NASW-NY Social Work Awards

Overview

The Social Worker of the Year Award recognizes the commitment and significant achievements made during the past 12–24 months by an outstanding member of our profession. Individuals considered for this award demonstrate exceptional professional qualities and an active pursuit of the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of social work as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics.

Overview

The Public Elected Official of the Year Award honors an elected official who demonstrates a strong commitment to social justice by addressing public policy issues that negatively impact individuals, families, and communities within the NASW-NY Chapter region. These issues may be long-standing concerns—such as housing insecurity, lack of healthcare access, or racial inequities—or emerging challenges from the past 12–24 months—such as pandemic recovery, climate justice, or youth mental health. The honoree listens directly to constituents, engages them in problem-solving, and incorporates their voices into real solutions. They lead by creating, advancing, or strengthening policies that reduce inequities, protect civil and human rights, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across New York State.

Overview

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors a current social worker who has devoted their career to the profession and consistently demonstrated NASW Code of Ethics values and practice. Recipients exemplify social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. Their accomplishments have a lasting impact and are recognized within and beyond social work.

What Makes a Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient?

This award recognizes a career-long pattern of service, justice, dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. The honoree consistently breaks down barriers, lifts up unheard voices, treats people with dignity and respect, and leads with vision—showing that social work is a calling lived daily across roles and settings.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Justice & fairness: Acts to fix unfair policies; expands access. Ex: Disaster-recovery programs that reach the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
2. Dignity & respect: Meets people with compassion; reduces stigma; supports staff well-being. Ex: Culturally and linguistically affirming services.
3. Listens, then acts: Co-creates solutions with communities and teams. Ex: Convenes staff/partners to design programs together.
4. Healing & growth: Combines expertise and empathy to meet complex needs. Ex: Trauma-informed care with practical supports (housing, jobs).
5. Amplifies voices: Lifts needs to decision-makers; builds self-advocacy. Ex: Policy changes improving access for people with disabilities or undocumented residents.
6. Above & beyond: Mentors, builds coalitions, and takes principled risks; recognized as someone the community can count on. Ex: Launches a weekend food program with community stakeholders.

Overview

The Meritorious Human Service Organization Award honors a human service organization that demonstrates a strong, values-aligned commitment to understanding and addressing issues faced by the communities it serves. Whether long-standing or recently established, the organization has shown measurable impact in the past 12–24 months within the NASW-NY Chapter boundaries and a sustained drive to improve service effectiveness and quality of life.

What Makes a Meritorious Organization of the Year?

This award recognizes organizations whose mission and daily practice bring social work values to life. Leadership and staff break down barriers, elevate community voices, center dignity and respect, and inspire others through sustained, values-driven impact.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Mission-driven & just: Tackles inequities; ensures access to resources; engages public processes. Ex: Outreach after disasters to ensure aid reaches hardest-hit neighborhoods.
2. Dignity & ethical care: Programs safeguard respectful, stigma-free services; staff supported to navigate ethical dilemmas. Ex: Culturally and linguistically affirming practices.
3. Listening first: Incorporates consumer/community voice before designing programs. Ex: Co-creating initiatives with community groups.
4. Healing & resilience: Integrates training and compassion to address complex needs. Ex: Preventive supports for those at risk of domestic violence, including child witnesses.
5. Systems leadership: Improves accessibility, accountability, and coordination; amplifies overlooked voices. Ex: Policy advocacy expanding access for people with disabilities or undocumented residents.
6. Beyond minimums: Extends reach, mentors staff/volunteers, builds coalitions, and takes principled risks. Ex: Weekend food delivery launched with community partners.

Overview

The Doctoral Student of the Year Award is presented to a PhD or DSW candidate in social work who demonstrates excellence and an active pursuit of the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of the profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. The honoree exemplifies the mission of social work through scholarship, leadership, and service—engaging in research, policy, and practice activities that advance knowledge, enhance equity, and promote systemic change. They embody the integration of scholarship and practice to eliminate barriers to justice, protect human rights, and strengthen the profession’s future.

Overview

The Champion of Justice Award honors a social worker who has made significant strides on a prominent social, environmental, and/or economic justice issue within the NASW-NY Chapter boundaries. Nominees promote sensitivity to and knowledge about cultural and ethnic diversity, work to ensure equitable access to needed resources and equality of opportunity, eliminate oppressive structural and institutional barriers to protect human rights, and encourage meaningful participation in decision-making—above and beyond the standard commitment.

What Makes a Champion of Justice?

