2005 National Awards Ceremony and Reception - NASW Foundation

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
National Awards Reception
2005 NASW Delegate Assembly
Hyatt Regency – Capitol Hill
August 6, 2005

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS
National Awards Program
The Social Worker of the Year Award honors a
member of NASW who exemplifies the best of
the profession’s values and achievements through
specific accomplishments. In honoring the Social
Worker of the Year, the Association highlights
superb accomplishments in the practice of social
work in the member’s career. Only NASW chapters
may nominate candidates in this category.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to a
member of NASW in celebration of a lifetime of
accomplishments. This award recognizes the best
social work values, contributions to the profession,
and extraordinary achievements as demonstrated
in an individual’s distinguished career. NASW
chapters and individuals may nominate
candidates in this category.
The Public Elected Official of the Year Award
recognizes outstanding service and contributions
of an elected official who has shown leadership in
the formulation of public policy, particularly
policies that affect social justice, health care,
education, civil and human rights, and social
practice. NASW chapters, individuals, and social
welfare organizations may nominate local, state,
or national elected officials for this award.
The Public Citizen of the Year Award honors an
outstanding member of the community whose
accomplishments exemplify the values and mission
of professional social work. The award recipient is
not a social worker. NASW chapters, individuals,
and social welfare organizations may nominate
candidates in this category.
The International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award is given to
an individual, group, or organization that has
significantly advanced the public image of social
work. This monetary award is administered by the
NASW Foundation and is made possible by an
endowment generously established by distinguished
social worker, Rhoda G. Sarnat, LCSW, and her
husband, Dr. Bernard Sarnat. NASW chapters,
individuals, and social welfare organizations may
nominate candidates in this category.
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WELCOME REMARKS
Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
Executive Director
National Association of Social Workers
President
NASW Foundation
AWARDS VIDEO PRESENTATION
AWARDS PRESENTATION
Elvira Craig de Silva, DSW, ACSW
President
National Association of Social Workers
AWARD RECOGNITIONS
Jill Elizabeth Manske, ACSW, LISW
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Social Worker of the Year Award
Sheryl Brissett-Chapman, EdD, LICSW, ACSW
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lifetime Achievement Award
The Honorable Otis S. Johnson, PhD, ACSW
. . . . . . . . . . . Public Elected Official of the Year Award
Sarah Kramer
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Public Citizen of the Year Award
Michael Cronin, PhD, MSSW
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NASW Foundation
International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award
NASW AWARDS COMMITTEE
Catharine J. Ralph, MSW
Committee Chair
Marion J. Fontanella, LCSW
Laura A. Phillips, BSW
Jacqueline Steingold, ACSW, CSW
Leina H. Yamamoto
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTERNATIONAL RHODA G. SARNAT
AWARD PANEL
Suzanne Dworak-Peck, ACSW, LCSW
Chair
Lt. Col. Paul Bollwahn, ACSW, CSWM
Fran Franklin, PhD, LCSW
Carol Marcusen, LCSW, BCD
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JILL ELIZABETH MANSKE, ACSW, LISW
Social Worker of the Year Award
Ms. Manske has reinvented the
role of social work practice on the
national level through servantbased
leadership at the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA). She has
a keen ability to see a challenge,
to creatively engage others and to
tirelessly work a plan to fruition,
making her a leader among leaders.
The recent conflicts in the
Middle East highlight the need
for competent social workers to
serve soldiers and their families.
Ms. Manske is a pioneer and a
leader in the reinvention of VA social work.
As director of Social Work Services for the VA, Ms. Manske
has concentrated her work on building a more patient-focused
atmosphere, particularly as the VA prepares to serve the
largest wave of combat soldiers in recent generations. She
was chosen for a major leadership role in the “VA Seamless
Transition Program,” which incorporates VA social workers
at all major Department of Defense military treatment
facilities. This proactive program assists active duty soldiers
to transition to veteran or civilian life.
With over 40 percent of all VA social workers eligible to
retire within four years, Ms. Manske has worked to develop
succession plans for each facility, as well as to offer one-toone
mentoring programs for new social workers. This
development plan was selected by the VA’s Employee
Education program to be a model for other VA services. She
is planning for the future of VA social work, while ensuring
the quality of care for military personnel.
