Remembering Elizabeth J. Clark

by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW 

     The New Social Worker and the social work profession mourn the passing of Elizabeth (Betsy) J. Clark, PhD, MSW, MPH, on May 23, 2020. Dr. Clark, a contributing writer for The New Social Worker, made many important contributions to the social work profession, most notably as CEO of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) from 2001-2013. After her retirement from NASW, she co-founded the Start Smart Career Center with Elizabeth Franklin. She was a leader in the areas of cancer survivorship, loss, hope, and burnout, among others. In 2015, she was inducted as an NASW Social Work Pioneer®.

     I remember Betsy Clark as a person who always encouraged other social workers. She had a calming voice and manner. One special thing I remember about her is that she made a point to write hand-written thank-you notes. And she always had hope.

     She studied the concept of hope for many years. NASW held a national conference on it in 2012, during her tenure there. During a conversation with her in August 2016, I was struck by how deeply profound her concept of hope was, and I asked her if she would consider writing an article about it for The New Social Worker. The article was published in the Winter 2017 issue.

     In the years of 2017-2020, Dr. Clark became a frequent and important part of The New Social Worker, writing or co-writing 15 articles for the magazine and website. Her articles delve into universal topics that resonate with social workers - hope, loss and suffering, what really makes someone a social worker, the "aura of social work," the importance of using the title of social worker, and others. She wrote, with Becky Corbett, a series of four articles on becoming a leader in social work. Her last article for The New Social Worker was published March 24, 2020. Together, these writings make an extraordinary contribution to the social work profession, particularly to new social workers.

     I was privileged and honored to know her. I learned tremendously from each conversation with her. Through her leadership, mentorship, and writings, she leaves a hopeful legacy to the profession of social work and to those who knew her. For more information about her and the full scope of her work and career, see: