Membership

How can the New York State Chapter support you?

Advance Your Career

We have support systems and enrichment opportunities for all phases of macro, mezzo, and clinical practice. Develop and expand your skills through free and affordable in-person and online continuing education, access to time sensitive resources, and a network of peers to learn with and grow with.

Make Your Voice Heard

NASW advocates with our members at state and federal levels on issues identified by social workers. Together, we represent social work in legislative settings, local and national media, and at the forefront of social change. At the New York State Chapter, we don't speak for you. We are here to amplify your voice.

Find Your Community

Meet your social work peers, potential employers, and comrades in the fight for social justice. Connect with other social workers throughout the span of your career, in person and online, to contribute to and benefit from community care, advance personal and professional goals, and advocate for the future of our profession.

So, what are the actual benefits?

We know that as a social worker, you are at the heart of your career. You’re a person in your own environment, which includes your personal life, your professional career, and your social work practice. As a NYS Chapter Member you can conveniently access the resources, community, and support you need to do our challenging and complex work. You can also share your knowledge, experiences, and achieve your goals with a state-wide network of social workers.

Save Time & Money
  • NYS Chapter Free CE Series – Our Chapter guarantees all 36 CE credits needed within the 3 year license renewal period. These monthly presentations are conveniently available by webinar, and in 2020 alone we presented over 60 free credits for our members!
  • Discounted rates to ALL Chapter programs – Members get at minimum 50% off of all of Chapter programs and events. If you scroll though our calendar of events, you will notice most of our programs are entirely free for members.
  • Professional Liability Insurance – Protect the integrity of your career with NASW’s professional liability insurance and risk management workshops. Receive a member discount on services, and connect with colleagues about handling complex regulatory and legal challenges in the work place.
  • Discount Book – Our members save money on personal and professional purchases with our discounts for your career, Identity Theft Protection, Entertainment, Car Rental Discounts, Hotel Discounts, Vacations, and more.
  • Understand, Manage, and Save on Student Loans –NASW is partnered with Savi, a leading student loan management tech company, to save members an average savings of $2,064 a year, and hours in paperwork and anxiety. We also advocate for cancellation of federal debt and increased funding for the NYS Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program.
Enhance Your Practice
  • Apply for NASW Social Work Credentials – NASW Specialty Certification establishes and promotes the standards and credentials required for excellence in the practice of social work. Members can attain enhanced professional and public recognition and increase visibility as specialized social workers.
  • NASW Career Center – From student to employed professional, frontline worker to manager. Your membership comes with interview, resume, and job search resources. Whatever your next professional step might be, NASW has the tools to help you take it.
  • Dig Deeper with a Specialty Practice Section – Specialty Practice Sections (SPS) take members a step further pursuit of specific social work skills and experience. Engage in customized professional development through live practice-specific webinars, newsletters, continuing education credits, and more.
  • Stay Informed of Best Practices – Remain ahead of the curb with practice updates including toolkits, briefs, journal articles, and alerts on topics covering a wide range such as aging, behavioral health, child welfare, clinical social work, ethnicity & race, health, LGBT and school social work. You will also get updates on billing codes, HIPAA forms, Medicaid & Medicaid, COVID-19, tele-health, and more.
Advocate for Social Work
  • Develop Our Legislative Agenda – Only members are invited to participate and lead on our Advocacy and Government Relations (AGR) Committee. The AGR Committee serves as the backbone of the Chapter’s policy and social justice agenda by defining our legislative agenda, creating an actionable strategy, and mobilizing our membership.
  • Advance Social Work Through Elections – Only members are eligible to sit on the Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) Committee. PACE endorses campaign candidates on behalf of the Chapter, makes financial contributions to candidates who support NASW’s policy agenda, and enhances social workers electoral presence. It is our mission to increase the number of social workers that are elected officials in New York State.
  • Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) – An annual event that focuses on educating the next generation of advocates on our core values, the legislative process, grassroots advocacy, and major current statewide and national policy initiatives. LEAD unites all NYS schools of social work for a day of collective action.
  • New York State Chapter Capitol Action Day – This yearly event mobilizes our members to advocate on the our legislative agenda with policy makers in person and online. Our goal is to give our members the tools they need to advocate for themselves and their clients year round, creating a loud thunder of social work voices that cannot be ignored.
  • Take Action – From agenda inception, to research, policy and position writing, to grassroots campaign development, direct advocacy at the Capitol, and more; our members power and lead all of our work. Our Act Now campaigns support members to take immediate action to contact their legislators through email, by phone, and in person from their computer or phone within seconds.
Free Resources
  • Free Ethical Advice – The Office of Ethics and Professional Review provides individual ethics consultations as a benefit of NASW membership. Ethic consultations are a free resource for members who encounter ethical dilemmas and/or have ethics related questions.
  • Free Legal Resources – The NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) was established in 1972 to provide financial legal assistance and support for legal cases and issues of concern to NASW members and the social work profession. LDF offers educational programs to improve the legal status and knowledge of social workers.
  • Resources for Social Workers – The best resource for a social worker, is usually from other social worker. Our resource pages are developed and continually updated by the community directly impacted by the issue. Our current resource pages are on COVID-19, anti-racism, and veterans mental health.
  • Be a Resource – Do you want to make a resource available for NYS social workers? Email us at info.naswnys@socialworkers.org to collaborate on a Chapter Chat, create a Special Interest Group, develop a resource page, or present a CE program. 
  • NYS HelpDesk – Your first stop resource for questions about continuing education, licensing, advocacy initiatives, Division networking & events, leadership & volunteer opportunities, membership benefits, and much more. The NYS Helpdesk aims to provide the highest quality customer service, and individualized attention to all our members needs. 
Value at Every Stage

