Mass Incarceration and the Broad Impact on Communities of Color

3/14/2016 9:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Presenter: Glenn Martin

Mass Incarceration and the Broad Impact on Communities of Color

Presenter: Glenn E. Martin 

As key note presenter of the conference, Glenn Martin has been invited to provide an overview of the broad social and personal issues involved with mass incarceration and its impact on communities, our clients, their families, and all of us.  As someone who was incarcerated, he will share his personal experience along with what happened and how he arrived where he is now, as a leading criminal justice reform advocate in the U.S.  He will provide an overview of why we have mass incarceration and the policies that are fueling it, including policing and how people are treated in court.  He will draw the connection between segregated communities and the school to prison pipeline, along with demographic data that draws out the racial discrepancies on who is being affected.  Mr. Martin will also share why he believes that Rikers Island should be closed and what the alternative should be.  In addition, he will discuss how his own organization, JustLeadershipUSA, believes the US correctional population can be cut in half by 2030.

 

A Systems Approach to Suicide Prevention in Health & Behavioral Health Care

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Giorgio Chatelain LCSW-R, and Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-R

The Zero Suicide Initiative: A Systems Approach to Prevention in Health and Behavioral Health Care 
 

Zero Suicide is more than initiative that the Institute for Family Health (IFH) has taken on, it is a commitment to suicide prevention and to improve care and outcomes for individuals at risk of suicide. The foundational belief of Zero Suicide is that suicide deaths for individuals under care within health and behavioral health systems are preventable. In order to accomplish this goal it requires a system-wide approach to improve outcomes and close gaps. IFH has adopted the evidenced based approach put forth by the Action Alliance's Clinical Care and Intervention Task Force, that identified seven essential elements of suicide care for health and behavioral health care systems to adopt:
1. Lead - Create a leadership-driven, safety-oriented culture committed to dramatically reducing suicide among people under care. Include survivors of suicide attempts and suicide loss in leadership and planning roles.
2. Train - Develop a competent, confident, and caring workforce.
3. Identify - Systematically identify and assess suicide risk among people receiving care.
4. Engage - Ensure every individual has a pathway to care that is both timely and adequate to meet his or her needs. Include collaborative safety planning and restriction of lethal means.
5. Treat - Use effective, evidence-based treatments that directly target suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
6. Transition - Provide continuous contact and support, especially after acute care.
7. Improve - Apply a data-driven quality improvement approach to inform system changes that will lead to improved patient outcomes and better care for those at risk.
In this presentation, we will discuss the how we have actualized the 7 elements and incorporated them into our practice and more importantly into the culture of the agency. 

---

 

    

Centering Gender in Racial Justice

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Farah Tanis, LMSW and Sevonna Brown

Centering Gender In Racial Justice: A Case Study In Planning a Black Women's Truth and Reconciliation Commission

 

Women of African descent in particular have suffered racial discrimination and suffer gender discrimination as women; and as they are too often living in poverty, they suffer discrimination on the basis of their economic status. Current USDOJ data indicates that Black women are 35% more likely that their white counterparts to be victims of violence and account for a full third of intimate partner homicides, yet they comprise only 8% of the U.S. population. Where sexual assault is concerned, while it is standard knowledge that sexual assault in New York City is widely underreported—70% unreported each year, within Black communities, across ethnicity, the number or sexual assaults and those that go unreported is considerably higher. Where the UDOJ cites that for every white woman who reports a rape, five do not report an assault against them; it asserts that for every Black woman who reports a rape, at least 15 do not report. According to research by The Black Women’s Health Imperative, in 2003 approximately 40% of Black women report coercive contact of a sexual nature by age 18. An initial review of an anonymous survey in progress since 2011, administered by Black Women’s Blueprint indicates that number may be closer to 60%.

At Black Women’s Blueprint, our conversations with Black women in Brooklyn and Harlem who are grandmothers, mothers and daughters describe sexual violence as experienced by multiple generations of women within the same family and the traumatic aftershocks are experienced by generations regardless of whether they too were sexually assaulted or whether that sexual assault is disclosed by the survivor within that family.

