Monthly Monitor: Silence in Social Work: Call to Action for Our Social Work Programs, Colleagues, and National Organizations
Silence in Social Work: Call to Action for Our Social Work Programs, Colleges, and National Organizations
Guest Editors: Isaac Akapnitis, LMSW, Doctoral Student (they/them) and
Paulette Nance, MSW, LCSW, PhD Student (she/her)
In this issue, we cover ways to advocate, teaching responses, ethical responsibilities, and with a letter from our Student At-Large!
Trans Rights & Erasure in Social Work Education
Social Work and the Post-Roe Aftermath
Introduction Letter from SSWR DSC Student At-Large
Experiencing Power Imbalance as a Student, While Advocating as a Social Worker
Emotional Labor Required of Graduate Students
Reflections on Misgendering and Invisibility from a Queer Nonbinary Doctoral Student
Resources
Social Work Snippets
Editorial -
Trans Rights & Erasure in Social Work Education
By: Isaac Akapnitis, LMSW, Doctoral Student (they/them)
Throughout 2022, state lawmakers introduced more than 300 anti-LGBTQ bills throughout the U.S. A majority of these bills targeted transgender and non-binary (“trans”) youth in attempt to prohibit their access to safe educational environments, supportive K-12 sports teams, or gender-affirming health care (Freedom for All Americans, 2022; Human Rights Campaign, 2022). For example, despite trans-inclusive protections under Title IX, the so-called “Save Women’s Sports Act '' prevents trans girls from playing on K-12 sports teams that align with their gender. Bans in health care prevent trans youth from accessing critical resources that support their gender transition. These bills are rooted in cissexism and transphobia and the harmful ideology that trans girls/women have an unfair disadvantage in sports, trans youth are too young to know who they are, and the public needs to be protected from trans people who are simply co-existing in community spaces.
Given the vitriol embedded in debates surrounding this legislation, even when the bills fail, the pain and fear they cause is felt viscerally throughout trans communities. This hurt has been compounded by the silence and inaction among social work research and education institutions and accreditation bodies. It is time to speak out against these policies and take action to support trans social work students, staff, faculty, and our communities.
With the exception of a few brief, formal statements in support of trans youth, our social work programs and institutions have been largely silent about these harmful policies. My own program director and key faculty members supported me and a fellow doctoral student in circulating an open letter and call to action we wrote to our social work community. We appreciate this support, but many of us continue to face academic and political roadblocks and potential backlash as the burden is placed upon individuals to call for meaningful change. In their statements, CSWE, at least one social work program, and the NASW condemned legislative attacks against trans youth, primarily focusing on Texas and Florida. This is an important step, and these voices must be present in advocacy for trans youth. However, these same entities failed to draw sufficient attention to the 12 anti-trans bills proposed by the Arizona legislature this year, or the passing of Senate Bills 1138 and 1165. This is concerning with the upcoming 2023 SSWR Annual Conference that will be held in Phoenix, Arizona.
In April, SSWR released a statement about the 2023 Conference that was both welcomed and largely disappointing. The SSWR Board explained that the decision to host the conference in Arizona was made in 2019. They also acknowledged that the legislation was “antithetical to the beliefs, principles, and values central to our profession.” But they described in generalities holding their position against “any” actions that promote bigotry or divisiveness, made vague mention of ensuring “inclusive participation,” and excluded discussion of the anti-trans legislation that spurred this statement. This omission felt like yet another painful erasure of the current and ongoing reality faced by trans communities, and was a missed opportunity to meaningfully engage the membership around these issues.
After SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade and Justice Thomas alluded to taking aim at additional LGBTQ+ rights in June 2022, SSWR released a second statement. SSWR included attacks against racial justice, immigration rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive freedom within Arizona as cause for concern -- all critical areas for consideration. However, discussion of specific anti-trans legislation was yet again omitted. This may seem like a matter of semantics, but rights, awareness, and support for trans community lags far behind that of cisgender (non-trans) LGBQ populations. Additionally, as noted by a fellow doctoral student, SSWR engaged in additional trans erasure in their second action step to offer a partially hybrid conference: “...members whose ethical objections to attending in person and women [emphasis added] who may have health considerations in the face of abortion restrictions can choose to attend at least some parts of the conference virtually.” In addition to cisgender women, abortion access can impact trans men, non-binary people, intersex individuals, and Two Spirit people. A simple place to start showing support is by using gender-inclusive language when discussing reproductive rights.
