This fall, I have returned to the classroom as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and West Chester University and, as I have done so, I’m faced with students eager to become social workers.

In part, I believe, it is because social work is one of the country’s fastest growing careers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that “the employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032 — faster than the average for all occupations.”

This means my students will be able to find a job upon graduation.

But getting a job is not the most important consideration that brings undergraduates and graduates to the social work profession.

Without fail, they all tell me some version of them wanting to help people. They want to be on the side of justice for the country’s most marginalized. It is a noble answer and that is why they are sitting in my class. I admire their optimism and sincerity.

However, it ill-serves our profession if I left the conversation at that point.

By any metric, social work is not as diverse as it needs to be. The nation’s schools of social work will confer over 19,000 undergraduate social work degrees this academic year. Almost nine out of 10 social work students who earn a BSW degree are female. Seven out of 10 are younger than 25. Almost one out of two are White. The lack of diversity means my students often have limited access to different points of view.

How then does the concept of help differ for the 5 percent of social work graduates who are 45 years or older or the 11.5 percent who are male? How will it differ from their future clients who most likely will not look like them or share their life experiences?

We as social work professors must engage the challenging conversations.

What does it really mean to help. Who deserves our help? How long should we help? How do we help? When is help harmful?

Or as James Baldwin said, “The questions which one asks oneself begin, at least, to illuminate the world, and become one’s key to the experience of others.”

The first thing they must grapple with is help exists within a political, cultural, economic, and ideological context.  In America – we are encouraged to help. We are told that it is more blessed to give than receive. Scores of articles are written about being generous towards others.

Even rarer do we have conversations about less comfortable topics such as the learned helplessness from which clients can suffer or the White Savior complex that some social workers can fall victim to.

White Saviorism comes from the same root as white supremacy – a position of superiority, however, its purpose is to rescue and not harm people of color. But a recent article in the Guardian shows how dangerous it can be.

Renee Bach, the subject of an upcoming documentary, is a United States evangelical who moved to Uganda, started a food distribution center as well as a health center. She oversaw medical treatments although she had no medical training and while she helped hundreds of children, hundreds also died from her care.

Bach said she wanted to help.

Our students must learn that help has a difficult history. Native American children who were taken from their parents and international adoptions where many children totally lost their cultural identity when they gained US citizenship are only two examples.

Syracuse Professor Dr. Danielle Smith said “[White saviorism is] essentially a form of blindness. It’s not going to allow you to perceive what is in front of you accurately. If you can’t see it accurately, then you can’t be of really profound use in solving the problem.”

If our social work graduates leave the university with a deeper understanding of what they and others mean by “help” and how that may look differently for people, it will allow the profession to develop a greater capacity to ultimately make a true difference.

Disclaimer: The National Association of Social Workers invites members to share their expertise and experiences through Member Voices. This blog was prepared by Chad Dion Lassiter in his personal capacity and does not necessarily reflect the view of the National Association of Social Workers.

About the Author

Chad Dion Lassiter is a nationally recognized expert in race relations. He has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues in the United States, Africa, Canada, Haiti, Israel, and Norway, and is frequently featured in the media providing commentary and solutions to racial issues.

Lassiter is executive director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where he has legislatively delegated authority to investigate filed complaints alleging the occurrence of unlawful discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and commercial property, education, and/or regarding public accommodations.

The NASW Code of Ethics is a set of standards that guide the professional conduct of social workers. The 2021 update includes language that addresses the importance of professional self-care.

Moreover, revisions to the Cultural Competence standard provide more explicit guidance to social workers. All social workers should review the new text and affirm their commitment to abide by the Code of Ethics. Also available in Spanish.

Touching every aspect of life and community, social policy is broad, deep, and constantly changing. For instructors, building a cohesive and engaging policy curriculum can be daunting. For students, navigating policy history, understanding policy implications, and conducting complex analysis can be overwhelming.

In 43 Essential Policies for Human Services Professionals, Gerald O’Brien provides a resource to overcome these challenges, because policy familiarity contributes to social workers’ fundamental understanding of the individuals, communities, institutions, and governments they serve.

The 12th edition of Social Work Speaks is a comprehensive and unabridged collection of policies adopted and revised by the NASW Delegate Assembly in 2020. The Delegate Assembly, NASW’s key policymaking body, meets every three years. The policy statements set the parameters for NASW’s positions and actions on a broad range of public policy and professional issues.

This edition includes updated policy statements on a wide range of topics, including rural social work, voter rights and participation, mental health, hospice care, juvenile justice, foster care and adoption, and the rights of indigenous peoples. Social Work Speaks is a reference tool that represents the collective thinking of thousands of social workers across all fields of practice. This user-friendly resource can assist in developing organizational responses to policy issues, conducting policy analysis, and working in advocacy coalitions.

