New York City and New York State Chapters Become One

Chapters

By Paul R. Pace

The NASW New York State and New York City chapters have unified to become one chapter. The executive director of the new chapter is Shakira A. Kennedy, PhD, LMSW. She said a letter was sent to impacted members before the unification took place this year.

The letter explained that the NASW national board of directors voted to unify the chapters to create one NASW-New York Chapter.

“This unification aims to enhance our ability to support social workers and the communities they serve across New York State and the five boroughs of New York City,” the letter stated. “By coming together, we’ll create efficiencies that will allow us to offer more comprehensive services, diverse educational programs, and a unified advocacy voice at the New York State Assembly.”

Chapter leaders said the goal is to elevate the support both chapters already provide and to build on the strong foundation that has been established. The first step in the transition involved forming a Transition Advisory Committee composed of members from both chapter boards.

The committee, co-chaired by the chapter presidents, oversaw the governance tasks required for the transition, including developing the unified chapter charter, crafting a new strategic plan, and aligning both committees.

“When we began this process, our goal was to ensure that NASW-New York would have the majority of the transition tasks completed by July 1, 2025, and we remain on track to meet that target,” Kennedy said in the Spring. “There are a few remaining back-end operational items that still need to be finalized, which we anticipate will be completed by August 2025.”

In the letter to members, chapter leaders said membership status with NASW will remain unchanged throughout the transition.

“All current programs and opportunities to engage with us will continue as planned,” it said. “We are committed to maintaining the unique and valuable contributions of both New York State and New York City while ensuring that our unified chapter addresses the needs of all our members.”

To provide transparency to chapter members, spaces were created where their questions and concerns could be addressed. Members were invited to complete a brief form to share their thoughts and concerns.

“This approach has helped ensure that both upstate and downstate members not only feel included but are also empowered to take ownership of their vision for their association,” Kennedy said.

Initial feedback reflected disappointment from members, she said. “However, as we continued to keep the membership informed throughout the process, we began receiving more positive responses, while others remain in a wait-and-see phase.”

Kennedy said it’s important to recognize that “this process could not have been accomplished without the trust and active participation of our membership.”

From the Transition Committee, Advocacy and Government Relations Committee, Political Action for Candidate Election Committee, and Special Interest Groups to the division directors and board, each played a vital role in ensuring we got it right while allowing for adjustments, she noted.

“The NASW-New York staff has also been a driving force—leading programming, organizing activities, fostering community and policy engagement,” she said.

Members of the chapter’s Veterans Mental Health Grant Initiative consistently showed up with resources and programming for veterans, Kennedy added.

“Our partners at the NASW national office have supported us every step of the way, standing with us in this important work,” she said.

As for the future, the unification will create a more prominent singular chapter that can better advocate for social workers and the communities they serve, chapter leaders said.

“One chapter will enable NASW to mobilize all New York State social workers under one banner, maximizing the impact of our legislative efforts and amplifying the voices of social workers across all levels of government,” the letter to members stated. “Long-term goals include enhanced member services, stronger advocacy efforts, and improved professional development opportunities.”

The new chapter will have approximately 9,400 members. Visit naswny.socialworkers.org for more.