Peer Support
  • Special Interest Groups - Member led networks of social workers across New York State and beyond that plan CE programs, host in-person and online events, support the growth of individuals and social work practice areas, and help to ensure that the NYS Chapter is inclusive and representative of all social workers. Only members can facilitate a Special Interest Group.
  • Private Practice Connect – Join our members only forum for social workers who are in private practice. Share information, exchange ideas and resources on maintaining a successful private practice, and communicate directly with NASW Board and staff about issues important to  success of your business. 
  • One Team Listserv – One Team is a free online resource for clinical providers and students to engage with peers and Veterans about Veterans and military family mental health, increase cultural competence, request specific referrals, and share relevant community resources. Click here to be added to the One Team Listserv!
  • Be a Mentor or Mentee – The Chapter works to give you the tools, connections, and opportunities you need to make meaningful and organic mentorships with other social workers in and outside of NASW. Through local meet ups, and workshops specifically about the importance of mentorship is social work, we exist to facilitate these connections. 
Anti-Racism
  • Revolutionize Social Work – A movement to create transformational antiracist change in social work. Led by the RSW Leadership Team and other BIPOC social workers from around the globe. There are over 10,000+ social workers currently engaged in this work. BIPOC social workers are empowered to lead, and social workers with white privilege are encouraged to show ally-ship through action.
  • Racial Justice Forum – RJF are a series of free facilitated small group discussions with the purpose of providing opportunity for self-reflection, sharing of lived experiences, and modeling how to have these conversations in work and life. Broader systemic change within the profession is not possible unless individual social workers do the work to confront, examine, and unlearn the racism we perpetuate. Join a conversation, or host a RJF at your school or workplace.
  • Increase your Cultural Humility – One free antiracist CE program per month for our members at minimum between 1 - 3.0 CE credits. Three per year are free for all social workers.
  • Revolutionize Healing - Revolutionize Social Work has successfully connected BIPOC social workers across the world. Revolutionize Healing is a space for BIPOC social workers to connect with peers, process the impact of daily racism, and cultivate power through caring for themselves and their community. Under this umbrella includes self-care, peer support, and affinity groups.
Veterans Mental Health Training Initiative
  • VMHTI – All VMHTI activities are supported by a grant from the New York State Legislature. Our goal is to build the capacity of New York’s community mental health workforce to better serve our returning veterans and their families.
  • Free CE Workshops and Conferences – We offer a comprehensive schedule of free CE programs aimed at increasing the number of community health and mental health professionals trained in the assessment and treatment of mental health issues specific to veterans and their families. In 2020, we offered over 22 free CEs through the VMHTI in addition to our other monthly free CEs.
  • One Team Listserv – One Team is a free online resource for clinical providers and students to engage with peers and Veterans about Veterans and military family mental health, increase cultural competence, request specific referrals, and share relevant community resources. Click here to be added to the One Team Listserv!
  • Veteran Voices Panels – Aimed at increasing cultural humility of the mental health workforce in regards to, these panels allow attendees to hear the experiences of veterans prior to, during, and after their service in their own voices. These panels include focuses LGBTQIA+, female veteran, & BIPOC experiences, 9/11, moral injury, peer support, the veteran family unit, and more.
  • One Team Book Club – Join the OneTeam Listserv and VMHTI Advisory Committee in unpacking the impact service can have on our service members as we journey together to help serve those who have served us. Attending these meetings will expand your literacy experience and knowledge by reading and discussing books associated with advancing ones' understanding of servicemembers, veterans and their families.
Stay Informed
  • Tools & Techniques – Get answers to some of the most challenging situations, such as discussing traumatic events with children, managing clients who present with anger, and changes in Medicaid. Save time with sample HIPAA privacy forms and office policies and review information on billing codes.
  • Legal Issue of the Month– With your NASW membership, you get access to an archive of 100 free legal articles, designed to answer commonly asked questions on hot-button emerging legal issues related to social work.
  • Latest Research – Expand your knowledge base by perusing the latest in social work research in the free, online, peer-reviewed journal, Social Work. Widely read by practitioners, faculty, and students, it is the official journal of NASW and is provided to all members as a membership benefit.
  • Bi-Weekly Member Update – Every two weeks, our members receive a comprehensive updates and activities of the Chapter, relevant legal issues, legislative alerts on issues affecting you and your clients, and articles on various social issues written by local experts.
  • Monthly Membership Meeting – An opportunity for members to engage with Chapter staff and leadership directly, learn about current and upcoming NYS initiatives, and provide feedback on NYS programming and services. Our Monthly Membership Meetings take place at 12pm on the last Thursday of the month.

