Category: Policy

Fighting an Anti-Social Work Agenda: Building a Better World #MacroSW Chat, May 4th at 9pm EST

Update: Chat archive now available!

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The organizing chat series was born out of a need to fight back against an anti-social work agenda being pushed by the current president and his administration, but also to start a dialogue about the role of social work in organizing and direct action. Is our work simply to ameliorate the suffering of the oppressed or is it to transform systems to end oppression?

Now more than 100 days into a new presidential administration, this question–and the answer to it–is becoming increasingly critical.

Many social workers are engaging in various forms of resistance both individually and collectively. Whether developing new programs and resources for oppressed people being increasingly marginalized, advocating for policy change, or participating in public actions, social workers are on the front lines in the fight for a just and equitable society. But what does that society look like and how do we get there?

fighting-anti-sw-agenda-twitter.jpg

This discussion is the last in the first ever #MacroSW organizing chat series. The first chat focused on understanding power as organized people and organized money. The second chat discussed how we can effectively build relationships to develop grassroots power. The third chat focused on the power of protest as a tactic among many to achieve strategic change. How can we now take these concepts into the real world? And to what end?

In the fourth chat of the series, we will answer the following questions:

  1. What is your vision for a world consistent with social work values?
  2. What needs to change to make make your vision for a better world a reality? What are you doing to make that happen?
  3. Which social work skills do you think are most useful in your work to build a better world?
  4. How can #MacroSW help? What topics would you like to see discussed in future organizing chats?

About the Host
IMG_20170120_121533_860.jpgJustin Vest is the lead organizer for Montgomery County at Progressive Maryland where he leads issue-based advocacy campaigns and develops volunteer organizers to fight for social and economic justice. He earned his BSW from the University of Montevallo and MSW from the University of Alabama before relocating to the DC Metro area.

Social Work Month 2017: For What Do You Stand Up?

Poster for 2017 Social Work Month : Name in Red background at top with white band in middle with the motto, "Social Workers Stand Up" in White space - the "d" in "Stand" has an arrow pointing up as the long side of the "d." Ath the bottom is the logo for NASW, the national association of social workers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poster: National Association of Social Workers

(archive of this chat here)

March is Social Work Month, a time to “educate the public about the contributions of social workers and give social workers and their allies tools they can use to elevate the profession,” according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). “Social workers stand up for millions of people every day. These include people who are experiencing devastating illnesses and mental health crises, our veterans, children, families and communities. Yet many people still misunderstand who social workers are and the invaluable contributions they bring to society…Social workers are trained to look at situations in a holistic way. They help people increase their ability to solve problems, to cope with stressors and to get needed resources. Social workers bring individuals together with other people and their communities to find solutions for problems that continue to plague our society, including hunger, lack of affordable housing, and equal rights for all. And social workers make organizations responsible to people through sound social policy.”

Every year, Social Work Month highlights resources and information that can lead to policy, laws and legislation that serve to increase social justice and advance the social work profession. It was established in 1963.

Logo for 2017 World Social Wrok Day has human head with long hair in streams of multi-colored ribbons, blue background, at bootom are country- and cityscapes, with the title in upper left in oick letters.
Logo: International Federation of Social Workers http://ifsw.org/news/world-social-work-day-2017/

 

 

World Social Work Day is celebrated on the first day of Spring, March 21st.

 

 

 

 

Join the #MacroSW chat this Thursday, March 16, with host Pat Shelly from @UBSSW, as all kinds of social work organizations, practitioners, agencies, legislators, schools and students share ideas and actions that help celebrate our profession in all its aspects. We’re pleased to have Greg Wright of @NASW on the chat too!

Discussion questions:

  1. What activities are you engaging in for #SWmonth 2017?
  2. Who or what do you stand up for?
  3. Why this choice?
  4. How does Social Work Month help you and other social workers?

And…
~Please share media – news, movies, books – that feature social workers~

The New Social Worker Online magazine has many articles, art and poetry by social workers in its special Social Work Month Project 2017 series.