The isolation, silence, stigma, and regular witnessing of state lawmakers debating our right to maintain bodily autonomy or access public spaces has significant deleterious impacts on mental health (Trevor Project, 2022; Tebbe et al., 2021; Turban et al., 2021). We must view institutional and interpersonal violence against trans communities as interconnected, intersectional rights violations. After all, how many of us are going through the motions, while moving through one sociopolitical crisis to the next? Whether it is anti-racist violence, police brutality, COVID-related losses, and most recently, concerns about reproductive health and threats to further undoing of LGBTQ+ rights, we are expected to remain engaged in our doctoral studies and research as if these events are not happening around us.
Some scholars have understandably called for a boycott of the 2023 Conference, while some have even committed to donating the money they would have spent on travel to trans-led organizations. As a trans, queer doctoral student in Arizona, I am conflicted about my own participation next year. Having started my PhD program during the pandemic, this would be my first opportunity to attend an academic conference in person. These conferences are considered imperative to our growth and development as scholars, but so too must we learn to navigate and live in our values. It’s also important to recognize that not every doctoral student has the privilege to make these decisions.
Whether you choose to come to Phoenix, participate from home, or boycott the 2023 Conference altogether, how might we make the most of this opportunity to organize against legislative attempts to undermine trans rights and other attacks on our bodies? We encourage you to utilize SSWR’s feedback form to ask questions and provide recommendations for specific actions, including the allocation of resources to scholars, students, and community members directly impacted by these issues.
If you’d like to become more active in supporting trans communities within social work, and you’re not sure where to begin, I encourage you to watch the Anti-Trans Policies & Social Work Education: A National Town Hall. Find out more about the Town Hall here, and watch the recording here.
References
Freedom for All Americans. (2022). Legislative Tracker. https://freedomforallamericans.org/legislative-tracker Human Rights Campaign [HRC]. (2022). Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in 2022. https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/the-state-legislative-attack-on-lgbtq-people#state-legislative-tracker-map Tebbe, E. A., Simone, M., Wilson, E., & Hunsicker, M. (2021). A dangerous visibility: Moderating effects of anti-trans legislative efforts on trans and gender-diverse mental health. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Advance online publication. https://doi-org.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/10.1037/sgd0000481 Trevor Project. (2022). 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022 Turban, J. L., Kraschel, K. L., & Cohen, I. G. (2021). Legislation to criminalize gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. JAMA, 325(22), 2251-2252. https://doi:10.1001/jama.2021.7764
Photo Attribution:
Artwork by Rae Senarighi: https://www.raesenarighi.com
Editorial - Social Work and the Post-Roe Aftermath
By: Paulette Nance, MSW, LCSW, PhD Student (she/her)
Silence can be deafening, an ear splitting quiet. Social workers are the ones whose voices rise out of this stillness. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, many social work organizations and universities have been eerily quiet about this attack on freedom and choice. This devastating assault on human rights impacts all of us as reproductive rights are human rights. The Supreme Court’s decision will not stop abortions or reduce unintended pregnancies, but it will impede access to safe abortions. Social work practice and ethics will likely be impacted as some states have enacted legal restrictions related to the providing care or information to individuals seeking abortions (Guttmacher Insitute, 2022). As social workers, it is our obligation to defend reproductive rights.
Overturning Roe v Wade will disproportionately affect the young, the vulnerable, and individuals of color (Bain et al., 2022; Branigin & Chery, 2022). Birthing individuals will either be forced to give birth or risk their lives to obtain an unsafe abortion. Reproductive justice is for everybody. Restricting abortion access directly impacts cis women, trans individuals, non-binary people, and those who are intersexed. Data from the Human Rights Campaign reports LGBTQ+ individuals are more likely than hetersosexual women to need abortion services which reflects the critical need for reproductive freedom for these individuals (Powell, 2022). The freedom of choice has been taken from birthing individuals as the horrors of the past are now our reality. Abortion is healthcare and all individuals have the right to access life-saving healthcare. Why have we heard so little from those who are meant to guide us?
