MOTHER'S DAY: HURUMPH!

Well, it's over--the big hullabaloo surrounding this special day devoted to Mothers. Thank you.

 When I was younger, I remember looking forward to Mother’s Day.  My Dear Mom was a special lady--dramatic, overweight, stylish and tough.  Somehow, we made the Day fun.  My Dad was in a special mood and my sister and I had shopped for a gift that we thought Lil needed and would like.  (She needed nothing and she loved everything that we chose.) There was’automaticity’ to the day.  And i did not think about what it was about other than we were going to have some fun.

And now, many years later, why is this day so burdensome to me?  What is this questionable response?  Here is what I have come up.  I want my family to see every day as Mother's Day. Really.  That the appreciation and fondness that is bestowed on May 13th to me is spread throughout the year, every day. Don't bother looking for a greeting card that conveys a sentiment that is felt every day.  Tell me every day!

And what has this to do with social work and NASW, Massachusetts?  I am looking at  a perspective about life, a way of being --  not just for Mother's Day, but for every day. Do I show my appreciation to my family, my staff, members of NASW the MA Chapter, who count on the chapter to support them, promote them, and represent them?  Mother's Day is a reminder for me to say thank you to all the people in my life-family, staff and social workers who chose NASW, MA Chapter to stand up for them.   Just as I want my family to have Mother's Day special every day, I want to say thank you to my staff and members of NASW for all that you do, every day, during the year: for your involvement, your encouragement, and your dedication to the people  you serve and work that you have chosen.

My Hurmphf has dissolved.

Carol J. Trust

BEING EXTRAORDINARY

This weekend was a double whammy day: Easter Sunday and Passover Week.  And there are probably important sports events happening that I have minimal interest in. (Sorry my sports fans colleagues.)  Although I did get interested in the recent series of games featuring the top College Basketball teams.  And as I wonder why, I see that I am interested in what makes 'excellent', 'superb', and extraordinary.  The top two team players would certainly hold all those adjectives. Fabulous individual and team playing, superior strategy and high level accuracy.

Most of us would never make it to these teams whether they were senior varsity, or National level or Olympic category.  We are not there. However, we do have the capacity to have extraordinary lives  in very simple ways.  What makes one extraordinary?  Well, there are lots of features.  I am taking a course now that has presented a variety of elements that cause and extraordinary life.  The one that comes to me now has to do with being courageous.  This does not mean that one is fearless.  Rather it has to do with acknowledging your fear and acting anyway.  This could be in an athletic event, in speaking out at a community or school meeting or even, calling up the managed care organization or insurance company that you are having trouble getting authorization for a seeing a client.  All the voices in your head (I'll have to wait to long to speak with someone, when I finally speak to someone, that person will deny me, or if I raise a question, I may get kicked off the panel.)   Being courageous is not just something we work with our clients to develop. It is for us- the professionals that our clients  count on and for us as individuals with great dreams of having extraordinary lives, as professional social workers, parents, neighbors, relatives.

How many times do we yield to that voice in our heads that says, "Don't be a fool, they will never say yes, or you don't have enough money, or time, or intelligence to do that, or 'they will say no."

This is a call to listen to that  negative voice, thank it for speaking up, and then go forward with what you originally intended to do before the voices took over.

This is part of being extraordinary.

Carol J. Trust

NASW Letter to the Editor on Safety

Safety for Social Workers in the workplace is a continuing priority for the Chapter as reflected in the Letter to the Editor published on February 13th and as seen with the chapter’s new program to Train Social Workers and Agencies employing Social Workers in Safety policies and procedures.

Bill would push social work agencies to focus on safety.

Carol J. Trust

What Can We Do About It?

I have been out of touch for the last couple of days as I have been in transit from Boston to Buenos Aires for a winter vacation. However, while waiting for my flight to leave Dulles International Airport in Washington, I did catch one of the local T.V. stations airing endless commentaries of the Penn State horror. And I use that word intentional, as I see the alleged crime of child sexual abuse as horrible, the accused perpetrators as horrible and the collusion of silence around the crime as horrible.  And what are we to do about it?