Here is an annotated list of novels about social workers from 2015. Titles:  All Our Names (2014); The Believers (2010); Fourth of July Creek (2014); The Interestings (2014); The Social Worker (2011); Unprotected (2012). And let’s add PUSH by Sapphire (1997).

 

Multi-colored letters wiht a sunburst effect spell out "social work month" in a design of 3 tiers, one word on each line.
Image: Media Education Foundation

 

Resources:

Green, Adrienne. (2016. August 11). From social worker to foster parent and back. The Atlantic. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/social-worker/495533/

International Federation of Social Workers. (n.d.) Global definition of social work. Retrieved from http://ifsw.org/get-involved/global-definition-of-social-work/

Lewis, C.E. Jr. (2017 March). Young social workers should be preparing for the future. The New Social Worker. Retrieved from http://www.socialworker.com/extras/social-work-month-2017/young-social-workers-should-be-preparing-for-the-future/

National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.) Social Work Month 2017. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pressroom/swmonth/2017/default.asp

New Social Worker (2017 March). Social Work Month 2017.  [Blog posts].Retrieved from: http://www.socialworker.com/topics/social-work-month-2017/

Social Work Licensing Map (n.d.) [Social worker’s salary guide] [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-worker-salary/

Zimmerman, E. (2017, March 12).  Social workers help many people. Sun Herald. Retrieved from http://www.sunherald.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article137497983.html

 

 

 

#MacroSW Organizing Chat 2: Building Relationships 3/2 at 9pm ET

Update: Chat archive is now available!
otupa1qvrelmmztkthdvlii0dvaffyko_k_xpzzqpiharv9ejqnewo2regenyjwuov2nd5qtpxjzepntvl6jtit8xb-itxqrrlbwxnbmb85lzan3vktjajxxtjyhcsby9buch19As the new presidential administration comes into power, basic assumptions about the role of government in assisting the most marginalized have been thrown into question. Social workers should be deeply concerned about proposed changes to social service programs and the government agencies that administer them.


The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has called on social workers to organize, oppose, resist, and educate in response to the anti-social work agenda that is being put forward by the new administration. But how do we actually proceed?

fighting-anti-sw-agenda-twitter

In the first chat of this series, we discussed power–how it’s defined, who has it, and how we build it. To build the power we need for change requires organized people or organized money. In this week’s chat, we will discuss how to build the relationships needed to effectively organize. What starts as a small group of likeminded people can grow into a network of activists driving a movement.

The most important component of organizing, like social work, is listening and building relationships. We must meet people where they are and forge connections based on empathy, shared experiences, or common interests. This development of trust allows us to ask people to take necessary actions they may not ordinarily take–attending a protest or challenging an elected official–in a way that isn’t transactional, but based on mutual self-interest and respect.

To take a closer look at these concepts, we will discuss the following questions:

  1. Organizing builds public relationships which differ from personal or professional ones. What do you think this means?
  2. How would you engage stakeholders to start organizing around an issue you care about?
  3. Do you see a unique role for social work institutions to build relationships for change?
  4. Once you’ve established public relationships for organizing, what do you think is the next step to address an issue?
  5. What will you do in the next month to organize around around the issue of your choice?

Resources:

About the HostQqXY63jEj1wbBoicVsEaQjGfuDlpZCo8Xk8T4KinZTZcZT9U3sPkz6_NTKAIrmeTRJJD1X2hwwQNBPuWdgNTzwsqRdzIL6RGlQ7LjWleiZlI08MQ1maO-VeWIKaxgKcdaVnMTmgX.jpg

Justin Vest is the lead organizer for Montgomery County at Progressive Maryland where he
leads issue-based advocacy campaigns and develops volunteer organizers to fight for social and economic justice. He earned his BSW from the University of Montevallo and MSW from the University of Alabama before relocating to the DC Metro area.

What Would You Say to Donald Trump? #MacroSW Chat on 2/23 at 9 p.m. EST

trump_chat

View the chat transcript.

You are on the front lines every day fighting for social justice, important causes and effective programs. What would you say to Donald Trump if he were sitting in your office about the policies we need to strengthen our communities and solve our nation’s toughest problems?

