A Minute with… Joan Beder, DSW

November 9, 2017Member SpotlightAmelia Lochner Malavé

A Minute with… is a segment that allows social workers to share their insights, stories, and perspectives from their field/ practice area. This month, we are featuring Joan Beder, DSW, Professor at Yeshiva University and her piece on the essential role that social workers play in providing the best care to families and service members, with a focus on the obligation that we have to learn and share knowledge to offer the most responsive and knowledgeable care to our military.

I am a social work educator and for the last 25 years have endeavored to help graduate students in their quest to become social workers – the best social workers they can be! I love what I do. Over the years, I have welcomed the opportunity to challenge students with new ideas, different ways of viewing situations and inserting new content into courses.

About ten years ago the challenges faced by our military – our returnees from fighting the wars in which the United States has been engaged – captured my attention and demanded that this area of social work practice be shared with students. The needs of our military are especially important during wartime and beyond.

Our military is all volunteer; men and women make the decision to join the military for a variety of reasons but regardless of the reasons, the impact of that decision is felt throughout the family, community, and the broader society. Many who serve are sent into dangerous circumstances and will face physical and emotional challenges that can be life-altering. As a nation, we have an obligation to care for our military and that is where social workers become essential. Social work’s system perspective means that we look not only at the needs of the client (one who has served or is serving) but at all those who may be impacted by the service member’s experience. Our broad based approach to care defines a role for social workers that is all encompassing.

Civilian social workers must be trained to offer the best care to families and service members. As such, it is essential that social workers and social work students understand the worldview of the military, the culture of the military and the complex variety of experiences that challenge a service member and their family (however we define family). Many social workers have written extensively about the areas of care that are needed by service members and those close to the service member. My own texts and those of others are written in such a way that social work students can learn the nuances of behaviors and experiences that impact our military-related clients and learn appropriate interventions. In addition, NASW-NYS and other organizations have periodic conferences and webinars that inform care.

As social workers, we have an obligation to learn all we can to offer the most responsive and knowledgeable care to our military. Get with it! Take a course, a CEU class, or attend the conferences we offer. Our men and women and those close to them need our perspective and caring and have surely earned it.

ACTION ALERT: Call your Assembly Member to Establish Legislative Committee on Racial Equity in the NYS Assembly

November 8, 2017Current Act Now Campaigns: Social Work Legislative Alerts, Legislative, NASWNYSAmelia Lochner Malavé

Call to Action

Re: AB.5851

Racial Equity Bill

Call Your Assembly Member Today!

Disproportionate negative outcomes for people of color are represented throughout every system, including the legislative arena. While the general intent of legislation is to ameliorate social issues, it does not always consider embedded racial inequities and as such, can ultimately serve to exacerbate problems. Part of the solution is to employ a “Racial Equity Impact Assessment (REIA); a systematic examination of how different racial and ethnic groups will likely be affected by a proposed action or decision. REIAs are used to minimize unanticipated adverse consequences in a variety of contexts, including the analysis of proposed policies, institutional practices, programs, plans and budgetary decisions. The REIA can be a vital tool for preventing institutional racism and for identifying new options to remedy long-standing inequities. (1)

Given the current structure of the Legislature, and its various Committees, the NASW-NYS and the NASW-NYC Chapters have worked in conjunction to introduce a bill AB.5851, which proposes the addition of a REIA Committee. Germane to legislative committees is the notion and use of Economic and Environmental Impact Statements, Health and Human Services Impact Statements and Public Protection Impact Statements, but currently there is no mechanism to examine racial equity assessments to evaluate potential harm and ensure fiscal and environmental protections in the face of limited resources.

Assembly Member Luis Sepulveda has introduced the bill and now it’s our job to rally support and help populate the bill with co-sponsors. This is where YOU come in. Please call your Assembly Member and request they co-sponsor this vital piece of legislation.

What Action Is Needed:

Call your Assembly Member to support establishing Legislative Committee on Racial Equity in the New York State Assembly. The Racial Equity Bill (AB.5851) will introduce a vital new tool for mitigating institutional racism and correcting long-standing inequities.

Find Your Assembly Member

If you do not know who your Assembly Member is, simply log onto http://nyassembly.gov/mem/search/

If you do know who your member is, call the Assembly Switchboard at 518-455-4100

Action Steps:

Ø Introduce yourself as a constituent

Ø Reference the bill number (AB.5851)

Ø Reference the intent of the bill (iterated above)

Ø Ask your member to join as a co-sponsor of the legislation immediately

Thank you for your support of this legislation!

Click here to download a copy of the action alert

(1) https://www.raceforward.org/sites/default/files/RacialJusticeImpactAssessment_v5.pdf

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Social workers in schools are investments in future

November 7, 2017NASWNYS, PressAmelia Lochner Malavé

This is a response to the article, Student mental health is concern for schools, published Oct. 22

Recent reports have come out highlighting the concerns districts have in keeping pace with the mental health needs of their students. While it is positive that this has evolved as a priority for many school administrators across the state, the solutions are stymied by a lack of funding. When budgets are under pressure, services to support well-being are either overlooked or typically the first to be slashed. There is also a common misconception that services performed by a school social worker can be assumed by other personnel.