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For more information about all NASW Press titles, including books, eBooks, reference works, journals, brochures, and standards, visit the NASW Press website. If you have questions, please send an email to NASWPress@BrightKey.net or call 1-800-227-3590.

Managing student debt; concerns about risk and liability; how to begin a job search; what is a social work license, and why is or isn’t it important?; and landing your dream social work job are topics many social work students and recent graduates are eager to find out more about.

Now they can, thanks to a free program conceived, launched and directed by NASW Michigan Chapter Executive Director Duane Breijak. Numerous NASW chapters are involved in the program, which the NASW national office also supports.

Register for upcoming student events and watch replays of past programs for free.

Breijak said he’s been involved with NASW for more than 10 years and had noticed the lack of an ongoing informational program for students and graduates entering the field. He saw the need for a continuing, nationwide program that focuses on educational achievements and networking.

“The idea came out of some national conversations we had been having for a couple of years,” Breijak said. He began working on it and launched the NASW Student Event Series in July 2021.

First-year topics included: “Hot Topics in Field Education”; “All Social Work is Macro Social Work”; and “Exploring Non-Traditional Career Paths.”

The webinars are popular, with 250 to 500 people usually attending, Breijak said, adding that the largest had 2,500 students.

“The three biggest topics have been on the licensing exam and what you need to know, how to find a job in a virtual environment setting, and the August program ‘Managing Social Work Student Debt: What You Need to Know in 2022,’” Breijak said. “Liability is kind of a less sexy topic, and we still had more than 300 register from all over the country.”

“In April, we had the opportunity to hear different voices from all across the country,” he said. That program, held April 21, was “What is a Social Work License and Why or Why Not is it Important?” It featured three panelists who Breijak invited: Chapter Executive Directors Debra A. Riggs, NASW-Virginia; Leanne Rupp, NASW-Colorado; and Joel L. Rubin, NASW-Illinois.

Riggs said she always is interested in meeting, talking with, and working with students, “because they are essential to the future of the association.”

When the student series was proposed, “I was all for it,” she said. “To do things like this engages students with the association, and they get a better understanding about it as well.”

And, Riggs said, they get to engage with other students from a variety of schools, backgrounds and states, “all on the same webinar.”

The experience “tells them they have a seat at the table, and they’re getting input and giving input,” she said. “It’s helpful and it’s valuable for them. Hopefully, it helps them see dues as an investment. It’s a pipeline issue, really. We need social workers so badly.”

She said all students are interested in knowing about licensing and its requirements, and with many courses online, which means less in-person time, they often do not receive information — or enough information — on the topic.

“Our times right now are so challenging,” Riggs said. Rupp also has knowledge and expertise about licensing in her state, which is one reason she was asked to participate in the program.

Duane’s sincere effort to pull in and engage other chapters expands coverage and exposure for other chapters,” she said. “I think my members are benefiting, and there are benefits for all members, whether they’re now at the start of their career or not.”

“The series creates space and opportunities to engage in the professional part of the community,” Rupp said. “The student series provides an opportunity to engage with students, and in the early part of their careers, social workers get an advantage from sharing the experiences of their pathway.”

The focus on relevant topics is beneficial for those engaged in those areas of the profession, she said, and it’s refreshing to hear about other issues we should be concerned about and have a level of support for those of us just beginning our careers.Those are things that often are overlooked, Rupp said. The discussions are timely and focused, and the topics are relevant to those in this stage of their career.

“This is a really relevant tool for us to market to career student social workers who want this experience, and it gives us a ‘practice what you preach’ when discussing the benefits. It’s well-received, and it’s needed.”As the second year begins, Breijak said (in August), “We’re starting year two, and this year they’re all on specific days and times.”

The programs are held the third Thursday of every month from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ET. “It’s free for anybody to attend — all chapters and employees too,” he said. “I’m definitely excited how this program continues to expand and help students at the local level.”

“During COVID, students did not have many chances to network,” Breijak said. “Now they’re online together from all across the country. It’s another group of people who can utilize NASW membership. New members can hit the ground running.”

Breijak said many chapters are doing student-focused events, and he thinks it makes sense to do something collectively, within the membership coalition.

“We’re engaged with other chapters and continue to be open with other chapters,” he said. “We talk about what other topics we can use. Those are so many conversations that need to happen nationally, and there are so many ideas that come out of chapter executive directors and staff.”

“It allows us to connect with people nationally, and we’re making connections that were not there before, and everyone has the ability to share and the ability to be involved and participate.”