Ms. Manske has served at several VA medical centers across
the country, including Minneapolis VA Medical Center, VA
Western Region in San Francisco, and Albuquerque VA
Medical Center. Since 2000, she has served as director of
Social Work Services for the VA. She was recently reappointed
to a four-year term as director.
With her enthusiastic spirit, her creativity and, above all,
her dedication to duty, Ms. Manske has improved the services
provided to the nation’s veterans. For this reason it is with
great honor that NASW recognizes Jill Manske, ACSW, LISW
as 2005 Social Worker of the Year.
Ms. Manske has been instrumental in establishing the VA
Social Work Leadership Council that sets professional
standards and guidelines for social work practice in the VA.
These provide the foundation upon which VA social work
leaders are building sound clinical programs and maintaining
high standards of care. Ms. Manske is also forging strong
relationships with VA affiliate schools of social work to
measure outcomes in terms of quality care and productivity.
By coordinating national training opportunities, mentoring
leaders, and modeling successful business practices, she is
leading VA social work to a new level of accountability.
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SHERYL BRISSETT-CHAPMAN, EdD, LICSW, ACSW
Lifetime Achievement Award
Through her innovative practices,
Dr. Brissett-Chapman has created
healthy and supportive environments
for children and youth. With
particular interest in children living
in foster and adoptive care, she has
dedicated her career dedicating to
improving the connection between
youth and the child welfare system.
Eager to for all social workers to
lend their voices to the voiceless, Dr.
Brissett-Chapman enthusiastically
works with children, youth and
families at risk for entanglement in the child welfare and
juvenile justice systems. As both a biological parent and an
adoptive parent of a child with special needs, she has
cultivated a special sensitivity to the complexity of child
rearing in today’s intergenerational and multicultural context.
In the 1970s, Dr. Brissett-Chapman established a
community-based youth development center in New York
City that catered to the needs of delinquent girls. She also
served for several years as the associate director of the
Division of Child Protection at Children’s National Medical
Center in Washington, DC. During her tenure at Children’s,
she led a model sexual abuse pediatric hospital trauma team.
Perhaps her crowning achievement is the transformation of
Baptist Home for Children from a group home for adolescents
that cared for 66 children annually to a thriving center – the
National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) – that
serves more than 1,900 children in the Washington area.
orphanage” to a contemporary and responsive institution
serving children and youth.
Since 1991, NCCF has flourished to become a state-of-the-art
facility, adding dormitories, conference centers, computer
labs and youth activity centers. The small staff has grown to
a motivated group of 160, assisted by more than 800
volunteers. NCCF offers many programs designed to serve
the needs of the community, including residential facilities,
a domestic violence emergency shelter, and independent living
and treatment foster care programs for delinquent and
maltreated youths.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Brissett-
Chapman is an adjunct professor at Howard University
School of Social Work. She also provides field instruction
at NCCF to social work students from Columbia University,
Howard University, and the University of Maryland.
Dr. Brissett-Chapman’s contributions to social work also
include ability to create arenas for critical exchange and
proactive dialogue. She co-edited the Child Welfare Journal
on African American Children in the Child Welfare System,
and in 1995 she organized the first national African American
Child Welfare Summit in St. Louis.
It is her powerful intellect, rooted deeply in a compassionate
and spiritual commitment to a life of service that will continue
to inspire social workers by her personal example. It is with
great pride that we confer the Lifetime Achievement Award
on Dr. Sheryl Brissett-Chapman.
When Dr. Brissett-Chapman arrived as executive director
in 1991, she was challenged by a fiscal disaster, a small,
unfocused staff and sub-code facilities. She approached the
Board of Trustees with the need to change the organization
and a plan to transform the community from an “old
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THE HONORABLE OTIS S. JOHNSON, PhD, ACSW
Public Elected Official of the Year Award
Well into his first term as Mayor
of Savannah, Otis Johnson has
gained the respect of its citizens
by translating his valuable social
work skills into positive changes
for Savannah-Chatham County.
Mayor Johnson ran on a platform
using the acronym N.E.E.D. –
Neighborhood Empowerment and
Economic Development. He is
striving to provide continuity of
services for members of the
community as it relates to crime,
health, education, and community
services.