This perpetration has been going on for centuries, even with all kinds of prohibitions, punishments and social stigmas associated with the crime, it continues.  The ancient Hammurabi Code, from Babylon, almost 4,000 years old, admonished the crime, as did the Ancient Jewish laws.  And here we are, approaching 2012, facing the same phenomenon, knowing full well the serious and toxic toll the crime takes on the victims, their families, other witnesses and the perpetrators. 

When I ask, “What Can we do about it?” I look for ways we all can take some responsibility in preventing it from happening and from stopping it if it has already started.  One specific action we can take is to be fully trained and sensitive to those signs that suggest the crime could be happening and to have the courage, the boldness, the moral fortitude to act--to report it to the authorities, the authorized child protection agency in you city or town or those who are the experts in assessing suspicions of child sexual abuse. You do not have to be sure or to have witnessed the crime or to feel you have to prove it.  You do have to have the moral fortitude (and for mandated reporters you do have the legal responsibility to report) to alert the people who will investigate your concern.

This is what the people in power at Penn State did not do.  They looked the other way, denied it, minimized it and fully avoided their responsibilities as adults, as citizens and as moral and civic standard setters.

Even though the trial(s) have not yet begun, and the suspects/accused are innocent until proven guilty, let this be a continuing reminder to all of us of our obligation and responsibility to protect our young people.  Whether our concern or suspicion centers on a trusted teacher, an athletic hero, a clergyperson, a neighbor, a relative, or a stranger, don’t let our fear of making a mistake stop us from calling the authorized child abuse hotline.  Immediately.  This century old problem needs all of us to be advocates, socially responsible individuals and caring human beings to protect our young people. 

Carol J. Trust

Just For Fun

Every now and then I like to get playful with the serious parts of life and laugh at myself, my foibles, my judgments, and my blind spots. And here comes Holly Housman Friedman’s very thoughtful article in the October 2011 issue of FOCUS, about Psychoanalysis—“On Becoming a Psychoanalyst.”  And I had just about given up on that form of treatment or personal exploration as being outdated, overpriced and inaccessible.  But Holly made it come alive when she said, “It liberates patients from neurotic patterns, helps them make better choices, addresses the blind spots and moves them to  live their lives to the fullest potential.” Who would argue with that?  So I am encouraging all readers to take another look at what I thought was an antiquated method of treatment or education.  Pull out your October 2011 issue of FOCUS and get a refreshed view of psychoanalysis.

I took my interest to the next level when I was in New York a couple of weeks ago and went to see the longest running off-Broadway Play- Freud’s Last Session.  This was a ‘fictionalized’ session between Freud and C.S. Lewis after the war when Freud had settled in England.  The two hammered out their different points of view about religion, life, government, tyranny and love.  The dialogue was tight, pithy and substantive.  After the play, I had my own session with Freud, as you can see.  Just for fun

Carol J. Trust

Got Paid Sick Days?

I knew it was coming. The tickle in my throat that grew into a persistent cough. That one sneeze that turned into three in a row. The feeling of a warm cheek that soon pushed the thermometer up to 100 degrees. I knew that despite my efforts of taking Vitamin C and using hand sanitizer, I had the flu.

I knew it was going to get worse before it got better and I didn’t want to risk the staff getting sick so I called out sick for the day. I proceeded to stock up on tea, tissues, and most of all, sleep. I woke up the next day and felt much better.

