Breakfast at Emmet’s…A Far Cry From Tiffany’s But Just As Valuable

Emmet’s, you ask?  It’s that cozy little eatery down the street from the NASW office on Beacon Street, known mostly for its lunches and dinners.  Now that the legislative session is in full swing however, more and more legislators are scheduling their “meet and greets” and fundraising events for the breakfast hour.  This is where the Chapter’s new Director of Government Relations and Political Action, Devin Romanul and I rendezvoused last week to meet with House Speaker Robert DeLeo and other legislators about the Chapter’s legislative agenda.  The guests, primarily representatives from human service organizations, had a unique chance to brief the Speaker on the details of their program’ goals, missions and challenges.  High on the list for our Chapter were loan forgiveness for social workers, increased compensations for clinicians, as well as the professionalization of the social work field.  Since we had just a few moments to highlight some of the Chapter’s legislative priorities, we will be scheduling a more in-depth session with the Speaker and his staff later this month.

Breakfast at the Chapter office is more than just a coffee and a muffin.  It is one of the critical meeting times that brings us the opportunity to be the voice of social work to the people who make public policy.