LEAD: THE BEST YEAR YET

Every year the Chapter’s annual Legislative Education and Advocacy Day gets better and better.  This  year’s event hit the top of the scales.  What a powerhouse of speakers, workshops and attendance.  Every MSW program in Massachusetts sent a contingent with Boston College Graduate School of Social Work offering a special gift to its group of 200 MSW students, paying everyone's registration fee.  Nine of the Massachusetts BSW programs were in attendance.  There was even a group of criminal justice students from Merrimack College who joined us so they could rub shoulders with and learn from social workers on how to lobby and make one’s voice heard.  In total, 750 students, professionals and other advocates joined legislators, professional lobbyists, faculty, and Health and Human Service administrators who were either in the audience or at the podium.

The event was highlighted by the appearance of several Constitutional officers.  State Treasurer Steven Grossman addressed the group, acknowledging several of his family members were professional social workers.  Attorney General Martha Coakley brought greetings from her office.  Both these high profile officers are closely aligned with the values and priorities of the social work profession.

The featured dignitary, Governor Deval Patrick graced the audience with his usual thoughtful and substantive remarks about the social work profession and the work we do.  And of course, the centerpiece of the morning was Governor Patrick’s declaration of March as Social Work Month and the handing over to me, his official proclamation.

The day was truly memorable, not only for the substance of the presentations, the energy of the participants but also the celebration of Social Work Month through the banner that flew on the front of the State House.  LEAD is a reminder of what it means to be a part of our proud profession.

NASW Steps Up House in the State House

This Tuesday, March 25^th  marks one of the highlights of the MA Chapter’s commitment to legislative advocacy, LEAD (Legislative Education and Advocacy Day).  Over 700 social work professionals and students will convene at the Grand Staircase, Hall of Flags, and in Gardner Auditorium to prepare themselves for the lobbying event of the year.  Tomorrow  attendees will become intimately familiar with NASW-MA Chapter’s legislative agenda so they can then meet with their legislators.  Together they will promote the professional and social/economic justice priorities that serve social workers and the individuals and communities that social workers serve.

Governor Deval Patrick will address the group as he proclaims March as Social Work Month. State Treasurer, Stephen Grossman and Attorney General Martha Coakley will add their support to the Chapter’s legislative agenda.  To top it off, flying from the front façade of the State House will be the most enormous social work banner ever to appear in public.

This confluence of social work clinicians, organizers, faculty, researchers, administrators and planners is the compelling profile of this wonderful profession.

The Voice of Professional Social Work will be echoing throughout Beacon Hill.

Who Is Responsible?

Last week I attended a meeting with DCF Commissioner Olga Roche and a group of child welfare stakeholders who were briefed on the imminent release of the Child Welfare League of America’s (CWLA) Progress Update to Governor Patrick and Secretary Polanowicz.  This is the interim report of the ongoing independent investigation of the Department of Children and Families, the culminating report to be released in May.

Click HERE for the Report

CWLA is one of several groups investigating the recent disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver, a 5-year old boy, along with the longer standing issues impacting the delivery of services to children and families involved with DCF across the state.   In turn, the Office of the Child Advocate did an inquiry and the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight is in the midst of its investigation.  The Department has also performed its own study. 

Everybody wants someone, or someone else to DO SOMETHING about DCF.  It is true that some of us (i.e. child welfare agencies, SEIU, NASW, etc.) are some of the key groups that have visible and even legal accountabilities.  Responsibility for the current state of child welfare in the Commonwealth is not restricted to these easily identified groups.   It is ALL of our responsibility.  Our neighbors, family members, school personnel, the mailman who comes to the door daily, along with those individuals in the medical profession.  The task of looking after members of our communities who may be compromised by a complex combination of mental and physical health issues, poverty, generational domestic violence, homelessness, joblessness and addictions, belongs to all of us.

Recently, I developed an interest in ancient society’s view of family and child welfare.  I found that 4,500 years ago papyrus scrolls placed in pyramids spelled out acts of mercy that society members had to follow.  3,000 years ago the Mosaic code instructed the Jewish people to help the poor and disadvantaged people and in 530 BCE Siddhartha, the Buddha, taught that the path to enlightenment included love and charity to others.  There was no Department of Children and Families in ancient times, no Riversides, Waysides or MSPCCs…just everyday people looking out for each other.  True we have become more specialized 6,000 years later with the advent of groups performing the functions that all early peoples were expected to perform.  However the development of these fairly modern (at least post Romanic) institutions still does not exempt  the rest of us who are not officially  ‘in the business’ from watching out for our brothers, sisters, cousins, neighbors and friends.

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.