What do Social Workers do?

We make the world a better place in a million ways, large and small, noticed and unnoticed, every day. The “This is Social Work” campaign aims to spread awareness about the diversity and depth of the social work profession, and unify us in our common pursuit of social justice and well-being for all people.

By highlighting the innumerable ways social workers enhance communities and workplaces, and by showing off the vibrant, dedicated personalities of social workers, the general public will have a broader understanding of who social workers are and what they do.

These interviews consist of compelling stories from social work professionals who empower people at the individual, group and community level. We hope you enjoy these interviews just as much as we loved conducting them.

Click here to see our current list of social work profiles. Do you know a social worker we should interview next? Let us know at info.naswnys@socialworkers.org!

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Rising to the Challenge of School Social Work Special Interest Group Meeting | NASW-NYS Special Interest Groups

Rising to the Challenge of School Social Work Special Interest Group Meeting | NASW-NYS Special Interest Groups
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Membership FAQ

Q: What does NASW do?
A: Founded in 1955, and based in Washington, DC, NASW is the largest professional social work organization in the United States. NASW promotes, develops and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also advocates to improve public policies that strengthen society.

 

Q: What is the membership year?
A: Your membership year is 12 months from the date that you join, or renew, and pay your dues in full.

 

Q: Does NASW offer payment options?
A: NASW does not currently offer installment options for new members. Renewing members may pay dues in two or three installments, in advance of their renewal date. If you choose to send a partial payment with your first notice, your subsequent notices will reflect a credit and a remaining balance. This option is not available online. Installment payments may be sent by mail to PO Box 79949, Baltimore, MD 21279-0949, or by calling NASW Member Services at 800-742-4089, Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET.

 

Q: How soon do I get membership benefits after I join?
A: Your membership benefits are active the date your dues are paid in full as a new member, or when you renew and pay your dues in full as a continuing member.

 

Q: Can I cancel my membership and request a refund?
A: Refunds for cancellation of membership must be requested in writing within 30 days of membership activation. A $25 processing fee will be applied to refunds of membership dues. NASW Member Services can assist with all refund requests.

 

Q: How do I reinstate my membership?
A: Former members can reinstate membership at any time. To reinstate your membership online, visit www.socialworkers.org/reinstate, and enter the email address on file with NASW when you were last a member. To reinstate by phone or for assistance, please call NASW Member Services at 800-742-4089 Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET. Members may not be able to reinstate at a reduced rate (if applicable).

 

Q: Are my dues tax deductible?
A: Membership dues payments and other payments to NASW are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. They may be tax deductible, however, as ordinary and necessary business expenses subject to federal limits related to Association lobbying activity. Members who qualify to deduct membership dues payments from income taxes should note the following: For the calendar year ending Dec. 31, 2019, 5.0 percent of the annual NASW dues payment is not deductible. The percentage is based on the amount of Association lobbying activity in 2019. Tax deductible percentages are available, annually, in January and printed in the February/March issue of Social Work Advocates.

 

Q: How do I apply for insurance?
A: Insurance coverage must be obtained and purchased separately from your membership. For information on professional liability insurance, term life, long-term disability, or accident protection insurance, visit www.naswassurance.org.

 

Join now to become an NASW member at local, state, and national levels.

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