Sometimes topic ideas “develop organically,” and sometimes they come from what students in different states talk about, Breijak said. “We’re listening to what they’re feeling and needing and wanting, and what chapter staff are hearing, and we’re integrating that into what’s already scheduled.”

There always has been a need for connection, and students can connect with other students through this program, Breijak said.

“We need to hear from those folks, hear what they’re hearing about the practice and what they’re seeing in social work supervision programs and how we can work on some really big issues that affect our field,” he said. “It’s really a chance to get involved in a local chapter, and those conversations do bring change. Hopefully, the topics have been impactful for our students. We really hope this will help bring in and develop the next generation of social work leaders. It’s a very interesting time to be a social worker.

Read more articles from the NASW Social Work Advocates magazine here

While Tamara Harris, LSW, has a background in finance, her second career is a first-generation social worker. In addition to helping people improve their mental health, her other passion is supporting education, particularly aiding first-generation college students achieve success.

Harris is fulfilling that desire by having her foundation, the Tamara L. Harris Foundation, donate to the NASW Foundation’s Verne LaMarr Lyons MSW Scholarships program. The Harris Foundation’s gift increased the amount and the number of scholarships from four to six.

The Lyons program supports master’s degree candidates in social work who demonstrate an interest in health/mental health practice and a commitment to working in African American communities.

Harris believes it is paramount to help students who are challenged financially. Such aid can catapult these students on a trajectory that can impact thousands of lives for the better, she says. Her foundation, of which she is president, inspired her to 
go back to school to earn a social work degree so she could better understand the mental health aspect of helping people.

When thinking about what kind of philanthropy she wanted to support, it was a natural fit to donate to the Lyons scholarship program, she says, as it supports students doing research and studies that impact communities of color.

“As a Black woman, as someone from the Caribbean, who has lived overseas and dealt with so many different cultures, I truly understand the impact of that work,” says Harris. She has seen the benefits of the Lyons Scholarship and has served as a panelist for the Social Work HEALS Student Policy Summit.

“It’s been wonderful to see the students who have benefited from that support,” Harris says. She also appreciates that the program benefits students more than just financially. It is also about supporting their professional development by giving them the opportunity to attend conferences, partake in a cohort, and prepare for success in their careers. Harris hopes the students who have benefited from the scholarships pay it forward to help other students in the future.

“There are always ways you can impact a student on their next trajectory,” she says.

Read the full story at NASW Social Work Advocates magazine.

Social workers can learn how to incorporate safety and connection when working with children and youth who may be experiencing difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kashera Guy Robinson, LCSW, and Uraina L. Scott, LCSW, school social workers in the Atlanta area, present the NASW Special Practice Sections webinar, How social workers can help students learn to thrive and heal in the midst of an international public health crisis, available at the Social Work Online CE Institute.

It’s important to use regular check-ins with assigned students, Robinson stresses. “For my high schoolers, we have issues with kids not coming into school,” she says. “What we have seen since the pandemic are students having even more issues with absenteeism.”

But there are techniques to address this. You can have students check in with you at an assigned time and location, for example. Since most students love technology, putting a QR code on your door allows students to stop by and scan the code. The code can be programmed for the social worker to be alerted that a student has checked in or needs to see you.

Having a safe place to meet and identifying supportive adults is also important for students, Robinson points out. Social workers can help students find supportive adults in the school, such as teachers, counselors, and other school social workers.

Read the full story in the NASW Social Work Advocates magazine here.

The Social Work Pin Program is available to individuals who make a donation to the NASW Foundation, as well as to schools of social work that purchase professional social worker pins for graduating students.

Individuals who make a $25 to $49 contribution receive a silver-plated professional social worker pin. Those who contribute $50 or more receive a gold-plated pin. Gifts of $100 or more are recognized in NASW’s Social Work Advocates magazine. All donors are acknowledged on the NASW Foundation website. Please follow this link to make a donation >>

It is that time of year to recognize graduating students at commencement with a silver-plated or gold-plated NASW Professional Social Worker Pin.

Just $10 apiece for silver-plated pins and $25 for gold-plated pins for schools of social work bulk orders (five or more pins). The pin instills pride in the profession, distinguishes social work from other programs on campus, and builds loyalty to your school.

To place a bulk order for a school of social work, complete this form and return it to Faye Henderson: fhenderson.nasw@socialworkers.org. For questions, please call 202-336-8298 or visit our website.

The NASW Foundation is a charitable organization as defined by the IRS Code, 501(c)(3). We appreciate your support!

In this case, NASW supported student survivor Mackenzie Brown, who seeks to hold the University of Arizona (U of A) responsible for its failure to address sex-based harassment under Title IX. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that gets federal government funding.

