NASW Ohio - Region One

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On Thursday, May 7, Danielle Smith NASW Ohio Executive Director presented at the National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter conference on unionization, labor history, and what collective action can look like in social work today. The presentation highlighted lessons from West Virginia labor history, including Matewan and the Battle of Blair Mountain, and connected those struggles to the ongoing fight for fair pay, safe working conditions, and dignity for social workers and behavioral health professionals.

The session also featured a video interview with Breann Smith about how workers at Equitas Health successfully unionized and what they learned through the process. You can watch the interview here: https://vimeo.com/1190260126/b09fc1a556?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Pictured are Valerie Arendt, Executive Director of the Society for Social Work and Research, former NASW NC Executive Director, Danielle Smith, Samuel Hickman, former NASW WV Executive Director, and Molly Arbogast, current NASW WV Executive Director.

Please cast your vote!!!

Voting is now open for the 2026 NASW Ohio Board of Directors election, and we encourage all NASW Ohio members to participate. Members may vote for the MSW Student Representative and BSW Student Representative positions, and members in Region 2 and Region 6 may also vote for their respective regional representative. Region 2 includes Erie, Huron, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties in northern Ohio. Region 6 includes Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, Lawrence, Pike, Scioto, and Warren counties in southwest Ohio. Voting is an important part of shaping the leadership and future direction of NASW Ohio. To cast your ballot, members must log into the NASW Ohio website and complete the online voting process by June 12, 2026. Vote here: https://www.naswoh.org/page/board2026

Submit your nomination!!

Nominations for the 2026 Ohio Social Work Awards are OPEN! Submit your nominations now for Student of the Year, Emerging Leader, Agency of the Year, Outstanding Service to NASW, Social Worker of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement! www.naswoh.org/awardnominations