Black Women's Blueprint uses a human rights framework to center the lived experiences of Black/African American women with gender-violence both at the hands of the State and intimate partners. The program which will be presented will utilize an individual, group and community case study and offer social workers a framework and strategies for using human rights to center gender and sexuality within racial justice concerns of communities of color. The program will describe a groundbreaking model developed by social workers, for organizing women of color in New York City—a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. By definition a “Truth Commission” or a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” is a comprehensive human rights model for mobilizing survivors of various forms of violence, community building, combining research and documentation focused on providing victims a public platform, holding harm-doers/perpetrators accountable and strengthening the rule of law, effectuating institutional and systemic reform; and promoting healing, reconciliation and public deliberation. 

---

 

  

Ethics and Risk Management in the New Era of Social Work

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Paul Kurzman, PhD, ACSW

This session, developed especially for social workers, describes the most significant malpractice risks in social work today and numerous methods of mitigating and reducing one’s risk of being sued for malpractice.The presentation is intended for social workers in all settings and positions, not just the clinical, therapeutic mental health setting.   The session will cover key concepts in risk management, such as confidentiality and its exceptions, duty to warn, and informed consent.  The seminar will reveal the major reasons why social workers are sued and what you can do about those risks.  The presentation will define what constitutes a malpractice case and emphasize important record keeping issues, guidelines for supervision, special tips for clinical and private practitioners, and brief you about your malpractice insurance, its special features and implications for your practice.

 

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Applying Foundational Principles

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Joaniko Kohchi, LCSW

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: Applying Foundational Principles Across Social Work Practice 

 

The basic tenets of infant and early childhood mental health provide the foundation for understanding social-emotional development in the cultural context of a caregiving environment. The importance of a secure attachment for an infant or young child to at least one responsive caregiver has been shown to impact brain growth, developmental milestones, academic achievement, and lifelong health. Discussion will focus on applying foundational principles to your work, making meaningful referrals, and choosing appropriate trauma-informed and evidence-based interventions. 

 

Participants will become familiar with basic tenets of infant and early childhood mental health and learn how to access information from some international, national and local sources. The presenter will illustrate the application of foundational principles to several different social work programs and show how the resulting changes promote better outcomes. Additionally, attendees will be supported in identifying appropriate collaborations and a group exercise will focus on one small change that can create a more developmentally appropriate conversation in their programs.

---

 

Liberation-based Healing Through Critical Consciousness & Empowerment

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Diana Melendez, LCSW and Rhea Almeida, PhD, LCSW

Transformative Practice: Liberation-based healing Through Critical Consciousness, Empowerment and Accountability

 

This training will provide social workers with an alternative framework, language, and tools in seeking to integrate concepts of social justice and equity in practice with clients as well as with organizations and institutions. This work is foundational to depart from the matrix of power, privilege and oppression in bringing transformative healing experiences for the families and communities we seek to serve. These concepts are applicable to work in structural and institutional transformation.

The presenters will introduce the paradigm of Liberation-based healing, which locates the complexities of identity markers (race, gender, class, sexual orientation, etc.) within a societal matrix that shapes relationships: power, privilege, and oppression building on the foundations of Critical Consciousness, Empowerment and Accountability. In addition, participants will also be introduced to the Cultural Context Model as an established alternative method of practice built on these foundational concepts.
The Cultural Context Model is a combination of liberation-based practices of therapy, critical social learning, and family therapy interventions. This process of critical learning and dialogue around presenting issues is developed through innovative use of social media, culture circles, and community sponsors. The therapeutic process unfolds within culture circles, with the support of sponsors, and accompanied by tools for identifying and decolonizing lived experiences. Sponsors are men, women and adolescents who have had transformative experiences with this approach and who now stand in solidarity with new clients in their efforts to heal. The step-by-step building of social capital makes this therapeutic approach sustainable over time. This approach to healing departs from traditional practices of pathologizing clients, or focusing solely on symptom reduction. While being symptom-free is important, therapeutic focus is on building and strengthening foundations of resistance and resilience.    

