Statements
Mission
TCSW is a membership organization that provides information, education, and advocacy for social service organizations, professionals, clients, and consumers. TCSW's mission is to be the preeminent catalyst for creating and fostering broad-based networks, connecting community stakeholders and policy-makers for a better Tennessee. TCSW is a multi-issue organization benefiting Tennesseans that are most vulnerable to the impact of poverty, unemployment, physical illness, mental illness, disability, discrimination, mistreatment, and child abuse and neglect. TCSW members represent a diverse group of agencies and individuals including those providing direct services, education, management and administration, supervision, advocacy, and state and local government services.
Background
The tradition of the Tennessee Conference on Social Welfare (TCSW) began in 1912 in Nashville when then Tennessee Governor Ben Hooper convened a conference of over 700 delegates concerned with prison reform, child labor and a constructive approach to improving social conditions. TCSW was born in 1913 from the conviction of religious leaders, scholars, volunteers and philanthropists like Rabbi Isadore Lewinthal, Mrs. John Hill Eakin and Fannie Battle. Leaders like George Cate, Sr., May Werthan Shayne, Linda Christie Moynihan and Louise Burgess molded and guided the organization's advocacy and public policy work throughout it's history. TCSW today plays a significant role in shaping public policy across a broad spectrum of issues and disciplines, including poverty, unemployment, health care, mental illness, disability, discrimination, mistreatment, aging, and child abuse and neglect.
Impact
Accomplishments: Hosted three professional development conferences with approximately 500 registrants, speakers, and guests. The conferences were held in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga and included more than 40 professional workshops and general sessions on topics of interest and importance to human service professionals across the state. Enhanced advocacy efforts included public education, collaboration with other organizations, and legislator contact and education. Expanded and increased agency and individual membership by more than 20% 2020-21 Goals: Review the agency mission and vision as they relate to community needs as part of the strategic planning process. Develop and implement a regional professional development workshop/conference plan for at least 4 Tennessee regions including Middle Tennessee. Identify programs and funding sources that align with TCSW's mission and values and meet community needs. Increase agency membership by 10%. Create new opportunities for virtual learning and networking to meet the ongoing professional development needs of our constituents during the COVID-19 global health crisis.
Needs
TCSW's most pressing needs for 2020-21 include: To increase company visibility and access to programs by developing and implementing a strategic marketing plan. To hold high-caliber professional development events in at least 4 regions across the state including virtual events. To better use technology to provide online as well as onsite professional development opportunities. To further-develop TCSW board membership and participation to include volunteers from across the state and with diverse backgrounds, employment roles, relationships, and skills to help TCSW grow and support a statewide membership base. To increase engagement and input from individual and agency members to better meet community needs.
CEO Statement
TCSW provides information, education, and advocacy services to its membership. Social services clients and consumers deserve help from well-informed and well-educated professionals. Human services work is at times stressful, tiring, and emotionally taxing, yet it offers personal and professional satisfaction with appropriate support. TCSW supports human service professionals by providing information and professional development opportunities so that workers, supervisors, and managers have the knowledge and skills to serve the most vulnerable Tennesseans competently and energetically. Additionally, TCSW has renewed its efforts to provide advocacy and policy development by actively engaging with state officials and providing information and education regarding a wide array of social service related issues.
Board Chair Statement
Success - Maintaining relevance as a networking agency and source of professional development for social service professionals. TCSW has been successful in maintaining and demonstrating the relevancy of networking and professional development within the Social Services arena. TCSW has over 100 years' experience leading the state in bridging together multiple social service populations to share best practices, develop cohesive policy responses, and advocate for those in the industry as well as those served by Human Service professionals. From 2013 - 2014, TCSW was instrumental in traveling through middle Tennessee educating individuals and groups on the Affordable Care Act. TCSW facilitated 51 training sessions between April 15, 2013 and December 4, 2013, educating approximately 1254 individuals on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Ac t. Issues of policy, health care and health insurance benefits, advocacy regarding Medic aid expansion, eligibility for tax credits, shopping for and enrolling in marketplace insurance were addressed. We continue to provide Continuing Education Units for social service professionals across Tennessee, as well as several educational contact hours for the state's human service professional. For me, TCSW has been a great connector to other professionals in the Human Service field. Sitting in a cubical all day closed from the outside world feels a little alienating and disconnected. By attending quarterly and yearly conferences with TCSW members, I feel more aligned and aware of the progress agencies are making to fulfill their mission of serving others. The knowledge gained from TCSW members is quality education I take back to my government office as motivation to continue plugging in numbers and advocating through data research, policy review, and trend analysis. Everyone plays their part and in so doing, we create a movement toward a healthier wellbeing and way of life. Challenges - Selling the value of TCSW to individuals and agencies as a value added resource to their employers and individual job performance. Because TCSW has been in existence for 104 years, we have helped initiate or produce several individual likeminded organizations. Over time, due to the grassroots experience and training received through TCSW, these likeminded organizations grown to serve their specific needs more intently; and TCSW has become the respected "grandfather" or "elder" to these groups. In a sense, what we provide to them now is not so much random training on universal best practices but more so an avenue for distribution of knowledge, networking, and a collective partnership in legislative advocacy. To address this challenge, TCSW is in the process of strengthening our stance as a partner in securing and maintaining social justice by continuously improving the quality of professional development offered, providing varied onsite public education and awareness trainings, offering specialized human resource consultation, building stronger relationships, and connecting community stakeholders. As an organization historically known for advocacy, we are reclaiming our reputation as capacity building voices for Tennesseans.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Secondary Category: | Human Services - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Tertiary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Nonprofit Management |
Areas Served
TCSW is a statewide organization with regional conference committees. The Middle Tennessee Region serves 40 counties. TCSW has a statewide membership with local and regional impact. Our spring conference held in the Middle Tennessee region is our largest yearly event.
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