In 2015, the School Social Work Task Force of the National Association of Social Workers — New York State Chapter collaborated with the New York State School Social Workers Association to develop “A Self-Advocacy Resource Guide”, a “how to” resource for social workers in educating parents, teachers, school administrators, boards of education, and the greater community about the essential and unique role they play in meeting educational goals and standards, as well as the importance of investing in health and mental health services.

It has been well-documented that there are a multitude of factors — poverty, substance abuse, community violence, emotional and physical health issues, early sexual activity and family conflicts, that conspire to make it difficult for some young people to make it through school. Such issues are beyond the scope and purview of teachers, and only fall within the scope of practice of school social workers.

Advocating for adequate school social work services in our schools is an investment in our children’s future. It’s time for the state to move beyond awareness and into implementation.

Ron Bunce

Source: In Your Opinion: Social workers in schools are investments in future, The Daily Star Oneonta, 11.7.17
http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/in-your-opinion-social-workers-in-schools-are-investments-in/article_c6d074ee-8119-5d93-8b2b-aac823f545d9.html

#IAmSocialWork: Tenise M. Wall, PhD, LMSW, CASACT

November 7, 2017I Am Social Work, NASWNYSAmelia Lochner Malavé

This month’s I Am Social Work campaign features Tenise M. Wall, PhD, LMSW, CASACT, Mental Health Clinician

As most social workers will tell you, there were life experiences or other factors that pushed them into the field of social work. Today, I can say that for me, it was not so much as a push but rather a call. Being called into this profession gave me great respect, love, and passion for the work that social workers do every day.

I learned early on that social workers had an image problem, and even now, we are still fighting to overcome the stigma of mental health and misconceptions associated with social work. I do my very best to educate others and represent the profession in such a way that others are drawn to the work that we do. We are not limited to any role and the paths we can pursue are limitless.

I have had the opportunity to work in various scopes of practice, and each one has enhanced my knowledge and skills to work with the next population. For 11 years, I worked as a school social worker and was able to provide direct services to more than 1,000 students during my tenure, as well as assisting with writing protocols, advocating for special education services, providing professional development district-wide to educators, and creating and implementing school-wide programs that supported pro-social behaviors.

Beyond that, I have also traveled the paths of community counseling social work, forensic social work, and currently, I maintain a private practice offering speaker’s resources and consultation services. Since earning my PhD in 2016, I have had some wonderful opportunities where I am able to provide professional development at conferences/workshops to professionals and parents across the states. Next stop is Los Angeles in January 2018 where I am a confirmed speaker for the Young Child Expo’s National Conference. I will talk to educators about Conduct Disorder and my Doctoral research findings on the topic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I have also written a book in which I share my research findings on, “Experience in Seeking Treatment for their Child Diagnosed with ADHD.”

My passion is fueled by seeing the needs of others and seeing how best within my role as a social worker I can help meet those needs. I don’t think we, as social workers, grasp just how powerful we are. We are the “boots on the ground” in the most desperate of situations, trying of times, and the most painful parts of a person’s life. And we actually sign up for this!

With all that I have been blessed to do in the field, I am still not finished. My future plans are to open a center where I will be able to educate others through professional development, parent workshops, and internships, while providing my community with the quality mental health care they so deserve. I’ll be able to rest once I get to retirement, but until then — I will continue to seek the next treatment technique and skills to learn, the next individual and family to help, the next dream to dream…

Because #IAmSocialWork.

Tenise M. Wall, PhD, LMSW, CASACT
Mental Health Clinician

The I Am Social Work Campaign is a visual campaign to showcase the profession of social work and the people who dedicate their lives to it. By highlighting the innumerable ways social workers enhance their communities and workplaces, and by showing off the vibrant, dedicated personalities of social workers, we are hoping to foster a broader understanding of who social workers are and what they do.

To learn more about the I Am Social Work campaign and other featured social workers, visit https://naswnys.org/iamsocialwork

November Steering Meeting: NEW DATE! (Nov 6)

November 2, 2017Northeast DivisionAmelia Lochner Malavé

Northeast Members,

The November Steering Committee Meeting has been changed to Monday, November 6. The meeting will still take place at the NASW-NYS Chapter (188 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210) from 5:30PM – 7:30PM.

Can’t make it in person? Please join us via Conference Call at

Call in Number: 1-888-450-5996
Passcode: 459137

Please be sure to share this important information with your fellow colleagues. We hope to see many of you there!

For more information about the November Steering Committee Meeting, please visit: https://naswnys.org/event/northeast-division-november-steering-meeting/

— Back to the Northeast Division Page

PRESS RELEASE: NYS Largest Clinical Social Work Association Hosts Problem Gambling Training Partnership Conference

November 1, 2017NASWNYS, PressAmelia Lochner Malavé

Contact: Kania Ponto, MSW for PGTP FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 518-463-4741 ext 22
Email: Kania.Ponto@naswnys.org

NYS Largest Clinical Social Work Association Hosts Problem Gambling Training Partnership Conference

Two-Day Conference Brings Leading Experts in the Field of Problem Gambling to New York City on November 1 – 2

BRONX, NY, November 1, 2017 – The New York State Society for Clinical Social Work (NYSSCSW), the largest professional association for clinical social work psychotherapists in the state, is hosting the Problem Gambling Training Partnership, a multi-year collaboration of mental health associations on November 1 and 2 at the Bronx Museum of the Arts in Bronx, N.Y.

