Advocacy: NASW 60th Anniversary - Forums on Ethics, Family Well-Being, and Equity

NASW Celebrates 60th Anniversary with Forum on Ethics, Family Well-Being, and Equity

Social Work Helper (16 Nov 2015). Retrieved from: http://www.socialworkhelper.com/2015/11/16/nasw-celebrates-60th-anniversary-forum-ethics-family-well-equity/

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) celebrated its 60th year with a special anniversary forum on Oct. 23, 2015 bringing together leaders of the profession to discuss how social workers can lead national efforts that improve family well-being, ensure liberty and equity for all, and develop ethical responses to new technologies and globalization.

The event also commemorated the 55th anniversary of the NASW Code of Ethics, which guides the ethical conduct of the profession, and the 40th anniversaries of the NASW National Committee on Women’s Issues (NCOWI) and National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (NCORED). These committees continue to support initiatives that advocate for women’s rights and ensure that racial and ethnic diversity are included in NASW policies and programs.

In conjunction with the forum NCORED released an updated “Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice,” originally published in 2001, and “Indicators for the Achievement of the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice,” published in 2007.  These standards will help social workers better serve the increasingly diverse U.S. population.

As part of the celebration, 19 eminent social workers were inducted into the NASW Social Work Pioneers®, an NASW Foundation program that recognizes social workers who have elevated the profession. NASW will also honor six individuals who have made significant contributions to the Code of Ethics and to the advancement of social work ethics (See lists below).

“NASW and the social work profession have much to celebrate and much to be proud about,” NASW CEO Angelo McClain, PhD, LICSW said. “This leadership forum will be an opportunity to reflect on how NASW has helped pave the way for positive change in our society since 1955. It challenges leaders in the field to discuss how social workers can have the greatest impact on serving our nation’s families, helping achieve critical social justice goals, and understanding the ethical implications of seismic changes in technology and globalization over the last decade. ”

“This forum is also an excellent way to publicly honor our new NASW Social Work Pioneers and individuals who have helped make the NASW Code of Ethics the guiding light for the profession,” McClain said. “NCORED and NCOWI have also helped guarantee that NASW continues to be one of largest professional organizations in the world advocating for equal rights and social justice for all.”

Three panels were shared via live stream which included “Family Well-Being Across the Lifespan,” “Equity and Liberty in the 21st Century” and “Code of Ethics: Evolution and Emerging Issues.” Social workers and other human service professionals can register for the live stream to listen to the panels and take part in a virtual Q&A. NASW President Darrell Wheeler, PhD, MPH, ACSW, will help moderate the program.

Family Well-Being Across Lifespan

Panel was moderated by Howard University Professor Tricia Bent-Goodley, current editor of the Journal of Social Work. Panelists are Richard Barth, dean of the University of Maryland School of Social Work; Alexandria, VA school social worker and NASW 2014 Social Worker of the Year Ana Bonilla-Galdamez; and Laura Taylor, national director of social work for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Equity and Liberty in the 21st Century

Panel was moderated by past NASW President Gary Bailey, professor of practice at Simmons College School of Social Work. Panelists are Ellen Kahn, director of the Children, Youth and Families Program at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation; Carol Bonner, associate dean at Salem State University School of Social Work and chair of NASW’s National Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity; and Joyce James of Joyce James Consulting, a trainer with the People’s Institute Undoing Racism Campaign.

Code of Ethics: Evolution and Emerging Issues

Panel was moderated by Allan Barsky, professor of social work at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Panelists are Frederic Reamer, professor at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work and author of “The Social Work Ethics Case Book”; Mary Jo Monahan, CEO of the Association of Social Work Boards; and Jo Ann Regan, vice president of education at the Council on Social Work Education.

To see the list of inductees:

http://www.socialworkhelper.com/2015/11/16/nasw-celebrates-60th-anniversary-forum-ethics-family-well-equity/

Advocacy: CASW Statement on the Refugee Crisis

For immediate release
November 20, 2015​

CASW Statement on the Refugee Crisis

The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) affirms the Liberal Government’s commitment to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada before year’s end. Especially in the wake of recent high-profile terrorist attacks that have shaken the global community, CASW redoubles its supports of our federal government’s international humanitarian obligations.