Champions of Justice bring social work values to life—fighting for fairness in laws, policies, and systems; elevating community voice; and ensuring resources and opportunities reach those with the least access. They pair professional skills with compassion, lead collaboratively, and inspire others to join sustained, values-driven change.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Promotes justice: Tackles meaningful challenges and expands access. Ex: Ensures disaster aid reaches hardest-hit neighborhoods.
2. Embodies social work values: Dignity, respect, and stigma-free services. Ex: Language-accessible, culturally affirming supports.
3. Innovative leadership: Fills service gaps and builds public understanding. Ex: Launches a new program to address unmet needs.
4. Courageous advocacy: Takes principled risks, mentors others, and leads coalitions. Ex: Partners with community to co-create solutions.

Why Your Nomination Matters

By nominating a Champion of Justice, you help NASW-NY recognize social workers who go above and beyond to advance human rights and equity—lifting up work that strengthens communities today and catalyzes change for tomorrow.

Overview

The MSW Social Work Student of the Year honors a master’s-level student who demonstrates excellence and an active pursuit of the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of the profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. The honoree exemplifies the mission of social work through advanced practice in their chosen specialization—clinical, policy, administration, group work, community practice, or another field. They analyze complex factors affecting practice settings, advocate effectively for people facing barriers, and are preparing for advanced professional roles (licensure, clinical assessment, supervision, policy practice, and leadership in social change).

What Makes an MSW Student of the Year?

Honorees integrate classroom learning with field experience, demonstrate leadership, and apply specialized knowledge to address injustice and improve systems. This recognition does not consider GPA; it celebrates students in good standing who create positive change for the communities they serve.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Justice-driven: Stands up for fairness, expands access, and navigates complex systems. Ex: Uses supervision to secure equitable disaster-recovery supports for hardest-hit families.
2. Dignity & respect: Culturally responsive, stigma-reducing, and strengths-based. Ex: Ensures language-accessible, affirming services for LGBTQ+ youth and elders with limited English.
3. Listens, then acts: Co-creates solutions with people served. Ex: Tests options in supervision/field seminar before implementing a program change.
4. Healing & growth: Integrates coursework and field skills to address complex needs. Ex: Trauma-informed support paired with practical resources.
5. Amplifies voices: Builds self-advocacy and engages decision-makers. Ex: Works with partners to expand accessibility for people with disabilities or undocumented residents.
6. Above & beyond: Volunteers, mentors, and collaborates while guarding against burnout. Ex: Helps launch a weekend food program with community stakeholders.

Why Your Nomination Matters

By nominating an MSW student, you help NASW-NY spotlight emerging professionals who bring social work values to life—strengthening communities today and shaping the profession’s future.

Overview

The Emerging Social Work BSW Leader award honors a NASW-NY Chapter member at the early phase of their career as a generalist social worker who actively pursues the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of the profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. Honorees demonstrate behaviors essential to effective and socially just practice, engage in ethical thinking and self-reflection, and commit to life-long learning. Recognition centers on commitment and significant achievements made in the past 12–24 months.

What Makes a BSW Emerging Leader?

Awardees bring core values and skills to life at the start of their careers. They provide outstanding community service, encourage and advocate for those they serve across settings, act ethically and responsibly, and continuously strengthen their practice through education and inquiry. Their leadership lifts the profession’s visibility.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Ethics & values in action: Pursues ongoing learning, leads through difficult conversations, centers client voice, and mobilizes resources. Ex: Advocates for a community’s identified need through education, research, and collaboration to reach an ethical resolution.
2. Progressive leadership: Collaborates effectively, shows up when work is tough, communicates vision, and is a reliable source of support. Ex: Steps into leadership and also collaborates on difficult cases/causes to achieve outcomes.
3. Justice-driven practice: Fights for equity, ensures no one is left out, and treats everyone with dignity and respect.
4. Listening & co-creation: Works with communities, inviting them to shape solutions.
5. Healing & empowerment: Helps people rebuild and reach goals; shares power and resources.
6. Beyond the role: Volunteers, mentors, leads projects, and contributes outside of work hours while practicing self-care to prevent burnout.

Examples in Practice

• Co-creating a new program to address a service gap with community partners.
• Ensuring affirming, language-accessible supports (e.g., LGBTQ+ youth in shelter; elders with limited English).
• Advocating for policy changes protecting vulnerable groups or expanding access.
• Leading or assisting grassroots projects; building coalitions to deliver resources (e.g., weekend food delivery for homebound seniors).
• Supporting survivors of trauma with both emotional support and practical resources (housing, employment).
• Contributing to public understanding of social work through outreach, education, or media.