While in office, he has implemented several strategies to reach
out to the community to determine their greatest needs. At the
beginning of his administration, Mayor Johnson held a retreat
with the City Council to identify the priorities for community
improvement. The result was a unique plan publicizing the
specific remedies to improving neighborhood quality, public
safety, poverty reduction and economic development.
Quarterly town hall meetings and live Internet chats make
the Mayor and City Council accessible to their constituency.
He encourages community members to voice their opinions
and solutions, making each person responsible for developing
solutions to resolve problems.
political and practical skills to move those ideas toward
action. He sets precise goals and deadlines, and doesn’t shy
away from harnessing the prestige of the mayor’s office.”
Tackling difficult issues and creating innovative solutions has
been the hallmark of Mayor Johnson’s life’s work and the
benchmark of his administration. His social work experience
began 30 years ago working in anti-poverty programs in
Savannah. Over the course of his social work career, he has
also worked closely with youth on issues of drugs, school
dropout prevention, and teen pregnancy. His extensive work
in academia allowed him to establish an undergraduate social
work program at Savannah State University.
Mayor Johnson has devoted his professional career to making
conditions better for the people in Georgia. In addition to
Mayor, he has worn many hats in the Savannah community.
He served on the City Council Board and the Board of Public
Education. He also served as the Dean of the College of
Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Savannah State University.
Viewing issues from a social worker’s perspective, Mayor
Johnson guides others to not just stop at the symptoms, but
to take a holistic view of the problems and create viable
answers. The National Association of Social Workers is
honored to name Mayor Otis Johnson as the Public Elected
Official of the Year.
Georgia Trend Magazine’s February 2005 issue summed
Mayor Johnson’s passion precisely: “Perhaps his greatest
strength as a politician is combining an academic’s ability
to analyze community problems in the abstract, with the
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SARAH KRAMER
Public Citizen of the Year Award
Sarah Kramer has consistently
acted with courage, demonstrated
outstanding leadership, and
exemplified social work values
and ethics throughout her
volunteer career.
Ms. Kramer began her advocacy
efforts in the early 1990’s writing
action letters on behalf of Amnesty
International and created Amnesty
International Chapters in the local
high schools.
To continue these efforts, Ms. Kramer visited death row
inmates to offer support and encouragement. She developed
a relationship with one such inmate, Gary Burris, with whom
she spent much time. She continues monthly visits to other
death row inmates and she works closely with the
Indianapolis Coalition Against the Death Penalty.
Ms. Kramer also saw a need for advocacy on behalf of gay
and lesbian citizens of her small Midwest town of Columbus,
IN. She spearheaded the effort to create the Gay/Straight
Alliance (G/SA) an organization that raised money and
awareness for the global AIDS pandemic. G/SA has formed
a permanent alliance with the Columbus Human Rights
Commission and together they enhanced sensitivity training
for police officers and appointed a police community liaison.
grew a group called ACCEPT, Addressing Columbus Cultural
Education and Promoting Trust. This group co-sponsors large
community events including annual Stop the Hate Vigils,
which encourage awareness regarding hate crimes, and the
Empty Bowl Project, which raises money to feed the poor.
Ms. Kramer has supported the Bike Aid program by hosting
bikers each summer at her home as they travel across the
country to learn about social issues.
For Ms. Kramer, advocacy and education does not simply
end with the Columbus city limits. She leads Friends of Haiti,
a program that creates self-development projects,. Some of
these projects include women’s cooperative programs, adult
literacy programs, a water purification program, and the
school sponsorship of hundreds of children and youth in
Haiti. The Friends of Haiti program is a collaborative effort
between St. Bartholomew Catholic Parish in Columbus and
St. Ann’s Parish in Limonade, Haiti.
Ms. Kramer enriches the community by educating, advocating
and working with existing organizations to develop new
methods of increasing public knowledge about human equity.
NASW is proud to present Sarah Kramer with the 2005
Public Citizen of the Year award.
In addition to these efforts, Ms. Kramer is the longtime leader
of Columbus Peace Fellowship, helping people to understand
the global issues that divide people. She directs Face-to-Face
dialogues, bringing diverse populations together to find
common ground on divisive issues. From these conversations
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MICHAEL CRONIN, PhD, MSSW
International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award
Over the course of his career in
social work, Dr. Michael Cronin
has contributed significantly to the
public image and respect of
professional social workers, both
domestically and internationally.