Join us for #MacroSW chat on February 23 at 9 p.m. EST to delve into pressing topics raised by social workers and the Trump Administration and share your stories, policy remedies and suggestions for how we can collaborate. This chat follows up on our invitation to the President and his administration to engage the social work community in a question and answer forum.

For this #MacroSW chat we will compile ideas and feedback to deliver to the Trump Administration. We hope Trump officials will join us and also extend an open invitation to Trump supporters who have similar concerns.

Here are some guidelines and posed questions for the chat.

  • Review the topics proposed to in our open invitation which include, refugees and immigration reform; child care beyond tax credits and paid leave; reducing opioid, crack, drug and alcohol addiction and criminalization; affordable healthcare for everyone; veteran’s mental health and addiction; violence against minorities and the police and, economy and social justice. Feel free to discuss other topics as well.
  • Questions/Contributions:
  1. What do you want @realDonaldTrump and his administration to know about social workers?
  2. What are your top three issues you want @realDonaldTrump to address and why?
  3. Share with @realDonaldTrump and his administration a challenge, success story or research/data related to your priority issues.
  • Don’t forget to tell us what state you work and live in and tweet directly to your Congressional reps too so they get the message or thanked for their efforts. Find your House Representatives and Senators.

Guidelines for engagement: Our goal is for a respectful and substantive dialogue on both sides of the political aisle so we can work toward real solutions and contribute to emerging policy discussions that impact social workers and those we serve. No cursing or disparaging comments about the President or the Trump Administration. We will also block and report anyone who is trolling, cyberbullying and disrespectful to chat participants who express their opinions. We stand by creating a safe environment for discussion consistent with the NASW Code of Ethics. Check out the Twitter rules for reference.

After the #MacroSW chat, consider writing a blog post to share resources, successes, and struggles and tell your personal stories.  When sharing don’t forget to use the #MacroSW hashtag so everyone can see your post!

We will do everything we can to deliver the transcript of this chat to the Trump Administration. If you know anyone with a direct connect, let us know!

Resources

The Opioid Crisis 02-09-17 #MacroSW Chat

Map of USA overlaid with text "91 Americans die every day from opioid overdose (that includes prescription opioids and heroin).
Image: CDC  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the archive of this twitter chat.

Why do social workers need to know about the opioid epidemic?

  • Opioid dependence is an epidemic in the United States.
  • Many social workers are interested in addictions.
  • We will see opioid dependence regardless of where we practice social work.
  • It is important that all of us know more about this issue.

Join us on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 9 pm EST, 8 pm CST, and 6 pm PST as we look at the epidemic of overdose deaths in the U.S. caused by use of opioids. We’ll discuss current stats, contributing factors, and evidence-based treatment and prevention practices. The host is Pat Shelly from @UBSSW – she’ll be on the @OfficialMacroSW handle.

Our guest expert is Charles Syms, from the School of Social Work at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, using the @UBSSW handle.

Photo of Charles Syms, African American man,standing wiih arms crossed over chest, smiling, wearing white shirt, yellow tie, and eyeglasses.
Charles Syms, LCSW, ACSW

 

Charles Syms, LCSW/ACSW, is a clinical associate professor who has been a faculty member in the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work since 1998. A past National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Minority Research Fellow, Professor Syms’s current teaching and research interests include the treatment of individuals with substance use disorders, particularly the impact of alcohol and other drugs on people with mental health problems and those involved with child welfare system. He works to extend this education into the on-line environment.

Professor Syms has over 35 years of professional social work practice. He received his MSW in 1979 from California State University – Sacramento. His experience includes work in child welfare, domestic violence, forensic mental health and substance use disorders. He has held numerous positions, including child protection worker, child protection clinical consultant, prison psychiatric social worker, supervisor on an in-patient chemical dependency unit, domestic violence specialist and group leader, child welfare program director, and a leadership role in coordinating two community-based, university/public school collaborative violence prevention projects. Additionally, Professor Syms shares his experience and expertise as a member of agency-based and professional advisory boards at the local, state and national levels.

