It is difficult to put today into words. We witnessed history today and while intellectually I knew today was historic, I also know that the full impact and ramifications of today have only begun.

This morning, we attended the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s
Caucus meeting. A highlight was the visit of Michelle Obama. Our seats at the caucus included two postcards with Barack Obama on the front. There was an instruction sheet that asked us to write a suggested message on the cards. The cards would then be mailed to undecided women voters.

Next we attended The Creative Coalition event on health care reform. NASW was a gold sponsor of this event at the Hard Rock Cafe.

We quickly left this event to get a bus for Invesco Field. We were told we needed to be at the Field early in the afternoon, by 2:00pm, if possible. We were a bit concerned because we would be in the outdoors on a sunny day for quite a few hours. On previous nights, there was strict security at the Pepsi Center, with only water allowed at your seat, no food, and at times limited ability to leave the hall for hours at a time.

Our credentials were on the 300 level and we were allowed to sit anywhere in the nine sections. It turned out we were on a club level with lots of places to buy food and drinks; the ability to take food and drink to our seats. In addition, because we got there early, we were able to sit in the best section, close to the 50 yard line, right across from the stage. And we were in the shade. The weather was warm, but not too warm, and a touch of cool air from the mountains blew through the stadium.

We listened to many distinguished speakers, as well as, musical performers. Some of the best speakers were the people who told their own stories.

Another amazing thing was the technology and getting people in the stadium to connect to the campaign. Ray Rivera, Colorado State Director, came out at least 3 times to encourage us to get involved. There was a place in the stadium where you could go to make calls to voters. During some of the breaks in speakers and music, we were encouraged to text the campaign at 62262 (Obama) and provide our name, town and why we were involved in the campaign. These messages were then scrolled across the screens during the breaks. There were also times when we were asked questions about planks in Obama’s campaign with 3 possible answers. Once you sent a text with your answer, you received a prompt reply. What an incredible way to get people involved, connected and also gain some data and educate people about the campaign.

But Senator Obama’s speech was certainly the highlight of the day. Over 70,000 people in the stadium and people were clearly pulled in to the speech. The most incredible thing and poignant and moving was at the end. I had just thought about how The March on Washington had not yet been mentioned and then Senator Obama mentioned it. Everyone stood up…and the awe inspiring thing was that we never sat down for the rest of the speech. We stood and stayed standing pulled in to what was happening…pulled to our feet by the words and standing in honor of the history we knew was occurring right before our eyes.

There was quite a celebration with fireworks and music and as we walked out we purchased our last souvenirs and mementos. The security was still tight and we were not well directed to the buses, so we walked on the highway, across the bridge, back to town, pondering and talking about the history we witnessed, as well as what we needed to do in the days ahead to get Senator Barack Obama elected as President of the United States.

- Becky

Social Workers are in Colorado this week for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Here are some photos (Click on the photo for a larger image).

Pepsi Center, Monday, August 25, opening night of the convention.

Senator John Kerry and Theresa Heinz Kerry arrive at the Pepsi Center on Monday night.

Betsy Clark, NASW Executive Director in the Democratic National Committee Women’s Caucus meeting.

Terry Wenner, NASW- Nebraska Chapter Executive Director and Delegate; Becky Fast, NASW Board member and staff member for Rep. Dennis Moore (KS) and Christi Granstaff, NASW PACE Trustee at get together for social workers who are delegates to the convention.

Asua Ofosu, NASW lobbyist; Betsy Clark, NASW Executive Director ; and Brian Dautch waiting to enter the Emily’s List Gala.

Rebecca Myers, Rep. Edolphus Towns (NY) and Christi Granstaff after the Emily’s list event. All 3 are proud to be social workers and to wear the “Social Workers for Obama” buttons.

The Kansas City Star reports that Barack Obama watched his wife address the Democratic National Convention Monday night at the Brookside home of social workers Jim and Alicia Girardeau.

The Girardeau family, who has a neighbor on Obama’s campaign, had 28 hours’ notice that the Obama’s visit could happen. They didn’t know for sure until Monday morning.

They unplugged their phone and kept their 10-year-old home from school so they wouldn’t tell anybody. Alicia said she didn’t have to do too much cleaning or rearranging to make room for everybody.

Jim: “I was nervous about just chatting with the possible president of the United States.”

Alicia: “It was such a privilege to be there with him while he was watching his wife give probably the most important speech of her life. You felt like you were witness to some really intimate, private moment.”

Both are or have been social workers.

Full Article

Published August 23, 2008 - From the The Baltimore Sun (Response to Aug 19 Op-Ed)

I remember the response many years ago when I told an aunt I was entering social work school: “Why do you want to spend your life giving out ‘home relief’ checks” (”It’s time for the givers to receive,” Commentary, Aug. 19)?

