Thank you for your membership with NASW. Take a look at our upcoming Chapter events in October 2024 and beyond. Read more about the 2024 Conference summary, upcoming webinars (earn CEs!), national and state updates, and more.

Please note that the Chapter has updated its email address associated with our mass emailing platform. We will now send Chapter emails from info.naswwa@socialworkers.org; please add this email and the socialworkers.org domain to your address book or safe senders list.

Jeremy Arp, MSW, ACSW

Executive Director, NASW-WA

(he/him)

Highlights from the 2024 Conference at Northern Quest Resort & Casino

We are excited to report that our recent conference, held from September 19-21, 2024, at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Airway Heights, was a resounding success! The event kicked off with a well-attended reception on Thursday evening, where attendees had the opportunity to connect, unwind, and celebrate 50 years of Eastern Washington University’s Social Work Program before diving into an enriching agenda.

Over the next day and a half, participants engaged in dynamic sessions centered around our theme, "Building Connections for a Socially Just Future." With a variety of workshops and panels, attendees explored innovative practices and strategies to foster equity and inclusion in our communities.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors and donors, whose generous contributions helped offset the cost of the conference. Your support made this gathering possible and allowed us to create a memorable experience for all participants.

Looking ahead, the Washington Chapter is committed to providing more engaging in-person and virtual learning and networking opportunities. We hope to continue building connections and advancing social justice together.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of this year’s conference. Stay tuned for more updates and events in the coming months!

Thanks to our conference sponsors!

Legislative Updates

Chapter Survey: Social Work Board/Commission or Advisory Board?

The Chapter's Legislative Action Committee (LAC) continues to meet in advance of the 2025 Legislative Session in Washington. E2SHB 2247 requires the Washington Department of Health (DOH) to study and make recommendations on changing the disciplining authority for master's level behavioral health professionals from the Secretary to separate boards or commissions for each profession. The Secretary's findings and recommendations must, at a minimum, include whether the disciplining authority for each profession should be a board or a commission; the recommended membership of each board or commission, which must include a majority of members who are members of the regulated professions and at least one public member; an estimate of the fiscal impact of changing the disciplining authority for the professions; and a transition plan for changing the disciplining authorities, including recommended statutory changes.

The same bill includes provisions that make changes to continuing education, allowing the Department of Health Secretary to set continuing education requirements for professions. NASW-WA is seeking input from social workers to inform our comments. We anticipate that professions will recommend a significant transition by proposing to shift the licensed social workers advisory board to a governing board. This change would empower social workers in Washington State to have a more direct influence on decisions impacting their profession and licensure. Currently, the advisory board lacks authority over licensure matters, and recently continuing education was moved from statute to rule which allows DOH to determine continuing education requirements. A governing board (such as that for the Psychology Board), on the other hand, would have the ability to enact rules and practices that significantly affect the social work field including discipline and continuing education requirements. Governing boards also typically have public members and professional members (those would be licensed social workers). 

By allowing licensed social workers to play a pivotal role in decision-making processes, NASW-WA aims to enhance the profession and advance professionalism in social work practice.

Your feedback on this proposed transition is crucial in shaping the future of social work in Washington State. Please take a moment to respond to our poll here.

Department of Health Listening Sessions

The Department of Health is organizing multiple listening sessions in response to E2SHB 2247 Section 21. This section mandates the department to provide recommendations on transferring the disciplining authority for professions regulated under 18.225 RCW from the secretary of health (advisory committee) to separate boards or commissions for each profession.

These feedback sessions will be held to explain the potential impacts of any change and gather feedback from interested parties.

The department will be hosting 4 sessions and will be sending out information for each individual meeting. 



This meeting will be held Thursday, October 17th, from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Pacific. Click here for the full announcement.

Award Nominations Open for Social Work Month 2025! 

Each March, NASW-WA honors the accomplishments of social workers and community members during our Social Work Month Celebration.

Do you know someone who should be recognized? Nominations are open for our 2025 Awards! Read the award descriptions and more online here.

