Introductory Comment: Alcoholism Committee, New York City Chapter of NASW DAVID LERNER In the fall of 1967, Margaret Bailey, author of Alcoholism and Family Casework: Theory and Practice,
suggested that New York City's Chapter of NASW form an Alcoholism Committee. 1 The call for such a committee acknowledged the existence of alcoholism treatment as a specialized field of social work practice and responded to the need of social workers involved in alcoholism treatment to interact. From its inception in 1967, the Alcoholism Committee accepted a responsibility to spread information about the treatment of alcoholics and their families to less informed social work colleagues. 2 In 1969, the committee held the First Annual Alcoholism Institute, attracting an audience of over 300 people. The early institutes were attended largely by workers in family David Lerner, MSW, is Supervisor of Rehabilitation Therapy, Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center, The Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York, and was Chairman of the 1978 Institute Planning Subcommittee of the Alcoholism Committee, New York City Chapter of NASW. 107
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agencies; in recent years attendants increasingly have been individuals from the health field and the specialized alcoholism agencies themselves. The annual alcoholism institutes, which have expanded in size and sophistication over the years, have remained as the committee's major vehicle to achieve its dual purpose, namely, creating solidarity among social workers specializing in alcoholism treatment and providing basic information to other social workers not in the alcoholism field. The Jatter continues to be necessary because graduate schools of social work generally fail to prepare students with adequate information for treating alcoholism. Social workers from outside New York City who have attended the institutes have sometimes expressed regret that similar alcoholism committees did not exist in their local NASW chapters. In the past few years, however, other NASW chapters have begun to form programs similar to the Alcoholism Committee of the New York City Chapter, which has approximately 60 members. Monthly meetings serve as a forum for discussion of clinical and policy issues in alcoholism treatment, and often guest speakers are invited. Over the past twelve years, the committee has expanded in membership and function and subcommittees have mushroomed to tackle special issues. For example, one subcommittee plans the annual institutes. Another has investigated extensively the issue of coverage for alcoholism treatment through NASW's health insurance, and has recently produced a handbook on how to 1 Margaret Bailey, Alcoholism and Family Casework: Theory and Practice (New York: Community Council of Greater
New York, 1968). 2 Barbara King, "Introduction: The 1977 Alcoholism Institute," Social Casework, 59 (January 1978), pp. 3-5.
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help a social work colleague with a drinking problem. This subcommittee has joined with the members of two other committees of the New York City Chapter—the Drug Abuse Committee and the Mental Health Committee—to form a consultation network for social workers experiencing personal problems in these areas. Another subcommittee is in the process of compiling a
basic module reviewing the literature on alcoholism to be used by social work students, and a related subcommittee is examining the whole area of alcoholism and social work education. Finally, a subcommittee has written a policy statement about alcoholism for presentation to the 1979 Delegate Assembly of NASW for possible adoption as a national policy statement. PROVIDING INFORMATION THROUGH PUBLICATION
Beginning with the Ninth Annual Alcoholism Institute in 1977, the Alcoholism Committee began to encourage speakers to consolidate their presentations for possible publication. This pattern was followed for papers presented at the Tenth Annual Alcoholism Institute as well, the theme of which was "Alcoholism: Towards a Total Treatment Network." The Publications Subcommittee, chaired by David Cook, was instrumental in obtaining publication for the papers presented at the Tenth Institute in this issue of HEALTH & SOCIAL WORK. The topic of the Tenth Institute reflects the interest of the committee in pinpointing linkages between the increasing number of specialized alcoholism facilities and various general treatment settings such as general hospitals, family agencies, schools, the prison and parole system, and industrial settings where social workers have contact with alcoholics and their families.
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HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORK
The institute acknowledged and dramatized the key role of the social work profession in all segments of a broadened delivery system for the treatment of alcoholism, and the six articles that follow stress the need for continued participation by social workers in the field. IMPLICATIONS
The experience of the Alcoholism Committee of NASW's New York City Chapter has led its members to believe that formal acknowledgment of the involvement of the social work profession in the field of alcoholism should occur at the national level of NASW. Such a step would stimulate new knowledge among alcoholism specialists and encourage social workers not directly in the alcoholism field to remain up-to-date.