“At this very difficult time, following the horrifying attacks on Paris and Beirut, our country is understandably distressed. Of course, balancing security and humanitarian initiatives need to be Canada’s top priorities,” stated CASW President Morel Caissie.

“However, in light of recent acts aimed at Muslim Canadian communities that are highly disturbing and fundamentally un-Canadian, it is crucial to remember that refugees are fleeing the very same violence that Canadians abhor,” added Mr. Caissie.

To this end, CASW has been an outspoken advocate for refugees’ rights in Canada for many years, denouncing the previous administration’s drastic cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) that limited essential health care for refugee claimants.

Additionally, CASW was deeply disappointed in the previous government’s callous decision to allow the provinces and territories to impose a minimum residency requirement on refugees to access social assistance. “We hope that the Liberal Government takes this opportunity to act on their promises, and reverse these changes as we prepare to welcome the first waves of refugees,” noted Mr. Caissie.

Social Workers, with an ethical obligation to uphold the dignity and worth of all people and working in diverse sectors across the country, are uniquely positioned to help welcome and settle asylum seekers. “I know that Social Workers, whether working in public or private positions, will be ready to help support the federal government’s commitment and show these refugees, and the rest of the world, why Canada is known for its values of acceptance, pluralism, and compassion,” concluded Mr. Caissie.  

Video: Social workers as super-heroes

Social workers as super-heroes | Anna Scheyett | TEDxColumbiaSC   

TEDx Talks. Youtube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A27QjpQ_Ieo

Employment: Manager, Member Support Services, Squamish Nation - North Vancouver, BC

Squamish Nation

Manager, Member Support Services

North Vancouver, BC

Squamish Nation is seeking a Manager, Member Support Services, responsible for ensuring the efficient and effective day-to-day operations of member support, event and funeral support services including temporary financial hardship, family crisis intervention, member advocacy, referral services, and counselling.

Qualifications and skills include:

•     BSW
•      Registration with the British Columbia College of Social Workers or willing to obtain within a set time-frame;
•     Minimum seven years of experience including social work, management and supervisory responsibilities, working with at-risk and multi-barriered members/clients, counselling, policy, budget management;
•     The ability to work evenings and weekends, travel, flexible work schedule as required; 
•     A valid BC Driver’s License and a reliable vehicle;
•     Broad-based knowledge of First Nation social issues and generational impacts;
•     Previous experience working in a First Nations Community (particularly Squamish).
•     A Master's degree in Social Work with a minimum of 5 years of experience may substitute for the above experience. A combination of relevant education and work experience may also be considered. The above requirements are subject to change based on the need of Squamish Nation.

For more information and to apply online, go to www.applyfirst.ca/job72929

Global: Adult care social workers in the UK

Social workers: Do-gooders or doing good?

By Caroline Le Marechal (6 November 2015). BBC News. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-33423345

Who would want to be a social worker? Blamed and shamed by the media when things go wrong and often perceived as "do-gooders or clueless busybodies", the profession remains a mystery to many.

The BBC spent a day with one of Bristol's 195 adult care social workers to find out more about their work, from supporting people with learning difficulties or battling addictions to helping dementia and stroke patients.

Albert, not his real name, is part of a community team covering a substantial chunk of the city.

On average, he and his colleagues each have a caseload of about 20 people.

"What did you expect?" when I mention that his Mohican and piercings are not the stereotypical look of a social worker. "A man in a fading tweed jacket with corduroy patches on the sleeves?

"A useless, don't-have-a-clue, busybody who just wants to put you and your mum in a care home, and then forget?

"If I'm honest, I hope people will only think about us like that if they've been fortunate enough never to need our help and support."

According to the Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) it is an "important time" for adult social care services in England.

It says there is "not enough" money to go around, and the situation is forecast to get even worse, with a £4.3bn funding gap expected by 2020.

ADASS has urged politicians to seriously consider how society can meet the "significant growth in the volume and complexity of needs faced by generations that rightly expect to lead longer more fulfilled lives".

