by Robert S. Schachter, DSW, ACSW
(February/March 2001)

The transition from the life we had prior to social work school to applying-getting accepted-doing the time and work-graduating, to entering the field with the degree, is a unique experience for every single one of us.

There may be different reasons why we chose to become social workers, based on our earlier experiences, challenges, hardships, and opportunities. And there are likely to be some very different expectations about what we want and need from our careers, as well as what we are likely to experience moving forward.

In a certain sense, we all stand as lone individuals. We are poised to make a difference, to be effective, and find some degree of satisfaction. We move, or hope to move, toward the development of confidence that who we are, what we have been through, what we have learned, will guide us and equip us with what is necessary to make that difference.

The flip side, of course, is some amount of uncertainty. The challenges can be formidable. At some point we have to deal with the prospect of disillusionment, and in doing so determine whether we can retain our commitment and values.

We are all different, yet many if not all of us go through this kind of unfolding.

As students, many of us find support from other students whom we meet in class, or in some other ways, perhaps from instructors, advisors, or field supervisors.

Once out in the field, school recedes into the distance. It is then that the professional association can provide some form of professional support.

NASW is working on behalf of the profession in visible and not so visible ways to assure that the education, the values, the knowledge, the skills, and the effectiveness of the profession is understood and respected. It?s a formidable task. We?re doing this in fighting to get our licensing bill passed in the state legislature. Bills of this type are enormously difficult to get passed but we are close. W e already have the profession recognized in state law through certification. We were also recognized as being reimburseable mental health providers in the insurance law.

NASW is also addressing salaries, working conditions, caseload size, and related concerns that impede our being able to make ends meet as well as provide quality service. NASW does not have the power to raise salaries, but our salary standards (see our website) have been used to get salaries increased in many places. And we are working with other groups in the legislature to get salaries increased in various types of settings.

We are also dealing with the media on a regular basis to clarify what social work is all about and to offer insight into the enormous number of social issues that concern this field. Of course, managed care is one of the most problematic factors affecting our clients and ourselves. One effort has been our Critical Incident Report Project in which we collected hundreds of experiences of consumers and providers, beyond social work itself, and documents our findings. Our second report was just released titled "Warning: Managed Care May Be Hazardous to Your Health".

The report will be a useful tool in advocating for improvements in access to health and mental health care and to assuring that consumers rights are protected.

NASW has also been somewhat successful in getting government funding for scholarships for social service staff to get MSW degrees, and we are currently looking to expand on this effort. We are looking to get the state to provide funds for loan forgiveness. This will not be easy to achieve but we have created a political alliance with the powerful and important labor union, 1199/SEIU to push for such funding.

But not everything we do is around legislation. At NASW itself, we have committees examining various areas of practice. Some are addressing issues relating to diversity, and a recently formed committee is addressing the concerns of new professionals.

The chapter also has a fall continuing education program, offering opportunities to expand on one's skills and knowledge base in three and six hour workshops.

NASW also offers malpractice insurance. One of the scary things about our work is that we are somewhat vulnerable to litigation, and to start dealing with this can be overwhelming. The NASW malpractice insurance is a great deal, its excellent coverage, relatively inexpensive, and comes with access to legal advice. Someone recently told me to tell all social workers that this is something you must have. This is regardless of whether your agency covers you or not. It alone is worth the price of membership.

Here is the point I would like to make:

On some level of reality NASW does not exist. It's only an abstraction. The only thing that actually exists are unique social workers living in this world, alone, dealing with their day-today realities. Some of these folk have gotten together. By doing so an association of like-minded, and not always so like-minded, people is formed.

The association of these people is a bit like a house of cards, but it holds together. It is not perfect, but it has strength. This is what NASW actually is. This is in many ways what the profession is.

The strength of this profession is enhanced when these lone individuals join. More is done. The profession is held together.

To the extent people turn their backs, walk away, the structure is weakened.

I am asking everyone to think about it: A presidential election came down to a few votes. The viability of a profession, and its major association, comes down to each individual who decides whether or not to affiliate.

Do it. Join. Stay connected. Support one another. Be informed. Network. Benefit.