if What's wo f/1 more and costs less than in 1971? besides our life, hospital and disability insurance Not much coverages! Inflation's here to stay, but our mass purchasing power and an outstanding claims experience allow us to offer these coverages with lower rates and higher benefits than ever before. For details, write us today or call NASW Benefit Services COLLECT at 212/344-7114. NASW Insurance Trust 1425 H Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20005
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suggested that New York City's Chapter of NASW form an Alcoholism Committee. 1 The call for such a committee acknowledged the existence of alcoholism treatment as a specialized field of social work practice and responded to the need of social workers involved in alcoholism treatment to interact. From its inception in 1967, the Alcoholism Committee accepted a responsibility to spread information about the treatment of alcoholics and their families to less informed social work colleagues. 2 In 1969, the committee held the First Annual Alcoholism Institute, attracting an audience of over 300 people. The early institutes were attended largely by workers in family David Lerner, MSW, is Supervisor of Rehabilitation Therapy, Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center, The Roosevelt Hospital, New York, New York, and was Chairman of the 1978 Institute Planning Subcommittee of the Alcoholism Committee, New York City Chapter of NASW. 107
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HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORK
agencies; in recent years attendants increasingly have been individuals from the health field and the specialized alcoholism agencies themselves. The annual alcoholism institutes, which have expanded in size and sophistication over the years, have remained as the committee's major vehicle to achieve its dual purpose, namely, creating solidarity among social workers specializing in alcoholism treatment and providing basic information to other social workers not in the alcoholism field. The Jatter continues to be necessary because graduate schools of social work generally fail to prepare students with adequate information for treating alcoholism. Social workers from outside New York City who have attended the institutes have sometimes expressed regret that similar alcoholism committees did not exist in their local NASW chapters. In the past few years, however, other NASW chapters have begun to form programs similar to the Alcoholism Committee of the New York City Chapter, which has approximately 60 members. Monthly meetings serve as a forum for discussion of clinical and policy issues in alcoholism treatment, and often guest speakers are invited. Over the past twelve years, the committee has expanded in membership and function and subcommittees have mushroomed to tackle special issues. For example, one subcommittee plans the annual institutes. Another has investigated extensively the issue of coverage for alcoholism treatment through NASW's health insurance, and has recently produced a handbook on how to 1 Margaret Bailey, Alcoholism and Family Casework: Theory and Practice (New York: Community Council of Greater
New York, 1968). 2 Barbara King, "Introduction: The 1977 Alcoholism Institute," Social Casework, 59 (January 1978), pp. 3-5.
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help a social work colleague with a drinking problem. This subcommittee has joined with the members of two other committees of the New York City Chapter—the Drug Abuse Committee and the Mental Health Committee—to form a consultation network for social workers experiencing personal problems in these areas. Another subcommittee is in the process of compiling a
basic module reviewing the literature on alcoholism to be used by social work students, and a related subcommittee is examining the whole area of alcoholism and social work education. Finally, a subcommittee has written a policy statement about alcoholism for presentation to the 1979 Delegate Assembly of NASW for possible adoption as a national policy statement. PROVIDING INFORMATION THROUGH PUBLICATION
Beginning with the Ninth Annual Alcoholism Institute in 1977, the Alcoholism Committee began to encourage speakers to consolidate their presentations for possible publication. This pattern was followed for papers presented at the Tenth Annual Alcoholism Institute as well, the theme of which was "Alcoholism: Towards a Total Treatment Network." The Publications Subcommittee, chaired by David Cook, was instrumental in obtaining publication for the papers presented at the Tenth Institute in this issue of HEALTH & SOCIAL WORK. The topic of the Tenth Institute reflects the interest of the committee in pinpointing linkages between the increasing number of specialized alcoholism facilities and various general treatment settings such as general hospitals, family agencies, schools, the prison and parole system, and industrial settings where social workers have contact with alcoholics and their families.
IIO
HEALTH AND SOCIAL WORK
The institute acknowledged and dramatized the key role of the social work profession in all segments of a broadened delivery system for the treatment of alcoholism, and the six articles that follow stress the need for continued participation by social workers in the field. IMPLICATIONS
The experience of the Alcoholism Committee of NASW's New York City Chapter has led its members to believe that formal acknowledgment of the involvement of the social work profession in the field of alcoholism should occur at the national level of NASW. Such a step would stimulate new knowledge among alcoholism specialists and encourage social workers not directly in the alcoholism field to remain up-to-date.
if What's wo f/1 more and costs less than in 1971? besides our life, hospital and disability insurance Not much coverages! Inflation's here to stay, but our mass purchasing power and an outstanding claims experience allow us to offer these coverages with lower rates and higher benefits than ever before. For details, write us today or call NASW Benefit Services COLLECT at 212/344-7114. NASW Insurance Trust 1425 H Street, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20005
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