Some states have enacted laws criminalizing abortions and severely restricted abortion access. South Dakota, Mississippi, Missouri and Oklahoma are enforcing trigger laws for a total ban on abortions with no provisons for sexual assault or medical necessity. Other states are working towards restricting access after a certain number of weeks into pregnancy or ways to increase obstacles in order to receive an abortion such as waiting periods, parental consent, mandatory ultrasounds, and biased counseling (Center for Reproductive Rights, 2022). Individual rights have been impinged upon while the ethics of our profession are now targeted. Social work ethics outline the need for dignity and worth of a person along with self-determination and autonomy (National Association of Social Workers, 2017.). How can we go against our code of ethics when we see an individual in need? We, as social workers, will be relied heavily upon in the aftermath as state-run social services will bear the brunt of the wave of forced births. This decision has impacted us personally as well as professionally with the full implications of the post-Roe experience remaining unknown.
We may feel powerless right now but here are some ways to get involved or find out more about what this decision means for yourself and the communities we work alongside:
Educate yourself. Go straight to the source to get the facts and spread accurate knowledge:
https://reproductiverights.org/get-involved/featured-resources/
https://www.scotusblog.com/
Share information about up-to-date abortions access across your social networks and social media:
https://www.ineedana.com/
https://www.abortionfinder.org/
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/
https://prochoice.org/
Mobilize and support pro-choice organizations:
https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/
https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/rightfully-ours/bans-off-our-bodies
Utilize gender inclusive language when discussing abortion and reproductive rights. See GLAAD’s resources for guidance:
https://www.glaad.org/blog/LGBTQabortionfacts
Take an intersectional approach and follow the lead of BIPOC organizers who have been engaged in this work:
https://vawnet.org/sc/reproductive-justice-building-upon-reproductive-health-and-reproductive-rights
References
Bain, M., Bouchard-Gordon, N., & Ruble, A. (2022). Restricting abortion rights will hurt the most vulnerable populations. Johns Hopkins Alliance for a Healthier World. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.ahealthierworld.jhu.edu/ahw-updates/2022/5/5/abortion-equity Branigin, A., & Chery, S. (2022). Women of color will be most impacted by the end of Roe, experts say. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/06/24/women-of-color-end-of-roe/ Center for Reproductive Rights. (2022). Abortion laws by State. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://reproductiverights.org/maps/abortion-laws-by-state/ Guttmacher Institute. (2022). Targeted regulation of abortion providers. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/targeted-regulation-abortion-providers National Association of Social Workers. (2017). NASW code of ethics. Retrieved July, 29, 2022, from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English Powell, L. (2022). Human rights campaign fact sheet: Lesbian, bisexual, queer women who have been pregnant are more likely to need abortion services; demonstrates impact roe reversal would have on LGBTQ+ people. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved July 29, 2022, from https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-fact-sheet-lesbian-bisexual-queer-women-who-have-been-pregnant-are-more-likely-to-need-abortion-services-demonstrates-impact-roe-reversal-would-have-on-lgbtq-people
Introduction Letter
By: Durrell Malik Washington Sr., SSWR DSC Student At-Large
Peace All:
For those who may not know me, my name is Durrell Malik Washington Sr. I am a self- identified Abolitionist Social Worker and a 4th year PhD Candidate at the University of Chicago in the school of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. I am beyond excited to serve as the Student-Director-at- Large on the SSWR board for the next two years, and the Chair of the SSWR Doctoral Student Committee. I study all things related to youth incarceration, abolition, families, and networks. During my tenure as the Chair of this committee I envision building on prior work that has continued to evolve not only students’ representation in SSWR but alongside DSC leadership continue to develop innovative ways to prepare students for the job market, provide opportunities for formal and informal mentorship programs and provide resources for different training opportunities.
I also envision attempting to extend the reach and visibility of the Doctoral Student Committee by establishing a larger social media presence for the DSC. Benefits would include easier, and faster dissemination of resources and enhance networking opportunities offered by platforms like twitter.