---

        

Reawakening Creativity Through Activities in the Technology Era

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Maxine Lynn, PhD, LCSW

 Reawakening Creativity and Interpersonal Skills Through Activities in the Technology Era     

 

This workshop will address the dilemmas that the use of technology can present when it becomes a replacement for family life, interpersonal relatedness and development of social skills. There is an increase in children giving up play leading to a lack of social skills, closeness and adaptation. There is a loss of interest in each other leading to withdrawal from peers, bullying and possible violence. Unfortunately group work programs and courses have decreased and when taught often do not include the use of activity and the meaning of symbols that help achieve mastery over traumatic experiences. (Webb, 1992).
As early as 1948 it was noted by Coyle that children present numerous issues when not socialized including confusion, chaotic behavior and less effective learning. In a current literacy program I noted that children increase their learning of reading and math skills through the use of games and group interaction.
The tradition of Social Group Work using activities to facilitate growth is being lost. Graduate students and practitioners are asking for ways to reach their clients and this workshop will address activity as another intervention. The workshop will use a developmental model for play and activity in a small group and could be adapted for individuals. Activities will be experienced and processed through dialogue with attendees. 

---

 

 

Social Work’s Role In Our Clients Financial Wellbeing

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Reeta Wolfsohn, MSW and Dorlee Michaeli, LMSW

 Social Work’s Role In Our Clients  Financial Wellbeing: Applying A Holistic Psychodynamic Model

 

Money plays a role in clients’ lives regardless of whether they live below the poverty line and require social services, or are in individual therapy struggling with some of life’s challenges. The American Dream (upward mobility, college education, retirement, home ownership and an occasional vacation) continues to move beyond the reach of many Americans, as a result of increases in healthcare costs and the cost of living, growing income equality, a shrinking middle class, a part-time economy and job insecurity. Not surprisingly, money and/or finances are a primary stressor nationwide. Rampant financial illiteracy further compounds the situation.

Social workers observe the impact of financial stress on relationships, families, home and work life in much of their work. “Wellbeing” has traditionally focused on improving physical, emotional and mental quality of life with little understanding of how dependent all three are upon financial wellbeing. A more inclusive paradigm for wellbeing would acknowledge money as a source of empowerment that maximizes physical and emotional health by reducing financial stress. Such a model would include both financial and non-financial (psychosocial) components and allow clients to gain insight and understanding regarding their financial experiences, as well as their thoughts, feelings, fears, attitudes about money. Through this work, clients would be equipped to address the money management component of financial wellness.

This session will explore how a more holistic wellbeing model facilitates mastery of the financial component of wellbeing by first helping clients to understand the broader role of money in all areas of their lives. It will demonstrate how social workers may use this model to educate, motivate and support clients in developing life-long healthy financial habits to support their overall wellbeing. This model was part of a recent 3-year evidence-based research pilot project under the auspices of United Way. Keystone Research Corporation, the impartial firm that conducted the study concluded this program has the potential for “accomplishing its stated goal of creating sustainable, long-term financial behavioral change that supports self-sufficiency and financial stability in individuals and families via education, motivation and support.”

 

---

 

 

 

Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Children and Families

3/14/2016 11:15 AM - 12:45 PM

Presenter: Folusho Otuyelu, PhD, LCSW

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective in treating multiple disorders in children and adults. Family based CBT is effective and provides comprehensive tools and interventions for individuals within the family as well as the family as a whole. Family based CBT is effective in enhancing communication among family members, anger management, problem solving/conflict resolution and stress management skills.The training will educate social workers on how to use Cognitive Behavior Therapy by providing a clear guid on assessment, treatment planning and intervention applications. Attendees will be provided  3-5 intervention tools and techniques that can be applied in practice involving children and their families.