This two-day event will bring leading experts in the field of problem gambling to host a series of workshops and provide mental health professionals with the most up-to-date research and educational resources to help mitigate and address gambling disorder. Workshops and presentations will cover a wide range of subjects from introductory overview of the issue to advanced clinical trainings.

“The New York State Society for Clinical Social Work, Inc. is delighted to join the Problem Gambling Training Partnership. This is an essential education program to alert clinicians to the often damaging consequences of gambling,” said Marsha Wineburgh, DSW, LCSW-R, Legislative Chair of NYSSCSW.

Through PGTP, NYS licensed professionals in the disciplines of social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, and psychoanalysis may opt to receive referrals from the NYS OASAS HOPEline. The HOPEline provides referrals for those seeking problem gambling treatment services statewide and is often the first point of contact for someone who is seeking help. Last year, over 500 mental health practitioners from various sectors of the mental health profession completed the two-day training.

The 2017 PGTP training cycle officially launched earlier this June at the Albany Capital Center in Albany, N.Y. This is the final conference to be offered across the state for the 2017 training cycle; past conference locations included Albany, Buffalo, and Long Island. Mental health professionals already working with clients experiencing gambling disorder to those wishing to gain a better understanding of problem gambling and how it impacts the lives of their clients will benefit from this training opportunity.

“The New York Council on Problem Gambling is pleased to be working with the Problem Gambling Training Partnership again this year. The successful 2016 collaboration resulted in increased awareness of problem gambling among mental health clinicians statewide. NYCPG looks forward to this continued success in 2017 and to furthering access to services for those struggling with problem gambling,” said James J. Maney, Executive Director of New York Council on Problem Gambling.

“The National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter is excited to once again partner with our mental health colleagues in bringing this one of a kind training to our membership. In this second year of the Partnership, NASW-NYS has taken an expanded role in providing continuing education to all of the collaborating professions, as well as focusing on building the NYS OASAS HOPELine’s membership and referral network. The network of providers is integral, in order to continue to address the issue of access to treatment of problem gambling. Our community of social workers will now be able to help those clients who may otherwise not have been able to find the resources they need,” said Ron Bunce, LMSW, Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter.

“Licensed mental health counselors are committed to providing evidence based problem gambling treatment to New Yorkers and are grateful for the continued opportunity to partner with the State and other professionals towards developing resources for those seeking treatment. We look forward to building off last year’s success of over 500 professionals participating in the training programs, by increasing the opportunity for New Yorkers seeking problem gambling treatment to have access to high quality licensed clinicians,” said Judith L. Ritterman, Executive Director of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association.

“We were pleased to help deliver quality education to so many mental health and addiction professionals in 2016 who serve the treatment needs of those who are affected by problem gambling in New York State,” said Jennifer Harper, Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee at the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. “As news spreads about this important initiative, we expect to make greater strides for all participants in 2017.”

“The leadership of the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy is excited to kick off the second year of this valuable training program. Now the more than 1400 licensed marriage and family therapists in the state will be eligible to participate with the additional benefits of continuing education credit, and will be able to serve even more families in the state impacted by the scourge of problem gambling,” said Carol Podgorski, PhD, MPH, LMFT, Immediate Past President, New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Funded by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, the Problem Gambling Training Partnership is a joint collaboration formed by the New York Council on Problem Gambling, the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter, the New York Mental Health Counselors Association, the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis. The aforementioned associations represent nearly 11,000 counseling professionals across New York State. The goal of PGTP is to increase the foundation of private practice clinicians in the state that are prepared to support clients and families that are suffering from problem gambling.

The 2017 PGTP Conferences are free to attend; a $5 administration fee applies to those seeking continuing education credit hours. The conferences are approved for 14 OASAS clock hours and New York State continuing education for licensed social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed mental health counselors, and licensed psychoanalysts, as well as Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification Credits.

Registration for the New York City conference is now open. To learn more and to register for the Problem Gambling Training Partnership conferences, visit www.nypgtp.org

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About the Problem Gambling Training Partnership

Funded by NYS OASAS, the Problem Gambling Training Partnership is an unprecedented statewide initiative to provide training on assessment and treatment of gambling disorder to social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and psychoanalysts throughout the state. The PGTP is a joint initiative formed by the New York Council on Problem Gambling, the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter, the New York Mental Health Counselors Association, the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and the National Association for the Advancement for Psychoanalysis.

About the New York State Society for Clinical Social Work

The New York State Society for Clinical Social Work is a community of highly trained clinicians committed to maintaining standards of professional education and practice in clinical social work psychotherapy in New York State. We provide mental health services in a wide variety of settings including private practice. Network with LCSWs, LMSWs, MSW students, institute candidates, new professionals, and other mental health professionals.