The thought that I was going to lose my job or not afford to pay the rent because I lost a day’s wages didn’t cross my mind. Unfortunately, that scenario is out of reach for many Massachusetts workers. Over 1.4 million workers in Massachusetts lack a single guaranteed earned paid sick day. This means that there are thousands of workers who must choose between their jobs and their health. Even more Massachusetts workers—more than two thirds—cannot take any sick time to care for a sick child or elderly parent. These workers can lose pay or even their jobs if they stay home from work to get well, or to care for a sick child or relative.  They can lose pay just for going to a routine doctor’s appointment to stay healthy.

NASW-MA has prioritized House Bill H1398, An Act to Establishing Paid Sick Days, which would address this significant economic injustice and public health issue. Under this law:

• Employees earn 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked
• Employees can earn up to seven paid sick days a year.
• Earned paid sick time can be used for illness, routine medical appointments and domestic violence related.
• Earned paid sick time can be used to meet the needs of the employee, or the employee’s spouse, child, parent or spouse’s parent.

There are many reasons why as social workers, we are advocating for this bill. HB 1398 would not only decrease the spread of illnesses but it also would ease the burden on families across the Commonwealth. Caretakers that are able to attend to their sick family members will strengthen families instead of adding the additional stress of losing a day’s wage or even their job.

Earned paid sick days also make economic sense. All health care payers will save when employees can take better care of themselves and their families, reducing their health care expenditures.  This preventive measure would support the efforts of cost containment in health care and boost employee productivity in the long run.

Passing this bill is a win for employees, employers, and families across Massachusetts. Help us tell the legislature that its time to pass HB 1398, An Act to Establish Paid Sick Days! I urge you to call your legislators and let them know that you want them to support HB 1398. The more legislators hear about the bill, the better chance it has of passing into law. Need to know who your legislator is? Go to www.wheredoivotema.com  to find out. You can also email your legislator directly from our website.

Carol J. Trust

Heros

In April, National NASW gave the award for Public Citizen of the Year to Clementine (Tina) Chery for her pioneering work with families impacted by violence, particularly family members of homicide victims.   This was the second NASW award Ms. Chery received.  Last year the MA Chapter awarded her for her extraordinary work through the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, in Dorchester, MA.  Tina’s organization is unique.  It is run mainly by volunteers who work toward instilling the value of peace and raising awareness in young people of the consequences of violence on the individual, the family and the community.  Thanks to the dedicated work of the Institute, November 20^th to December 20^th has been designated as the 11^th annual ‘Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month’.  This yearly observance provides a platform where we can learn and teach others how to assist families who have lost loved ones to homicide.

Massachusetts was the first state in the country to dedicate an entire month to survivors of homicide victims.  We salute the work of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute as we honor the courage, creativity and grace of its founder, Tina Chery.

To find out about the activities planned for this coming month go to www.ldbpeaceinstitute.org

Carol J. Trust

Leading From Possibility

The ‘Occupy’ phenomenon is growing across the nation.  A few blocks from the Chapter office, Dewey Square is filled with individuals that are calling our attention to what they see as pervasive social and economic inequities that shame our wonderful country and state.  I want to share with you the statement that the MA Chapter has released on the ‘Occupy Boston’ event.  We are in support of the occupation as it retains its peaceful context.  Below is the Chapter’s statement.

NASW MA Chapter's Statement in Support of Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Boston

As an organization that is committed to social and economic justice and unimpeded access to services for all, NASW-MA Chapter supports the Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Boston protests. These protests are shining a light on the exacerbated income and social inequality that has gripped the nation in recent years. America’s “new economy” is a tale of skewed wealth and income. The new economy generates extraordinary riches for the few, but creates declining wages, rising debt, and the risk of deep and persistent poverty for many. 

Social Workers know that joblessness and economic insecurity contribute to the incidence of mental illness, family violence, suicide, substance abuse, crime, and diminished capacity for healthy family and community functioning. It is this knowledge and experience that gives the social work profession a special responsibility to advocate for income, employment, and social support policies that promote the economic justice and social well-being of all members of society and why NASW-MA Chapter has always been on the forefront of progressive taxation campaigns in the commonwealth. NASW-MA Chapter supports social, economic, and political actions to end poverty and the vast inequalities in wealth and income, to which protestors at “Occupy” events are so effectively drawing the country’s attention. 

