The world needs new policies, social contracts and practices that foster relationships and partnerships that build security and confidence for all people and promote the sustainability of the planet, say world social work leaders. The social work profession is an important stakeholder and partner for global action to further this commitment.

To help set these goals in motion, a people’s summit was held summer 2022 with the theme “Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind.” The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) organized the summit.

NASW is a member of IFSW, and NASW President Mildred Joyner serves as vice president of the IFSW North America Region. The NASW Foundation helps administer NASW’s international social work efforts by serving on the international committee, spearheading IFSW reporting requirements, and assisting with international conferences for the North America Region.

The people’s summit brought together social workers, community representatives, politicians, unions, civil rights leaders, and climate justice leaders to create opportunities for all people to contribute to changing world values. The virtual event took place before the United Nations (U.N.) High Level Political Forum in July and aimed to deliver messages to the U.N. and all world leaders on the future values that need to underpin relationships within nations. IFSW President Silvana Martinez noted the summit was “a once in a generation opportunity for us all to act together and make the difference we all seek.”

Read the full story at the NASW Social Work Advocates magazine here. 

An exciting highlight of the 2018 NASW National Conference is the Voter Engagement Teach-In On Capitol Hill!

Join a group of experts on voter engagement for an interactive session on June 20th, the first day of the 2018 NASW National Conference, which runs through June 23 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C.

NASW will facilitate the panel discussion to maintain focus on mobilizing for the 2018 mid-term elections. Teach-Ins are meant to be practical, participatory, and oriented toward action. While our Voter Engagement Teach-In will include experts lecturing on their expertise – discussion, and questions from the audience are welcome and encouraged.

2018 NASW Voter Engagement Teach-In Panel

• Panel Moderator – Mel Wilson, LCSW, MBA, NASW Social Justice & Human Rights Manager.
• Tanya Rhodes Smith, MSW, Director, Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work.
• Harper Jean Tobin, JD, MSSA, Director of Policy, National Center for Transgender Equality.
• Additional panelists may be added.

2018 NASW Voter Engagement Teach-In Logistics

• The Teach-In will take place on Capitol Hill from 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 20. A group photo is scheduled in front of the Capitol following the event.
• Transportation will be provided between the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and Capitol Hill. Participants will meet at the 24th Street Entrance of the hotel. Buses will depart at 7:00 AM and buses will drop participants off at Garfield Circle on Capitol Hill (and pick them up there for the return trip to the hotel at 11:00 AM).
• Teach-In questions should be referred to dkastner.nasw@socialworkers.org. Please note: event details and logistics are subject to change and final logistics will be available prior to the start of conference.

To learn more about the 2018 NASW National Conference and to register for conference and the Voter Engagement Teach-In, please visit the NASW website. Stay tuned for exciting updates. For general conference questions, email naswconference@socialworkers.org. We hope to see you in Washington in June!

Our conference provides wonderful opportunities to build your social work community, participate in unique professional development seminars, earn 20+ CEUs, and hear renowned keynote speakers – including CNN commentator Van Jones, our 2018 opening keynote presenter; and, New York Times best-selling author, Gretchen Rubin, our 2018 closing presenter.

We are very pleased to provide you with our Pre-Conference Workshop offerings (three CEUs available for these workshops):