Social work has come a long way from the days when social workers were almost solely identified with “welfare” and the distribution of “checks.”

These days, professionally trained (and licensed) social workers are common in social services as diverse as foster care, adoption, geriatric care, substance abuse and community mental health facilities.

And anyone who has ever dealt with the myriad complications associated with establishing support services for an elderly family member about to be released from an institution (hospital, nursing home, etc.), or a home-bound relative needing assistance, to name only a few scenarios, realizes the valuable role played by social work professionals.

Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski’s Social Work Reinvestment Act, which seeks to keep the social work profession strong and vibrant, will benefit not only the profession but the millions of recipients of our services.
It deserves to be funded. Howard Altstein

Baltimore

The writer is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work.

It’s time for the givers to receive

By Daphne McClellan and Elizabeth Clark - The Baltimore Sun - 8/19/2008

Several times a week, Anita Mentzer encounters people who are struggling to keep an elderly family member safely at home. As a clinical social worker with Johns Hopkins Community Physicians in Baltimore, she is on the front lines of a profession facing huge challenges - including low pay, an aging work force, cuts to social service budgets and a proliferation of societal problems.

We assume people like Ms. Mentzer will always be there to serve many of Maryland’s 480,000 veterans. We expect they will reach out to the more than 9 percent of Marylanders who live at or below the poverty level, and provide services for many of our nearly 500,000 residents enrolled in Medicaid. In short, Maryland social workers will do what they have always done best: help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges.

We may not know it, or recognize it, but we badly need the help and support that professional social workers provide. But today, it is social workers themselves who need our help.

The numbers help tell the story: At the University of Maryland School of Social Work, both the number of applicants (712) and the number enrolled (356) last fall were the second-lowest since 1991. Maryland’s approximately 12,000 licensed social workers simply cannot adequately serve a state with more than 5.6 million people.

It’s no wonder the profession is having a difficult time persuading young people to pursue a social work career. Social service budgets in Maryland and elsewhere are in peril. Salaries are 11 percent lower overall than they are for comparable professions, and social workers frequently encounter dangerous situations. Young people graduating from schools of social work, most with master’s degrees, are often burdened by student loans and debt. Many of our best social workers are getting older, retiring in greater numbers and switching professions. And while our social problems multiply, the level of research into these problems has remained static, or declined.

Fortunately, Congress has an opportunity to help. The Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act, introduced by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland - herself a trained social worker - calls for programs designed to keep the profession healthy for years to come, and to ensure that those who most need our help continue to receive it. The act would authorize spending $25 million to $43.5 million over five years on grants for such things as workplace improvements, research, education and training and community-based programs. These initiatives would be aimed at recruiting, retaining and retraining qualified professionals, as well as researching how social work can help address society’s problems. The law would also create a Social Work Reinvestment Commission to study the profession, its future and its needs, as has been done for other key service professions, such as nursing.

Judith Schagrin, assistant director of children’s services for the Baltimore County Department of Social Services, and past president of the Maryland chapter of National Association of Social Workers, says, “There’s nothing more powerful than the experience of knowing you have touched another’s life in a transformative way. We need a way of communicating this to young people and supporting their education to enter the field.” She added, “Child welfare research is increasingly identifying the importance of a professionally trained and supervised work force to good outcomes for our most vulnerable families and children. Not surprisingly, social work education and training are found to be the best preparation for the work.”

On the other end of the spectrum, (more…)

Compassionate caregivers around the country are doing extraordinary work on the front lines of the fight against cancer. These doctors, nurses, social workers, and others offer comfort, courage, and inspiration to people facing cancer and their families.

The Lane Adams Quality of Life Award recognizes the unsung heroes of cancer care and brings to light the critical role that outstanding caregivers play in the healing process. Nominations for the 2009 Lane Adams Quality of Life Award are being accepted by the American Cancer Society until October 15. Honorees will be recognized at the Society¹s National Board of Directors meeting in May in Atlanta.

For more information about the Lane Adams award and for nomination forms, visit www.cancer.org/laneadams.

Past Lane Adams award recipients have included a number of social workers including:

Paula Plona, ACSW, OSW-C received the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award for her outstanding work with cancer patients at the Concord Hospital Payson Center for Cancer Care, Concord, N.H.

Heather Spotts, LMSW, OSW-C received the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award as an oncology social worker at the Breslin Cancer Center at Michigan State University.

Jennifer Maggiore, MSW, LCSW received the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award. As an oncology social worker at St. Vincent¹s Medical Center in Jacksonville, Florida, Jennifer Maggiore was known as a tenacious patient advocate who would always go the extra mile.

