National Association of Social Workers

From the Director

Social Work Must Be At the Table

By Elizabeth J. Clark, Ph.D., ACSW, MPH

When I interviewed for the position of executive director, I was asked what I thought would advance NASW and the profession. I replied that our view had to shift from the internal to the external and that the most important activity was for social work "to be at the table."

Six years later, I still believe that being a part of the deliberations is crucial. What has surprised me, though, is how difficult it sometimes can be to adequately explain that concept to others. A quick example might help to make my point.

I think it is a fair generalization to say that the priorities and voting records of Democratic legislators are more often consistent with NASW policy statements than are those of Republicans. Sometimes, however, we find that a Republican moderate has a better voting record on social work issues than his or her Democratic counterpart. If our PACE then endorses the moderate Republican, some of our members are surprised, even angry. Yet concern for society cannot be determined based solely on political party affiliation. In fact, I have met numerous Republican social workers. They hold to the same standards as their Democratic colleagues. They, too, are strong advocates for the betterment of society.

A few years ago, I was invited by the First Lady to a meeting at the White House. The topic was moral education for children. I thought I probably would not agree personally or professionally with the approach they were taking (and I didn't). I still attended. The only other social worker I saw there was longtime activist Dr. Dorothy I. Height. She, perhaps better than any other social worker, knows that it is important to have a presence even when on opposite sides of an issue, maybe particularly when we hold a different viewpoint.

After 9/11, I was the only social worker invited by the secretary of HHS to a small meeting to discuss the impact of terrorism on children. The room was filled with psychiatrists, nurses and pediatricians. As the discussion progressed, it became apparent that those in the room knew little about social work.

When I stated that social workers are generally the professionals who work with survivors of trauma, one psychiatrist said, "But social workers can't diagnose." I stated we could. Another said that "social workers couldn't be reimbursed for their services." I disagreed. When they heard that there are 600,000 social workers practicing in the U.S., they were very surprised. We need to keep the social work profession in the forefront and speak up every time we can.

At the national level, NASW is involved in 150 coalitions. We work quite closely with some of them, such as the Legislative Conference on Civil Rights, InterAction and the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations. Some of the coalitions are chaired by NASW, like the Mental Health Liaison Group and the United Nations Association of the USA. We host the meetings of many coalitions at the national office and sign on to coalition letters when they are consistent with our policies and priorities. Coalition building and participation at the national level is mirrored in all of our chapters. Cumulatively, NASW has seats at hundreds of tables across the country.

In addition to coalitions, NASW works in partnership with many professional groups. We have seats on national boards and committees, such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, National Commission on Correctional Health Care, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and National Committee on Quality Assurance. We participate in joint research projects, such as the Practice Research Network with psychiatrists and psychologists and a medication-adherence study with psychiatrists.

We are working on a research study with the American Medical Association and on projects with C-Change — Collaborating to Conquer Cancer (patient navigation), Case Management Society of America (transitions of care) and the Aetna Foundation (health disparities), to name only a few. We have training grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the New York Academy of Medicine, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. All of these activities have been reported in the News.

NASW staff also attend numerous federal meetings. Many of these meetings are underwritten by pharmaceutical companies, a common practice in Washington. In these instances, we are clear regarding our NASW policies. Staff never personally accept meeting honoraria or any other compensation, and NASW never endorses a drug or product. If a meeting honorarium is offered (generally from $500 to $2,500) we ask that a non-restricted donation be made to the NASW Foundation.

Some of our members object to NASW staff going to meetings or participating in projects that have pharmaceutical underwriting. From my perspective, declining participation is shortsighted. It would mean that social work and the social work viewpoint would be absent from the table and from the deliberations.

I firmly believe that the staff, board and volunteers who represent NASW at these meetings and work on the varied projects are aware of potential conflicts. They can participate without sacrificing their integrity or that of the profession. To suggest that they will be persuaded by a lunch, or a seat at a gala, or a bag with a corporate logo does a disservice.

An association with 150,000 members has many points of view. If each of our members sat at one new decision-making table this year, think of the impact. If social workers helped to decide the research questions, formulate the policy, write the legislation or plan the community project, many things might be different.

Instead of restricting our efforts to working only with like-minded groups, I suggest social workers aggressively seek seats at tables with diverse opinions. If we work collaboratively with other professional groups, corporations and individuals with different beliefs, our core social work values won't change, but society might.

To comment to Elizabeth J. Clark: newscolumn@naswdc.org

From May 2007 NASW News. © 2007 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.