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Social workers, what are your thoughts?

September 16, 2008

As I travel around the country representing the National Association of Social Workers, I meet many social workers who work with clients and communities in different capacities. Many of these social workers have dedicated their lives to serving those living in poverty, particularly children.

How do families become impoverished? We know that 13 million children live below the poverty line. We also know that another 16 million children are living in low income households. Did their parents fall victim to tough economic times? Did they lose their jobs? Were the prices of food and gas too much for their budgets to handle?

Is the cost associated with healthcare in this country more than they could afford? Were they affected by a natural disaster?

In this country, we are familiar with urban poverty. We see the pan handlers and the projects. We see the run-down schools and playgrounds. We manage to look away – we try not to see the poverty that exists in our midst.

A few months ago, I visited rural eastern Kentucky, far into Appalachia. I also recently met with a large group of social workers for an American Indian nation. I was struck by the enormous needs of the rural poor, who are nearly invisible to society because they are hidden from us. We don’t know about it, so we don’t think about it.

Yet, poverty – in all its ugliness –affects those who are the most vulnerable — children and older Americans — regardless of where they live.

Through interventions such as Social Security, Medicare, and other support programs, government has made significant investments in working toward reducing the number of older people living in poverty. But, those who have yet to find their voice – children living in poverty – need similar action taken on their behalf. Because we have not provided comparable programs to all children, the cycle of poverty continues. (more…)

The National Association of Social Workers was outraged to hear Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, one of the nation’s vice-presidential candidates, malign in a live international broadcast the work of community organizers.

The social work profession takes great pride in its community organizing roots and lauds the contributions of its members, and other professionals, who commit their careers to helping residents of different communities organize their resources and take social action to improve life for themselves and their families. Small town reformers and urban community organizers have much in common.

The concepts of community organizing, community building and community development undergird the premise of American democracy. As a result of these efforts, institutions and officials often deliver more effective economic growth strategies, as well as mental health, health, and family services for people of all ages.

Community organizing is also the foundation of most successful political campaigns. Meeting fellow Americans in their communities and working with them to find solutions to problems that limit their potential is valuable and necessary work—with significant responsibilities.

The profession of social work was founded on the legacy of outstanding women leaders such as Nobel Laureate Jane Addams, who practiced community organizing in the Settlement Houses she created for the poor and working class immigrants of Chicago. The profession also counts Civil Rights icons such as Dr. Dorothy I. Height among its luminaries. It is fitting that both women are considered two of the most influential people in American history, and are inspirations for many of our country’s finest leaders.

During this election year, NASW encourages both parties to stay focused on issues of substance to the American people. We hope that instead of denigrating the lives and work of huge segments of the population, candidates will demonstrate how their plans for the country will protect and elevate the quality of life for all Americans.

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.

Please take a moment to view an important video message from NASW Executive Director Betsy Clark regarding the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLaGCXjBC7g

Send a letter to your U.S. Representative in support of H.R. 5447 by visiting http://capwiz.com/socialworkers/issues/bills/?bill=11030061

Send a letter to your Senators in support of S. 2858 by visiting http://capwiz.com/socialworkers/issues/bills/?bill=11274081

For more information about the Social Work Reinvestment Initiative, visit http://www.socialworkreinvestment.org

News Source: Google News

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Social Workers Congratulate the Supreme Court for Decision to Support Human Rights and Social Justice for Detainees

NASW filed Amicus Brief with other human rights organizations

Washington – Upholding the profession of social work’s commitment to human rights and social justice, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) congratulates the Supreme Court on their decision to allow Guantanamo detainees the ability to challenge their detention through our Constitutional system of government checks and balances.

The appellate court decisions in Boumediene v. Bush and Al Odah v. U.S., represented a clear violation of the rights of these detainees to gain timely access to the courts and to question the legality of their detention through the writ of habeas corpus.  In a 5-4 decision the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and struck down the Military Commissions Act of 2006 as unconstitutional, stating, “Liberty and security can be reconciled; and in our system they are reconciled within the framework of the law.  The Framers decided that habeas corpus, a right of first importance, must be a part of that framework, a part of that law.”  The cases did not directly address the innocence or guilt of the detainees, but rather the circumstances in which they are being held and their access to independent judicial review.

”Social workers are very pleased that the key tenets of the profession – social justice and human rights – are being upheld in these cases by the highest court taking a stand against the unchecked use of power by the executive branch,” said Dr. Elvira Craig de Silva, NASW president.  “This decision solidifies that everyone may have access to justice and basic legal rights under our Constitutional system of government.”

The NASW Code of Ethics notes that one of the core values of the profession is social justice.  To achieve social justice, governments must be able to guarantee access to due process of law.

The amicus brief was filed by The Constitution Project, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch and The Rutherford Institute through the efforts of a pro bono legal team from Fulbright & Jaworski in Washington, DC.  NASW, along with a coalition of other non-governmental organizations, signed on to the brief, which was filed in August 2007.

For more information about this and other briefs that NASW files on behalf of the social work profession, please visit the NASW Legal Defense Fund.