Influence 5.2/Fall
'01
US SENATOR SPEAKS TO ISP MEMBERS
Senator Debbie Stabenow,
the first woman elect ed to the US Senate from the state of Michigan,
served in the US House of Representatives from 1996 to 2000 when she was
elected to the US Senate. She earned her MSW at the Michigan State University
School of Social Work in 1975. She served in the Michigan House of Representatives
from 1979 to 1990 and in the Michigan Senate from 1991 to 1994. Her email
is: senator@stabenow.senate.gov
ISP: In what specific
areas of human/social services do you believe social workers can play
a leadership role? Are we focused enough or spread too thinly?
Sen. Stabenow: I
think social workers have an important leadership role to play in all
areas of human services. In my role as a public policy maker, I am particularly
concerned that the social worker community should be involved in advocacy.
We need to hear a strong and consistent voice coming from our professional
social workers. After all, it is they who see first hand how policies
affect people in their daily lives. For example, the welfare reform legislation
passed in 1996 will be reauthorized in the coming year. It's very important
that social workers are involved in crafting the policies of the next
bill.
ISP: [Besides money,]
how can social workers develop more political clout in the future in legislative
arenas? What "power" do we have or can begin to build?
Sen. Stabenow: Grassroots
activism is very important and effective. Social workers should be involved
in political campaigns. Volunteer in campaigns from city council to the
President of the United States. People should never underestimate the
need for volunteer help. It's also important to communicate with your
representatives after they are elected. Attend town hall meetings, write
letters and develop good working relations with your elected representatives.
ISP: What should
social work educational programs emphasize in their curricula/courses
in the current political environment?
Sen. Stabenow: In
addition to traditional social work concepts and organization, I believe
there needs to be more emphasis on the role of politics and public policy.
Government policies will play a major role in the professional life of
every social worker. There needs to be more emphasis on how the process
works and the impact it has on the role of social workers and our quality
of life.
ISP: If you were
to give career advice to social work students interested in politics or
policy making, what would it be?
Sen. Stabenow: It's
important to get practical experience by getting involved. See first hand
how the system works and what the challenges are. For instance, I would
recommend internships like those offered by my office and most other political
offices. I would also recommend volunteering on campaigns. And finally,
consider running for office. That is the most direct way to make your
voice heard.
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STUDENT TO STUDENT
Aimee Perron and
Heather Carkuff, 2nd Year Graduate Students Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Social Work
We admit that the
part of our Foundation year Macro/Policy class that we were dreading the
most was the time to be spent on State Government specifically, Virginia's
General Assembly. We were feeling a mixture of things anticipated boredom,
nervousness, and fear about having to become a part of what was going
on at the General Assembly sessions; and also a bit of growing enthusiasm
hidden way down deep.
Let's face it, not
many Americans have a high opinion of lawmakers and what they do. Many
people think they are dishonest and that they spend their time wasting
or misspending our tax dollars. We have always believed that a handful
of bad politicians gives the rest of the upstanding ones this unscrupulous
reputation. In contrast, we also hold up our politicians on a pedestal,
waiting for any error in judgment on their part to shatter our faith in
them.
We really didn't
know what to expect when we starting attending Committee meetings in order
to track our bills' progress. Would we observe corrupt delegates and senators
drunk from the power they possess to make laws that affect the rest of
us? Or would we find men and women of the highest moral character judiciously
and carefully forming new laws for the Commonwealth?
What we found was
neither. When we think of our lawmakers, we tend to think in extremes.
What we discovered were everyday people doing the best they could to balance
their own beliefs with the needs and wants of their constituents, in an
effort to come up with the best new laws for Virginia. They were just
regular people representing the needs and desires of their districts.
This was the belief that we came away with most strongly after our time
at the General Assembly-that the men and women there are sincerely interested
in what Virginia citizens have to say.
We even had the opportunity
to sit down and interview the sponsor of our bill it was as easy as calling
and making an appointment. We now believe that state legislators truly
want to do the best job they can. Representing their constituents can
be especially difficult when citizens do not vote or do not let their
representatives know how they feel about an issue.
