NASW-KY PACE Committee 2023-2024
If you are a member and interested in joining our PACE Committee, please contact Brenda at: brosen.naswky@socialworkers.org
About NASW PACE
Federal policies directly affect social work practice and programs for the people we serve. Therefore it is essential to elect legislators who share NASW’s policy positions, which are published in Social Work Speaks:National Association of Social Workers Policy Statements. Using these policies as a guide, NASW endorses candidates and lobbies lawmakers to enact effective public policies. NASW Involvement in Politics and Policy making NASW advocates for the profession and for social justice in several ways:
Government Relations: Lobbying current officeholders by advocating for and against specific legislation and regulations. Also called “legislative advocacy.”
Field Mobilization: Grassroots activity from NASW members calling, visiting,e-mailing, and mailing letters to legislators and their staff.
Elections: Funding candidates who advocate for NASW policy issues and mobilizing NASW members to vote for them. Also called“electoral advocacy,” this work is done through PACE, the political action committee of NASW.
Why Social Workers Should be Politically Active
Social workers are natural advocates and contribute an important perspective to the social policy debate.They can and should advocate in the legislative and political arenas for issues about which they are passionate. Working together as NASW members strengthens the power of social work on legislative and political issues that affect social work practice and the people we serve:
Involvement in the political process helps social workers shape policies that affect clients.
Provide a valuable perspective to politics, because social workers understand how policies affect people.
Represent the profession’s interests.
Work together on a common agenda.
Adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics, which states, “Social workers should engage in social and political action…. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions in order to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.” (Section 6.04)
NASW’s Political Action Committee Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) is NASW’s political action arm. As a political action committee,PACE endorses and financially contributes to candidates who support NASW’s policy agenda, irrespective of party affiliation. The national PACE Board of Trustees endorses and contributes to federal candidates running for U.S. House and Senate seats; state chapter PACE units decide on local and state races.NASW, as an incorporated membership organization, is a non-profit association exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c) (6) of the Internal Revenue Tax Code. PACE is a subsidiary of NASW.
As a subsidiary of NASW, PACE functions to enhance the policy making environment for the association.
In addition to its major tasks, PACE strengthens the organization by:
Recruiting new members and retaining current members through personal contact, student outreach, and being a visible political force.
Improving NASW’s image to candidates, members, and students.
Building capacity for political action within NASW through the field organizer project and by providing technical assistance to chapters.
Helping elect legislators who will advance NASW’s legislative priorities, and where possible, specifically electing social workers.