PACE, Political Action for Candidate election, is the political action committee of the National Association of Social Workers. Created in 1976, PACE fosters the participation of interested members to elect candidates who support NASW's public policy goals. PACE is a bipartisan political committee dedicated to advancing social worker's goals in campaigns and elections.

In Oklahoma, PACE-OK makes contributions to state and local candidates who support NASW-OK's public policy goals. PACE-OK is governed by a board of directors appointed by the regional representatives to the NASW-OK Board. Funds for contributions are made available to PACE-OK through rebates when members check off PACE contributions when renewing their membership. One half of the contributions are returned to Oklahoma, with the other half going to the National PACE Board. The National Board makes contributions to federal candidates for office.

Annually, PACE-OK conducts local fundraisers to increase the amount of funds available to contribute to Oklahoma candidates. Members who know of local candidates who support NASW public policy goals should contact their PACE Board representative.  Chair of PACE-OK is Dr. Andrew Cherry.

NASW has been instrumental in impacting the national political news. Your membership helps support this vital activity of our association. You can have an even greater impact by getting involved.

• NASW provides legislative alerts and updates to inform its members of legislative activity on the national level.
• NASW advocates to influence the passage of laws that will govern health/mental health care, welfare, education, and other social services to assure that the social work perspective is incorporated.
• PACE (Political Action for Candidate Election) is NASW's political action committee. Through PACE, social workers make contributions to help elect candidates who support NASW's public policy goals. PACE advances social workers as candidates for public office, provides political education about candidates and issues to its members.

Did you know that there are a number of NASW-OK Committees that need active participants?

If you are interested in any of the following issues, please call the NASW office and become involved. Your name will be put on the mailing lists for any committee you wish to attend. Many committee meetings are announced in the NASW-OK Newsletter. All committee meetings are open to the members and you are always welcome whether you belong to the committee or not. When you servce on a committee, it is expected that you will attend all of the meetings. Chairs and Co-Chairs are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board. Chairs are also expected to attended and file reports for all Board meetings and retreats.

NASW-OK Committees:

• Affirmative Action
• Aging
• Annual State Conference
• Colleague Assistance
• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Issues
• Membership
• Professional Standards
• Revenue Enhancement
• Scholarship
• School Social Work
• Social Policy and Action
• Women's Issues

NASW's goal-to reflect the needs and interests of the entire profession is furthered through the work of our Equity Committees These committees work to assure that NASW programs and products address diverse needs and interests.

• The National Committee of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (NCORED)
• The National Committee on Lesbian and Gay Issues (NCOLGI)
• The National Committee on Women's Issues (MCOWI)

The following caucuses exist to enhance efforts to meet the needs of targeted populations.

• America Indian Caucus
• Asian Pacific Islander Caucus
• Black Caucus
• Latino Caucus

The NASW Press is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. As the premier publisher of social work reference work, periodicals, and books, it facilitates practice in a wide variety of settings. Some of the highly respected publications of the NASW Press are:

• NASW News - official newspaper of NASW. It is provided to NASW members as a membership benefit at no additional cost.
• Social Work - official journal of NASW. It is provided to NASW members as a membership benefit at no additional cost.
• Social Work Research - primary research articles on social work and social welfare.
• Health and Social Work - primary journal for health care professionals of changes in the health and mental fields.
• Social Work in Education - source of information on practice and theoretical developments in school social work services.
• Social Work Abstracts - consolidates abstracts of articles previously published in major social work and human services journals.
• Social Work Abstracts Plus on CD-ROM - full scope of social work literature on compact disk.

NASW also publishes the Encyclopedia of Social Work and the Social Work Dictionary.

Your NASW-OK Chapter membership links you to social workers in the State of Oklahoma. You may participate in programs on relevant topics, be part of a coalition with other human services organizations, or join a committee that focuses on your particular area of interest. The opportunity for involvement at the chapter level is limitless!

The Professional Connection:
U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno recently remarked that social workers are "but a little bit lower than the angels." Through an aggressive public relations campaign, NASW works every day to position social workers as the valuable professional you are.

Whether fighting for equitable salaries and improved employment opportunities, or enhancing the public's image or social work through highly visible media campaigns, NASW works for you while you work for others.

Local Connections:
Your NASW dues payment includes national and chapter membership! Chapters offer a myriad of services to connect you with local resources and a network of colleagues who have experiences to share.

Your Connection To A Lifetime Of Support:
Since NASW was founded in 1955, we have supported and advanced the interests of individual social workers as well as the profession. We also support the interests of social work clients, and work for sound social politics. We have an important mission, and we need you to help us continue the work.