Like many who came before me, I am committed to advancing an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive social work education, profession, and research vision. I look forward to serving all social work doctoral students around the country, and please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Durrell Malik Washington Sr.
dwashington5@uchicago.edu
Experiencing Power Imbalance as a Student, While Advocating as a Social Worker
Today’s social issues and political climate in the United States seem to be going backward rather than progressing forward. The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the introduction and passing of anti-LGBTQIA+, anti-trans, and anti-critical race theory bills have infringed upon our basic human rights. We as social workers must use our voice now more than ever to promote social justice. How do we navigate this as graduate students when universities may or may not speak up?
Graduate Student Perspective
As graduate students, we wear several different hats beyond our student roles. We are often research assistants and teaching assistants on top of coursework and dissertation research. Within these roles, we are often supervised, taught, monitored, and mentored by many faculty members in our department, creating differential power dynamics (Gearing, 2003). The political environment of some departments may create a safe atmosphere for dialogue about current social issues. Although this may be the case, in the back of our minds, we might still wonder: “Will there be any repercussions for speaking out? How will I be supported by the faculty and university for taking a stand?” Because of our positioning within the academy, we are more vulnerable in comparison to faculty. Unfortunately, our vulnerability causes us to question how, when, and even if we should speak out.
Social Worker Perspective
The social work profession is grounded in a value system and ethics that promotes and encourages equity, diversity, anti-oppressive practices, social justice, and respect for each person and people’s differences (Gearing, 2003). Specifically, according to the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (2017), one of our ethical principles states that “social workers challenge social injustices.” When we see injustice, it is our responsibility to resist oppression and react in such a way that our voices are heard. We should continuously advocate for others, pursue social change, and engage in activism. Now is not the time for us to be silent as our country faces significant social issues and policy changes. Whether by raising awareness, community organizing, or lobbying, our voices have power, and we are influential agents of social change.
Navigating Both Perspectives
While it can be mentally and emotionally draining to navigate the power imbalance in graduate school as a social worker, here are a few suggestions that can help to overcome these challenges:
Build relationships with other graduate students inside and outside of your department: other students, especially those in your department, could help support and advise you while also advocating with you.
Find a support system outside of the school: some examples include family members, friends, or community support groups. It is important to find people that you trust to share your experiences.
Seek therapy: Find a trusted therapist who you can open up to and share your experiences. It can be beneficial to process difficult events, emotions, or experiences with this trusted therapist and develop different ways to cope (Ahn, 2019).
Navigating power imbalance and advocacy as a graduate student and a social worker can be emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting, but remember that you are not alone.
References
Ahn, L. (2019, August 21). Navigating Faculty Dynamics in Graduate School. gradPSYCH Blog. Retrieved from https://www.gradpsychblog.org/navigating-faculty-dynamics-in-graduate-school/#.YtRnYi-B3BI Gearing, R. E. (2003). Conflicting principles in social work doctoral programs: The Effects of Unspoken Power Dynamics. Canadian Social Work Review / Revue Canadienne de Service Social, 20(2), 243–257. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41669788 National Association of Social Workers. (2017). Code of ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. Retrieved from https://www.socialworkers.org/About/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/Code-of-Ethics-English
Emotional Labor Required of Graduate Students
As doctoral student workers, many of us hold teaching, research, and student responsibilities. In these varied roles, implicit expectations regarding our emotional behavior and self-management might arise. As individuals whose energy and attention are often pulled in many directions, the concept of emotional labor is a valuable tool for assessing the demands of our working environments. A deeper understanding of emotional labor can help determine when and how to set and reiterate boundaries around your time and energy as a doctoral student.
Emotional labor is a term that first emerged in Arlie Russell Hochschild’s work The Managed Heart, which explored how human feelings are dealt with in commercial and workplace contexts. In this book, Hochschild refers to regulating or managing expressions of emotions with others as a part of one’s professional work role (think: restaurants requiring servers to provide “service with a smile”). Emotional labor is often gendered, and is frequently enforced or expected within professional roles deemed feminine.
Given the constraints and power differentials faced by doctoral students in social work graduate schools, many of us may be required to perform emotional labor as a means of professional survival. Sometimes, we opt into self-censorship and pleasantries as a mechanism for maintaining and building the networks necessary to advance in academia. We may further learn to navigate the bounds of being asked to speak up and express our concerns or opinions, knowing there is no safety net to fall back on if these views are perceived negatively.
