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Dr. Ann Abbott, GSSWSR Alum, Receives the NASW Lifetime Achievement Award

November 17, 2017 Dr. Ann Abbott
Dr. Ann Abbott

Congratulations to Dr. Ann A. Abbott for receiving the NASW Lifetime Achievement Award at the Pennsylvania Keystone Awards Gala on September 17th, 2017. She received her BS degree in Psychology from St. Norbert College, Wisconsin and her MSS and Ph.D. degree from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She completed the HERS program for women in administration and American Group Psychotherapy Training Program.

Dr. Ann A. Abbott became the National Association of Social Work’s 22nd president on July 1, 1993. She had been active in both her local NASW and the national program. In 1987-89 she was President of her PA Chapter. She was on the National-Chapter Relations Committee; on the National Board of Directors, Communications Committee; Chair of the Presidents’ Council; Book Committee; Strategic Planning Committee; Social Work Research and Abstracts Editorial Board; Health and Social Work Editorial Board; Executive Committee; NASW/CSWE Joint Board; National Center for Social Policy and Practice Advisory Committee; Strategic Planning Implementation Oversight Committee; Delegate Assembly Planning Committee; Annual Conference Planning Committee; and Member and Chair of the NASW Insurance Trust. She also served as Chair of the PA State Committee on Inquiry, and the National Committee on Inquiry, both currently known as Ethics Committees.

Between 2001-2013, Dr. Abbott served as professor and Chair of the Graduate Social Work Department at West Chester University (PA). Previously she served as faculty member and Associate Dean in the School of Social Work at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She taught clinical/ direct practice and HBSE content and both undergraduate and graduate levels. She also served as Director of the BASW program, and Chair of the Social Work Program in Camden, as well as Chair of Foundation Area for New Brunswick, Camden, and Newark MSW programs. She was also a National Institute for Drug Abuse, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcohol, Office of Substance Abuse Prevention faculty fellow developing substance abuse content for social work curricula. At present, Dr. Abbott teaches part-time in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University and the doctoral program at Yeshiva University. In addition to the 2017 NASW-PA Lifetime Achievement award, her awards include Distinguished Alumna of Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Outstanding Alumna of St. Norbert College, and Social Worker of the Year (Brandywine PA division of NASW). She has been a member of the Council on Social Work Education and American Group Psychotherapy Association, a fellow of the American Orthopsychiatry Association, and fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. In addition to her work in the area of substance abuse and mental health, Dr. Abbott is a prominent national lecturer on social values and ethics, and malpractice and risk management. Currently she serves on the editorial boards of four social work journals, and is a risk management presenter for the NASW National Assurance Insurance Services. Until recently, she served as Chair of the NASW Press Book Committee.

Dr. Abbott has an extensive publication and presentation history wth numerous books and journal articles to her credit, and more than 200 professional presentations (of which more than 60 focus on ethics and risk management).

Currently she serves as co-chair of the GSSWSR Board of Advisors.