Since 1997, Dr. Cronin has been
the main representative for the
International Federation of Social
Workers (IFSW), acting as the
public face of social work at the
United Nations. He leads a team
of social workers at the UN, where
their advocacy efforts focus on the issues of aging, education,
family, health and mental health, human rights, women’s
status, and social development. He is regularly consulted
by UN staff on various issues, especially those related to
mediation or negotiation of sensitive matters.
Following the September 11 th tragedy, Dr. Cronin was
asked to represent the Conference on Non-Governmental
Organizations (CONGO) to regain access to the United
Nations. One of Dr. Cronin’s recent accomplishments on
behalf of CONGO was the development of a specialized
UN Web site for the public in which UN documents can
be searched and retrieved, without having to navigate the
complex UN Web site.
Dr. Cronin is currently the social work manager at St. Luke’s
Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City. He developed
and leads the Community Advocacy Program, a full public
benefit and services program for members of the community,
including access to health care for legal immigrants, refugees
and asylum seekers. In September 2005, he will become an
assistant professor of social work at The Richard Stockton
College of New Jersey.
Dr. Cronin was the first recipient of the IFSW Eileen
McGowan Kelly Scholarship award for leadership in
international social work, which allowed him to attend the
IFSW World Conference in Jerusalem in 1998. Dr. Cronin
received a social work exchange scholarship from the
Council of International Fellowships where he traveled to
the Netherlands in 1990, beginning his work on cultural
competency, which was the focus of his doctoral dissertation.
From 1995-2001, Dr. Cronin was the chair for New York
City’s NASW International Affairs Committee, providing a
renaissance to this group. He encouraged social workers to
feel empowered to have an effect on the international
community, particularly focusing on human rights and social
justice issues.
For his unique gift to work effectively with people on every
level, the NASW Foundation is proud to confer the
International Rhoda G. Sarnat Award on Dr. Michael Cronin.
At the UN, he also provides field instruction to social work
students who greatly benefit from that experience. Students
are involved in UN meetings and act as a point person in the
Social Work at the United Nations Day. He increases the
public awareness of what the social work profession is about
and the many ways that one can advocate as a social worker.
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NASW STATE CHAPTER “SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR” RECIPIENTS
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Maine
Massachusetts
Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
Gina E. Harris, LCSW, ACSW,
DCSW, QCSW, PIP
Gerald Berman, PhD, MSW
Suzanne Schunk, MSW
John G. (Greg) Adams, ACSW, LCSW
Terry Jones, PhD, MSW
Rubi Clay, LCSW
Laurie Picus, LCSW
Michie Hesselbrock, PhD, LCSW
Robin Ross May, ACSW
Janet H. Lenard, PhD, LCSW,
ACSW, CACII, ICRC, CCS
Renata Bordallo, MSW
Mildred Sikkema, PhD, MSS
Kathy Tidwell, LCSW
Jeanne Forkner, LCSW
Earl P. Kelly, ACSW, LISW
Penny P. Brooks, LCSW
Frank Brook, MSW, LCSW
Carol Bonner, MSW, MBA
Lt. Col. David Rabb, ACSW
Mary Tarquinio, MSW
Julie Fleck, MSW, LCSW
Rhonda Himberger, BSW
Carol L. Herzig, ACSW, LICSW
Margaret Carne, LCSW, ACSW
James Payette, MSW
New York State
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennyslvania
Susan Gerbino, PhD, LCSW
Stephen M. Marson, PhD, ACSW,
CMSW, ACBSW
Dean Sparks, MSW, ACSW
Linda Doak Hattaway, LCSW
Diane Malbin, MSW
Joan H. Sadoff, MEd, MSW
Rhode Island Virginia T. Stiepock, ACSW –
Lifetime Achievement Award:
South Dakota Jennifer Soule, PhD, MSW, ACSW,
CSW-PIP
Texas
Darlene Grant, PhD, LCSW
Utah
Susan Middleton, PhD, LCSW, DCSW
Virgin Islands Ada-Luz Rivera Flemming, MSW
Washington Jean H. (Punkey) Adams, MSW
Washington, DC Vivian E. Frazier, LGSW
West Virginia Tennessee Moore-May, MSW, LICSW
Wisconsin Wendy Volz-Daniels, MSW LCSW
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www.socialworkers.org • www.naswfoundation.org
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