Confronting a heavy reality
Every one of us confronts death in some way. We lose someone close to us to AIDS or cancer, or there is an accident that takes a life unexpectedly. Or we ourselves are faced with our own mortality.
The reality of death and the loss that comes with it are hard to face. In our role as social worker, detachment may allow us to distance ourselves. But when we are affected personally, the full impact is as difficult to face as it is for anyone else. When we work at it, our backgrounds as professionals and open individuals permit insight and understanding, creating the foundation for a wise course of action given the circumstances.
What is going on in politics and government today is akin to the way we experience death. We learn about each budget proposal or organizational re-engineering plan with bated breath to see who the victims will be. Professional detachment, to the extent it is used, has limited utility as there is a vanishing distinction between service consumers and workers. Both are being cut loose. We are all in the same boat.
After a year of hanging on, there are more waves coming from Albany and new ones from Washington, D.C. Many of us had hoped that we would be spared the worst of what Congress has been cooking up, but the news we are getting now is fairly grim: the end of entitlements and massive cuts in spending in Medicaid, Medicare and other social welfare programs. It'll be a surprise if the President does much of anything to stop this.
The next line of hope is that the electorate will express itself when it becomes more fully aware of the pain that will be inflicted, not only on the poor, but on a large cross section of the country.
It's natural to hope and it may be necessary to await the unfolding of events, but first and foremost we must take careful stock of the courses of action available to us in the near future. Here's one prescription for survival:
First, an every man and woman for him or herself strategy must be rejected. People need opportunities to talk about what's going on and what can be done, both on personal and public levels of discourse. Friends and colleagues might naturally engage in such dialogue, but the workplace is an especially important place to start. Opening up a dialogue across the organization instead of shutting it down has the potential of helping in today's times. NASW is currently developing an agency linkage project that will seek out liaisons at work sites to connect the work place with the Chapter. Such a linkage could be helpful to enhancing dialogue. Member involvement is crucial to make this happen.
Second, social workers need to be attuned to how their organizations are changing and adapt themselves for survival. We need to think through and better understand what skills and attributes social workers will need in order to continue to be valued personnel. This is fraught with dilemmas as programs are pressured to sacrifice quality and standards as budgets are cut. NASW is beginning a workshop series that will address aspects of this in terms of developing outcomes thinking (see page 4), surviving downsizing, and dealing with managed care.
Third, as aggravating as it is, social workers need to become adept at making the transition from employment to re-employment. Crisis intervention specialists tell us that job loss is high on the list of the most difficult transitions one ever has to make in life. There is a wide array of information and activities that must be engaged in, and it could take a prolonged period of time in some, if not most, cases. Our workshop series on job transitions and the development of peer support groups, which we will call "job placement facilitation groups", are meant to assist in achieving the necessary skills and information.
Fourth, social and political action activities can be joined to stay abreast of what is developing in the policy arena and to contribute to the growing mobilization of people to assure that we remain a compassionate society. Every social worker has experiences and information that will enhance this work. NASW, along with PACE, will hold a skill building conference on January 20, and work is on-going in the Chapter's Social Action Committee and in PACE. Other committees are also geared up and welcome participation. Social workers are urged to become part of these efforts.
The reality of change is very heavy. At no time in the past 65 years has anyone seen the political turn of events that are now before us. We cannot know at this time just what lies ahead; we will only know at some later point. At that time we will all ask ourselves whether we did what we needed to. Let's hope that we all have the wisdom and the good fortune to do what is necessary. Let's carry the load together: NASW along with its members.