Here are some questions we will discuss this week:

  1. Just how widespread is the opioid epidemic?
  2. Why is it worse in the United States than elsewhere?
  3. What are the evidence-based practices that are effective in treating opioid dependence?
  4. Are there preferred prevention models?
  5. What implications for policy does Carl Hart’s talk, “Let’s quit abusing drug abusers,” offer?
  6. What are social workers doing at the macro level regarding this epidemic?

Resources:

“Let’s quit abusing drug abusers” by Carl Hart (19 min. video) http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=309156

Understanding the epidemic: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/

Treatment Overview:  https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/effective-treatments-opioid-addiction/effective-treatments-opioid-addiction

Prevention: The IPP model.  https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/opioids/odprevention.html

Safe injection spaces: http://www.drugpolicy.org/news/2015/08/tuesday-new-film-documents-public-injection-drug-use-new-york-calls-supervised-injectio

Inside North America’s Only Legal Safe Injection Facility:  http://bit.ly/2ke4B1h
Look for the archive of all tweets from this chat that will be posted the following day on February 10.

 

New to Twitter chats? Here is a great guide: “How to Participate in a Live Twitter Chat – Tips for Social Workers” by our partner, Laurel Iverson Hitchcock.

About #MacroSW:
#MacroSW is a collaboration of social workers, organizations, social work schools, and individuals working to promote macro social work practice. Macro social work practice focuses on changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. It encompasses a broad spectrum of actions and ideas, ranging from community organizing and education to legislative advocacy and policy analysis. The chats are held weekly on Twitter every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST).

-Click here for a list of chat partners.

-For the #MacroSW Chat Schedule, Recent Posts, and all chat Archives – See the column on the right side of our home page: http://macrosw.com

 

Fighting an Anti-Social Work Agenda: Understanding Power #MacroSW 2/2 at 9pm EST

fighting-anti-sw-agenda-twitter

Chat archive now available!

As the new presidential administration comes into power, basic assumptions about the role of government in assisting the most marginalized have been thrown into question. Regardless of your political affiliation, social workers should be deeply concerned about proposed changes to social service programs and the government agencies that administer them.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has called on social workers to organize, oppose, resist, and educate in response to the anti-social work agenda that is being put forward by the new administration. But how do we actually proceed?

#MacroSW is introducing a organizing chat series to educate social workers on the important role they play in resisting cuts to services and advancing social justice in their communities by teaching basic community organizing skills that will move social workers from an online space to real world action.

In the first chat of the series, we will discuss the concept of  power–who has it, what structures support it, but also how to build our own to confront injustice. For most of us, power does not come naturally. We have all been disadvantaged in some way by a lack of power–through economic oppression, racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism or based on some other characteristic. Therefore learning to want power can be challenging. But social workers also have a unique relationship to power. We may experience personal oppression from society while working at institutions that uphold traditional power structures.  

To take a closer look at these concepts, we will discuss the following questions:

  1. How do you define power and how do you know it when you see it?
  2. Who has power in our society and why?
  3. What role does social work play in maintaining or challenging current power structures?
  4. How can advocates for justice build power to challenge inequality
  5. What new or existing opportunities do you see for yourself to build power?

Resources:

About the Host

img_20170120_121533_860Justin Vest is the lead organizer for Montgomery County at Progressive Maryland where he leads issue-based advocacy campaigns and develops volunteer organizers to fight for social and economic justice. He earned his BSW from the University of Montevallo and MSW from the University of Alabama before relocating to the DC Metro area.

After Orlando / #PulseOrlando: #MacroSW Chat – Open Mic 06-23-16

In the wake of the Orlando shooting (we will use #PulseOrlando as our hashtag for this chat), we feel heartache, sadness and anger. We may be left wondering why this happened and how we can prevent future tragedies. The details of the shooting and the stories of survival and loss after #PulseOrlando reveal some of the most complex social problems of our era:  homophobia, racism, hate crimes and gun violence.

(Read the edited archive of this chat here)

 

image: kyliesoniquelove

 

Join us on Thursday, June 23 at 9 pm EST / 8 pm CT / 6 pm PT for an open mic chat to share thoughts, further our understanding and explore solutions for building a safer and more tolerant body politic.