"I get to meet people when they are vulnerable, when they've lost capacity to make decisions, when they are disorientated and lost," said Albert.

"Then I get to hear their amazing stories, and meet some incredible families, I get to be part of their lives for a brief moment and I try to help."

He explained that each client has different needs - from mental health to physical challenges, from coping with being terminally ill to trying to support your once fit and healthy loved ones as they get older.

One of Albert's clients is recovering alcoholic Simon Madeley. Albert managed to secure the funding for his rehab at Chandos House in Bristol.

Mr Madeley said he had turned to alcohol as a "quick fix" after losing his business and experiencing the breakdown of his family.

He said he had ended up in a coma and "nearly died twice" from his addiction.

Albert put him "at ease straightaway", though, and had helped him to turn his life around.

"This is when social services come into their own," he said. "They are that voice of reason. It's nice to have someone impartial, someone independent to talk to."

Albert said part of his role was to be a trusted guide for the people he helps.

He said: "Who does what? What is the law? What help can I get? How does it work? How much will it cost? What am I going to do now?

"As a social worker we have to be able to answer all these questions, be able to find the services that can help, and understand complex and constantly adapting laws."

Another client, an elderly man with vascular dementia, now lives in a care home. Albert has to help him to manage a complicated legal process involving the end of a previous tenancy.

During the visit, Albert sits down with him and puts a pile of letters on the table. He shows him some of the post which has been delivered to his previous address.

Albert said: "To be a good social worker, we have to embrace the chaos of life, we have to understand people, respect people and be honest about what we can do to help. 

"When life falls apart, our colleagues in the NHS will work hard to make you better, whilst we as social workers will try to ensure you are living life as independently as possible.

"We try and find a way into the world of people who live chaotic, dangerous lifestyles. We ask difficult questions when they need to be asked. We risk being unpopular to ensure the right thing happens for the people we work with."

He said adult care social workers do not have the "mind-blowing pressures" of child care social workers, but often "our workload is frenetic, saturated in worry and pushes us to the limits of mental endurance".

"We have to ensure the person we work with is at the centre of everything we do. We have to respect their capacity to make decisions for themselves and help them make choices in their best interests if they lack the capacity to do so independently.

"Occasionally, all we are is a little pinprick of light in a tumultuous and bleak world, sometimes we can make things a whole lot better, more often than not we relieve the pressure for a short while.

"Are we always perfect? No. But please remember we are working with real people and their needs, emotions, their quirks, history, wishes, hopes and fears. Our working environment equates to modern jazz to the untrained ear.

"We set boundaries, protect public funds, manage care provision, meet your needs, reduce risk of offending, support your voice, ensure your rights, work for you, enable you, and genuinely try to help you and your mum."

Application for PhD in Social Work - University of Toronto

PhD in Social Work

University of Toronto

The doctoral program at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work is committed to preparing strong researchers and educators for the field of social work.

To learn more about the program visit: http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/programs/phd-programs/

Applications for Fall 2016 are currently being accepted: http://socialwork.utoronto.ca/admissions/phd/phd-application/

Online Applications are due February 1, 2016.

For more information: admissions.fsw@utoronto.ca

Global: Social Workers on the Frontlines of The Refugee Crisis

              

The Refugee Crisis: Social Workers at the Forefront of Finding Solutions

IFSW Secretary-General, Rory Truell visited Vienna and Munich last week to see first hand the social work response to the refugee crisis. This is his report:

IFSW (26 October 2015). Retrieved from: http://ifsw.org/news/the-refugee-crisis-social-workers-at-the-forefront-of-finding-solutions/

These are a few of the pictures in the temporary kindergarten set up in Vienna’s main railway station run by volunteers and social workers responding to the thousands of refugees as they make their journey to find safety and security.

Corridors in the railway station are lined with tables offering donated food, clothing, hygiene products and advice. Advice on which boarders are open or closed. Advice on how to register family members that have become lost on the journey. Where to find a place to wash, and if there is no room left to sleep at the railway station, advice on where else to go that is safe.

When the packed trains roll-in there is only standing room which swells into the streets. Social workers and volunteers find themselves standing amongst the crowds responding to one request, then another and another. Giving guidance on the possibilities ahead, pointing to the possible places where families can rest and eat.