Brown claimed that U of A’s failure to take action after known abuse by student-athlete Orlando Bradford of other students resulted in her later suffering severe psychological and physical abuse by Bradford at his off-campus apartment.

The Arizona District Court granted summary judgment for U of A, holding that Brown failed to show that U of A had control over the context of this abuse to satisfy Title IX’s “control-over-context” requirement. Brown appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed summary judgment on the same grounds. The majority decision was by two judges appointed by former President Trump and, given that there was also a strong dissent by Judge Fletcher, we are hopeful that the Ninth Circuit will agree to rehear the case en banc.

Essentially, our brief points out that under Title IX, schools should not be allowed to ignore sexual harassment, including sexual assault, dating abuse, and other violence, just because it occurs off-campus.  A very high number of sexual harassment against college students occurs off-campus, and its impact can be significant and harmful on a survivor’s access to education regardless of where they were assaulted.

Our amicus brief explained that the Ninth Circuit’s ruling that U of A did not have control over the context of Bradford’s abuse will result in a range of harmful outcomes contrary to Title IX and the intent of this civil rights law. This decision may encourage schools to push students with known histories of sexual assault off campus and enable their continued abuse of other students – without the school being held accountable for addressing and preventing these harms. Further, scores of students would suffer abuse without any civil rights recourse, as an overwhelming majority of college and university students live off-campus. Students experiencing off-campus abuse would also be left to weather the profound impact of such misconduct on their education without support from their schools.

Notably, the Ninth Circuit’s decision would allow schools to ignore off-campus sex-based harassment even when schools have policies about responding to other off-campus misconduct, including, for example, other forms of physical assault. This treats student survivors of sex-based assault worse than those who face other kinds of off-campus assault. This also signals to survivors of off-campus sexual assault that their experiences will not be addressed, and this will further dissuade reporting in a climate in which it is already so difficult to come forward about sexual assault. This decision discourages, instead of encourages, schools and universities to address sexual assault, and we are filing this brief to ensure that the Ninth Circuit fully understand what’s at stake.

The amicus brief can be found in NASW’s Legal Defense Fund amicus brief database.

From the National Women’s Law Center

• Read a short summary of the brief
• NWLC Files Amicus Brief Supporting University of Arizona Student Survivor of Sex-Based Violence
  

Buy one, two, or best deal: all three.

A school social worker meets with a student. Getty Images.

Join us for a Virtual Congressional briefing on the School Social Workers Improving Student Success Act (H.R. 7037).  The legislation recognizes the critical need for more school social workers to help improve student success.

WHEN: Wednesday, March 30 from 11 to noon EDT

WHERE: Registration Link

PROGRAM:

Video Remarks from Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04-D)

Moderator is Talia Rosen, Legislative Assistant, Office of Congresswoman Gwen Moore

Panelists

Nicole Other Medicine, MSW, LICSW, School Social Worker, Indian Education Program, Saint Paul Public Schools ISD #625, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Tiffany Walker, MSW, LCSW, School Social Worker (Certified) and Chief Executive Officer, Journey Therapy Center, Clifton, New Jersey

Julie Incitti, MSW, CAPSW, School Social Work Consultant, Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin

Ron Avi Astor, PhD, MSW, MA, Professor of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, California

Damion Wilson, MSW, QMHP, Coordinator, School Social Work Services, Virginia Beach City Public Schools and National Member-at-Large, National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia

Sponsored by the School Social Work Association of America and the National Association of Social Workers, cosponsored by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the American Federation of Teachers, the Council on Social Work Education, the National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc, and the School Social Work Net, in collaboration with the Congressional Social Work Caucus.

The lawsuit, filed in the federal district court of Minnesota, asserts race discrimination claims under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution (pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Minnesota’s Human Rights Act; a retaliation claim under Title VI and Minnesota’s Human Rights Act; and a failure to train claim under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.

Our amicus brief supported the plaintiffs’ challenge, specifically arguing as a policy matter that disproportionate rates of school discipline for Black students denies them equal educational opportunities and benefits. We  provided policy arguments on how school appearance and grooming policies and practices lead to discrimination against Black students. Our brief also highlighted that when schools force Black students to cut or otherwise change their hair, it can cause serious emotional harm.

A copy of the K.R. v Duluth Edison Charter School amicus brief is attached and can also be found in NASW’s LDF amicus brief database.

From the National Women’s Law Center

• Seriously, Don’t Touch Our Hair!: NWLC Files Amicus Brief Supporting Students Challenging Race-Based Discipline and Harassment
• Twitter thread on the topic