Unleashing the power of social work:
Annual Meeting offers hope for renewal

By Deborah K. Shepherd, CSW, Assistant Director
(May 1996)

"There is a power in joining together to deliver a collective and strong message on behalf of our clients and ourselves," noted Dr. Barbara Brenner as she looked out over 300 social workers gathered for the Chapter's Annual Meeting in the Stern Auditorium of the Mount Sinai Medical Center on April 29.

In delivering his annual report, Chapter Executive Director Dr. Robert Schachter noted that "There has been no greater task at NASW than to wrestle with the question of what we should be doing in these perilous times...Some say that NASW should not expend its limited resources on things that we cannot influence, while others point to the hundred places where services are being attacked and call out for us to rush to the scene."

Keynoters David Jones, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Service Society, and Dr. Eda Goldstein, Professor and Chairperson of the Social Work Practice Area at the New York University School of Social Work wrestled with challenging dilemmas and delivered some important political messages as they addressed the evening's topic, "The Urban Crisis and the Power of Social Work Practice: Finding a Common Ground for Social Renewal."

With the country less than six months from a Presidential election, and New York City 18 months away from a Mayoral election, New Yorkers have found themselves on the precipice of historical change. This change is taking place in the context of two important trends, one economic and the other social, noted Chapter First Vice President Yolanda Q. Mayo in her introduction to Mr. Jones and Dr. Goldstein.

On the social front, the gap between groups of people is widening, and there is heightened scapegoating of low income people and people of color. In an economic context, the stock market is at an all time high and corporations are showing strong profits, while record numbers of people from all social groups are being laid off, health benefits are being eroded, and wages are losing their real value.

Mr. Jones, who leads one of the country's oldest and largest nonprofit social welfare organizations, observed: "We're watching scapegoating of the poor for a very obscene purpose, to cover a game that's going on....The tax cuts in this City and State are what Ross Perot--no great liberal-- calls free candy for voters and it's poor payback for a lost job without a safety net or a college tuition that's virtually out of reach of every American. Cuts in social spending won't put real cash in a taxpayer's pocket.

Tax Cuts and Poor Bashing

"Here's what's so dangerous here...the con being played on all of us is that tax cuts and poor bashing become the accepted way to resolve the contradiction become the accepted way to resolve the contradiction between high corporate profits and low wages," he said. " Once you can convince the public that spending on the poor is the cause of all the distress in the nation, then steps to reduce the deficit can be financed, at least in the short term, not by real economies or by overhauling a regressive tax system but by crackdowns on little kids on welfare..."

"So what are we going to do about it?" he asked. "Begin by making clear what we can do and what people really need...the services that only government provides. We can lobby for the State to cut its lavish incentive programs for corporations [are supposed to but] that don't retain or create jobs.

Mr. Jones also urged social workers to lobby for rolling back the State's tax cuts, join in coalitions with other groups, and "take to the airwaves" to get our message across.

Dr. Goldstein drew from her work with individuals, families and groups from diverse backgrounds in applying social work practice principles to larger social issues.

"We know," she began, "that the social environment not only provides the conditions that support our physical survival, but shapes our sense of self, identity and personality; our talents and capacities, our goals and ambitions, and our hopes and dreams.

"We social workers know that an assaultive environment can cause deprivation, trauma, personal suffering, chronic vulnerability to stress and lifelong problems with coping. We know that poverty and oppressive attitudes and policies toward people of color, immigrants, gays and lesbians and members of different ethnic groups can contribute to their feeling that there's no place for them in society and to destroying their hopes for a better life...We know that people are being lied to when they are told that taking personal responsibility will prevent these problems," she added.

"We know that most groups in society will suffer if the current trends that reflect cynical and derogatory attitudes toward and lack of government investment in human services and human life continue," she warned. "Without...policies and services that help to create...an environment in which all people can feel economically secure, physically safe, socially valued and respected...we shall see continued if not increased scapegoating, extremism, and even violence."

Feeling Betrayed and Abandoned

She acknowledged the difficulties of the social worker's job in responding to current conditions, recognizing that not only are our clients being threatened, but "...it is our own jobs, roles and functions that are on the line, and it is our idealism, our values, our self-respect, our morale, our economic livelihoods that are being challenged. Like our clients, we may be feeling betrayed and abandoned..."

In this climate, she said, "It is crucial for us to come together to reaffirm and keep faith with the dual nature of our historical mission. To make our voices heard it's crucial for all of us to join in advocating for the protection and fostering of client rights to economic health and social services while continuing to fight for the strengthening of our direct practice roles, functions, skills and standards...It is through direct practice as well as social activism that we can help to prevent and ameliorate personal suffering, help clients to feel better about themselves, free themselves from internalized oppressive attitudes, exercise choice, regain or attain personal power, strengthen their coping and engage in collective action."

In conclusion, Dr. Goldstein told her audience that " We are facing some major roadblocks to achieving our vision for a better society. We don't have the choice to be passive or active, pessimistic or hopeful, idealistic or realistic. We must respond courageously, creatively, and forcefully in our own diverse ways with all of our values, knowledge and skill...We must meet these challenges to keep the dream alive."

Earlier in the evening, Gerald Beallor, the recipient of this year's Chapter Service Award (see page 20), reminded his fellow social workers that "...our capacity to help those who need our help depends on successful advocacy...it takes committees, coalitions, collaborations to make things happen" and that social workers' recent fight against Governor Pataki's attempt to deregulate social work in hospitals "...is an example of all that is quite wonderful about our profession."

Ruth Messinger, who made a brief appearance to thank NYC PACE for its endorsement in her mayoral campaign noted that "We are losing ground for the people on whose behalf we joined this profession...we are losing ground in the richest city in the world and we need to put our energies together and allow our people and our communities to believe in themselves again."