The
NASW MA Chapter is reaching out to social workers of color to increase the
racial and ethnic diversity of the profession in order to better serve the diverse
needs of clients and communities. Social workers of color are
an under tapped source of talent that can enhance the field of social work and
bring added credibility, viability, and strength to the profession. The Chapter
has made this a priority by establishing a Task Force to ensure
representation of social workers of color in the membership, leadership and
programming of the MA Chapter of NASW.
The
Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion submitted a report to the Board of
Directors in June 2011. This report represents
over a year of hard work by dedicated NASW social workers and staff who
have a commitment to a more racially and ethnically diverse state chapter. The Task Force was Co-Chaired by Dr. Yvonne
Ruiz, Salem State
University, and Dr. Robbie Tourse, retired
from Boston College and adjunct at Simmons College, The core group consisted of ethnically
diverse social workers: Charles Carter,
Cassandra Clay, Jennifer Coplon, Lisa Johnson, Zaza Sakhat, Ray Walden, Sandra
Yudilevich, and Steve Yerdon. This core
represents a diverse group of agency administrators, college professors
(retired and current), and private practice practitioners.
The
overall goal was to provide guidance for the recruitment and retention of a
racially and ethnically diverse membership with the additional aim of
identifying ways to increase diversity representation on committees, volunteer
leadership, programs, and staff. Based
on a variety of data-gathering activities, the Task Force made recommendations
for best practices by which the NASW-MA Chapter can recruit and retain an
inclusive and diverse membership.
The
importance of recruiting and retaining social workers of color is demonstrated
by data suggesting that racial and ethnic disproportionality is a significant
issue in Massachusetts
in areas such as healthcare, child welfare, and education. The relevance of this data to the NASW MA
Chapter and its goal of increasing diversity among its membership are
twofold. First, a diverse workforce
corresponds to a diverse client population and their specific needs. Second, it is imperative that the social work
profession be aware of and continues to address issues related to race and
ethnicity in order to provide effective services to diverse clients and communities,
as well as to promote social and economic justice.
The Task
Force collected feedback from a variety of activities targeting NASW members
and non-members. One of the major
activities was Surveys disseminated
electronically to the NASW membership, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and
agencies throughout the state. The
survey was also posted on Facebook and Twitter, and printed in FOCUS. The survey to the membership yielded 136
responses from self-identified social workers of color. The majority of the respondents identified
their race as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/South Asian,
biracial, or multiracial. The ethnic
categories included Puerto Rican, Latino, American, Haitian American, Chinese
American, Japanese American, Jamaican, and Korean American.
The responses to the survey
indicate that social workers of color are particularly interested in several
types of programming and services:
- Networking and events that
connect social workers of color
- Career development
opportunities
- Continuing education
programs that meaningfully address racism, social injustice, cultural
competence, and diversity
- Information that is
relevant to communities and social workers of color
- Increase NASW involvement
in urban communities through forums, outreach activities, continuing
education programs and other events.
The respondents identified several
ways that the Chapter can be more relevant to younger and mid-career
professionals. Moving up the career
ladder is of great interest. Respondents
requested career coaching activities where social workers can connect with each
other, share career experiences, get advice, and network.
The
Chapter office has instituted some changes as a result of the Final Report. For example, the Chapter has increased the
number of CEU programs that present multicultural themes and the Chapter is
seeking to increase these activities even more.
One respondent commented, “There
is a need to talk about difference and diversity in its many facets and
level,s” addressing the need for workshops and trainings.
The work of the Task Force resulted in
many possibilities for strengthening diversity within the Chapter and the
recommendations focused on four areas: Organizational Development; Outreach;
Programming, Education, and Training; and Public Relations and
Communications. Efforts
in the areas of communication and education have already been initiated with
regularly planned articles in FOCUS and a webpage with information of particular
relevance to social workers and communities of color.
The
Chapter is seeking to recruit new members more proactively. Efforts to recruit and retain social
workers of color include reaching out to students and new professionals of
color by finding meeting locations in racially mixed communities, planning
educational events that are relevant and accessible to social workers of color,
and collaborating with other member organizations and their efforts to be
responsive to professionals of color.
The
Task Force, co-chaired by Jennifer Coplon and Yvonne Ruiz, is seeking new
members. Please contact one of the
co-chairs if you are interested in joining this committee or have ideas or
issues that can be addressed in this group: Jennifer Coplon can be reached at
jcoplon@rcn.com
and Yvonne Ruiz can be reached at
yruiz@salemstate.edu.