Chapter unveiled a new
strategic plan and closed 2006 with
a near sweep of elected candidates
endorsed by Oregon’s PACE. This
year, the chapter introduced a
student loan relief bill, organized a
lobby day in Salem, continued to
work with the state licensure board
on a Practice and Title Protection
Act, and recently placed the Help
Starts Here campaign ads on
Portland area public transportation.
PENNSYLVANIA
Thirty-four candidates endorsed and
highlighted in the Pennsylvania
Chapter Member Voter’s Guide
were elected into office. The chapter
has advanced several pieces of
legislation, and increased social
work visibility as a result of an op-ed
piece published in the Philadelphia
Inquirer and three appearances on
Comcast Newsmakers aired on
CNN Headline News.
RHODE ISLAND
The Rhode Island Chapter provides
the state’s six-month General
Assembly with analysis on more
than 300 bills, testified at 30
hearings and lobbied on a large
number of pieces of legislation. The
chapter supported the campaigns of
27 state senators and representatives,
all of whom were elected. The
chapter also supported a successful
lt. governor’s campaign, but lost the
governor’s race.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The South Carolina Chapter focused
on increasing membership and CE
events this year. In addition to
visiting the majority of undergraduate social work programs in
the state, chapter leaders nurtured
new relationships with the two
graduate programs. The chapter
offered more licensure study prep
workshops and had a successful
conference where more than 175
social workers were trained in one
risk management session by Dr. Ann
A. Abbott, ACSW.
SOUTH DAKOTA
The South Dakota Chapter had their
largest ever conference with 148
attendees. Cultural competence and
boundaries in rural social work were
key topics. NASW President Elvira
Craig de Silva presented one session
and participated in a panel discussion
on cultural issues. Other speakers
were two experts from Yeshiva
University—Carmen Ortiz Hendricks,
DSW, and Simone Gordon, DSW.
TENNESSEE
More than 650 professional social
workers and social work students
participated in the Tennessee
Chapter’s legislative conference in
April. The theme was “Proactive
Social Work in Challenging Times”
and was keynoted by Gary Bailey,
chair of the National Social Work
Public Education Campaign.
TEXAS
The Texas Chapter, under the
leadership of President Libby Kay,
implemented a new “Student
Leadership Academy” as part of the
annual state conference. The
academy has gained interest and
support from social work educators
and outside funding. The chapter
also promoted the Help Starts Here
campaign on numerous billboards
and negotiated national advertising
partnerships.
UTAH
The Utah Chapter worked closely
with the Division of Licensing to
strengthen laws for all levels of
licensure. Last October, the chapter
hosted a workshop by Dr. Scott
Miller, an expert in client-directed,
outcome-informed clinical work.
The chapter’s radio ads have aired on
stations throughout the state. The
chapter’s executive director, Kym
Meyer, was named Outstanding
Chapter Executive by NASW this year.
VERMONT
The Vermont Chapter sponsored a
highly successful spring conference in
collaboration with faculty members
from the Vermont Graduate School
of Psychoanalysis. Eugene Goldwater,
M.D., discussed “Dealing with
Difficult People: A Therapeutic
Approach.” Elizabeth Dorsey, MSW,
LICSW, addressed ethical dilemmas
in everyday practice.
VIRGIN ISLANDS
The Virgin Islands Chapter cohosted forums for local candidates
that were well attended. The chapter
also celebrated Social Work Month
with a forum on addictions among
professionals. They are working to
increase training opportunities and
expand social work licensure under
a new management contract.
VIRGINIA
The Virginia Chapter is working on
title protection with a study from the
State Board of Social Work. The study
originated from the introduction of
HB 1147 in the 2006 session of the
state’s General Assembly. The chapter
had its most successful annual
conference this year, with internationally known speaker Belleruth
Naperstek, MSW. Work on the
Social Work Reinvestment Initiative,
will include efforts to secure student
loan forgiveness in Virginia.
WASHINGTON
The Washington State Chapter
placed campaign ads in eight metro
newspapers for two weeks this
spring. The chapter partnered with
the School of Social Work—
University of Washington, the
School of Social Work—Walla Walla
College, and Casey Family Programs
to place these 32 ads. At the annual
lobby day, 250 social workers spoke
to state legislators about social work
title protection, increased healthcare
funding for low-income adults and
children, and increased funding for
mental health access.
WEST VIRGINIA
The West Virginia Chapter helped
pass a long sought after mental
health parity law this year. Real
gains were made in increasing public
sector social worker salaries, and a
new strategic plan is revitalizing the
chapter’s local branches and
committees. This year, the West
Virginia News Service was created,
offering news stories to commercial
talk radio stations.
WISCONSIN
The Wisconsin Chapter organized a
successful letter writing campaign in
the summer of 2006 to the state’s
Health & Family Services Secretary
to oppose proposed outpatient
mental health clinic rules. The
chapter also worked to defeat a
constitutional amendment banning
civil unions and same sex marriages.
This campaign published multiple
op-ed articles about why the
amendment would be harmful to
Wisconsin children and families, and
contributed to Fair Wisconsin, the
statewide organization opposing the
amendment.
*List as of June 6, 2007.
children and older adults. The
study also found growing tensions
between increasingly complex
social work cases and reduced
SOCIAL WORK
REINVESTMENT INITIATIVE
www.SocialWorkReinvestment.org
PMS 323 and PMS 295
In March 2005, NASW helped
convene 400 leaders of the
profession for a Social Work
Congress. Working with six other
leading social work organizations,
NASW led important discussions
that culminated in the adoption of
12 imperatives for the social work
profession in the next decade.
