Death With Dignity

Our Chapter has been asked to support a ballot initiative called “Death with Dignity.’ The proponents and the opponents presented their sides of the issue to The MA Chapter’s Board of Directors.  The Board discussed and discussed and then decided to withhold taking any action at the April meeting, pending further research into the issue.  My staff was asked to talk with NASW Chapters in the three states (Oregon, Washington State and Montana) that had passed the initiative into law, to see what the ramifications were.

This is one of the many fascinating subjects that the Chapter is often asked to take a position on.  Initial review of “Social Work Speaks”, the compendium of public policy statements that the National Board and the Delegate Assembly has approved has no specific policy on the subject, although several of the policy statements refer to a basic principle of the profession.  And that is to support an individual’s right to choose, to support individual’s right for autonomy.

The MA Chapter Board will be taking up the issue at its June 2012 Board meeting.  And I welcome our member’s views on the subject. You can find out more about the issue by visiting the following websites: http://www.dignity2012.org/ (proponents) and http://www.second-thoughts.org/ (opponents).

Thank you,

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

GETTING WHAT YOU WISHED—AND THEN WONDERING.

I recently finished my first experience as a juror on a on an armed robbery trial in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston.  After the trial ended, the judge met us in the juror’s room to thank us, answer any questions we had and to let us know that we were now permitted to talk about the case.  During the trial the judge reminded us every morning and afternoon that we could not talk to anyone or research issues about the merits of the case. 

My jury duty started 11 days ago, when I was impanelled from a list of over 300 people who had reported for jury duty that morning.  I was thrilled to be chosen. I always wanted to part of a jury, since I saw the Henry Fonda movie, Twelve Angry Men.  I even remember when a version of the play, “Twelve Angry Women” was featured at the all girls’ summer camp I attended in Fryeburg, Maine.  I was intrigued with the process and the ability of one juror, played by Fonda, to convince the 11 other jury members to change their vote from guilty to not guilty.  Fonda took a stand to think more expansively on the facts presented to the group. Not to pre-judge the defendant, to keep an open mind, and suspend stereotypes and to provide the same level of fairness to the defendant that they as jurors would want for themselves. This same principle of justice and fairness is replicated in all the education and work experience that social workers are committed to.

The proceedings were tedious.  Several times during the days we were in the courtroom listening to counsel for the defendant and counsel for the state question the witnesses, I found myself on the verge of nodding and then I was nudged from the juror sitting next to me. (Embarrassing and frustrating, at the same time.)

While we were deliberating on the last day, I had no idea how I would vote-guilty or not guilty, until we had spent about 6 hours going over all the evidence, listening to each other analyze the video from the surveillance camera that filmed the robbery, commenting on the credibility of the witnesses, and examining the exhibits.

My sleep was often disturbed during this period as I could not dismiss the seriousness of my responsibility.  I would awaken thinking of the defendant- his life, being accused, perhaps having committed the crime and the victim- the impact of the crime on his life-now and in the future.

The trial is over and I remain unsettled. I am glad that I was chosen but relieved that the experience is over.  I am still feeling the impact of having such influence on the future of one individual’s life.  On the other hand I felt a strange and troubling sense of awareness, civic involvement and serious analysis and decision making.  I have been sleeping better, however, I still wander about the ultimate outcome.  Was it the correct decision?  We all felt that we did the best we could based on the facts that were presented to us. 

The decision? Not guilty of the crime of armed robbery.

Carol J. Trust

Juror # 13

I recently was chosen to be on a jury and was thrilled. I had been called to appear many times in the past and was always dismissed, often just before the trial started.

I assumed it was because I’m a social worker and that the prosecuting attorneys rejected me because they may have thought I would be too soft on crime and the defense attorney may have thought I would sympathize with the victim.

In actuality, I have no idea why I was dismissed from the 15 previous jury calls for which I was called. I just knew that I was disappointed, left with the sense that I had missed out on a unique opportunity that I wanted to experience.

And now, I sit in the jury room with 13 other people, all strangers to each other, waiting to be called down to the courtroom. I am thrilled with the opportunity.

Carol J. Trust

Something To Smile About

I am in a bragging mood, so allow me a few moments to tell you why. First, I beam at my team at the Chapter office. Staff is made up of social workers, and other professionals and nonprofessionals who convey that they not only like what they do but are always eager for new assignments, and new challenges. In addition they are   serious about receiving ongoing coaching from someone with a high bar for achievement.  That would be Me.  We are just shifting into high gear, (in addition to handling the normal workload) preparing for the Chapter’s biennial Symposium, where close to 1,000 attendees, exhibiters, sponsors, advertisers, speakers and registrants get the most stimulating Continuing Education and networking experience of the year. The staff just takes it on, responding to the dozens of additional emails, phone calls and faxes with questions about Symposium 2012.

Besides this superlative, non-complaining and up-beat team, the Chapter boasts over 25 Shared Interest Groups, Committees, Task Forces and Commissions; all led by energetic, gifted NASW members who volunteer their time, wisdom and energy to make this the fourth largest and highly esteemed professional association in the Region. I am continually amazed at the unstinting commitment of our members who volunteer their time to Chair our Committees, testify at the Statehouse on bills that the chapter has filed or supported, and submit informative articles for FOCUS, the Chapter’s monthly newsletter and keep us informed about state and National issues that affect social work practice.

And then there is the elected Board of Directors and members of the Nominating and Leadership Identification Committee (NLIC) who not only took on running for office with all the work that is involved in  putting forward their candidacies but also taking on leadership responsibilities.  Board members call every new NASW member to welcome them to the fold as well as commit to understanding all the policy and legislative issues that come before the Chapter for vote.  NLIC members work tirelessly identifying, calling, writing and enrolling new leaders for the profession. These elected NASW leaders take time from their jobs, their private practices, their free schedules to contribute to the work of the Chapter and I have the privilege to work with them all.  I am beaming and so lucky.  What a great job!

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

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

I recently returned from a trip to South America- Buenos Aires and parts of Peru. I noticed a family phenomenon that was quite charming and new to me. At least I have not witnessed this trend in parts of the States where I travel. Going into restaurants with my husband, regardless of the time of day, I saw tables set for from 6-12 people and more, but rarely for 4 and never for 2 people.  What is all this about, I first thought.  And then the diners started strolling in.  There were huge parties of people.  Sometimes, same aged people but for the most part these were 3 and 4 generation family groups: babies, Mommas and Poppas, grandparents and what looked like extended family members—aunts uncles, cousins, etc.  What a treat!  And this was true in all the rural and urban towns we visited.  Eating out is a family affair-the entire family, not just the nuclear family.

How wonderful, I thought.  I can’t remember having that same experience.  First, we moved out of state from my grandparents when I was very young and even before we moved, we NEVER enjoyed their company in a restaurant.  Don’t know why. It just wasn’t done. Then I don’t recall having such friendly or cordial relationships with my aunts and uncles that we would want to eat together.

And even now that I am older, and parents and grandparents are gone, I rarely see this intergenerational family dining experience in any of the restaurants I frequent.

I had this strange sense of ‘something is missing’ from my history. In any case, I just noticed how friendly everyone was, how relaxed, how congenial. Is it an important missing?  I don’t know.  I’m just wondering.

Carol J. Trust