Kentucky Chapter Plan
National Association of Social Workers, Kentucky Chapter
173 Sears Ave., Suite 268
Louisville, KY40207
502-895-3715 * FAX: 502-895-3118
EMAIL:
Kentucky Social Work Reinvestment Initiative (SWRI) Plan
Reinvestment Issue Areas
Priority 1
To enhance social work legislative action:
Define Issue:
Kentucky’s social workers need to become more proactive in working with legislative policy on the state and federal level, by doing so this will help to develop the profession in areas of state licensure, loan forgiveness, and general support of the professions ongoing needs.
Favorable conditions supporting the issue being addressed:
The Social Work Reinvestment Event that will be held on March 18, 2008 is the kick off to Kentucky's reinvestment plan for social workers involvement in legislative activities, continued policy development, and advocacy. The event is being held in Frankfort during the annual “Social Work Day at the Capital”, which will promote momentum for continued support and relationship of our members and the NASW- KY.
During the General Assembly Action 2007, Senate Bill 59, amendments were made to KRS194A and Chapter 605 increasing the safety requirements for social service workers, chiefly front line workers within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. House Bill 362, Boni Bill, was favorably supported by House Representatives and social workers within Kentucky, with continued efforts and support many other changes in legislature will become possible by developing a united professional group.
Unfavorable condition/ impediments to addressing the issue:
-Minimal number of social workers sitting in the House
-Lack of involvement and advocacy
-Disheartened with the legislative system
Strategies:
-Annual host of “Lobby Day” during Social Work Month, that includes professional social workers and students regarding current legislative issues and concerns.
-Build and strengthen relationships with legislatives, private and public agencies, Schools of Social Work, Kentucky Board of Licensure.
-Legislative agenda that identifies issues of concern to social workers and their clients, to be maintained by the Legislative Committee NASW-KY.
-Reenacting the PACE (Political Action for Candidate Election) committee, in Kentucky.
Estimated Time Frame for accomplishment:
1-3 Years
People/partnership/consultant resources required:
NASW Board of Directors and Legislative Committee, Schools of Social Work, Kentucky Board of Social Workers
Financial resources:
Budgetary
Key external resources:
Senators, House of Representative
Priority 2
To simulate the social work profession through education, recruitment, and retention:
Define Issue:
The social work profession offers a great deal of knowledge, skill, and hard work by dedicated persons, however the profession itself often offers little back to the social worker. The overall lack of a supportive work environment, low salary bases, large amounts of student loans, and burnout; all impact how many students will enter into the schools of social work and also how many will continue with there profession once they are in the field.
Favorable conditions supporting the issue being addressed:
The Public Child Welfare Certification Program (PCWCP) is a pre-service education and training program for undergraduate junior and senior social work majors designed to prepare them for employment in Kentucky’s public child welfare services.
The PCWCP at the University of Kentucky (UK) continues to operate under the administrative umbrella of the College of Social Work's TrainingResourceCenter. The Participants of this program are exposed to two child welfare courses, 24 hours of training at four Program retreats plus an additional four days of training in their last semester. Both of their practicum placements, accounting for 640 hours on-site in two semesters, are spent with the Commonwealth’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Department of Community Based Services, Protection and Permanency units. This collaborative effort between the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and ten public and private universities is a comprehensive and thorough preparation that is meant to ensure competent and confident workers. Statewide, the retention rate for participants who continue two years or more beyond their initial two-year commitment to employment with the Cabinet is approximately 85%.
(University of KentuckyCollege of Social Work, TrainingResourceCenter)
Unfavorable conditions/ impediments to addressing the issue:
-Low amount of social workers licensed in the state of Kentucky
-Social work salaries are lower than comparably trained professionals.
-Social workers face significant educational debt that discourages retention in the profession.
-High turnover rate of social work staff in public child welfare agency, corrections, and behavior health agencies
Strategies:
For Recruitment:
-Recruiting new social workers and potential school of social work students into the field by allowing them to attend NASW events and community branch meetings.
-Provide representation for college and university career fairs and community days.
For Retention:
-Advocate for legislature to support retention, such as employee wages, licensure laws, and future title protection
-Celebrate outstanding social workers through “The Power of Social Work” newsletter, recognizing new members
For Education:
-Configure a “year ahead” calendar of NASW-KY sponsored CEU workshops.
