committees

NASW-NYC has a number of committees that meet regularly and offer opportunities for involvement in a specific area of social work concern, as well as for networking and professional development. Committees may be viewed as task-oriented groups that serve the Chapter's members, NASW as a whole, and the broader social work community in New York City.

The Addictions Committee provides various social work opportunities, including clinical skills development, networking and mutual support, gaining free CASAC credits, involvement in policy initiatives, and conference organizing. There are three subcommittees: Addictions Institute Planning, Peer Consultation, and Policy. The Institute Planning Subcommittee organizes the Annual Addictions Institute, known for over 30 years as a resource on addiction research, treatment, and governmental policies. This year’s conference on June 1st features the theme “The Stages of Addiction Treatment and Social Work Practice: From Prevention to Aftercare.”

The Peer Consultation Subcommittee provides free confidential telephone consultation to social workers dealing with their own substance abuse problem or that of a colleague or family member. Voicemail or e-mail messages, (212) 747-1777 or peerconsultation@yahoo.com, are accessed only by experienced Peer Consultation Committee members. The Subcommittee also supports meetings of “Social Workers Helping Social Workers,” a confidential peer support group for social work students and professionals.

The Policy Subcommittee is working on two main goals. To promote the first one, reform of the Rockefeller Drug Laws. The second goal, expanded training and education of social workers about addiction, will involve partnering with other organizations.

Meetings are held at the Chapter office monthly on the fourth Wednesday; November and December meetings are held on the third Wednesday. Starting at 9:15 am, a business meeting is followed by a presentation on such topics as HIV/AIDS, Family Systems Therapy, and Rational Emotive Behavior therapy.

The NYC NASW International Affairs Committee is a network of diverse social workers, social work faculty and students interested in maintaining a global perspective on issues relating to social work through education, advocacy, and career development.

The purpose of the committee is to: promote activities which focus on issues concerning cultural diversity, immigrants and refugees, social development, and international social welfare; provide a place where career opportunities can be explored within an international context; promote educational exchanges with other social workers worldwide; and advocate for fair and just international social welfare policy.

Over the past few years, the International Affairs Committee has sponsored and co-sponsored a range of events representing a wide array of interest from social workers of all fields of practice. Highlights include:

• Addressing Domestic Violence in Immigrant Communities: Implications for Multicultural

Each year, the committee has supported the representation of the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) to the United Nations with volunteers and outreach for Social Work Day at the United Nations.

Social workers and social work students who volunteer their time and energy to help in all aspects of program development coordinate programs.

To learn about the committee, upcoming meetings and events and join our mailing list, please click here.

The Disaster Trauma Working Group has been meeting since 1997 to support social workers’ interest and experience in disaster trauma work. DTWG began in response to the TWA 800 aviation disaster, to offer social workers an ongoing context of support and learning. A collaborative relationship was developed with the American Red Cross of Greater New York at that time.

Bimonthly DTWG meetings focus on comparative disaster experience, related trauma and loss issues, and importantly, address the impact of such work on ourselves. Meetings generally include a presentation, an accompanying reading list, and open discussion. A local and global focus regarding disaster tragedies and challenges facing disaster workers is framed within a historical context.

Since September 11, 2001, DTWG has offered training on the unique dynamics of terrorism, our expanded roles in responding to the collective impact of mass violence, and our dual experience as survivors and service providers. Anniversary meetings continue to mark the passage of time through reflection and remembrance. And the context of war, occupation, and human rights violations is acknowledged.

With a current focus on the future, and disaster preparedness planning, DTWG continues to incorporate a public health perspective, considering the well being of the broad community as well as individuals. Synthesizing lessons learned in the past two years, our focus is on development of new response initiatives and continued collaborative efforts.
All social workers are invited to meetings.

The Gerontological Social Work Committee (GSWC) meets quarterly to address practice issues of work with aging populations. At the January meeting, the Committee reviewed recommendations from the White House Conference on Aging held in December, 2005 and decided to work with the New York State delegation to ensure implementation of the recommendations.