 

 

 

 

The Orlando shooting  shows once again how  LGBTQ people are more likely to be a target of a hate crime; the intersections of race, gender and sexuality; the consequences of easy access to guns; internet influence on domestic terrorism; and the vilification of Islam in the US. Trauma-informed care will be of utmost importance and advocacy in this election year, spearheaded by macro practitioners and many others, will shape our national response to these issues. Our coordinated approach as a profession is crucial.

Some questions to guide the discussion:

  1. How has this event affected you and your community?
  2. How has being trained as a social worker prepared you to address the aftermath of Orlando?
  3. How do we best support those affected by trauma and violence in the aftermath of #PulseOrlando?
  4. How can we ensure we don’t spread secondary trauma?
  5. What is the role of social media in coping with events such as the Orlando shooting?
  6. How are you / your community practicing self-care?

Resources: (another resource list – an Orlando Syllabus for Social Workers – is posted below )

#PulseOrlandoSyllabus – Extensive resources crowdsourced and collected by librarians

Park, H. and Mykhyalyshyn, I. 2016 (June 16). L.G.B.T. People Are More Likely to Be Targets of Hate Crimes Than Any Other Minority Group. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/06/16/us/hate-crimes-against-lgbt.html?_r=1

Note: Many tweets about #PulseOrlando use “Latinx” instead of Latina/o. Why?
“The ‘x’ makes Latino, a masculine identifier, gender-neutral. It also moves beyond Latin@ – which has been used in the past to include both masculine and feminine identities – to encompass genders outside of that limiting man-woman binary.
Latinx, pronounced ‘La-teen-ex,’ includes the numerous people of Latin American descent whose gender identities fluctuate along different points of the spectrum, from agender or nonbinary to gender non-conforming, genderqueer and genderfluid.”
http://www.latina.com/lifestyle/our-issues/why-we-say-latinx-trans-gender-non-conforming-people-explain

  

pulse-orlando-header-672x372AN ORLANDO SYLLABUS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS

This post was created by Karen Zgoda, Pat Shelly, and Sheri LaBree, MSW – one of Karen’s former students. It is cross-posted to reach as many people as possible.

Here is a Macro Social Work version of an #OrlandoSyllbus. It can help us understand the facts and the complex layers of meaning of the June 12, 2016 massacre at the Pulse nightclub. It includes some implications for social work practice.

Please note the #PulseOrlandoSyllabus,  listed below,  is extensive. It includes current articles, in addition to less recent publications.

 

Intro by Sheri LaBree:

Much has been written in the media regarding the massacre that took place in Orlando on June 11th. Politicians, pundits and other talking heads have discussed the motives of the attacker, the morals of those that were injured or killed, and of course, they have talked about gun control.

What do we know, nearly two weeks later? Very little. We know that 49 individuals were murdered, and dozens were injured.

The attack occurred at a “gay nightclub.” To me, this label is misleading. Pulse, the nightclub where this occurred, was a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community. It was a safe place. Or at least it was supposed to be.

These people were more than “just” gay. They were sisters, brothers, cousins, coworkers, friends. Like all of us, their lives cannot be neatly divided into labels. The murdered include a social worker, an accountant, a dancer, and an aspiring nurse, among others.

Was this massacre a hate crime against the LGBTQ community? Was it the work of an Islamic terrorist? We may never know. Here’s the question: does it matter? These are people who faced discrimination and obstacles that most of us will never encounter, based solely on their sexual identity. Their lives should be celebrated. They should not be labeled, because they deserve so much more.

The importance of LGBTQ identity is a subject far too big to discuss here. My message is that we should remember the people who were murdered as whole people, with full lives that are multi-faceted and complex.

ORLANDO SYLLABUS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS Compiled by Karen Zgoda and Pat Shelly

Victims:

Syllabi:

General

  • On Orlando and Beyond. (2016).  Danna Bodenheimer. http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/real-world-clinical-sw/on-orlando-and-beyond/
    Excerpt:     There isn’t much for me to say about Orlando that hasn’t already been said. Most of the debates about the underlying causes of this massacre have happened somewhere in the media or on Facebook. That said, it seems irresponsible and avoidant to write about anything else this week – because, the fact is, even with everything that has already been articulated, we need to keep talking. And talking and talking and talking. And while I have no overarching goal in talking about what happened in Orlando, there are a few points that I would like to make that feel particularly relevant to us as clinical social workers.