-Continue to develop various CEU workshops that will interest diverse populations of social workers in the communities
Estimated Time Frame for accomplishment:
1-3 years
resources required:
NASW- KY CEU committee, Social Work Board of Licensure, Schools of Social Work,
Financial resources:
Budgetary expenses
Key external resources:
Kentucky senators and representatives
Priority 3
To strengthen community knowledge of social workers in Kentucky
Define Issue:
The need for expanded public education about the social work profession has always been a continuous effort to shed social workers in a good light upon the public’s eyes. Social workers reputations have been linked closely to the clientele that they service. This is not always a negative character, but is often for child welfare workers. Others within the profession may also only be seen as such workers in the public’s view, which could also represent why many social workers leave the profession earlier than anticipated. By doing so it is easy to see how perception can also influence retention.
Favorable conditions supporting the issue being addressed:
NASW- Washington D.C. has prepared a national campaign “Public Education Campaign”, which will help to guide the Kentucky chapter as we try to make changes in public opinion of the profession of social work. The numerous jobs and responsibilities that social workers hold in our schools, hospitals, mental health facilities, and with children and families in crisis; it is detrimental to our society that this profession continues to grow and strengthen neighborhoods across Kentucky.
Unfavorable conditions/ impediments to addressing the issue:
-Misunderstanding of the various populations social workers serve
-Lack of knowledge by the pubic of social work roles and practices
-Exemptions in the licensure laws
-Lack of social workers joining their processional organization
-Portrayal of social workers in the media
-Generic use of the term “social worker”
Strategies:
-Launch media campaign that includes billboards in major cities, media releases through newspapers and local televised news reports
-Support the profession through personal advertisement such as bumper stickers, pens, and buttons
-Financial support to BRANCH Chairs for branch meeting functions that will attract new members
-Continuous advertisement and visual support, first billboard was erected in Frankfort as of 02/20/2008
-Develop relationships with mainstream media
Estimated Time Frame for accomplishment:
Ongoing efforts that began in January 2008
People/ partnership/ consultant resources required:
Branch Chairs and local media
Financial resources:
Branch chair allowance $500 per yr.
Budgetary allocations for larger scale advertising endeavors.
Key external resources:
Private vendors and mainstream media contact
Social Work Programs of Education in Kentucky
AsburyCollege: Department of Sociology/ Social Work
Wilmore, Kentucky40390
859-858-3511 ext. 2181
BresciaUniversity: Social Work Department
Owensboro, Kentucky42301
270-686-4220
CampbellsvilleUniversity: The CarverSchool of Social Work and Counseling
Campbellsville, Kentucky42718
270-789-5049
CumberlandCollege: Department of Social Work
Williamsburg, Kentucky40769
606-539-4140
Eastern KentuckyUniversity: College of Arts and Sciences Department of Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work
Richmond, Kentucky40475
859-622-1645
JeffersonCommunity College: Behavioral and Social Sciences, Human Services
Louisville, Kentucky40201
502-584-0181
KentuckyStateUniversity: Division of Social Work and Criminal Justice
Frankfort, Kentucky
502-597-6890
MoreheadStateUniversity: Department of Sociology, Social Work, and Criminology
Morehead, Kentucky40351
606-783-2656
MurrayStateUniversity: Department of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Gerontology
Murray, Kentucky40271
270-809-2506
Northern KentuckyUniversity: College of Professional Studies Department of Allied Health, Human Services, and Social Work
Highland Heights, Kentucky41099
859-572-5604
OwensboroCommunity College: Human Services Program
Owensboro, Kentucky42303
270-686-4400
PikevilleCollege: Social Work Program
Pikeville, Kentucky41505
606-218-5011
SpaldingUniversity: School of Social Work, Sociology, and Psychology
Louisville, Kentucky40203
502-588-7183
St.CatherineCollege: Department of Sociology
St. Catherine Kentucky 40061
859-336-5082
University of Kentucky: College of Social Work
Lexington, Kentucky40506
859-257-6650
University of Louisville: KentSchool of Social Work
Louisville, Kentucky40292
502-852-6402
WesternKentuckyUniversity: Department of Social Work
Bowling Green, Kentucky42101
270-745-5312