This preliminary plan reflects goals and objectives for the 1999-2000 program year. A listing of allocation of resources and assignment of responsibility was not included in this document.

PRIORITIES

Membership Recruitment and Retention

Goal:

Increase total membership by 400 by May 31, 2000 reflecting a net gain of 100 regular members and 300 student members. A minimum of 25-30% will be social workers and students of color.

Objectives:

1. Recruit students in the five graduate schools of social work through face-to-face outreach by spending 10-13 days in the schools.
2. Recruit students of color to attend chapter activities.
3. Increase NASW's visibility through the third annual student forum "Planning Your Social Work Career for the 21st Century"
4. Reduce the loss of transitional members (student members who have graduated and in the field 1-2 years) through targeted programming including the expansion of the Committee of New Professionals, a survey, a special issue of Currents featuring concerns of this group, and low cost workshops.
5. Develop a plan for recruiting BSW students and alumni with the directors of the BSW programs in New York City.
6. Concretize the value of membership in NASW through programming that includes:
   • the 1999 Continuing Education Program
   • access to an expanding Job Book and development of an additional employment/related service
   • access to social work related information provided through enhanced staff support, the newsletter and the Website (ww.naswnyc.org)
7. Create a new membership award based on outstanding or innovative practice in the field.

Goal:

Increase awareness in the broader social work community of the factors affecting social work practice in the employment setting for the purpose of mobilizing collective response.

Objectives:

1. Hold a Think Tank on the future of social work practice in New York City with special emphasis of the constraints imposed by conditions in the workplace, involving leaders in social work education (i.e., the deans), leaders in social service organizations (e.g., United Way, Federations, etc.) and social work practitioners, with the desired outcome being an ongoing think tank or task force that would develop future programming.
2. Re-issue and update the 1992 NYC paper on the relationship between working conditions and quality services to clients titled "Improving the Environment for Social Work Practice".
3. Identify and disseminate information about successful attempts to support quality social work practice in organizational settings through convening of focus group of administrators and program staff with a reputation of being leaders in supporting such practice and production of a written report on the findings.
4. Identify and disseminate information about the experience of social workers who are new professionals through the work of the New Professionals Committee and a survey of new professionals (see Membership Recruitment and Retention objective above).
5. Participate in the proposed Hunter College School of Social Work spring conference on the impact of workplace on practice, involving labor unions and other membership organizations representing social workers.

Goal:

Increase the visibility of the profession and NASW with particular emphasis on enhancing the public's understanding of the unique attributes of professional practice.

Objectives:

1. Complete a listing of social workers who are prepared to speak with the media based on their being spokespersons for the Chapter or their being identified as exemplary practitioners.
2. Compile a listing of media contacts with special emphasis on journalists that cover specific health and social service areas.
3. Work with the media in response to at least two-three selected crises that unfold over the course of the program year through putting journalists in contact with social work spokespersons and experts who can provide perspective to unfolding news.
4. Contact 15-20 media outlets (e.g., women's magazines) to encourage their writing a feature article on the work of an exemplary social worker.
5. Develop letters to the editor of the New York Times and other publications on issues of concern to social work.
6. Disseminate to the media materials reflecting the social policy priority issues
7. Explore opportunities to have spokespersons area on radio or television news forums.

Goal:

Address bias in all of its manifestations in society and in the social work profession. Open up NASW to the fullest participation of social workers of color, gay and lesbian social workers, social workers with disabilities, and social workers of all age groups

Objectives:

1. Build on the Roundtable discussion on "Bias and Privilege Among Social Workers" through dissemination of written materials, convening of discussion groups, and involvement of Chapter leadership.
2. Target within the membership recruitment efforts the recruitment of social workers outlined in this goal.
3. Encourage Chapter committees to draw out and highlight the special impact their issues of concern have for people of color, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, and the aged.

Goal:

Advocate for social policies and programs that improve the lives of consumers of social work services and enhance social work practice, with special emphasis on issues for which NASW is the natural leader, reflecting perspectives emerging from social work principles and practice experience.

Objectives:

1. Licensing
   • Clarify the effect of licensing on community services and consider the issues raised by the National Association of Black Social Workers, recommending modifications of the bill to the Coalition as appropriate, if necessary.
   • Work toward passage of bill, along with the NYS Licensing Coalition in the fall, 1999 legislative session.
   • If licensing is passed into law, develop necessary actions to help shape regulations. If licensing does not pass in the fall, consider level of investment of Chapter effort for 2000 legislative session

2. Health and Mental Health
   • Continue the Managed Care Critical Incident Report Project.
   • Train social workers about mandated Medicaid Managed Care through Managed Care Community Assistance Program.
   • Advocate in the 2000 legislative session for inclusion of social workers in the provision of mandated Medicaid Managed Care.
   • Demonstrate the effectiveness of social work on health costs through grant funded research project(s).
   • Develop position paper on the state of the mental health service delivery system from the perspective of social work profession; disseminate paper to policy makers and media.