As instructors and researchers, our work with students and professors alike involves a mix of training and mentoring in addition to the research and teaching tasks we take on. As a result, our work is often couched within multiple professional relationships. Determining when and how to set boundaries in those relationships is a challenging task that is often made more difficult by power dynamics and identity-based oppression.
So often, graduate students’ labor isn’t acknowledged as labor, as we’re often tasked with conducting free labor in exchange for gratitude for an experience. This underlying expectation exacerbates the emotional labor students face, negotiating the ability to say “no” to a request without fear of backlash. This negotiation also comes into play when a student receives competing requests or feedback, alongside feelings of safety in expressing confusion to avoid being viewed as a burden, or less competent than other students. Further, students may not receive timely and/or appropriate guidance or feedback, leaving them questioning their abilities.
The underlying values of colonization and white supremacy present in academia lend themselves to feeling that negative emotions are a personal flaw, as opposed to a response to a social condition. Students, instead, choose to engage in conventionally permitted emotions (Madden & Tarabochia, 2020), serving the interests of the academy as a means of self-preservation. Expectations of productivity can also increase the emotional labor toll, feeling that one must continuously be producing and adhering to arbitrary deadlines, and “keeping up” with those around them.
Doctoral students rarely have the status and resources of their faculty mentors and advisors. Though this may be generally known, its impacts are not sufficiently addressed in the academy. The academy requires restructuring in order to better attend to the emotional burdens placed onto graduate student workers. As faculty, staff, and peers, we must be aware of perpetuating situations that explicitly or implicitly ask students to fracture their personal boundaries and relationships or censor themselves. Clarifying our role in any given professional or educational situation is a mechanism for preventing emotional overload. Another strategy is to ask for consent and use trigger warnings/trauma reminders in classroom contexts. Through integrating practices like these, we are capable of setting a different tone for current and future graduate student workers, one that promotes boundaries and sustainability.
Reference
Madden, S., & Tarabochia, S. L. (2020). Emotional labor, mentoring, and equity for doctoral students and faculty writers. In Bartlett, L. E., Tarabochia, S. L., Olinger, A. R.. & Marshall, M. E. (Eds.), Diverse Approaches to Teaching, Learning, and Writing Across the Curriculum: IWAC at 25. The WAC Clearinghouse; University Press of Colorado. https://doi.org/10.37514/PER-B.2020.0360
Reflections on Misgendering and Invisibility from a Queer Nonbinary Doctoral Student
By: Hannah Boyke, MSW (they/them)
It’s June 2022.
LGBTQ+ pride month is brimming with corporate performativity and profit-driven, superficial statements of support for LGBTQ+ folks. Trans and queer people everywhere, however, are facing political, social, and physical violence.
At the same time that I can buy a shirt with she, he, and they pronouns on it from Target, trans youth in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas are facing legislation denying them from receiving gender affirming care.
At the same time that I can read statements in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community from schools and professors, I have to use a gendered bathroom that doesn’t align with mine when attending classes.
At the same time that companies get “cool” credit for adding pronouns to email signatures, 25 states have enacted anti-trans and cissexist legislation.
Throughout my higher educational experience, just 19.4% of my professors, instructors, or advisors used correct pronouns when referring to me. That’s less than one fifth. That doesn’t count the times that I’m misgendered at conferences, workshops, events, and meetings after introducing myself and my pronouns.
. . .
It’s whatever month and whatever year, and it’s the first day of class.
Miscellaneous professor: “Introduce yourself; say your name and your pronouns; tell us about your research interests”
I was the second person to speak. By the time we get through all the introductions, you already misgendered me twice. It’s apparent that whatever you wrote down wasn’t my pronouns.
What if I addressed you as Mr. or Mrs. instead of Dr. or Professor? What if I called you by someone else’s name or I pronounced your name wrong, even after you corrected me and I listened to all my colleagues say it correctly?
Would you be upset?
. . .
When I think about being misgendered, there are two situations on which I often reflect. While neither situation involves being misgendered, the emotional reactions they inspire in me arise each time I’m misgendered in class.
