"This is a strange time for social work," began NYU School of Social Work Dean Thomas Meenaghan as he delivered his keynote address at NASW's student forum, "Your Social Work Career in the 21st Century." The forum, which attracted over 200 students from the five graduate schools of social work, was held on January 7 at Fordham University.

Dr. Meenaghan recalled that when he was earning his MSW in the '60s, "...we did not think about jobs. We were very political and idealistic." Now, he added, the times are "reality based" and "employers will be looking for a combination of skills that are grounded in purpose and meaning."

He offered a number of recomrnendations to "the collective you coming to the world of work," stating that the focus of social work practice will come to be "groups and communities." He highlighted services to children and the elderly and geographic and social communities as areas where students should attain competency, and that "risk is a property of groups," particularly in the young, the old, people of color, and people with low incomes.

"The pendulum," he said, "is swinging back away from the pathology perspective, and toward communities and groups existing in natural spaces as models of primary care prevention and natural support systems. We need to get to interventions that are prevention-oriented.

"How social workers adjust to this change is key," he added.

"The reality ofthe current job market is that employers are looking for graduates who are program people, who understand agency life, who can translate policy into behaviors that help the client...Organizational realities are part of your practice.

He took academia to task, saying that "...the schools have spent an excessive amount of time training their students to work with individuals." Students need to be trained in organizational dynamics and interorganizational dynamics, and need to understand the access and utilization rates by groups.

"Agencies love people who understand this," he added.

He also spoke about the boundaries between professionals, and emphaized that all agencies are creative in their use ofresources such as employing forrner clients as paraprofessionals, using volunteers (e.g., parents of children with disabilities, people with cancer) and told his audience that professionals needed to learn to work better with non-professionals.

Knowing how to evaluate cases and programs is crucial in the world of social work practice. This evaluation must go beyond "auditing", and must include client satisfaction measures in the context of feasible effects.

Practitioners must also learn to appreciate and work in concert with the delivery of concrete services. "Don't separate this from therapeutic intervention," he advised.

"Look at the organizations themselves: What does your organization need and what can you do to maximize yourself in the organization? Organizations have imperatives of their own and you need to understand them to trade and negotiate." He concluded by asking students to question why social work had strayed by separating personality from social structure: "These are connected and we need to revisit this."

He also asked them to revisit some values: "Are your sklls and training to be used only to change people? What about areas such as hospice care: these activities need to be valued even without the possibility that the person will change." He emphasized a focus on areas of serious, unresolved problems, and the designing of programs that match up to the realities of families, the young, the poor and people of color. He wamed of the dangers of overspecialization, of knowing a field of service without knowing what is outside that field.

"If your specialization is the family, then learn about alcoholism and substance abuse. If you work with children, leam about aging: often, there is a grandparent in the household who cares for the child."

His final advice for social workers who will be entering the profession was to "Learn about the other part of you: That course in school that you avoided? That's the area that you need to develop." Following Dr. Meeenaghan's address, student heard from a panel on implications for employment and practice. Mary Pender Greene, Chief of Social Work Services at the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services spoke on Clinical Practice and Mental Health; Jane Barker, Director of the Brooklyn Advocacy Center, Victim Services,spoke on Families, Children and Youth;Yvette Rolon, Program Coordinator, The New York HospitalComell Medical Center, spoke on Health Care; Keith Martin, President and CEO, Life Learning Institute, spoke on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse; and Derrell Chandler, Director ofVocational Services, Urban Family Center, Henry Street Settle ment, spoke on Diversity Issues.

The panel was followed by a presentation by Career Management Consultant Karen Metzger on "Developing Your Career: How to Make Yourself Marketable."

The Chapter is offering a special all day workshop, "Jump Start Your Social Work Career, "for students on June]. Call the Chapter office, (212) 577-5000, for more information.