NASW-MA Chapter urges its membership to raise awareness about and take part in the Occupy Boston peaceful protests, as social workers see fit.

 Betty Morningstar,PhD, LICSW, President, and

Carol J. Trust, LICSW, Executive Director

Leading From Possibility

Ten Years Later

I had a hard time thinking about this topic.   It was so huge, so monstrous, so omnipresent, so incredible.  My usual responses and judgments just did not fit.  There was one memory, however, that totally stuck with me and I believe will stand out for me forever.  It had to do with one of our Board member’s response to the day.  Some background first.  The morning of September 11, 2001, was the day of the Chapter’s Annual Board of Directors retreat. 25 Board members and 4 social staff were around the conference table when the announcement of the attacks was made.

The able President and Executive Director at the time asked the group what it wanted to do about continuing with the meeting that had been planned for several months. At first the sentiment was that we should cancel the Retreat. 

Some members stood up immediately and said that they were leaving without any discussion.  The majority of participants chose to discuss, not only the attacks that had just happened, but to relate them to our lives as professional social workers, community members and family members.  Some people said they wanted to return to their offices to handle calls that would be getting from clients, employees or students.  Others felt they needed to get in touch with their family members and be with them.  Then one Board member stood up and declared that cancelling the meeting was just what the attackers wanted: to disrupt our lives (among other motives) and that if we stopped the meeting we would be doing exactly what the attackers were hoping to display—power over the enemy.  She shared with the group that during the blitz on London during World War II, all people were expected (and did) go about their normal business, whether it was in an office, an agency, a hospital or school.  The Londoners were determined not to give in to evil forces.  And she, Sophie Freud Lowenstein, who was living with her family at the time in London did exactly that.  She declared that we must continue our business.  And we did.

This was a lesson that has stuck with me to this day.  And I thank Sophie for the lesson in resilience that she graphically conveyed that morning.

Carol Trust

Leading From Possibility

On August 5^th and 6^th of this week, National NASW is holding its triennial Delegate Assembly event where over 200 elected NASW member delegated come together to address many of the policy issues that the Association is known for dealing with.  This is the second time that Delegate Assembly will be held ‘virtually’ rather than in person in Washington , D.C. has it had been held for the last 30 years or so.  The decision to go ‘virtual’ was made in light of the huge expense involved in bringing 200 delegates into Washington for a multi-day event and in light of the growing movement of governance of National Associations being held electronically.

Lots of people were disappointed that the event had changed its venue.  They missed the camaraderie and face to face deliberations that occurred when we all met in one huge ballroom and the roll call was shouted out from each State Delegation with the Presidents of all 55 chapters identifying the distinctive characteristics of that state.  The Presiding Officer of the Assembly, three years ago and again, this year, our own Mr. Gary Bailey, current President of the International Federation of Social Workers, former President of National NASW and the MA Chapter of NASW, will call the Assembly together and then start the roll call.  He will call “The Massachusetts Chapter” and our Chapter President, Dr. Betty Morningstar, will announce “From the Great State of Massachusetts, Home of Red Sox Nation, the 2011 winners of the Stanley Cup in Ice Hockey, the Boston Bruins,  and a number of ‘Firsts’ like,  the first public high school in the United States-Boston Latin, the first University-Harvard, the first Public Library” we stand ready to serve the goals of the National Association of Social Workers.”  There is a lot of hoopla, applause and sometimes some jeering from the peanut gallery.  It is lots of fun before we get down to the business of revising, creating and discussing public policy statements that affect the clients and communities that we serve.