• Strategies For Professional Self-Care Across Your Career – Fostering and sustaining professional resilience is essential for social workers who are routinely exposed to trauma and loss. This workshop will prepare participants to identify, select and maximize use of self-care strategies, as well as identify and contribute to resilient workplaces in their roles of practitioners, supervisors, and administrators.
• Ethics And Risk Management In The New Era of Social Work – This session, developed especially for social workers, is sponsored by the NASW Assurance Services (ASI), and describes the most significant malpractice risks in social work today and numerous methods of mitigating and reducing one’s risk of being sued for malpractice. The presentation is intended for social workers in all settings and positions, not just the clinical, therapeutic mental health setting. The session will cover key concepts in risk management, such as confidentiality and its exceptions, duty to warn, and informed consent. The seminar will reveal the major reasons why social workers are sued and what you can do about those risks.
• Reframing Communication About Elder Abuse To Enhance Practice, Policy, And Education – Recent research has found wide gaps between public and expert understandings of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Closing those gaps and using appropriate communications frames can help practitioners, administrators, educators, organizers, policy advocates, and the public to advance evidence-based policies and practices to prevent, identify, and address elder abuse. During this interactive workshop, the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) and the FrameWorks Institute will demonstrate how to reframe elder abuse as a social justice issue. Participants will practice applying the framing strategy in various contexts. The session will also illustrate the relationship between elder abuse and ageism, introduce participants to resources available from NCEA, and provide a brief overview of NASW’s recent work to address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• The Age Of #MeToo: Working With Survivors Of Sexual Assault And Domestic Abuse – As more and more women are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic abuse, it is incumbent upon social workers to have the skills necessary to work with this population. For so long, victims/survivors have felt the need to remain silent, to suffer the impacts of their experiences often in isolation. As we/they come forward in greater numbers than ever before, our profession must work to empower, to heal, and to move forward. A description of sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic abuse and the connection between these will be provided. Trauma informed practice will be explained, and approaches to working with these clients will be discussed.
• Thriving In Private Practice – Many licensed clinical social workers transition to working in a solo or group practice during the course of their careers. What does it take to effectively run a private practice and overcome common challenges that many small businesses face? This pre-conference session will explore strategies to create a thriving private practice.
• Disasters: No Community Is Immune – Social work’s readiness to respond when a disaster occurs is more important than ever. The past year has demonstrated that no community can be considered immune to disasters. A record number of billion-dollar weather-related disasters, including hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and wildfires, occurred in 2017. Mass shootings are nearly a daily occurrence with more than 400 occurring during the year. Las Vegas was deeply impacted when a single shooter killed 59 and wounded another 441. Five Sundays later it was a small-town Texas church. Social workers in every community should be prepared for the possibility that their skill, knowledge, and experience may be needed on micro, mezzo, and macro levels. This session will explore the various roles social workers are capable of assuming when responding to a devastating disaster.
• Suicide Prevention Is Everyone’s Business – This session will focus on efforts to combat the suicide epidemic through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and broader efforts in health care. The presentation will share the latest suicide data, initiatives to prevent suicide, public and private partnerships, postvention techniques, and efforts to support and educate clinicians, friends, and families in the Veteran community and beyond.
• A Closer Look At NASW Cultural Competence Standards And Indicators: A Deeper Dive For Contemporary Social Work Practice Contexts – Leadership and cultural competency skills are essential components of successful interventions with individuals, families, and communities. This interactive pre-conference workshop provides a deep dive into specific standards of the revised 2015 NASW Standards and Indicators for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice. The session will examine the challenges and complexities of culturally competent practice in the current sociopolitical context. It will delve into the implications of Standard 1 – Ethics and Values, Standard 2 – Self – Awareness, Standard 8 – Professional Education, and Standard 10 – Cross-cultural Leadership. This workshop will address micro, mezzo, and macro practice perspectives.

We are excited to announce two of our 2018 NASW National Conference Keynote Speakers!

CNN political commentator Van Jones is slated to give the keynote presentation on the opening day of conference on June 20, 2018. The conference runs from June 20-23 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. In addition to providing political commentary for CNN and other political talk shows, Jones is President and Founder of the nonprofit Dream Corps – a justice incubator that houses initiatives that create innovative solutions to “close prison doors and open doors of opportunity.”

Our closing keynote presenter is Gretchen Rubin, author of New York Times bestsellers, “Better Than Before,” The Happiness Project,” and “Happier at Home.” Rubin is also (known for her weekly podcast “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” where she discusses good habits and happiness with her sister Elizabeth Craft.

The 2018 NASW National Conference is the ultimate gathering of more than 2,000 social workers and like-minded individuals. It is a wonderful opportunity to build your social work community, earn 20+ CEUs, hear renowned keynote speakers, and participate in unique professional development seminars.

Please visit the NASW conference website for more information and to register with attractive Early Bird Rates! Stay tuned for exciting updates about other keynote speakers, pre-conference workshops, conference seminars, special events, and much more! For questions, email naswconference@socialworkers.org. We hope to see you in Washington in June!

*Gretchen Rubin Photo Credit:  Michael Weschler

Hobdy will present the breakout session “Ethical Considerations in Social Workers’ Use of Technology with and on Behalf of Older Adults” at the 2017 NASW Virtual Conference, Aging Through the Social Work Lens, which will be live streamed from the NASW national office on June 14 and June 15, 2017.

During the technology breakout session, Hobdy says, she will discuss “how Internet-based technologies and mobile devices are being developed to assist older adults with everything from communication and engagement to health and wellness.”

The social work profession’s need to respond ethically and effectively to changing societal demographics drove NASW’s selection of the 2017 Virtual Conference theme. By the year 2030, one in five people in the United States will be 65 years or older, and population aging is occurring worldwide. The dramatic increase in both the number and the diversity of older adults escalates the visibility of aging issues. Consequently, all social workers, regardless of their area of practice, will need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to serve older adults and their families.

