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January Currents Issue, 2005
Message From the Executive Director
NASW-NYC Enters 50th Year Representing Greatest Concentration Of Social Workers In The U.S.
Dr. Robert Schachter
As we enter 2005, I want to begin by wishing all of our colleagues in NASW-NYC a very healthy and happy new year. No matter what the year brings, we need to tap all of the resources within ourselves in order to take care of our own selves, our loved ones, and the communities to which we belong. May we all find the strength, clarity of mind, and inspiration to face the realities before us.
In addition to wishing you the very best, I want to share with you some
of the things we are now engaged in at the NASW-NYC. As always, there
is a great deal going on.
Making a Difference in The World of Work
First, I hope that you enjoy this issue of the newsletter on social work in the world of work. The issue is the fifth in a series highlighting the unique and important contributions that professional social workers make within their respective service systems.
Given the enormous importance of work in the functioning of society, from
business to the family to individual lives, social work in the world of
work is at the cutting edge of our profession. What this issue is attempting
to do is draw out how social workers are making a difference in the lives
of people who work, to the organizations that employ them, and the public
which depends on them.
Currents Editor, Dr. Pier Rogers, and I had a wonderful opportunity in
planning this special issue given that Chapter President, Dr. Paul Kurzman,
is a pioneer in this field of practice. Pier and I appreciated the opportunity
to work with Paul in thinking through how we could use this newsletter
to capture some of the highlights of the field within the limited number
of pages that the newsletter has. Contributions were sought on the basis
of assuring that a wide variety of approaches to the world of work were
included.
Seeking to Advance the Profession
Future special issues of Currents, in the planning stage at this time,
will highlight social work in mental health, aging, child welfare, and
homeless services, while past issues focused on social work in public
schools, health care, addictions, and settlement houses.
We anticipate that these special issues will lead to the creation of a
foundation for addressing the profession in each sector. Future outcomes
that we would like to achieve include improving the public’s understanding
of the profession, enhanced utilization of social workers, as well as
compensation commensurate with the valuable work that is performed. Unbelievably,
social workers are probably the lowest paid of any profession in the country.
Taking on Drug Laws that Destroy Lives
While we believe that we are on the right track to address the priorities
of NASW’s membership in order to advance the profession, the Chapter’s
Board of Directors has been concerned that NASW-NYC needs to also focus
on social justice issues that affect the broader community. While we can
all agree that advancing the profession has a significant benefit to the
communities that we serve, there is still more work that needs to be done.
With this in mind, the Board made the repeal of the Rockefeller Drugs
Laws in New York State a priority. Given the enormously disproportionate
number of people of color who have been given long-term sentences for
possession of even small amounts of drugs relative to white drug users,
and the destroyed lives in its wake, it is time that the legislature and
the Governor own up to what is going on and remedy the problem. The next
issue of Currents will be dedicated to this question.
The drug laws underscore how race is a factor in social policies. Staff
and members of the Board are grateful to the opportunities that we have
had in obtaining training through the Undoing Racism Project given by
the People’s Institute out of New Orleans. Another training will
be held in mid-February and social workers are urged to participate. It
has been transformative for so many of us.
Looking at the Next Decade while Celebrating 50 Years
In mid-March, national NASW will convene 500 social work leaders from
around the country in what is called the Social Work Congress 2005. The
task of the Congress will be to set priorities for the profession for
the next decade. It will undoubtedly be an interesting experience and
will further inform the Chapter about how we move forward in the future.
The Congress is being held as NASW celebrates its 50th anniversary. NASW
as well as the NYC Chapter were formed in 1955. The profession has grown
a great deal during these years, and, interestingly, nowhere has the profession
grown as much as it has in New York City. New York has both the greatest
concentration of professional social workers and the most diverse communities
being served than any place in the world.
As we plan for the next decade, we will also be celebrating the profession
and NASW. But one does not have to go to Washington, DC for the Congress
to celebrate. The Chapter’s annual meeting, now being planned, will
provide an opportunity for NYC social workers to come together. The meeting
will be in May. Announcements will be forthcoming, probably around March.
Once again, all the best for 2005.
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