 

---

 

Advancing Self-Care in the Workplace & Managing Work Stress

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Wendy Bassett, LCSW / Kara Dean-Assael, LMSW, Lydia Franco, LMSW and Yvette Kelly, LMHC

*This breakout consists of two presentations. You must stay for both presentations to receive 1.5 contact hours.

 

A. Advancing Self-Care in the Workplace: Strategies to Minimize Compassion Fatigue and Enhance Compassion Satisfaction Within Social Work Practice 

  

Presenter: Wendy Bassett, LCSW

Social workers are affected deeply, in positive and negative ways, by our work as helpers. Our field, and its literature, recognizes compassion fatigue (CF), vicarious traumatization, and burnout as occupational hazards that can diminish our empathy and interfere with professional performance, clinical excellence, and well-being. No matter our practice — whether trauma therapist, case manager, medical or palliative care, community organizer, manager, or supervisor — we are at risk given the nature of our proximity to human suffering and our desire to alleviate it. On the positive, literature also suggests that compassion satisfaction (CS) and vicarious resilience are experiences in our work that can sustain and enhance our practice and inspire us and enrich our personal lives.

Many workshops and conferences focus on the importance of personal and out-of-work self-care as an essential component of compassion fatigue prevention for social workers. This presentation will focus instead on self-care within work environments, and specifically, on the task of identifying comprehensive steps we can take to create meaningful change for ourselves, and our practice, during and while we work. The presentation will describe the different concepts related to CF and CS, identify risk and protective factors within practice settings, provide assessment tools, and introduce the workplace self-care action plan (SCAP) used by VA Connecticut Healthcare System Social Work Service.

Discussion will highlight the role collaborative professional relationships play in enhancing CS and reducing CF. It will also invite social work managers and supervisors, as well as frontline clinicians, to develop and implement individualized, team, unit, and system prevention programs to create and sustain work environments where social workers, and their clients, thrive not just survive. 

  

   

B. Managing Work Stress: Practical Strategies for Supervisors

  

Presenter: Kara Dean-Assael, LCSW, Lydia Franco, LMSW and Yvette Kelly

 

Social workers are constantly confronted with today’s social problems whether it is direct service with individuals, families, communities, or creating policy. The myriad of challenges in this important work can have a negative impact on the workforce’s emotional and social well-being, including risk for compassion fatigue and burnout. Studies have shown that up to three-fourths of social workers have experienced symptoms of burnout at some point in their careers (Siebert, 2005; Anderson, 2000). The characteristics of organizations may contribute to the stress just as much as the challenges associated with constantly helping people in distress and pain. Symptoms of compassion fatigue and burnout have been found to be higher among providers working with those with trauma, severe mental illness, and in unsupportive work environments (Acker 2010; Kulkarni, Bell, Hartman, & Herman-Smith, 2013; Meldrum, King, & Spooner, 2002).

In the current climate, there are many demands and swift changes that can lead to dissatisfaction, inflexibility, or staff turnover. Oftentimes, supervisors are limited in the support they can provide to staff due to administrative demands. How can supervisors attend to these numerous demands and create an environment that supports compassion satisfaction, self-care, and prevents burnout? This presentation provides an opportunity for supervisors to learn practical strategies to utilize with providers to help manage work stress and encourage a culture of feedback and support. In addition, presenters will highlight a variety of self-assessments that can be utilized within the supervisory relationship. 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessing Harm Through An Anti-Oppressive Lens: the Child Welfare System

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Rebecca Stahl, LMSW, Jessica Gusberg, LMSW

Assessing Harm Through An Anti-Oppressive Lens: Social Workers and the Child Welfare System
 

 

Each year, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) investigates nearly 55,000 reports child abuse or neglect. Gruesome headlines of child abuse may come to mind, but the vast majority of reports reports are for ‘neglect’ without any physical or sexual abuse alleged (73% in 2014) and 60% of those investigations are closed as “unfounded”. Families of color are reported at disproportionate rates, and they often experience ACS engagement as disruptive and traumatic, rather than stabilizing and supportive of overall family safety.

