By Dr. Alma J. Carten
(September 2000)
Our profession exists in a dynamic and rapidly changing context. Technological, social welfare, economic and social trends driving social work policy and practice over the past decade have created a totally new context for practice. As these trends continue to evolve and have transforming effects on the City's health and human service systems, to move forward requires a new awareness and new approaches that challenge us to "think outside of the box".
What the membership wants
Although the context in which we practice has changed dramatically, what social workers want has not. As social workers we have been steadfast in our aspirations for:
The chapter exists in a highly competitive, information driven environment, making it imperative for us to engage in fundamentally changed problem solving approaches if we are to be successful in responding to member needs. Towards that end, I have established the following priorities to give shape and direction to the work over the next two years to increase our effectiveness as an organization.
Vision, governance and resource development
A first priority is to revisit our mission in consideration of trends influencing the city's social welfare infrastructure, and evaluate our capability for providing appropriately responsive services and programs to members and promoting social work causes. Chapter by-laws provide for both renewal and continuity. Renewal as new officers come aboard with fresh insights, organizational stability is preserved by strong and capable staff leadership. Our viability as an organization is dependent upon strong collaborative relationships between elected and staff leadership. The Board develops and oversees policies consistent with our mission, and staff provide the means for their successful implementation. Because the capital that fuels the chapter is membership driven and because we are not the only professional association for social workers, we must have highly competitive strategies for the recruitment and retention of members. We will examine these and other issues at our planned October Board Retreat that will focus on themes of mission, governance and resource development.
Unifying the profession
A second priority is finding the means for translating the power in our diversity and collective numbers into the professional clout we all want. With just under 10,000 members ours is one of the largest NASW chapters in the country, and is the largest professional association for social workers in New York City. Social workers may be found practicing at many levels and in a diversity of practice settings. Some hold influential positions in key sectors, and are eager to bring a social work perspective to the systems they either head or influence. The challenges that we face in accomplishing the chapter's organizational mandate to "promote activities appropriate to strengthening and unifying the social work profession as a whole" is reflected in the issues that have surfaced in the Chapter's nearly twelve year quest for a licensing bill. Licensure has come to symbolize long-standing aspirations of social workers, yet the most troublesome barriers have come from within the profession itself. As we move forward in planning a continuing strategy, because there is strength in numbers and in diversity, we will create new opportunities for dialogue and coalition building among social workers and other groups that have a stake in licensure.
City wide visibility and presence
If we are to galvanize social workers across the city as one profession united by the professional purposes of social work that give meaning to our work whatever their philosophical approach, the chapter must have city wide visibility, highly accessible programs and services, give voice to all members, and reach out to potential members. And we must do a better job of telling our story to the public. We have already begun to address some of these issues. Staff has established a voice mail and e-mail for me at the Chapter office, we will improve our web site to bring more services and information to members electronically, and we will convene a series of president's round tables that will meet over the course of the year in all boroughs.
In her last message to us as our president, Dr. Congress outlined noteworthy accomplishments of the Chapter reflecting the chapter's commitment to a "no longer business as usual" agenda. We are indebted to Dr. Congress and retiring board members whose dedicated leadership made this possible. Because of their hard work, we are now in a position to do even more. As we move forward, in a new program year, with a new Board, and renewed commitment to "thinking outside of the box" I am dedicated to working tirelessly over the next to years with a goal of leaving an organization that is even stronger than it is today, unified around our common purpose, and representative of the diversity of the New York City social work community. I will look to you for feed back to keep us on track.