A current Committee initiative is the Salary/Workforce Survey to address the issues of an increasing elderly population and the decreasing numbers of social workers who provide services to this population. To collect and quantify data on gerontological services, the GSWC distributed a survey to social workers in the field of aging. The survey explored five areas: salary and benefits, education and licensing, agency and private practice settings, demographic information, and interest in the Gerontological Social Work Committee. Preliminary survey results show that 86% of respondents are women, many between 55-59 years of age, who have been practicing for at least eighteen years. 58 % of respondents hold a LMSW and 31% hold a LCSW.

Regardless of one’s field of practice, most social workers deal with issues associated with aging at some point in their careers. The Gerontological Social Work Committee welcomes participants to its meetings and invites questions and comments regarding issues relevant to work with senior populations.

The Nursing Home Committee consists of social workers employed in various long-term care facilities in New York City, public proprietary and voluntary auspices, as well as representatives from consumer organizations and the New York City Department for the Aging. The current co-chairs are Wayne Orlowitz and Ricky Consenza.

The NASW Nursing Home Committee will hold quarterly meetings over the program year. One meeting is an annual meeting to discuss Nursing Home Surveillance conducted by Federal and State regulatory agencies with a focus on social work’s role. A second annual meeting is a joint NASW meeting with the Health Policy and Practice Network and the Home Care Network to review long-term care policy and practice issues. Other meeting agenda’s include the goal of improving social work practice and working with consumer groups in terms of client advocacy.

The Private Practitioners Group provides a forum for social workers in private practice to exchange ideas and resources, learn from and support one another, combat the isolation that can occur in private practice, network, and join forces to implement projects and secure resources that we cannot obtain individually. Since there are many venues in NYC where clinical topics are addressed, our meetings focus primarily on the non-clinical aspects of private practice. However, clinical issues are, inevitably, interwoven into our discussions.

Meetings are generally held at the chapter office at noon on the first Friday of each month, and occasionally on weeknight evenings. Each meeting usually focuses on a specific issue; speakers are invited to present on topics such as marketing, fee policies and practices, insurance and managed care, orientation to private practice for newcomers, and risk management and ethics. In alternate months we have a marketing support group, facillitated by the committee chairperson Lynne Spevack and focused on supporting one another in implementing marketing strategies to generate more referrals and increase income in our private practices.

Social workers who are in part-time and full-time private practice and those contemplating beginning a private practice are welcome to attend meetings and to join the Private Practitioners Group. New members are always welcome, and there is no need to RSVP to attend a meeting. Those who cannot attend meetings can be involved in the group's activities by email, where over 300 Private Practitioners Group members share information about office space, referrals, and other matters pertinent to private practice. For additional information, see the FAQ in the Private Practitioners Group section of NASW NYC's website.

Committee meetings are open to NASW members. To get involved with an exisiting committee, attend a coThe Chairs/Co-Chairs of the Chapter’s program committees were asked to provide a brief description of their current activities and goals for the program year. Several are shared below. To join a committee/contact a chair(s), please email the office at naswnyc@naswnyc.org. Meeting dates and topics are routinely listed on our Calendar of Events. Most meetings are held at the Chapter office.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Committee serves as a network for LGBT social workers and as a resource for all social workers on issues concerning LGBT clients. Presentations have addressed such topics as substance abuse; creation of safety for LGBT youth; the NYC Human Rights Law; and economic justice. The Committee advocates for the inclusion of issues unique to LGBT clients in publications, events and activities of the NYC chapter.

Committee members are creating a dialogue to address concerns such as homophobia, transphobia, and heterosexism in social work education and practice. Anecdotal reports indicate that some LGBT social work professionals and students have had negative experiences in workplaces and educational settings. The Committee’s goals include empowering LGBT social work professionals and students, increasing awareness on LGBT issues, providing education, and creating change within social work settings. A social work profession that addresses issues of racism, classism, gender bias, homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism will be better equipped to serve clients.

The committee encourages NASW members to share their experiences on the response of agencies and schools to the needs of LGBT social work professionals and students. Additionally, participants are invited to present their practice and research at Committee meetings. To be considered for future presentations, or to join our listserv to access information on Committee activities, please go to the website at lgbtnasw@yahoo.com. Committee meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month, from September to May, from 6:30-8:00 pm at the LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, NYC.