In response to the well documented crisis of racial inequity in the child welfare system, the Radical Social Work Group conducted research and community discussions to explore the role of mandated reporters, and opportunities to resist and dismantle systemic racism in the child welfare system. Social workers are seldom taught to understand the historical and cultural context of mandated reporting. Without this context, social workers adopt the prevailing “better safe than sorry” approach to mandated reporting, which is reinforced by social service agency policy. This approach has contributed to unnecessary and biased reporting and ultimately, over-representation of Black families in the child welfare system.

This presentation provides participants with the necessary cultural context and assessment skills to empower social workers to foster family stability while reducing the financial and emotional costs of unnecessary investigations. Issues of imminent risk will be discussed, and case examples will be used to explore the intricacies of our important roll as mandated reporters. The presentation also includes recommendations for alternative state and agency policies that support a more responsible, just and effective child welfare system throughout New York State.

---

 

   

Critical Time Intervention to Prevent Homelessness

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Tabatha Cotto, LCSW-R, CASAC, CHES

Critical Time Intervention to Prevent Homelessness: For Social Workers With Clients Transitioning From Institutions to Communities 

 

Critical Time Intervention is an evidence-based practice that is well known for its utilization with individuals transitioning from institutions including, but not limited to hospitals, homeless shelters and prisons. The focus of CTI is to assist those in transition in connecting with and utilizing appropriate formal and informal support services within the community in an effort to prevent recurrent homelessness. This workshop will explore the implementation of Critical Time Intervention in a New York City Homeless Women's Shelter. The  objectives of this session is to develop an understanding of the Critical Time Intervention Model while learning CTI's core principles and values. Additionally, attendees will learn about the three phases of CTI to understand the benefit of focus on a limited number of areas when service planning. This breakout will offer guidance regarding implementation, process evaluation and formative assessment.

 

Equipping Social Work Leadership to Face Human Rights Violations

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Onaje Muid, MSW, CASAC, LMHC, FDCL

The social work profession adheres to the principles of social justice and defending the oppressed. Leadership in this context then of necessity has to ask, do our current leadership paradigms equip us to face gross human rights violations as we have witnessed in the last five years? The history of our, well intended, efforts have traditionally been formulated within the scope of federal, civil rights law. It has become evident that the courts have and and will not provide the legal protection to those groups routinely violated. Growing concerns are now calling for a human rights centered profession. With this perspective, the question becomes how can the profession assume a more updated leadership model to address current realities.

This workshop will introduce how human rights are already part and parcel of US law, in that the USA has signed on a few conventions; further how organizations can introduce human rights to their agencies within federal, state and local policies; examine how social work leaders can assume self determination, and finally create a professional development human leadership agenda for themselves and their agencies.

---

 

Legislative Advocacy & Campaign Building for Social Workers

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Mary Jane Dessables, LMSW / Nancy Wackstein, MSW and Kevin Douglas, MSW

*This breakout consists of two workshops. You must stay for both workshops to receive 1.5 contact hours.

 

A. Concrete Steps for Social Workers to Engage In Legislative Advocacy

 

Presenter: Mary Jane Dessables, LMSW

 

Social Work is rooted not just in direct service but in social justice. However, not all social workers have experience or training in how to advocate for client groups or for system change.  When given the opportunity to advocate, social workers often turn to what they know - their clients - and, while the stories of their clients' problems can be emotionally compelling, these are not sufficient to ensure those in a position of power will be compelled to take actions to help. Participants will leave the session knowing how to prepare for, participate in, and follow up on meetings with legislators, be they "Lobby Day" activities as part of a larger group or individual legislative meetings as concerned citizens and social justice advocates. This presentation will provide concrete steps for social workers wishing to engage with those in power and enlist elected officials in their system change efforts.