Scene 1
It’s a family party, probably someone's birthday. I’m standing next to my partner facing the front door. My sister’s husband walks in the door, and he greets my partner, giving him the half-handshake half-hug maneuver. He looks at me (but past me) and then walks away.
I guess I was not seen.
Scene 2
It’s a friend’s wedding. My partner is in the wedding party, and I’m standing between my partner and another man in the wedding party. I’m standing next to my partner, and an older man walks up to him, shakes his hand, says hello and a quick “it’s been so long”, and then he turns to the other man in the wedding party, shakes his hand, says hello and “wasn’t the ceremony beautiful?” Then he walks away.
I’m surely not here, am I?
It’s the invisibility that hits hard, leaving me wondering if I actually did introduce myself or if I really was there. Those same feelings of invisibility and invalidation emerge when I’m apparently not heard by professors within class.
. . .
The power dynamics within the classroom make being misgendered even more difficult to attend to.
What will they do if I correct them?
Will they be aggressive?
Will it become adversarial?
What do you do when the people that refuse to acknowledge your pronouns are the same people that write letters of recommendation, serve on job committees or know people at other universities that serve on job committees, approve your funding, or grade your work?
What do you do when academia is already so political, and you don’t want to be on the receiving end of someone’s resistance to accountability or their unwillingness to do more than performative inclusivity?
To those with power, what do you do when someone corrects you? What do you feel—not what do you “think” you feel or “hope” you feel. What do you actually feel? Is accountability welcome?
. . .
We can have everyone introduce their pronouns, write them in their email signatures, and display them on their CVs, the university website, and next to their name on Zoom, but none of that matters when I’m still being misgendered every day I go to class (shout out to the folks in the back with their pronouns next to their name on Zoom who still get misgendered in online class).
What can you do?
Don’t be performative; we need to see folks follow-through with their efforts to “include” us beyond issuing a statement of support or writing pronouns in email signatures.
Consider the ways in which you and your colleagues handle accountability and the values you ascribe to accountability. Check out Dreaming Accountability by Mia Mingus (2019) a queer disabled Korean scholar and writer. Mingus uses identity first language rather than person first language when identifying as disabled. Mingus (2019) offers an inspiring reflection on accountability:
“What if we rushed towards our own accountability and understood it as a gift we can give to ourselves and those hurting from our harm? [...] What if we understood the harms we’ve caused and have been part of allowing, not as things that don’t need to be tended to or things that will blow over or be forgotten about in time? But instead as one small part of a collective gaping wound that we have been taught to pretend away that sits in the middle of our hearts, our relationships, our families, our movements, our country, our world?”
Accountability can mean being gracious to being corrected after misgendering someone, rather than offering excuses. It can mean working harder to remember people’s pronouns and using them correctly, without resentment. It can also mean taking proactive steps to protect and honor the trans and nonbinary folks in your classrooms who rely on you.
Check with trans and nonbinary folks about what they need from you when it comes to being misgendered. Sometimes folks want their colleagues and friends to correct people who misgender them; other times, that could mean outing them.
Resources
Given the state of current affairs in the US, we compiled a few resources to help share information in support of trans/nonbinary youth and families, Critical Race Theory, and reproductive rights for all.
ACLU: https://www.aclu.org
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860: https://translifeline.org
Trevor Project: 866-488-7386: https://www.thetrevorproject.org
US Trans Survey 2022: https://www.ustranssurvey.org
LGBTQ Caucus of Social Work Students & Faculty (“The Q Caucus”): https://www.qcaucus.com
The African American Policy Forum CRT Summer School: https://www.aapf.org/
Legal Defense Fund Critical Race Theory FAQ: https://www.naacpldf.org/critical-race-theory-faq/
Center for Reproductive Rights: https://reproductiverights.org
Abortion Care Network: https://abortioncarenetwork.org/
Advocates for Youth: https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/
SOCIAL WORK SNIPPETS
Call for Papers
**15th International Conference on Migration and Development
Deadline: July 25, 2022
The French Development Agency (AFD) Research Department, the World Bank Development Research Group (DECRG), the Luxembourg Institute for Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and the Nova School of Business and Economics at Nova University Lisbon are jointly organizing the 15th International Conference on “Migration and Development”.