The situation is chaotic and painful for the refugees who have travelled with such uncertainty; and not knowing the challenges that lie ahead tomorrow. The volunteers come out in their hundreds each day, organising donations and distributing them.

It is a vista of the best and worst of humanity. The worst, as the refugees are escaping wars that could have been prevented if politicians had the will to engage with one another, and also if the international agencies had of been able to provide and protect refugees closer to their home countries.

The best of humanity because of the outpouring of volunteers of all ages, many who were previously refugees themselves, who recognise their obligations and responsibilities that all people should be treated with dignity.

The Austrian government’s response to the crisis has been extremely limited and it is clear that the politicians have been caught off-guard, which has an enormous human cost, including to the 1300 unaccompanied children held in a temporary camp close to Vienna. It was clear that when the World Food Programme cut their funding to refugees in the camps in Turkey and North Africa people would have no option but to take their families on a perilous journey to find places to survive.

It is also clear that the millions of remaining refugees in Turkey and elsewhere will also take the journey northwards as the war in Syria is intensifying and situations in Afghanistan and Yemen show no signs of improvement or hope.

But while politicians have so far failed to create a positive humanistic response to this crisis, many of the citizens of Austria and other European countries have taken action. The outpouring of volunteers in Austria and Germany who have welcomed the refugees sets an example for the politicians to follow. Sometimes the answers come from the governments, but often and in this situation the governments will have to react to the actions of civil society.

Many social workers moved directly into action. Work plans that were once focused on normal daily social work activities changed to supporting families without food or shelter. Assisting young women that have had to use their bodies to pay the price of journeying from extreme poverty and conflict to somewhere safe. As soon as the crisis began the social workers came together to support and advocate solutions in this crisis.

At the heart of social work are the principles of respecting human dignity, actively supporting the right of people to have a say in their own development / recovery, and building people’s capacity. At a meeting organised by the Austrian Association of Social Workers for government services and NGO’s responding to the crisis, social workers commented that: ‘We need to now break down the traditional silos that have divided us. We need to think outside the box, share resources and work together in new ways to maximise our abilities’.

The Austrian social workers have reached out to social workers in all the countries that people are fleeing from and arriving in, through an electronic blog on the IFSW website. “We need to be able to connect people who are lost from their families and we need to know when another big group of refugees will arrive. We cannot get reliable information from the media or the government.”, an Austrian social worker explained.

Last week a representative from the Austrian Association joined a meeting with the German Association of Social Workers to increase coordination and share learning. Both Associations hope to be able to hold further meetings with social workers from all the affected countries to support better plans for the refugees’ journeys, transition and integration into new environments.

Social workers are also running community education campaigns in the host towns and cities. ‘Most people are very supportive to the refugees and of course some people feel threatened’ a German social worker told me. “For example there was one farmer in a small town who said: ‘Over my dead-body would I allow refugees into my town’, but we took refugees to meet him and after hearing their stories, he wants to do all he can to help”, she said.

Social coordination, organising volunteer-led German language classes, information sessions on how to be orientated to German/Austrian laws, customs and culture, where to find support are all part of the new social work role in each of these countries.

IFSW is also advocating, through its UN accreditation, for global governance to bring an end to the conflicts that drive the crisis and for better coordination to support for the refugees’ access to host countries. Social workers throughout the affected countries will meet next year and continue strengthening their capacity to support the next groups of refugees, their integration and realisation for better lives.

The pictures at the top of this report painted by the children at the temporary kindergarten at the Vienna railway station tell the reality from the child’s perspective. They portray a mix of trauma, trying to create understanding, their journey, restating their identity, and a desire to express love for the care that the volunteers and social workers have shown them.

One volunteer told me, “It’s beautiful to have these children in our Kindergarten, it is a little bit of fun and normality. Every time a child laughs it returns the sun to our hearts.”

END
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Link to IFSW Statement on Refugee Crisis

Link to the IFSW blog on the refugee crisis

Link to the Austrian Association of Social Workers for messages of support and advise / information.

Link to the German Association of Social Workers for messages of support and advise / information