Why Your Nomination Matters

By nominating an Emerging BSW Leader, you help NASW-NY honor early-career professionals who strengthen communities, elevate our profession, and inspire others through values-driven leadership.

Overview

The Emerging Social Work MSW Leader award honors a NASW-NY Chapter member at the beginning phase of their career as an advanced generalist social worker who actively pursues the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of the profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics, and who demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities commensurate with their level of education. Recognition centers on commitment and significant achievements made during the past 12–24 months.

What Makes an MSW Emerging Leader?

Honorees demonstrate core values and skills at the start of their careers through advanced practice in their chosen specialization (clinical, policy, administration, group work, community practice, etc.). They function in advanced professional roles—licensure preparation, clinical assessment, supervision, policy practice, and leadership in social change—analyzing complex practice contexts and advocating effectively for those facing barriers. They act ethically and responsibly, provide outstanding community service, and pursue ongoing learning and inquiry that strengthen their practice and elevate the profession.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Ethics & values in action: Pursues ongoing education, leads through difficult conversations, centers client/community voices, and mobilizes resources. Ex: Advocates for an identified community need through education, research, and collaboration to reach an ethical resolution.
2. Progressive leadership: Collaborates effectively, shows up when work is tough, communicates vision, and is a reliable source of support. Ex: Steps into leadership while partnering on complex cases/causes to achieve outcomes.
3. Advanced generalist practice: Applies systems, policy, and clinical perspectives to promote well-being and access; advocates with and on behalf of those served.
4. Listening & co-creation: Works with people and communities—inviting them to shape solutions and decisions.
5. Healing & empowerment: Helps people rebuild and reach goals; shares power, builds capacity, and reduces stigma.
6. Beyond the role: Volunteers, mentors, leads projects, and contributes outside of work hours while practicing self-care to prevent burnout.

Examples in Practice

• Assisting in creating new programs that fill a gap in services.
• Sitting down with a community group to co-create a program instead of imposing one.
• Ensuring affirming, language-accessible supports (e.g., LGBTQ+-affirming shelters; elder services with interpretation).
• Advocating for policy changes that protect vulnerable groups and expand access.
• Leading or assisting grassroots projects; partnering with the community to create solutions that work for them.
• Supporting survivors of trauma with emotional support and practical resources (housing, employment).
• Expanding mental health and addiction treatment in underserved areas.
• Contributing to public understanding of social work through outreach, education, or media.
• Working with others to start a weekend food delivery program for homebound seniors, building coalitions to address the need.

Why Your Nomination Matters

By nominating an Emerging MSW Leader, you help NASW-NY honor early-career professionals who strengthen communities, elevate our profession, and inspire others through values-driven leadership.

Overview

The BSW Social Work Student of the Year honors a baccalaureate-level social work student who demonstrates excellence and an active pursuit of the values, knowledge, ethics, and skills of the profession as defined by the NASW Code of Ethics. The honoree exemplifies the mission of social work through their understanding of social welfare needs across diverse settings, engages in ethical thinking and self-reflection, and shows a commitment to life-long learning. They are prepared to enter the workforce as a beginning generalist professional. This recognition focuses on commitments and significant achievements made in the past 12–24 months.

What Makes a BSW Student of the Year?

This award recognizes an exceptional undergraduate who lives the mission of social work inside and outside the classroom. Understanding that learning exceeds academic performance, GPA is not considered; we celebrate students in good standing who create positive change in their communities and with those they serve.

Hallmark Qualities

1. Justice-driven: Stands up for fairness, expands access, and persists through barriers. Ex: Uses supervision/advisement to ensure disaster aid reaches the hardest-hit neighborhoods.
2. Dignity & respect: Meets people with compassion; reduces stigma; practices cultural humility. Ex: Ensures language-accessible, affirming services for LGBTQ+ youth and elders with limited English.
3. Listens, then acts: Co-creates solutions with people served. Ex: Tests options in supervision before implementing a change.
4. Healing & growth: Integrates classroom and field skills to meet complex needs. Ex: Trauma-informed support paired with practical resources.
5. Amplifies voices: Brings needs to decision-makers; builds self-advocacy. Ex: Policy advocacy to expand accessibility for people with disabilities.
6. Above & beyond: Volunteers, mentors, and collaborates while guarding against burnout. Ex: Helps launch a weekend food program for homebound seniors with community partners.

Why Your Nomination Matters

By nominating a BSW student, you help NASW-NY spotlight emerging professionals who bring social work values to life—strengthening communities today and shaping the profession’s future.