New College Students Must Know Alcohol Danger
KUTV - Salt Lake City, UT
Students are leaving home for the first time and have a new sense of freedom and independence,” said Ryan Randall, LCSW, U of U Counseling Center. …

It’s reigning cats and dogs
Chicago Tribune - United States
The program is run by Sherry Fickenscher, a dog lover and social worker at the Des Plaines-based company. The dogs come from rescue groups and are usually …

Interim director for MU’s School of Social Work to
Columbia Missourian - Columbia, MO
Sable is the associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies and a professor of social work. The decision was announced in an e-mail to colleagues on July …

Heroes support families during annual race
Star Community Newspapers - Plano, TX
The money is dispersed upon request from pediatric social workers all over Texas. Larissa Linton, director of development and co-founder, said the social …

Social Work in Africa: Helping the Ghanian Street Girls
By Wayne State University
International Social Work Organization will hold an international Lecture to increase awareness of international Social Work locally and abroad. This event will include African dancers and refreshments.

Social worker Brenda Lee Yeager, 51 of Lincoln County,was tragically killed in the line of duty on Wednesday. Her body was found on Friday and the circumstances of her murder are beginning to come to light.

The members and leaders of the National Association of Social Workers, West Virginia Chapter mourn the loss of our valued colleague and share in the grief of her family and loved ones. We also mourn for the innocent child whose life have been irrevocably altered by this tragedy. It is the highest calling of our profession to utilize our skills, training and expertise to protect society’s most vulnerable citizens. This calling often places social workers in extremely dangerous situations.

The media reports we have seen have shown a great respect for Brenda Yeager as a social worker, and noted that we are often not adequately compensated for the important work we, particularly in the child welfare arena.

We do not know why Brenda was visiting this family alone. We believe this was a scheduled visit to an existing client family. Although policies on field visits vary with the situation, Brenda would probably be alive today has she not called on this family alone. Not only has the life of a dedicated social worker been senselessly lost, but the lives of the child she was trying to protect and the young couple she sought to instruct to be better parents have been irrevocably changed for the worse.

This tragedy will increase the National Association of Social Worker’s commitment to implement better policies, procedures, staffing, training and salaries to prevent it from happening again.

Last year, the State of Kentucky passed social worker safety legislation in the wake of a similar tragedy. During its 2008 Regular Session, the West Virginia Legislature considered, but did not pass, an important bill designed to improve social worker safety. SB 286/HB 4103 would have increased criminal penalties for those who commit felony or misdemeanor assault and battery on CPS or APS (Adult Protective Service) social workers operating in the performance of their duties. If passed, social workers would have been included with law enforcement and other public safety officers, and recognized as often being put in dangerous situations in the course of the work.

The threat of increased criminal penalties may well avert some violent crimes against social workers, but more can be done:

• Policies and staffing levels should insure that social workers never go alone into potentially violent situations in the field.
• Social workers should be equipped with self-defense skills and technology to insure their personal safety. GPS systems and ‘panic button’ devices to alert authorities, office safety features such as electronic doors, and interactive data bases allowing social workers to check criminal records before making field visits are all good steps to take.
• State and federal funds should be applied to insure that social workers - especially those in protective services - are well trained and competitively paid for the important work they do.

For several years, NASW West Virginia has sponsored social worker safety courses to increase awareness, offer safety tips, and improve self-defense skills. We will continue to do so, and we will work to insure that employers provide social workers with the tools needed to do their jobs safely and effectively. More information can be found online at: http://everydayselfdefense.com/

We cannot bring back Brenda Yeager, but we can honor her memory by working to better insure the safety of social workers and those we serve.

Joan Levy Zlotnik’s letter to the editor was published Saturday, Aug 2nd in the Washington Post in response to their July 26th story about Cedric Jennings, who went from Ballou High School in the District to Brown University ["A Success Story With Uncertain New Chapters," Style]. Joan is the executive director of the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research.

The July 26 story about Cedric Jennings, who went from Ballou High School in the District to Brown University ["A Success Story With Uncertain New Chapters," Style], quoted Jennings as saying he has been told he could be doing “greater” things than making a living as a social worker at the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency. That assertion seemed to be the gist of the story.

Perhaps if people better understood the complexities of social work, they would see it as more attractive and more important than working for a brokerage firm; that could lead to social work becoming more lucrative.

One of the greatest challenges that the social work profession faces today is that it is devalued by the public, by journalists and by policymakers. Social workers help people faced with life struggles, whether it’s a child abused by parents or a corporate CEO making plans to move a cognitively impaired and physically frail parent to an assisted living or nursing facility. With a lengthy article on Jennings’s soul-searching, The Post did a disservice to his decisions, the mentorship he received and the important work he is doing in our community.

Don’t we want the best and the brightest to be attracted to working with foster children or with parents who abuse their children? As a social worker, I am so proud of Cedric Jennings’s choice.

original article - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/25/AR2008072503379.html.