A Month for New Beginnings

By Shirley Gentilini, MSW, LCSW

January is the month for new beginnings. Our holiday celebrations are over and we look forward to the New Year of 2015. I hope that you had a pleasant holiday season and I wish you the best for this New Year.

This is the year that we recognize and celebrate NASW’s 60th Anniversary.

In March we highlight the important work social workers perform to make our world a better place. NASW’s new theme and logo, “Social Work Paves the Way for Change,” offers us the opportunity to think about the reason NASW, our professional organization is valuable to us. Our California Chapter is the largest with over 10,000 members. The total number of NASW members is 130,000.

Our chapter’s success is due to you, our member, and your valuable contribution to your professional organization. NASW’s staff, board of directors, unit chairpersons and others are here to serve you. We all welcome your ideas and input on how we can continue to be a successful organization.

Although we work in a variety of practice areas, we all work toward empowering clients with social problems that get in the way of them realizing and reaching their full potential. I encourage you to think about what NASW offers you and also what changes you would like to see from your organization. By doing so you will benefit our California social workers, and the people they serve.

In March 2015, NASW will begin the eighth-month celebration of its 60th year anniversary. The celebration will end in October and National has a timeline focusing on important events in NASW history. This timeline will help educate the public and social work professionals about the impact the 60-year-old association and its committed members have had. Testimonial videos from long-time NASW members, mid-career members and student members will be posted online beginning March 2015.

In addition, a video campaign will invite NASW Mmmbers and social workers to produce videos about why they believe NASW is valuable. As we review these materials we can form our own ideas about where we would like to NASW to be in the future.

For more information you can email socialworkmonth@naswdc.org. Campaign updates can be found at SocialWorkMonth.org.

It is not too early to consider whom you would like to nominate for Chapter Social Worker of the Year Award, Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award, and Public Citizen of the Year. Nominations can be made online at www.naswca.org/?=awards.

The deadline for applications is April 30, 2015. The awardees will be honored at the October 2015 Conference to be held in Northern California this year.

March is designated as Social Work Month and regions and units choose and honor their person for Social Worker of the Year, Lifetime Achievement awardee, and Public Citizen awardee. I encourage you to begin your selection early, as March will be here before we know it.