Biographical Sketch for Stephen A. Wanczyk-Karp, LMSW

Stephen Wanczyk-Karp is the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers, CT Chapter, a position he held from 1989 –1999, and again since August 2001. Steve has a long history of involvement with NASW, first as a volunteer leader from 1977 to 1987, then as the Political Director for the New York State Chapter, from 1988-1989, and Director of Chapter Services and Continuing Education at the national office of NASW from 1999-2001. Prior to working for NASW Steve spent over ten years in the fields of aging and developmental disabilities, where he did a combination of direct service, community practice and administration.

Steve received his BSW in 1977 from Southern CT State University and his MSW in 1983 from Fordham University, with a concentration in community organization. He has been an adjunct social work faculty over the years for SCSU, CCSU and University of Saint Joseph.

Steve serves on Advisory Boards for three schools of social work and the Office of Health Care Advocate. He is on the coordinating committee of the Keep The Promise and the Protect Our Care Connecticut coalition. He represents NASW/CT on a variety of health an social services coalitions.

Steve has a long history of involvement in legislative campaigns to advance social work, including achieving title protection, licensure, confidentiality, continuing education and Medicaid coverage for private practitioners. Additionally, Steve has been instrumental in advocating for managed care reforms, mental health & substance abuse parity, human rights and school based mental health services. Through administrative lobbying Steve developed and successfully ran a campaign to have DCF hire only MSWs and BSWs, DSS to give preference to MSWs and for most other state agencies to give preference in hiring to applicants with a social work degree. This successful campaign is now in law whereas state agencies must give hiring preference to applicants with a social work degree for social work positions.

Steve has received awards from the CT Association of Senior Center Personnel and from the Legislative Electoral Action Program in recognition of his legislative work and by NASW/CT for practice in Gerontology. He is the 1997 NASW Outstanding Chapter Executive, an award given to a chapter executive director each year. In 2014 Steve received the Gilman-Wells Award from the NASW Council of Chapter Executive Directors in recognition of his work in administrative lobbying for state hiring of professional social workers. In 2018 Steve was awarded the NASW CT Chapter’s President’s Award for his service to the Chapter.