NASW New York Historical Timeline

Am. Association of Social Workers-NYC (AASW-NYC) formed-Parent organization to NASW-NYC

AASW-NYC’s first proposal for social work licensing in NY

National Association of Social Workers, NYC formed -Merger of 7 organizations: 1) AASW, 2) psychiatric social workers, 3) group workers, 4) school social workers, 5) community organizers, 6) researchers, 7) medical social workers -Chapter had 1800 members - NYC was largest chapter in country

NASW-NYC forms Civil Rights Committee; organizes national lobby day, meeting held with President Johnson. NY Times covers meeting with southern Senator who shares that the filibuster will end. Holds conference on racism and 500 attend.

Creation in State law of Certified Social Workers (CSW) with NYC Chapter playing lead role in lobbying.

Reimbursement passed into insurance law, Creates the P

NASW-NYC holds annual lobby days in Albany with 800 one year as the highest participation. The Educational Legislative Action Network, ELAN, leads the way. US Congressman recognizes ELAN for its work in speaking out on welfare reform.

NASW-NYC Women’s Issues Committee holds conference at Columbia University

NYC-PACE formed as NASW-NYC’s political action arm. Governor Mario Cuomo attends PACE fund raiser in 1984.

Reimbursement expanded in insurance law, Creates the R, more insurance policies included. Key social workers in NY are recruited to lobby the governor, who had delayed signing the bill into law. Unions are asked to weigh in after well positioned social workers bring them along. Opposition from the insurance industry defeated.

Board of Education proposes to eliminate school social workers. NASW-NYC organizes, goes into federal court. Judge stops the plan and the number of social workers goes from 390 to 490. The number today is 1400.

First conference on social workers in unions held; nine unions that represent social workers in NYC participate.

State Commission on Health Planning and Review proposes to eliminate requirements for social workers in hospitals. NASW organizes the field, lobbies the commission, and defeats the proposal. Standards are strengthened. Leading advocates for health care were surprised by NASW’s success with the commission, but they were unaware that several commission members had MSWs, including the commission chair, and they were open to our concerns.

NASW-NYC joins with social worker James Satterwhite and supports formation of NYC’s child welfare training academy.

NASW-NYC leadership decides to pursue licensing, including the clinical license.

Key Assemblyman opposes licensing and says that certification is adequate. Justifies this by saying social work is not a matter of life and death. NASW-NYC runs focus group with members from different fields of practice and is then able to share what was learned with the legislator. “Okay, I get it”, he said, “we’ll do licensing”.

Following death of child known to the city’s child welfare administration, NASW-NYC engages nine media outlets, including the New Yorker, The Nation, The Village Voice, and CBS-TV, helping to pressure Mayor Giuliani to form ACS.

NASW-NYC formed task forces of social workers of African Descent and Asian American social workers. The Gerontological Social Work Committee formed.

Licensing legislation introduced in Albany, but the LMSW was removed at the end of the session. The bill did not pass but the Assembly leadership said that only the LCSW could be considered in the future.

After a year of preparation, NASW-NYC forms first lobbying Alliance with a labor union in country, 1199. Legislative breakfast with 1199 President raises NASW’s profile in Albany, as one lawmaker said, “to the highest level”.

NASW-NYC office closed due to collapse of World Trade Center on Sep. 11. In following week, from temporary site, NASW organized over 300 volunteers to help with the emergency response. On October 9 NASW-NYC held a forum for the social work community with 650 in attendance, addressing how the disaster affected low income and communities of color, including immigrant communities.

NASW-NYC insists that the LMSW be put back into the licensing legislation despite Assembly leaders’ opposition. Opposition to licensing from a powerful legislative caucus was turned around with help of 1199. This leads to passage of licensing law.

NASW-NYC takes leadership in profession to promote Undoing Racism training for social workers and CEOs of agencies. Thousands take training in subsequent years.

All-day conference held addressing need for bi-lingual, bi-cultural social workers with 400 attending; leads to formation of Latino Social Work Task Force, which initiates efforts for loan forgiveness and ultimately raises $500,000 in scholarships over 10 yrs.

NASW-NYC forms licensing task force and sets out to inform profession and agencies in NYC about requirements, including grand parenting period.

NASW-NYC leadership organizes at the first national Social Work Congress in Washington, DC and gets the need to address racism into three of 12 imperatives for the next decade.

The NYS Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program established in first year of lobbying. Governor’s staff ask how this was accomplished when several other professions were not able to get a similar program enacted. Loans of up to $26,000 could be forgiven, but the $1 million in funding does not support enough who are in need. Over $7 million expended over the next seven years.

NASW-NYC organizes 250 students from all of the graduate schools to do voter registration. 8,600 New Yorkers registered on one day and NYPIRG says this is the single largest voter registration day they had seen. PACE goes on to do voter registration, bringing along the Human Services Council and a total of 60,000 New Yorkers are registered.

NASW-NYC forms largest ever coalition on behalf of the profession, involving agencies from across all fields, to address the end of licensing exemptions and onerous administrative decisions. Some requirements for the LCSW loosened and the experience requirement was cut by 33%.

Defeated Governor’s proposal to make licensure exemptions permanent; passed requirements for continuing education.

Funding for loan forgiveness increased by $250,000. NASW-NYC begins planning for mandated continuing education program.