3. Families and Children's Services
   • Carry out a dialogue with agencies and the graduate schools about the utilization of MSW's, education and training.
   • Educate social workers about the federal Adoption and Safe Family act and hold a speak out on the issue in the spring.
   • Examine and respond to the new 72 hour post foster care placement conference
   • Examine and respond to the prohibition of utilizing social workers in foster care mental health services.

4. Welfare Reform
   • Follow up to the May, 1999 social work speakout about the impact of welfare reform on social work services to clients through such possible activities as: a monograph on the experience of social workers; policy statement(s) to the public; and maintaining and broadening of contacts with social workers involved in welfare issues.
   • Continue educational focus of welfare reform for social workers.
   • Mobilize students to participate in welfare rights march to the United Nations.

5. Lobbyist
   • Retain the lobbyist for the 2000 legislative session, from January through June, 2000.
   • Determine, in coordination with the Chapter's Social Action Planning Council, Board of Directors, and the NYS-NASW the primary issues to be focused upon.
   • Plan for the funding of the lobbyist for the FY2000-2001.

6. PACE (non-election year)
   • Hold forum to address the need to increase the number of social workers in legislative offices focused on constituent issues and policy.
   • Enhance relationships with candidates who have been endorsed and who have been given contributions.
   • Gear up for the 2000 election year cycle.
   • Encourage student involvement through mobile the vote efforts and presentations about political action in policy classes.

1. Currents
   • Produce 8 issues with two special issues targeted to students and "new professionals".
   • Enhance the design of the newsletter through development of a new masthead and changes to the interior layout.
   • Implement planned changes to the management of advertising billing, collections, and record keeping.
   • Explore the creation of special issues based on issues in the field or practice area.
   • Examine potential cost savings in printing of newsletter.

2. Continuing Education Program
   • Hold 20 workshops on diverse array of social work practice issues.
   • Reduce the net cost of the 1999 Continuing Education program.
   • Plan the 2000 program with increased attention to the interests of social workers of color and knowledge areas in addition to clinical content.

3. Addictions Institute
   • Resume annual Addictions Institute as a one day conference.

4. 2000 Chapter Election
   • Produce an affirmative action policy compliant slate of candidates for 1st and 3rd Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Members-at-Large, the Nominations Committee, and the NYC delegation to the 2002 Delegate Assembly.
   • Announce the preliminary slate in the January issue of Currents and distribute the ballot in early April to permit final selection of candidates by mid-June, 2000.

5. Delegate Assembly
   • Integrate the program priority goals of the 1999 Delegate Assembly into the Chapter's planning for the program year beginning in July 1, 2000.
   • Coordinate the involvement of the delegates to the 1999 Delegate Assembly with the Chapter Board of Directors and in the transition to the 2002 delegation elected in June, 2000.

6. Chapter Governance
   • Hold leadership retreat in early fall to enable discussion on critical issues to the chapter.
   • Hold seven meetings of the Board of Directors to determine the overall policies of the Chapter and monthly meetings of the Executive Committee.
   • Assure the smooth transition of the president-elect into the position of President, including attendance at the National NASW Annual Leadership Meeting.

7. Chapter Financing
   • Continue to build the Fund for Future Rent based on income from the termination agreement with 15 Park Row and cost savings in rent at 50 Broadway in FY1999-2000.
   • Reduce the net cost of the 1999 Continuing Education program through 20% increase in workshop fees and higher attendance.
   • Achieve an increase in membership (see objective for Membership recruitment) in order to budget for a dues revenue increase in the FY2000-2001 budget.
   • Increase advertising revenues through enhanced management of accounts receivables and collections.
   • Explore potential fund raising strategies available to the New York City Chapter, including past experience and successful outcomes in other Chapters.

8. Personnel Management
   • Revise the Chapter's personnel policies to conform with the National NASW Personnel Standards for Chapters.
   • Hire a part-time receptionist/member services assistant to fill vacancy.
   • Enhance the capacity of all staff to respond to member inquiries about social work.
   • Provide opportunity to broaden the Assistant Director's knowledge base of association management through attendance at the American Society for Association Management conference on Management and Technology.
   • Foster maximum coordination and learning through on-going staff meetings, convening of staff teams for selected projects, and supervision.