This year one of the hot topics will be the wisdom of continuing the current structure of the Delegate Assembly.  Some think it is outdated. Some question having two bodies-the elected Board of Directors of National NASW and the elected Delegates to the Assembly- decide on policy.  You will be hearing more of this after the two day event is over, as I believe, this will be one of the hot topics between now and the next Delegate Assembly in three years.  Members of NASW will be able to give their input on the subject.  It has to do with Governance and how we as a professional association do business.  You will be encouraged to give your input. You will certainly be heard!

Carol J. Trust

Leading From Possibility

‘My Pizza was an hour late arriving, it’s cold, so they better give it to me free.’ 

I am feeling grumpy. I caught it from listening to all the conversations around me, especially those that focus on complaints people are harboring about the weather, the economy, trash in the street, j- walkers, frizzy hair (because of the humidity), hair with no curl ( those darn straight hair genes), relationships gone sour, no relationships, cars that don’t stop for pedestrians, pedestrians that  don’t wait for the walk light, bicyclists that don’t stop or wait for anything... and  on and on it goes. My list is much, much longer but, I think you get the idea.

How did we come to this state of affairs where we are so quick to voice our complaint?  The flaws in other peoples characters, the world situation in general, the cold pizza.  And wait.  What about the blue ribbon winner of workplace complaints—the   Monday morning comment, going up in the elevator to the office, “Sigh. Oh dear, Monday morning. Oh, well.  Just five more days until Friday.”  Really.  I just want to say, “Sir. Aren’t you lucky you have a job? And that you don’t need any medical devises to help you breathe? And that you are going into an air-conditioned office?”  I don’t.  But, boy do I want to.  I don’t because, in part, there may be a basis for the complaint.  In part, because I have learned to edit my responses, In part, because I should, as a good social worker, allow people their feelings, their idiosyncrasies, their views of the world.” In part, because I don’t want to start trouble, get them angry, suggest my world view is the preferred.

This is not the kind of blog you would expect the Executive Director of a Professional Association to publish.  No.  But I was feeling grumpy.  And now I feel better. I’ll be able to attend my seminar tonight with a better clearing.  As my mother, Lillian, used to say, “I got it off my chest.”  And you, my dear readers, bear witness to the nonprofessional musings of a professional social worker, whose pizza came late…… and cold.

Carol J. Trust

Leading From Possibility

This morning, I am meeting, along with my mental health colleagues from the other professional associations, with the head of the Managed Care Division of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.  We have been continually concerned about certain practices that the managed care and insurance companies have implemented over the years that disadvantage mental health providers.

High up on the list is the practice of 'Retroactive Payback'-a particularly burdensome and unfair practice. 

There are numerous other problems that need to be addressed, as well, so we are eager to pursue this conversation with the folks at the DOI.  This is just one of the many actions that the MA Chapter takes to advocate for its members and the clients we serve.

I love these meetings for the opportunity they create to bring the issues of the profession to the parties that can do something about the problems.

Carol J. Trust

Payment Reform: NASW’s Vigilant Stance

What does this mean for the social work community? How will these new proposals impact the delivery of mental health and social work services in clinics and agencies?  And what about all our LICSWs in private and group practices?  What will happen to the whole ‘fee for service’  payment system?  These are some of the questions that the health and mental health community are asking as we review the Governor’s  Payment Reform Legislation that was released in February 2011.

Let me tell you that the Massachusetts Chapter of NASW is being vigilant.  The Chapter has formed an Ad Hoc Advisory Group of members who are knowledgeable about  the delivery of mental health service in clinics, hospitals, private practice and other settings.  The group made up of policy experts, private practitioners, policy consultants and academia are meeting to devise proposals and action steps for the Chapter to take as the Payment Reform movement proceeds.  You can be sure that NASW will take a stand for social workers to be well represented on any of the Task Forces and Advisory Groups that the Secretary of Health and Human Services is forming.

We are watching, we are strategizing and we are active.  If you have particular knowledge about this new Payment Reform Legislation and would to join our group.  Let me know.

Carol J. Trust