As the session and
our bills progressed, we spent more and more time in the Capitol. Not
only did we become constant fixtures in the gallery; our bills became
the main topic of our conversations. We talked about it with classmates,
roommates, former co-workers, and even our relatives. We were never quite
sure what to expect each day at the General Assembly. It proved to be
both an invigorating and exhausting roller coaster ride. The action on
our bills ranged from two-hour heated debates to it getting passed-by
for three days in a row. Most often, we were sitting on the edge of our
seats, fixated by the action on the floor of the House. The more we watched,
the better we understood the flow of the passage of a bill.
While lobbying for
our bills during the session, we began to see what a powerful influence
personal advocacy could have on legislation. We began to feel that our
actions did have a direct effect on the life of the bills. Most importantly,
I learned that legislators need the help of social workers. The delegates
and senators cannot and do not know everything about each bill. It is
our responsibility as social workers to be advocates for our clients.
And in this arena, that means taking the time to have an impact on not
just one client, but many. We must remember that policy affects our practice
and that we do have the power as practitioners to affect policy.
The knowledge we
gained from this experience has been invaluable. Our experiences in the
General Assembly have led us to a further narrowing of our future goals
and we have both been placed with state legislators as our second year
field placement.
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CONTEST WINNERS
Annual Influencing
State Policy Contest - 2001 (Formerly STATE POLICY PLUS)
Influencing State
Policy sponsors an annual contest for social work students and faculty,
challenging them to try to make a difference at their state legislatures.
The fourth contest produced some outstanding winners whom you will read
about below. Read also about this year's contest, The Annual Influencing
State Policy Contest -2002, on page 14 (A summary of other student and
faculty entries is found on pages 8 and 10.)
BSW Students
Ms. Marti Bier,
a BSW student at the University of Texas at Austin, lobbied for House
Bill 1296 in the Texas Legislature in the spring, 2001. HB 1296 makes
it illegal to discriminate in a public school against students based on
ethnicity, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or
national origin. Ms. Bier coordinated the lobbying efforts of gay youth
with the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. She wrote newspaper articles,
organized a youth retreat, formed a coalition, taught lobbying strategies,
testified in support of the legislation, personally visited with legislators
and aides, and provided a network of resources for participants. Ms. Bier
states that, "the experience of talking with legislators and staff have
diminished my fear and intimidation about the legislative process." Lawmakers,
in her view, are just like any other people and they are often willing
to "listen to those who are passionate about the laws just as they are."
The Western Connecticut
State University Social Work Senior Class of 2001 Twenty-one seniors
at Western Connecticut State University began a nine month project in
September, 2000, that attempted to influence state policy regarding "hate
crimes." The students developed twelve projects that included:
- An educational
program to promote interracial and intercultural diversity
- Collaboration
with the University Vice President for Student Affairs to host an open
forum for students, faculty, staff, and the community.
- Educational
materials on hate crimes that were distributed at activities and on
their website.
- In a local
high school, the seniors worked with high school students through skits,
petitions, and group discussions to learn about hate crimes and violence.
- A letter writing
campaign to local schools to make them aware of all of the resources
available to faculty and students about preventing hate crimes.
WCSU students
estimate that their project impacted 16,000 persons. They also learned
that public interest and concern is crucial in policy development and
they realized how to influence policy in non-legislative ways, i.e., awareness
and education.
BSW Faculty
Dr. Ruth A. Charles,
Co-Director of the Social Work Program at Winona State University, MN,
is convinced that social workers make excellent elected officials and
she wanted to plant this idea in her students' minds. Her assignment required
students to volunteer at least 10 hours during the fall, 2000, to a state-level
political campaign. With few restrictions, students staffed campaign offices,
worked on phone banks, did literature drops, and went door to door with
candidates. They attended candidate forums and organized election eve
parties to watch the returns. The candidates also spoke to the class about
their strategies for winning. Students kept a log of their hours and activities
and wrote a short analysis of this experience. Key readings followed the
election in the newspaper, learning more about the issues and critiquing
the press coverage. One measure of success was the significant number
of students who actually voted, many for the first time. The students
also overwhelmingly reported that they would consider running for office
someday.