  

 

 

---

 

B. Why Social Workers Must be Advocates and the Skills Needed to Build Coalitions and Campaigns

 

Presenters: Nancy Wackstein, MSW and Kevin Douglas, MSW

Social workers need the skills to advocate for changes in public policy that will lead to structural change for their communities and clients, and they need to know how and when to utilize these skills.

Nancy Wackstein and Kevin Douglas will share real examples from their experience at United Neighborhood Houses of how they and social workers like them have used their social work skills to form and maintain coalitions, build campaigns, and create the consensus that allows groups to advocate successfully.

 

 

 

  

Responding to Disclosures of Victimization: an Anti-Oppressive Framework

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Miriam Siddiq, LCSW, Haley Danielle Feldman, LMSW, Gina L. Braham, LMSW

From Harm to Healing: Responding to Disclosures of Victimization Within an Anti-Oppressive Framework

 

Social workers from the Victim Services Unit of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office will lead a challenging and comprehensive discussion on how to interview for disclosures of abuse. No matter the professional setting, social workers are frequently called upon to respond to suspected trauma. Responding to a disclosure can be a complex and layered event. Knowing what questions to ask and how to sensitively engage clients is vital in developing trust and promoting successful outcomes for a potential investigation.

This presentation seeks to address how clinicians, in any setting, can intervene effectively while respecting their commitment to social justice.

---

 

  

   

 

   

 

The ACA: Changes in Insurance, Accountable Care, and Practice Level Skills

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Peter Campanelli, PsyD

After two Supreme Court challenges and multiple attempts to defund various provisions of the ACA it is clearly here to stay. New York State is moving full speed ahead at revamping its public sector service delivery system. The acronyms… Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP), Prospective Payment System (PPS), Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC’s) and, of course , Integrated Care etc…. are enough to produce alphabet confusion. But what does it all mean in terms of actual skills and knowledge needed to effectively practice in this new environment and improve the lives of the people we serve.

 

This workshop will touch upon an understanding of the insurance market place and how that impacts on disparity issues for marginalized populations. Additionally this workshop will focus on the development of metric systems that permit understanding and demonstrating “value outcomes” as well as utilization of a prevention methodology at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

---

 

Trends Creating a Sea Change In Practice: Findings of NYC Workforce Survey

3/14/2016 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Presenter: Mimi Abramovitz, DSW and Dr. Jennifer Zelnick

How Policies and Trends are Creating a Sea Change In Practice: Findings of the New York City Human Service Workers Survey 

 

Human service workers perform socially valuable services in public and private (non-profit) settings. However, considerable anecdotal evidence suggests that current policy trends, especially privatization, may have unintended consequences for their work. At the agency level the general trend towards privatization is associated with austerity and manifests itself as “managerialism”-- defined as bringing business practices and principles into the structure and operation of human service agencies. New public policies (For example, the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid Redesign. Mental Health Parity and Improved Outcomes for Children (child welfare) as well as many grants and contracts have created pressures to do “more with less.” The edict of doing “more with less”, combined with the mounting demands for productivity and accountability, have created a “sea change” in the human services. Yet few researchers have asked front line social workers about their view of and experience with managerialism. As a result we know very little about how this “sea change” has affected the work on the front lines.

Your Voice Is Needed: The Human Service Workforce Survey (HSWS) corrects for this serious omission by directly asking front line social workers --employed in a wide range of settings and sectors in New York City --about their experience with Managerialism. Given the wide spread occupational segregation by race in the overall labor market, we will use data from the HSWS to apply a racial equity lens to understand the impact of managerialism on service provision, working conditions and direct practice. More specifically, we will address: (1) how managerialism has affected the capacity of social workers and agencies to effectively serve people in need; (2) the well being of workers (i.e., stress, health, morale, burnout, turnover, and job satisfaction); (3) the pressure to “bend the rules” to meet funding requirements; (4) the sustainability of agency mission; (5) workplace violence and (5) social work’s traditional focus on social justice. Overall we will address the following question: How does the experience of managerialism its impact on working conditions, the health well-being of workers vary by race?

