Bullock Eager to Begin Role as NASW President-Elect
By Paul R. Pace
As a member of NASW for more than 30 years, Karen Bullock has served the association in numerous leadership positions. That trend continues with her newest role as president-elect.
“I was inspired to run for president-elect because of the exciting things that are happening with the association, said Bullock, PhD, LICSW, the Ahearn endowed professor at Boston College School of Social Work. NASW has continued to lead the largest group of mental health practitioners in the U.S. through the “unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the turbulence of nationwide social unrest that accompanied the pandemic,” she said.
NASW was steadfast in remaining connected to and with its members, while continuing to do what it does best: ensuring that members have continuing education programming, developing and maintaining professional standards for social workers, advocating for social welfare policies and brokering community resources to meet the needs of individuals, families and larger societies, Bullock said.
Her previous roles with NASW include vice president and president of the NASW Connecticut Chapter; chair of the Mental Health Specialty Practice Section committee; and current chair of the National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Bullock is the recipient of numerous awards and honors and was most recently named an NASW Social Work Pioneer®—one of the highest honors in the profession.
Bullock said she believes the most pressing issues facing social work are safety; economic and job opportunities; health/mental health; and social well-being across the lifespan, from birth to end-of-life.
“Historically, marginalized and minoritized communities are particularly vulnerable at this time with many safety nets being pulled away from them,” she said. “We as social workers are exploring all options for reclaiming some civility and humanity in how we, as a society, care for and about ourselves and others.”
Today, there is an abundance of uncertainty with each day bringing less and less clarity in the form of policies, actions and legislation that protect people’s human rights and living conditions, she explained. “The issue that I am interested in focusing on is membership,” Bullock said. “We are experiencing unprecedented times in our global society and we need every social worker, nationwide, to join their professional association so that we have a united front, side and back direction that moves us forward together.”
Bullock said her goal is to adopt the African American proverb of “each one, teach one” as a guiding principle for engaging social workers across professional and social networks, inspiring belonging, creating welcoming platforms, and raising awareness about resources and opportunities for their career development and enhancement.
“I think the future is bright for the social work profession,” she said. “We are needed now more than ever. The profession is growing in numbers, with social work programs continuing to be implemented, accredited and sustained, preparing and producing new generations of social workers each year.”
“As the largest mental health profession in the U.S., social workers are positioned to join forces with a collective voice in what we want the blueprint to look like for our future,” Bullock said. “All each of us needs to do is become a member, engage in the many opportunities that welcome our input, and stand with your professional association, because it values our talents and time.”
Bullock will begin her term as president on July 1, 2026, after serving for a year as president-elect with current NASW President Yvonne Chase.”