Message from the President
Believe it or not, I think summer is starting to show itself. All the signs are there…leaving the house without a coat in the mornings, staying up a bit later each night because it seems too bright out to go to bed, spending way too much time picking weeds, and actually looking forward to running even on the days I’m not motivated because it gives me an excuse to be outside.
Another sign that summer is here is a bit less subjective. It is the end of the fiscal year for NASW, which means that the board membership shifts, with some of us leaving the board and some new folks joining. I want to welcome our new members and thank those who are leaving the board for their years of service. Committing to serving on a board of any organization is huge, and NASW is no exception. In fact, because we’re a relatively small organization with only two staff, we are that much more dependent on board members and other volunteers to get the work done. For those of you who have worked in “bare bones” organizations, the pros are that you learn how to do just about everything because there is no one else to do it. The negatives are that there is no end to the work that needs to be done!
As I write this last column, I can’t help but think back to how quickly the three years as president-elect/president have passed. Being involved in this level of NASW has been a tremendous experience for me. I have worked with some exceptionally talented people who have served as mentors, consultants, and support at various times. I have seen the NASW board become even stronger, as we have brought on members with extensive knowledge and experience and who represent a diverse array of perspectives. Just think of some of the work that has been accomplished:
- Stronger ties have been forged to the greater Social Work community through the development of the Advisory Committee, and increasing collaborations and dialogue with the Schools of Social Work and state institutions such as DSHS.
- The social work title in state position classifications was retained through extensive lobbying on our part, and we had an overwhelmingly positive reception for title protection legislation that we introduced for the first time.
- A fundraising committee was established, acknowledging the need for additional resources to accomplish our goals, and a plan was created for how to raise funds (and we have almost met our initial goal-six months early!).
- Lobby Day this year was the biggest ever with nearly 250 social workers and social work students present to advocate for title protection, domestic partnerships, and increased funding for health care and mental health services.
- Our continuing education offerings continued to receive positive feedback and increased sponsorship income allowed us to pay for quality presenters and offer comfortable environments for learning.
- And finally, just this last month we started an extensive blitz of Image Campaign ads promoting the profession of Social Work in media throughout the state, thanks to a very generous donation by Casey Family Programs and through the contributions of the UW School of Social Work and the Social Work program at Walla Walla College.
NASW still has a long way to go. We still want to reach out to social workers who are not a part of NASW membership, to make sure we are truly representing the diversity of social workers throughout the state. We want to build more consistent and visible ties to legislators so that they realize the value we bring to planning and policy relating to social issues. We want to increase our volunteer pool so that we don’t burn out the dedicated few that currently work so hard for us. We want everyone in Washington State to know to contact NASW when a question comes up relating to social work, and we want to ensure that our office is staffed to manage those calls. And there is no end to how much we want to educate the state about the value of our profession.
Thanks to all of you who have helped to make NASW strong. It’s been a pleasure working with you and for you.