The conference is devoted to investigating ways in which international migration affects economic and social change in developing countries. Possible topics include the effects of migration on poverty, inequality, and human capital formation; social networks and migration; migration and globalization; migration and institutional / technological / demographic / cultural change in sending countries, today and in the past.
The plan is to have the conference fully in person, subject to the travel restrictions at the time of the conference.
Call for Book Chapters
**Social Workers in Veterinary Social Work and Human Animal Interactions/Bond: Share Your Story
Deadline: August 31, 2022
We are looking for passionate social workers to contribute to a book titled “Careers in One Health: Social Workersʼ Roles in Caring for Humans and their Companion Animals” by writing a 4-5 page (1000-1250 words) autobiographical chapter with a short (~100-150 word) abstract.
This book will be invaluable for social work students and professionals who want to incorporate human animal interaction and/or veterinary social work within their career.
We are looking for authors in the following career categories:
Veterinary social work
Animal assisted intervention
Animal organizations
Human service organizations (domestic violence shelters, hospitals, non-profits, etc.)
Policy advocacy and/or program development
Academia/research, program development, leadership roles
Upcoming Workshop
**Children's Environmental Health: A Workshop on Future Priorities for Environmental Health Sciences
August 1-4, 2022
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology, and Board on Children Youth and Families are organizing a virtual public workshop to discuss the state of science and knowledge about children's environmental health. This virtual workshop will take place August 1st through 4th, with half-day sessions starting mid-day Eastern Time. We hope you will join us! For more information, please visit: https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/childrens-environmental-health-a-workshop-on-future-priorities-for-environmental-health-sciences
The workshop will feature invited engaging sessions on topics such as:
• The state of knowledge on the vulnerabilities of different lifestages (prenatal, infancy, early childhood, adolescence) to environmental exposures.
• Science areas that may be important to advance our understanding of vulnerabilities across early lifestages, including exposures of people of childbearing age.
• Opportunities that may be critical to address and improve consistent application of children's environmental health in risk assessment and regulatory decision making based on existing science.
• Implications of the state of the science to improve policies and programs to protect children's environmental health.
New Research and Briefs
**New brief: Child Development Accounts Reach Over 15 Million Globally
Over 15 million children have built assets in Child Development Accounts (CDAs), according to new estimates from the Center for Social Development at Washington University’s Brown School. The total comes from a new brief, which presents estimates for the numbers of children with assets in CDAs in six of the countries where the center’s experts have provided technical assistance: Singapore, the United Kingdom, Korea, Canada, Israel, and the United States. Authors Li Zou and Michael Sherraden say that the numbers will continue to grow as CDA initiatives automatically enroll more newborns. CDA policy, they suggest, has potential as a global structure for reducing inequality.
From the abstract, "Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men (MSM) have the second largest HIV infection rate in the United States and Puerto Rico (PR) has ranked number five with the greatest number of Hispanics living with HIV. This study aims to understand how family affects HIV risk and protective factors for young adults. PR MSM ages 21 through 30 in San Juan, PR completed semi-structured interviews exploring the influence interpersonal family relationships have on HIV risk and protective factors. PR MSM (N = 15) completed a semi-structured in-depth individual interview. NVivo was used for administering a thematic analysis based on the transcripts in the original language of the interview, 14 in Spanish and one in English. The following five general themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Immediate versus Extended Family; 2) The Matriarch; 3) Fractured Paternal Relationships; 4) Siblings Influence; and 5) Fictive Kin–Creating My Own Family. Findings suggest that the immediate family play an integral role in enhancing HIV protective factors for PR MSM as young adults. This study highlights the importance for developing family-based interventions that reinforce cultural beliefs and values through a strengths-based approach towards enhancing HIV protective behaviors for PR MSM."
**Youth Trauma and Resilience in Contexts of Poverty
August 17, 2022 2:00pm-3:00pm ET
A growing body of research has begun to change understandings of how toxic environments can affect young people, particularly African American boys and young men. In this webinar, we will hear from Noni Gaylord-Harden, Jocelyn Smith Lee, and Alvin Thomas about risk and protective factors for youth in conditions with exposure to poverty, racism, and violence, and about how research, policy, and practice can incorporate these lessons.
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Riley Hostetter
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Alauna Reckley
Paulette Nance
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Kelechi Wright
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