The survey was developed and distributed electronically in partnership with: The New York City Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the Human Services Council, United Neighborhood House, The Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies, the Social Service Employees Union Local 371, and the New York Non-Profit Press. More than 3000 front line workers have completed the rather long survey! The presence of more than 1000 persons-of-color in the sample provides a rare opportunity to apply the above racial lens. In addition to completing the long survey, many socials workers took time from their busy days to provide extensive written comments, suggesting that the survey hit a nerve!

 

Who Participated?
Thanks to the efforts of our partners, the survey participants are an unusually diverse group comprised of women (83%), persons of color (48%), immigrants or first generation (27%), LGBT (15%), public sector (26%), and unionized (33%) with a mean age (46yrs). Study participants are employed in health, mental health, substance abuse, and other non-profit agencies as well as public sector child welfare, public assistance and homeless service. More than 57% are professional social workers

 

Our Findings
This study fills an important gap in our knowledge about the social work workplace. Our findings show that majority of social workers in the study expressed concern that managerialism has negatively affected service provision, working conditions, direct practice and worker well-being. They also associated managerialism with speed up, undue emphasis on quantifiable performance/outcome measures, documentation that takes time away from work with clients, and a reduced focus on agency mission and social justice. Finding managerialism problematic was associated with high levels of stress, job related health problems, decreased job satisfaction, and exposure to workplace violence. In this context social workers did their utmost to meet client needs despite policies that often stood in their way, and in many cases resorting to taking work home and “bending the rules.”.Preliminary analysis using a racial equity lens suggests that in some impacts of managerialism varied by race/ethnicity, while other did not. Detailed findings based on the racial equity analysis will be included in this presentation.

Knowledge and Skills
Participation in this workshop will advance social work knowledge and skills by: (1) providing social workers with empirical data about the state of the social work field and race/ethnic disparities from the --typically unreported--perspective of practitioners; (2) helping social workers interpret data to develop evidenced-based policy alternatives and approaches to professional mobilization for policy change that ensures the well-being of clients; 3) deepening social workers ability to analyze social policy including the application of a racial equity lens to data analysis; 4) increasing social workers ability to assume leadership roles in the effort to achieve equity and social justice within social work practice; (5) increase their ability to develop accountability measures that accurately identify program and client outcomes/results and that are meaningful and sustainable. Finally, (6) based on positive response that we have received to date we believe that this research will excite social workers about the benefits and possibilities of leaning to conduct research about their practice, agencies, and clients.

Application to Social Work. The survey findings will usefully increase the capacity of practitioners to provide more responsive services; amplify the voice of New York City’s front line workers in current policy debates, and strengthen profession’s leadership in the ongoing discussion about how best to serve people in need.

---

   

 

At Stake in the 2016 Election: Immigration, Women’s Health, Voting Rts

3/14/2016 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Presenter: John Logan, PhD, Joan Malin, Nancy Humphreys, DSW

What is at Stake in the Presidential Election: Immigration, Women’s Health, Voting Rights and “Place Matters”

 

This plenary session will consist of an expert panel highlighting the critical policy issues that are involved in the 2016 Presidential Elections. Panelists will cover the following issues:

 

John Logan, PhD- Professor of Sociology at Brown University will discuss the impact of housing segregation has on communities of color, in comparison to their white counterparts including past and present policies supporting segregation, and the importance of place, neighborhood changes and individual mobility in U.S. cities.  How this impacts NYC residents will be included.

Joan Malin-President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City will discuss women’s health, birth control access and a women’s right to choose.  Ms. Malin will also examine the importance of Planned Parenthood funding, and various services that make Planned Parenthood important to the community. 

Nancy Humphreys, DSW- Founder of the Institute for the Advancement of Political Social Work Practice at the UCONN will discuss the impact of our democratic institutions, the erosion of voter’s rights and the importance of social workers being involved in the political process.

Gregory Acevedo, PhD- Associate Professor at Fordham University School of Social Work will discuss immigrant rights, a path to citizenship and policy reform.