STOP THE KNEE-JERK RESPONSES

For the past two months, the press, the legislature, the child welfare world and the public has focused on the startling news of the disappearance of Jeremiah Oliver, a 5-year old boy whose family had a history of being involved with child protective service agencies. The shocking nature of this story can leave one wondering. How could this happen? Where were the school authorities? Where was the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the neighbors, the family members? We look for answers, as we should, and at the same time we look for quick fixes. From my perspective, there are no simple solutions, including the loud call to fire the Commissioner of DCF. It is true that the system, as devoted as it is to protecting children and strengthening families, can and does err in its efforts to live up to these critical goals.

 A huge error occurred in the case of young Jeremiah Oliver, a child who is now presumed dead. When an error such as this is uncovered, the system is then bound and committed to find out how it happened and who is responsible. Beyond holding individuals responsible for their actions, the system must ask what safeguards are now needed to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

This is the process happening right now. Not only is DCF performing an internal investigation but the Office of the Child Advocate as well as the Legislature and the Child Welfare League of America are performing separate investigations. My Letter to the Editor (below) recently sent to both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald conveys NASW's current perspective on the situation. We must avoid quick fixes and knee jerk reactions, trading them instead for thoughtful, diligent actions.

I am in regular communication with DCF, SEIU Local 509 (Social Work Union), and the Office of the Child Advocate to see how we can support the professionalization of the workforce in child welfare. Together we want to strengthen the safety net of care for those children and families involved with DCF and end the destructive negative messaging that is impacting everyone involved.

STOP THE KNEE-JERK RESPONSES 

Often times it is easy to come up with what seems like a quick fix for highly complicated issues, with the impulse to “do something” crowding out more deliberate efforts to address the root of the problem. This pattern has persisted in the three recent cases involving the Department of Children and Families. The inclination to “fire the Commissioner” may make some feel better, but that knee-jerk reaction diverts attention from the more pressing conversation about DCF’s service delivery to families who have experienced generations of abuse, violence, or neglect. The Governor, legislators and the social workers most familiar with these families’ cases need to evaluate what went wrong and how to put mechanisms in place to assure that it will not happen again. The Child Welfare League of America, the Office of the Child Advocate, and the experienced professional social workers at DCF are working in concert to uncover and address the deficiencies in a complex system that allowed for these heartrending situations. Let the child welfare advocates do their work so the children, youth, and families of Massachusetts can experience a stronger safety net of care.

SHOUT IT OUT!

I am such a show off with my job. I can hardly wait for people (from social to professional circles) to ask me what I do. Really. I used to be hesitant to answer - ‘ I’m a social worker,’ thinking I would get the well- worn comment, ‘God Love Ya’ or ‘I could never do that’ or ‘What’s wrong with these people?’ I feared my vague or inarticulate response could unintentionally further weaken the image of social workers. I was wimpy. Not any more. I am so proud and almost superior when I answer the question. I wait for people to ask me. I am eager to say what the profession, specifically NASW, has accomplished, legislatively, programmatically, and socially. I really do adore what NASW has achieved, the positions we have taken, the programs we have established and the wisdom we have accrued. And I am proud of what we offer our members, like unlimited free consultation of practice, ethical and educational issues. Plus all the discounts, the superb customer service, the quick responses to your often complicated practice dilemmas. You need to know that staff is just waiting for your call, ready to assist. And we don’t hear enough from our members with your concerns. And now you have a chance to be in touch, not exclusively with your problems. We want to know about the benefits you received from NASW membership – the value to you. How have we made your life better, happier, more successful? Send your testimonial in 1-3 sentences, with your photo, if you wish, to me at trust@naswma.org. I am unabashedly inviting you to come forth and acknowledge what NASW membership has contributed to your life. If you agree, we would like to use your comments. Perhaps in FOCUS, on our website and in other promotional materials. What do you say? If we use your comments, you’ll get a surprise gift.

Social Work in Health and Hospital Settings

The Chapter has been partnering with the Directors of Social Work from the major teaching hospitals in the Greater Boston area on several projects for the last several years. This group of incredibly experienced and savvy senior social work administrators is now focusing on how to best prepare social work students to intern at hospitals. The Directors have been meeting with Deans of the Schools of Social Work to figure out the best way to prepare students for this specialized placement. Some feel only refinements are needed, others feel that the schools need to be more rigorous in preparing the students for these highly demanding placements and others feel that interning in other social work settings-homeless shelters, public health clinics, substance use treatment centers, etc- can be just as demanding. The message to me is that we as a profession are always looking at how we can get to the next level of our expertise, our professionalism. This is what moves me every day in my position as the Executive Director. Where else can I grow and contribute to our members, the Chapter, and the Association. Looking forward to hearing from you.