Community Forum on Social Issues

 Yesterday I participated in the Community Forum on Social Issues hosted by the Utah Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. It was held at the University of Utah College of Social Work, and focused on “Turning social work up in this economic downturn.” I was impressed with the unique representation on the panel: Legislative Advocacy, Community Mental Health, and Technology (represented by me).

What struck me most was to hear–yet again–the realities of the challenges being faced. One presenter spoke about the decline in state revenues over the coming years; another spoke about the decline in services being provided and more stringent qualifying processes; the mental health organization mentioned some astounding changes they’ve had to make: the same number of clients previously seen by 22 clinicians are now being seen by 13 clinicians; more group work; Bachelor-level social workers are picking up more responsibilities, overseen by individuals with advanced degrees; and admittedly, “trying to be creative and figure out how to do this.” And, of the many Master’s program students present, it seemed that only about 1/2 were hopeful about moving into the field of social work at this time.

I was also impressed by how my technology piece was received. It seemed to generate a buzz among many of the younger students, and a welcomed–though tentatively intimidating–reception among more seasoned audience participants. Considering new forms of community organizing and collaborations through technology is perhaps one of the most promising fields of novel and creative endeavors…and that’s why we need these new Social Workers. They can bring their culture of technology; they can bring the optimism that brought them to school; they can bring fresh hope and new perspectives that fundamentally challenge how social service organizations do things, and new ways they need to consider doing things.

But I’m afraid new social workers might be impeded in their ability to provide new answers. Let me try to explain what I’m thinking. In ancient Greece, speaking was presented by Sophists (a group of philosophers/teachers) as a “techne” or “art form” that could be taught. The idea of “techne” implies a regimented practice, or a set of skills that can systematically be presented and subsequently practiced. Social Work, as it stands today, seems to have a “techne” about it. This core set of competencies comprises the educational curriculum. My thought, however, is about introducing students to the “techne” of social work, without having them lose the unique contributions they can bring as an outsider, such as technological perspectives and solutions. It’s about helping new students to be “in the Social Work profession, but not of the Social Work profession.” There is value in the “outsider” perspective of new Social Workers, but that value can be lost as they transition to “insider” Social Workers.

Based on what I saw yesterday, I think it would be fascinating to take a group of students, temporarily “throw away” the regimented practices that have defined Social Work up to this point, and ask them what solutions they have to address social issues. I’d be curious to see the responses, and to see what novel ideas would emerge. Then, I would take those novel ideas and see how they can play along with established traditions to create even more novel ideas.

Overall, I appreciated the forum. This forum brought together the greatest asset any community has: it’s people. One consistency in making a change in the social world is that it ultimately requires many. Even though I might be able to do the work of 2 or 3, I can still only do the work of 2 or 3. But with a community, my potential becomes infinite. And that’s awesome.