Hate Crimes

 


Latinx

 

( *6 Articles from #PulseOrlandoSyllabus with focus on LGBTQ, Trans, and people of color:)

Misogyny:

Queer Muslims

Social Work

Motivation

Impact on Children

 Gun Control Policy & Actions

About #MacroSW:

#MacroSW is a collaboration of social workers, organizations, social work schools, and individuals working to promote macro social work practice. Macro social work practice focuses on changing larger systems, such as communities and organizations. It encompasses a broad spectrum of actions and ideas, ranging from community organizing and education to legislative advocacy and policy analysis. The chats are held weekly on Twitter every Thursday at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST). Click here for a list of chat partners. For information about how to participate in the #MacroSW chat, view our FAQs. For chat schedule and chat archives check out: http://macrosw.com

#MacroSW chat 4-14-16: Smart Decarceration and Social Work

An edited version of the chat held April 14th can be found here.

New content in this post added after the chat:
Below the sources listed in this post, there are the additional resources that were tweeted during the chat.

On April 14 the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) – @AASWSWorg and Pat Shelly – @UBSSW will co-host the #MacroSW Twitter Chat about smart decarceration, one of the Grand Challenges for Social Work.

smart decarceration report AASWSW

Smart decarceration is a response to failed mass incarceration and rehabilitation policies, which have contributed to the United States holding 25% of the global prison population.

smart decarceration image of prison walkway with cells bars
image: DUSTIN HOLMES | FLICKR

According to the White House, between 1988 and 2009, annual state corrections spending increased from $12 billion to $52 billion. Since 77% of prisoners are rearrested within five years of release, implementing effective reentry models can dramatically improve outcomes.

What are the Grand Challenges for Social Work?

GRANDchallenges logo

Led by the AASWSW , the Grand Challenges for Social Work is a groundbreaking initiative to champion social progress powered by science. It is a call to action for social work researchers and practitioners to:

  • Harness social work’s science and knowledge base
  • Collaborate with individuals, community-based organizations, and professionals from all fields and disciplines
  • Partner to tackle some of our toughest social problems

We will address the following questions about smart decarceration:

  1. What have been the effects of mass incarceration?
  2. What are alternatives to mass incarceration?
  3. What successful prison reentry models have you seen?
  4. How do we move from mass incarceration to smart decarceration?

Please follow and use the hashtag #MacroSW on Thursday, April 14 at 9:00 p.m EDT.

Sources:(new ones from chat participants added below these original sources)

Here is a link to the Grand Challenge, Promote Smart Decarceration – at this link, click on the cover of the AASWSW Grand Challenges paper, “From Mass Incarceration to Smart Decarceration” to download a copy.

Links for the report’s authors:
Dr. Carrie Pettus-Davis bio
Assistant Professor and Director, Concordance Institute for Advancing Social Justice, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis

Matthew W. Epperson bio
Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration, The University of Chicago

Related articles:

Breaking the cycle of drug use

Alternatives to incarceration

Additional Resources on Smart Decarceration tweeted during chat on 4-14-16

Michelle Alexander on The New Jim Crow (Bill Moyers interviews Alexander in 2010): https://vimeo.com/40261507

The New Jim Crow in the 02-19-13 article by John Light  http://billmoyers.com/2013/02/19/mass-incarceration-and-the-new-jim-crow/

Prison Policy Initiative http://www.prisonpolicy.org
Winnable criminal justice reforms: A Prison Policy Initiative briefing on promising state reform issues for 2016
Link to download this report::
http://www.prisonpolicy.org/searchresults.html?cx=015684313971992382479%3Aa3be84yykbq&cof=FORID%3A11&q=winnable

Prisons for Profit article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-profit-prisons-have-become-the-biggest-lobby-no-one-is-talking-about/

Video: War on Drugs & Mass Incarceration “The House I Live In” http://www.thehouseilivein.org/

