Vol. 48, No. 8, September 2003

From the President

The Passion That Drives Us

By Gary Bailey, MSW

As chapter presidents, executive directors, national board members and staff met in Washington, D.C., this summer for NASW’s Annual Leadership Meeting, the fact that I represent 153,000 passionate, goal-directed social work professionals truly began to sink in.

Seeing so many dedicated social work leaders in one place was not only inspiring but also offered a wonderful glimpse of the future of social work. I hoped to both demonstrate my support and to learn about the work being done by chapters to promote NASW’s positions on important issues. While many chapter leaders may feel they are working behind the scenes, they are the true stars of this show, the ones who make things happen day in and day out.

One of the most highly publicized areas in which social workers have a major impact is mental health. In July, President Bush’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health released its final report, “Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America” [story in this News]. I strongly urge all social workers to read this report, especially the recommendations.

While the government has not declared which federal agencies will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the commission’s recommendations, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are expected to play significant roles. In addition, there will be a role for state and local governments.

As social workers, we are the major providers of mental health services in the U.S. Therefore, it is important for us to educate ourselves about this report and to provide leadership in its implementation. NASW wants to ensure that the policy initiatives advocated by the commission are turned into policy action and funded appropriately. Most of the recommendations in the commission’s report require significant changes in federal legislation and regulations. As social workers and NASW members, it is our responsibility to make that happen and ensure that both recovery and community living become required and expected mental health outcomes for our country.

On another front, three decisions the U.S. Supreme Court handed down this summer illuminate the essential nature of social workers’ advocacy. In each of these cases, NASW was on record as a friend of the court, supporting our values of social justice and equity [stories in this News].

Critical, in terms of civil rights, was the court’s landmark decision on the University of Michigan’s affirmative action admissions policies, emphasizing the continued importance of providing educational opportunity for historically oppressed people and promoting diversity in student bodies.

In another highly publicized ruling, the court struck down the Texas sodomy statute in the case Lawrence and Garner v. Texas. This anti-discrimination decision underscores our efforts against policies that result in the denial of basic freedoms for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, racial and ethnic minorities, and other under-represented populations.

And in June, the court ruled in favor of the defendant in the death-penalty case Wiggins v. Smith, in which the defendant’s attorneys failed to obtain a psychosocial assessment by a social worker before his sentencing hearing, thus denying the jury evidence of his extensive history of sexual and physical abuse — circumstances that may have influenced a jury not to impose the death penalty. This case establishes a standard for capital murder cases that highlights the importance of social work evaluations.

These landmark rulings reinforce our nation’s commitment to the principles of justice and human rights. For social workers, their meaning is heightened, because each of these cases speaks to the core values of our profession: equity, access, self-determination, tolerance and accountability.

The effects of social workers’ concerted efforts in the areas of mental health reform and civil rights advocacy can have immediate impact in the U.S., but I have no doubt that people throughout the world will benefit from the work that we are doing individually and collectively.

I encourage each of you to take just one action this month. Write one letter, call one legislator, publish one piece of social work research for the world to see, announce that you are a social worker and let those in positions of power know how you feel regarding an issue about which you are passionate. It is that passion that drove us to our chosen career in the beginning. It is that passion that will carry the profession into the future.

To contact Gary Bailey: president@naswdc.org

From July 2003 NASW News. Copyright © 2003, National Association of Social Workers, Inc. 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.