“It is important to attend the NASW Virtual Conference to obtain useful information on how to use technology ethically to enhance services when working with older adults, as well as how to address the ethical challenges that technology presents,” says Hobdy.

For more information on today’s trending topics related to social work in aging, you won’t want to miss NASW’s 2017 NASW Virtual Conference.

Social worker Janet Joiner, who attended the 2016 NASW Virtual Conference, said:

I enjoy technology and saw a wonderful opportunity to participate in the conference from the convenience and comfort of my home office. I enjoyed being able to meet and engage other participants through Twitter and felt as if I were actually in the room with other participants during the workshop sessions. I was able to ask questions and post my thoughts in real-time. I particularly enjoyed the Keynote Session, “How Tech and Big Data Can Save Lives”. This session reinforced, for me, why it is important to understand data and how critically important it is to changing lives. I attended many workshop sessions during the conference and found the timing between sessions perfect for my needs. I was able to organize my notes, review Tweets posted during the sessions by other participants and prepare for the next workshop. 

The 2016 NASW Virtual Conference was money and time well spent! I highly recommend it.

Learn more about the 2017 NASW Virtual Conference

The app will let users:

• View agenda and explore sessions
• Build a personal schedule
• Access speaker bios and exhibitor and sponsor information
• View maps of the Exhibit Hall
• Connect with other attendees
• Receive up-to-the-minute alerts

Follow these Mobile app instructions to download and use the app.

NASW held a daylong leadership forum in October 2015 to culminate the association’s 60th anniversary celebration, and to discuss ways NASW and its partners can address important issues and advance significant initiatives within the social work profession.

Front row, from left: Kim Strom-Gottfried, Elizabeth DuMez, Allan Barsky, Ruth Lipschutz and Frederic Reamer receive the Excellence in Ethics Award during NASW’s 60th anniversary forum in October. Not pictured: Award recipient Natalie Holzman. Back row, from left: NASW CEO Angelo McClain and Dawn Hobdy, director of NASW’s Office of Ethics and Professional Review.

The 60th Anniversary Forum, held Oct. 23 in Washington, D.C., also recognized the 55th anniversary of the NASW Code of Ethics, presented six social workers with Excellence in Ethics Awards, and honored 19 newly inducted NASW Social Work Pioneers®.

NASW CEO Angelo McClain said the social work profession has much to celebrate and to be proud of. The forum, he said, offered the chance to reflect on how NASW has helped pave the way for positive change in society since 1955.

“It challenges leaders in the field to discuss how social workers can have the greatest impact on serving our nation’s families, helping achieve critical justice goals, and understanding the ethical implications of seismic changes in technology and globalization over the last decade,” McClain said.

Social work leaders, students and faculty from across the U.S. attended the conference, where they heard panel presentations that focused on family well-being; liberty and equity; and emerging issues regarding the Code of Ethics.

Social workers have made a difference in the lives of millions of people for more than a century, NASW President Darrell Wheeler said in his opening remarks.

He added that the panels’ goals were to explore the serious questions of today and challenge attendees to think deeply and from the heart.

“Our moderators and speakers represent many different facets of our professional community and the NASW family,” Wheeler said.

The first panel, “Family Well-Being Across the Lifespan,” was moderated by NASW member and Howard University professor Tricia Bent-Goodley. The panel addressed the increasingly complex continuum of services needed to serve individuals and families at all stages, Wheeler said.

From the January 2016 NASW News.

On October 23, 2015 in Washington, DC, social work leaders will convene at the NASW 60th Anniversary Forum to discuss some of the most important challenges and opportunities facing the profession in the next decade.

By joining the live streaming event from 9 am to 1 pm ET, you will hear from expert panelists on how the social work profession is poised to lead national efforts on:

• Family Well-Being Across the Lifespan
• Liberty and Equity in the 21st Century
• The NASW Code of Ethics: Evolution and Emerging Issues

You will also have the opportunity to participate in a virtual question and answer session throughout the event. Registration is $35 per viewing site.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Forum Line-up:

Family Well-Being Across the Lifespan

Social workers know the wide range of challenges facing people in all communities. What opportunities do health care reform, increased support for veterans and military personnel, a renewed focus on healthy aging, and growing needs for school-based interventions present for our profession? What does the research tell us about how social workers can make the greatest impact in serving our nation’s families in this evolving landscape?