Transgender People in Prison Article
Prison is horrifying for transgender people. It’s hell.
http://www.vox.com/2016/4/11/11355702/prison-transgender

Combatting Mass Incarceration ACLU infographic (2011)
https://www.aclu.org/infographic-combating-mass-incarceration-facts

6,000 drug offenders to be released from federal prison starting Friday. (Oct. 2015)
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-prison-release-20151029-story.html

Blog post on Prison Reform by @StuckOnSocialWork:
THE Question When It comes to #justice and #prison #reform.
https://stuckonsocialwork.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/the-question-when-it-comes-to-justice-and-prison-reform/    also: https://stuckonsocialwork.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/empathy-not-expulsion-for-all-students/

Univ. of Chicago Smart Decarceration Initiative: Reversing Mass Incarceration in America http://ssascholars.uchicago.edu/smart-decarceration-initiative

Creating trauma-informed correctional care: a balance of goals and environment. Niki A. Miller and Lisa M. Najavits 2012
http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/17246

Effective reentry:
4 Elements of Successful Reentry Programs for Inmates
http://www.socialsolutions.com/blog/4-elements-of-successful-reentry-programs-for-inmates/

Center for Employment Opportunities 2013 Annual Report
http://ceoworks.org/about/annual-reports/

Preventing Future Crime With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
http://www.nij.gov/journals/265/pages/therapy.aspx

HIPAA compliant technology:
VSee – Word’s Largest VideoTelemedicine Platform for HIPAA compliant video visits.
https://vsee.com/     Dr. Joiner of Wayne State describes it: “VSee is a version of videoconferencing (we use it w/ our online students when holding synchronous meetings). VSee is a great tool to continue the conversation and 2 engage beyond the traditional classroom .”

Restorative Justice http://restorativejustice.org/

German Prison System: CBS 60 Minutes April 3 2016
Privacy, weekend leave, keys…This is prison?
Script: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-germany-prisons-crime-and-punishment/

Mental Health Courts
Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ginger-lernerwren/the-top-five-lessons-from_b_8024440.html

 

 

Student Documentary Movie Night 2/25/16 – Inequality for All

Inequalityforall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a link to the transcript from this chat on Storify: https://storify.com/laurelhitchcock/student-documentary-movie-night-2-25-16-inequality/preview.

Social work students (and everyone else) from across the country are welcome to participate in a student-focused chat about income equality.  Join us for a live, interactive event in which social work professors Jimmy Young, of the California State University San Marcos, and Laurel Hitchcock, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will facilitate a live discussion about the documentary film Inequality for All on Thursday, February 25th at 9 p.m. EST (6 p.m. PST).

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with social work students, educators and practitioners from around the world. To participate:

  1. Watch the documentary Inequality for All. See below for information on how to access the movie.
  2. Your instructor may ask you to write a brief statement about your reaction to the movie.
  3. Participate in the live Twitter chat using the hashtag #MacroSW. Tweet any questions or responses directed to the moderators and social work professors Jimmy Young (@JimmySW) and Laurel Hitchcock (@laurelhitchcock). Include #MacroSW in all of your tweets.
  4. Following the live chat, your instructor may also ask you to write a brief self-reflection essay about your experience of participating in this event.

The written parts of the assignment are optional and are not required to participate. However, we do encourage you to take some time to reflect upon what you learn from the film and the topics that are discussed in the chat. How might they inform your future social work practice?

To Access the Film:

The film is available for streaming from iTunes and Amazon Prime. You can still request the DVD from Netflix.

Alternatively, you can watch this interview between Bill Moyers and Robert Reich discussing the film:

About the Film: Directed by Jacob Kornbluth, Inequality for All is a 2013 documentary film that examines the widening income gap in the United States. Using the stories of real people and real lives, the narrative explores the effects this increasing gap has not only on the U.S. economy but also on democracy itself. Presented by American economist, author and professor Robert Reich, the film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won a U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Achievement in Filmmaking.

