Westchester County covers an area of 450 square miles and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, containing 45 municipalities. The county, established in 1683, was named after the city of Chester in England. The county seat of Westchester is the City of White Plains. The county’s location puts New York City and Long Island Sound to its south, Putnam County to its north, Fairfield County, Connecticut on its east, and Rockland County as well as New Jersey to the west across of the Hudson River. We have four moderately sized cities and over 50 towns and villages, making a diverse population of urban, suburban, and rural communities with varying needs and services.
The Office of the Professions has over 27,000 social workers licensed statewide and over 3,800 here in Westchester County. NASW is the largest professional organization, our division represents a broad range of social work professionals, and membership includes county, state, and national representation on issues impacting our practice.
The path to becoming a professional social worker is very accessible without leaving Westchester! Westchester Community College (SUNY) offers the two year associate degree in Human Services, which graduates can transfer into one of the four local Bachelor of Social Work Programs at the College of New Rochelle, Concordia College, Iona College, or Mercy College. At the graduate level we have two Master of Social Work Programs: Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, Westchester Campus and New York University Silver School of Social Work, Westchester Campus at Sarah Lawrence College. There are several other schools of social work in New York State that are accredited by The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Social workers make up the largest group of clinically trained mental health providers in the United States, and we have over 2000 licensed clinical social workers in Westchester County. NASW in collaboration with the New York State Society for Clinical Social Work represent the profession on issues impacting licensing and continuing education.
Westchester County Government provides a lot of statistical information about the socioeconomic and ethnic diversity of our residents. The County continues a long history of welcoming immigrant families, and provides services and outreach in a variety of languages. The Department of Social Services (DSS) makes up 1/3 of the entire county budget at $559 Million for 2014, providing a variety of outreach and collaboration with other community based agencies. Our professionals are well represented and highly regarded in all ranks of government in Westchester County.
Our division meetings are often hosted by Fordham University – Westchester and New York Presbyterian Hospital in White Plains. We have also been welcome by all the schools of social work and community based agencies. Our committees provide ongoing enrichment and educational experiences for both members and non-members.