MSW Students
Ms. Kitty B. Bailey,
a second year graduate student at the University of Denver School of Social
Work, successfully advocated for House Bill 01-1161 during the 2001
session of the Colorado Legislature. This bill attempted to streamline
the application and enrollment process for children eligible for the Children's
Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). The state auditor had found administrative
barriers contributing to low enrollments along with 45 day delays. In
her field placement with the Colorado Community Health Network, Ms. Bailey
collaborated with advocates.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
September 1, 2001.
New goals set for ISP Liaisons (see page 4). Kickoff for the Annual Influencing
State Policy Contest 2002 (formerly STATE POLI-CY PLUS).
October 2, 2001.
Policy Forum at the U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC. Students from several
states will provide testimony and hear elected Representatives and Senators
and others speak on the importance of social workers' involvement in policy.
For more information: contact Liza Oktay at Loktay@aol.com or 410.706.0814
October 31-November
4, 2001. Annual Meeting of the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors
in Denver, CO. ISP will sponsor a booth in the exhibitors' hall. Please
stop by and say hello. For more information: Go to the BPD website at
http://www.bpdonline.org
November 15, 2001.
Deadline for applications for the ISP $2,000 Ph.D Dissertation Award.
See page 15 or call Bob Schneider at 804.828.0452 or rschneid@vcu.edu
or go to ISP website: http://www.statepolicy.org
February 24-27, 2002.
Influencing State Policy Annual Planning Luncheon (Feb. 25) at the APM
of the Council on Social Work Education in Nashville, TN.
February 24-27, 2002.
Annual "Live" Auction (Feb. 25) of Influencing State Policy at the APM
of the Council on Social Work Education in Nashville, TN.
February 24-27, 2002.
Annual Meeting (Feb. 26) of Influencing State Policy at the APM of the
Council on Social Work Education in Nashville, TN. Speaker: Member of
the Tennessee State Legislature.
April 15, 2002. Deadline
for paper/presentation proposals for the APM of The Council on Social
Work Education, February, 2003 in Atlanta. Contact: http://www.cswe.org
or 703.683.8080.
April 22, 2002. Deadline
for entries to the Annual Influencing State Policy Contest-2002 (formerly
STATE POLICY PLUS) for faculty and students. See page 13 and the website,
http://www.statepolicy.org for rules and instructions.
April 30, 2002. Deadline
for ISP Liaisons to return annual ISP survey and to report on the final
number of social work student visits to state legislatures (In 2001, there
were 4,648 student visits)
June 15-18, 2002.
The Policy Conference: The Next Step. Co-sponsored by the College of Social
Work at the University of South Carolina, NASW-PACE, and ISP in Charleston,
SC. For more information, contact Duncan Whyte at WhyteD@gwm.sc.edu ISP
annual contest awards luncheon and sessions galore on policy and practice.
Proposals for papers will be due around March, 2002.
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CHAIRMAN'S LETTER
Greetings! As Influencing
State Policy (ISP) begins its fifth full year, it is my pleasure to welcome
you all to the 2001-2002 academic year and ISP's agenda. Strictly speaking,
ISP's agenda is YOUR agenda since members expressed priorities and preferences
in two meetings since March, one in Dallas and another in Charleston.
There is a sidebar in the newsletter on this page with our new goals for
this year, and I urge you to incorporate them into your plans. In addition,
here are other items that you need to be aware of:
- ISP is going to
make the reauthorization of the 1996 Welfare Reform Act a priority during
this year. Plans underway to include ISP members' contributions will
be outlined in the fall, 2001. A special email will provide you with
the details. We are also going to try to gather all of the websites
and linkages concerned with welfare reform and put them under a special
tab on our website
- See page 13 to
learn more about ISP's new $2,000 Ph.D. stipend. Spread the word!