Questions for the live chat:

  1. What is happening today in terms of distribution of wealth? Why is it happening? What do you see happening and what are the causes?
  2. When do you think inequality becomes a problem?
  3. If the government sets the rules for how the market functions, who do these rules benefit or hurt?
  4. Who is looking out for the American worker? Who do you think should be and what could be done?
  5. After watching the film, do you agree/disagree with the idea of equal opportunity and the American Dream?
  6. What do you think most Americans don’t realize about income Inequality?
  7. What single word best describes how the film made you feel?
  8. What’s next? How do we as social workers address inequality or move forward?

If you are an educator wanting to incorporate this chat as an assignment in your class, please click here for details.  We hope you can join us! Please contact Jimmy or Laurel if you plan to have your class or maybe student groups participate in the chat.  They will also welcome your questions.

ACEs & Trauma-Informed Systems: Building Practices & Policies to Avoid Re-traumatization – Feb. 18, 2016

Hands cupping hands

Update: Chat archive now available!
And see the article based on this chat published in The New Social Worker:  Preventing Retraumatization: A Macro Social Work Approach to Trauma-Informed Practices and Policies by Karen Zgoda, Pat Shelly, Shelley Hitzel

Smyth, N.J. (2015). Trauma-Informed Social Work: What is it, and Why Should We Care? [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/njsmyth/toronto-tic-june-2015-handout
Image: Smyth, N.J. (2015). Trauma-Informed Social Work: What is it, and Why Should We Care? [PowerPoint slides]. 
All social workers and other professionals who work with people who have experienced trauma are at risk of being personally impacted by that trauma. Secondary traumatic stress (STS), vicarious trauma (VT) and re-traumatization are common among helping professionals. When we hear the term trauma-informed care we typically think about how to avoid re-traumatizing our clients.

But what about considering a trauma-informed approach to the systems in which we work?

On February 18, 2016, the #MacroSW chat will discuss systems-level change to avoid re-traumatizing not only our clients but ourselves as social workers, as staff and as nonprofit entities. Through our understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), we know that adult health can be negatively impacted by traumatic experiences in the early years. ACEs also affect our thoughts, behaviors, actions and reactions as individuals, as employees and as leaders. Can we start to address ACEs with system-wide policies and practices that may minimize that impact in later years? A trauma-informed workplace can help not only our clients but our staff in minimizing re-traumatization.

Pat Shelly of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work @UBSSW will host with guest Shelley Hitzel @UBittic.

Shelley Hitzel, Univ. at Buffalo Institute for Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care Intern
Shelley Hitzel, Univ. at Buffalo Institute for Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care Intern

Since 2010, Shelley has worked at the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara in Niagara Falls, NY, as a member of a multidisciplinary team providing direct services to both child and adult survivors of trauma.  Shelley completed UB’s Trauma Counseling Certificate Program in 2012. Currently, she is an Advanced Standing MSW student and an intern at the UB Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care. She has participated in aome of our past chats, representing ITTIC.

Questions for discussion:

 

  1. What is Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)?   What is Vicarious Trauma?
  2. What is re-traumatization?
  3. How can systems be considered to be traumatized or traumatizing?
  4. How can we build systems to prevent re-traumatization across all levels?
  5. Policy – What is TIC policy?

 

For information about how to participate in the #MacroSW chat, view our FAQs.

Resources:

About Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care:
http://socialwork.buffalo.edu/social-research/institutes-centers/institute-on-trauma-and-trauma-informed-care/about-us/trauma-and-trauma-informed-care.html

SAMHSA: Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA14-4884/SMA14-4884.pdf

Bringing Team Care Strategies and Resilience to Your Agency Staff
(permission to share this PowerPoint presentation was granted by the authors )
http://victimsofcrime.org/docs/nat-conf-2013/final-bringing-team-care-strategies-and-resilience-2013-(1).pdf?sfvrsn=2

Sandra Bloom: Trauma Organized Systems and Parallel Process
http://www.sanctuaryweb.com/Portals/0/Bloom%20Pubs/2011%20Bloom%20Trauma-organized%20systems%20and%20parallel%20process.pdf

Community Connections: Creating Cultures of Trauma Informed Care http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/icmh/documents/CCTICSelf-AssessmentandPlanningProtocol0709.pdf