Themes of increased public
promotion, accessible social work
data, and targeted advocacy for the
profession emerged. As a result of
these deliberations, NASW is
focusing much of its work in the
next two years on increasing public
and private investments in social
work recruitment, retention and
retraining efforts through the
Social Work Reinvestment
Initiative.
In continued partnership with key
social work organizations, but
under the auspices of the ANSWER
Coalition (Action Network for
Social Work Education and
Research), the Association is laying
the groundwork for state and
federal legislation that will attract
and retain the best and brightest in
the field. Expected components of
the proposed Social Work
Reinvestment Act include, but are
not limited to, student loan
forgiveness programs, training
grants, hiring incentives, title
protection, and employment safety
provisions.
SOCIAL WORK CONGRESS
www.SocialWorkers.org/Congress
NASW CENTER FOR
WORKFORCE STUDIES
http://Workforce.SocialWorkers.org
resources to support professional
practice. Special reports for each of
the four core social work practice
areas—behavioral health, health,
children and families and aging—
further explored issues affecting
the recruitment and retention of
licensed social workers in the
country. The data from this
important study are now available
to researchers who seek viable
solutions to the coming crisis
through further study. The Social
Work Reinvestment Initiative seeks
to prevent the social work service
crisis predicted by the workforce
data.
NATIONAL SOCIAL WORK
PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
www.HelpStartsHere.org
www.NASWFoundation.org
In Spring 2004, NASW began
developing the most comprehensive
media campaign of its history in
order to increase awareness about
the profession; educate the public
on the depth and breadth of social
work practice; expand perceptions
of who can benefit; attract new
social workers to the profession;
and improve employment
opportunities for professional
social workers. Pre-campaign
research showed that while there
was a general level of public
respect for the difficulty of social
work jobs, most Americans
thought they would never need the
help of a social worker, and
therefore valued these services less
than those provided by other
professions with whom they had
more direct contact.
NASW
In March 2006, NASW released
findings from the first benchmark
study of the licensed social work
labor force at the National Press
Club. Responses from 10,000
survey participants suggest that an
impending shortage of social
workers will soon limit the
profession’s ability to meet the
needs of many people—specifically
Since then, the national public
education campaign planning
team—in partnership with each
NASW chapter—has been busy
raising funds, placing ads, building
a consumer directed Web site,
securing media coverage, and
creating a range of promotional
tools to promote the social work
profession in a more engaging way.
2006 was an important year in the
evolution of the campaign as it
kicked off national ad placement
efforts in O Magazine, launching
the public implementation phase
of the multiyear effort.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
SOCIAL WORK
www.NASWPress.org
Every decade, NASW updates the
profession’s most comprehensive
volume on social work practice
and related social issues. Later this
year, the 20th
edition of the
NASW
Encyclopedia of
Social Work will
be released in
partnership with
the Oxford
University Press.
Past NASW President and Hunter
College School of Social Work
Professor, Dr. Terry Mizrahi, and
University of Pittsburgh School of
Social Work Dean, Dr. Larry
Davis, serve as co-chairs on this
exciting collaboration between
NASW and Oxford. More than
14,000 copies of the current 19th
edition of the Encyclopedia of
Social Work are in circulation at
libraries and institutions throughout
the world. Early orders for the new
20th edition—tentatively scheduled
to be released in January 2008—
indicate that this volume will be
one of the most popular titles ever
produced by the NASW Press. To
date, the volume will contain
approximately 400 entries.
SOCIAL WORK PORTAL
www.SocialWorkPortal.org
In celebration of the first World
Social Work Day on March 27,
2007, NASW launched what we
hope will become a destination
resource for all Web searchers
looking for social work and social
science information on the
Internet. The new Social Work
Portal currently provides one-stop
access to the Web sites of more
than 100 schools of social work
and social work organizations, in
addition to all NASW-related Web
sites. For example, keyword
searches on a topic organize all
relevant search results by source, in
one convenient location. Although
the Portal launched with a limited
number of “test site” schools and
programs of social work that
sponsored the Public Education
Campaign, the goal of the site is to
ensure searching access to all social
work entities within a year. By
creating a centralized online tool
hosted by NASW, we increase the
overall visibility and accessibility of
social work Web content for
colleagues and prospective allies.
NASW WebEd
www.NASWWebEd.org
Since April 2004 NASW has
offered its members and social
workers from more than 80
countries a series of free online
continuing education courses.
The NASW WebEd series explores
several areas of practice. The first
course, “Understanding Cancer:
The Social Worker’s Role,” has
been taken by more than 23,000
people. The second course,
“Understanding End of Life: The
Social Worker’s Role,” has been
taken by more than 26,000 people.
15,000 social workers have now
participated in the third course,
Understanding Aging: The Social
Worker’s Role.” This year, new
WebEd courses about malpractice
risk, HIV/AIDS, adolescent health,
genetics and cancer caregiving have
attracted more than 30,000
participants. Social workers earn
CEU credits for participating, so
many take multiple courses
throughout the year. NASW has
worked with a range of
organizational and grant partners
to develop the popular online
courses, including CancerCare,
the Individual Cancer Assistance
Network, Bristol-Myers Squibb
Foundation, John A. Hartford
Foundation, the New York
Academy of Medicine, Partners
in Program Planning for
Adolescent Health (PIPPAH),
National Coalition for Health
Professionals Education in
Genetics, Open Society Institute’s
Project Death on America and the
HIV/AIDS Spectrum Project. In
addition, complementary chapter
workshops for the Understanding
Cancer course began in 2006 in
partnership with CancerCare and
the American Psychosocial
Oncology Society.