Once you are ready to nominate, click the "Award Nomination Form" button to submit a nomination! Please submit your nomination by January 31, 2025.

NASW-WA PACE Endorsements

The Chapter's Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) committee is dedicated to endorsing candidates who align with the values of the NASW Washington Chapter, ensuring that our collective voice as social workers is represented in the electoral process. In June and July, the committee made preliminary endorsements for statewide and legislative candidates, and as we approach the November elections, PACE members will continue to convene and make informed decisions regarding campaign donations.

Donate Today! Your involvement is crucial, and we invite you to stay engaged for further updates and opportunities to participate, fostering a strong sense of community and shared purpose among social workers in our advocacy efforts. If you share our commitment to supporting candidates who champion our values, we encourage you to contribute to PACE's efforts through donations.

Additionally, our National PACE has initiated an endorsement process for Congressional seats and the Presidential race, with more national endorsements made recently. Click here to see what Washington Congressional Candidates were endorsed.

VOTE in Elections This November!

NASW-WA reminds you to register to vote and to participate in the General Elections! Click here to register to vote today! 

NASW-WA supports voter engagement work through Voting is Social Work! Here are some tips to help you get involved:

REGISTER and “pledge to participate” at www.votingissocialwork.org. 

LEARN about the many resources that Voting is Social Work offers. To access online resources, click here.

ZOOM FORMAT: An Hour with Private Practice: Questions & Answers

NASW Members Only...FREE

When: Third Friday of the Month 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET

An Hour with Private Practice (HOPP): Questions & Answers is a free members-only question-and-answer session that provides members with important clinical social work updates affecting the delivery of mental health services in a private solo or group practice. Join us in 2024 to take part in the discussion, ask questions, and comment on private practice topics.

Incorporating Cultural Competence as a Tool for Providing Ethical Private Practice

Friday, October 18, 2024 (12 – 1 pm ET)

Presenter: Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW - NASW National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Register in advance for this meeting.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

New Ethics 8 Tipsheet for Posting and Sharing

As part of our Ethics 8 Tipsheet Series, The Office of Ethics and Professional Review has just posted a new tipsheet on 8 Ethical Considerations When Using Social Media Marketing. It’s available at this link: 8 Ethical Considerations When Using Social Media Marketing (socialworkers.org)

As social workers leverage the power of social media to market their services, this tipsheet provides key ethical guidance to prevent harm to consumers and uphold the integrity of the social work profession.

NASW Responds to Preferra Insurance Company RRG Lawsuit

The NASW Board is aware that our former professional liability insurance provider, Preferra, has filed a lawsuit against NASW, NASW Assurance Services Inc (ASI) and NASW Insurance Company (NASWIC). 

NASW intends to vigorously defend against all false and unsubstantiated allegations. We are sorry that malicious misinformation about our organization and its insurance enterprise is being shared in public. This is not the experience we want our members to have, and we apologize for the ongoing disruption. As this matter is actively being litigated, we regret that we cannot share more details about the present dispute.

We are grateful for your support as we continue to advocate on your behalf. For example, NASW is advocating for the Interstate Social Work Compact and working to improve social work compensation. We’re fighting for mental health parity, organizing voters for the upcoming elections, and increasing social work visibility on critical social justice issues. We’re also offering high-value professional development courses and leadership activities at the chapter and national levels.  

This is the hard work we need our insurance partners to help support. While we’re deeply disappointed in this development, we look forward to continuing our work in support of the social work profession and offering new benefits and resources for all social workers.

We thank our members for their extraordinary commitment to social work and to our Association. Read the press release here.

Call for Presenters

Are you interested in presenting a workshop for NASW-WA? We have an open call for presenters for our ongoing continuing education series held throughout the year (live, virtual, or recorded).

Click here for more information about what we're looking for!

Chapter Classifieds

NASW-WA offers a space on our website for text-only classified ads. Go to: https://naswwa.socialworkers.org/Membership/Classifieds.

Stay up to date on the newest NASW-WA Continuing Education courses!