Tricia Bent-Goodley

Moderator:

Tricia Bent-Goodley, Ph.D., MSW, LICSW

Professor, Howard University School of Social Work, Washington, D.C.

Panelists:

Richard Barth, PhD, MSW, Dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, Md.

Ana Bonilla-Galdamez, MSW, Alexandria, Va., City Public School System and 2015 NASW Social Worker of the Year

Laura Taylor, MSW, LSCSW, National Director of Social Work, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C.

Equity and Liberty in the 21^st Century

One of the grand challenges facing our society is the achievement of social justice for all. This can only be accomplished by addressing the inequities and disparities that are faced by many due to socioeconomic status, race, geography, power and privilege. Guided by the profession’s Code of Ethics, social workers are expected to be engaged in the on-going fight for social justice. This presentation will highlight critical issues facing our diverse society and the actions that can be taken to move the needle forward on achieving social justice.

Gary Bailey

Moderator:

Gary Bailey, LHD (h.c.), MSW, ACSW

Professor of Practice at Simmons College School of Social Work and past NASW President, Boston, Mass.

Panelists:

Ellen Kahn, MSW, Director of Children, Youth and Families Program, Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Carol Bonner, MSW, MBA, EdD., Associate Dean of Salem State University School of Social Work, Salem, Mass.

Joyce James, LMSW-AP, CEO of Joyce James Consulting, Round Rock, Texas

Code of Ethics: Past, Present and Future

This interactive discussion will examine the influence of social and professional developments on the evolution of the Code over the last 55 years. Our celebrated panelists will support a multidimensional assessment of the Code’s evolution, through the lens of practice, social work education, licensure and the law. Looking forward, participants will be prompted to consider emerging issues including new technologies and globalization and their implications for social work ethics.

Allan Barsky

Moderator:

Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD, Pr

Professor of Social Work, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Fla.

Panelists:

Frederic G. Reamer, PhD, Professor at Rhode Island College School of Social Work, Providence, R.I.

Mary Jo Monahan, MSW, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Social Work Boards, Culpepper, Va.

Jo Ann Regan, PhD, MSW, Vice President of Education, Council on Social Work Education, Alexandria, Va.

For more information on the event contact NASW Manager of Conference and Event Planning Richard Loomis at rloomis@naswdc.org.

The theme of NASW’s national conference, “Social Work: Courage, Hope and Leadership,” was delivered through speakers’ messages and personal stories throughout the four-day event in July.

Brené Brown was among the keynote speakers at the conference.

Nearly 2,000 people from 50 states and 12 countries attended the conference in Washington, D.C., where they heard from expert speakers and had the chance to attend a variety of individual presentations, which ranged from topics such as mindful parenting and racial equity to holistic grief support and equine-assisted psychotherapy.

The event also included a ceremony that honored 10 individuals with NASW’s National, Foundation and Chapter awards; a film festival, which featured three social work-themed documentaries; preconference workshops; poster presentations; an exhibit hall; and several receptions and smaller gatherings that allowed for networking and socializing.

NASW CEO Angelo McClain opened the conference and noted that its theme highlights the many ways social work aids society’s progress.

“When I think about hope, courage and leadership, I think about what you guys do every day,” McClain said. “You bring hope in the face of hopelessness. You bring courage in the face of social injustice. You bring leadership in the face of indifference.”

McClain discussed the positive contributions social work has made since the 19th century, but he cautioned that the 21st century  “challenges us to be prepared.”

“This (conference) will help you go home and prepare yourselves for the grand challenges and also the grand opportunities,” he said.

NASW President Darrell Wheeler also delivered opening remarks, saying that the conference offered a chance to learn more about the social work profession and opportunities to learn from colleagues.

One of his top goals as association president, he said, is to continue advocating for all fields of social work and to let people inside and outside of NASW “know what we do, why we do it and what difference it makes.”

Spoken-word poet Kane Smego was the opening presenter. Smego is a nationally recognized spoken-word poet and artistic director of Sacrificial Poets, where participants use the power of stories and voice as tools for self-transformation, nonviolent resistance and community engagement. Smego, from North Carolina, is also a National Poetry Slam finalist.

Wheeler said after the conference that the event as a whole energized him.

“The 2014 social work conference reinvigorated my enthusiasm and pride in both the profession and the great honor I have in serving the profession at this time.”

Keynote Presenters

• Brené Brown

Brown, best-selling author, scholar and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, was the opening keynote presenter.

From the September 2014 NASW News. NASW members can read the full story after logging in.