- With a colleague
at VCU Mass Communications, your chairperson is producing a video on
Effective Lobbying at the State Capitol. The script has been written
and many scenes already shot. Completion in late fall, 2001, is our
goal.
- The name of the
annual contest, STATE POLICY PLUS, has been officially changed to The
Annual Influencing State Policy Contest 2002. Members felt the prior
name was unclear and confusing.
- The deadline for
the Annual Influencing State Policy Contest 2002 will be April 22, 2002.
Suggestions for making the deadline later than April 1st were made and
so, it was moved towards the end of the semester.
- All members are
asked to make a link to the ISP website on their own school/program's
website. Our website is: http://www.statepolicy.org Please check with
your program's webmaster and ask him/her to link ISP to your website.
- Liaisons of ISP,
both new and old, are asked to review their role on the website http://www.statepolicy.org
under Liaison at About Us. As the official ISP Liaison in your program,
your limited, but important duties are most crucial if we wish to accomplish
our mission.
- ISP will have
a presence at the Social Policy Practice Forum on Capitol Hill in Washington,
DC on October 2. Aimee Perron, one of the MSW student winners of the
national contest and an ISP Board member, will be speaking along with
remarks by your national chairperson on the connection of policy to
micro practice. Larry Ortiz, Joan Zlotnik, Daphne McClellan, Sunny Rome,
and other ISP members have produced another wonderful opportunity for
students.
- All programs of
social work education can consider developing field placements with
state legislators. From our recent study, it is amazing that so few
programs have placed students in the legislatures. Liaisons are strongly
encouraged to begin a conversation with faculty and field departments
about developing such placements. For a copy of our study in 2001, please
email Sally Brocksen at salmarg@sprynet.com.
Finally, I urge each
of you to think about what you can contribute to our annual ISP "live"
auction next February in Nashville. It was great fun! And we can raise
some funds for our stipends and videos. Let me know very soon what you
can provide.or otherwise, I will have to call you! All the best.
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ISP 2001-02 GOALS
Increase the number
of student visits to state legislatures from 4,648 in 2001 to 6,000 in
2002.
Each program should
have at least one (1) entry to the Annual Influencing State Policy Contest
2002 (formerly State Policy Plus).
Increase visits to
the website, http://www.statepolicy.org to an average of 650 per academic
month.
Increase paid annual
memberships to 300.
Raise $5,000 for
Ph.D. awards for dissertations on state policy
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FOR LOBBYISTS
What Every Lobbyist
Should Know
by Dr. Ronald Dear, Professor Emeritus
University of Washington School of Social Work
Each year, hundreds
of social workers visit their state legislature, talk with their own and
other elected representatives, spend time with legislative staff, and
testify before committees. What are some things advocates should keep
in mind? What is likely to lead to success? What will ward off disappointment?
- CONTEXT: The single
biggest determinant of success (or failure) in your state capitol is
context. This means that you must work with your client (i.e., the people
or agency whom you represent) or your agency to make their concerns
fit into the context of that particular session. Said one veteran lobbyist,
"If you don't get it, you don't get it." His meaning? "If you don't
get it (the context), you don't get it (the money)."
- UNDERSTAND THE
RULES OF THE GAME: There are more than 17 steps to get a bill passed.
There are, then, 17 places to kill or stop a bill. The legislative process
is really a funnel DESIGNED to kill most bills. As a result, it is difficult
to get a bad idea through, but the corollary is that it also is almost
impossible to get a good idea passed into law. In reality, there are
few new issues: most (maybe 2/3 to 3/4) are retreads, having been introduced
before and often numerous times. Very few ideas get through the first
time. Therefore, lobbyists must develop a long-term, multi-session time
frame
- LOBBYING IS A
YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITY: Regardless of how long a state legislature may
be in session, perhaps only for 60 or 90 days, the legislative session
is already the fourth quarter. If you haven't been a player during the
first three-quarters (pre-session), your chances of success are slim.
- GET TO KNOW WHO
IS IMPORTANT: There are elected legislators, all of whom earned the
right to vote. There is staff: policy staff; fiscal staff; caucus staff;
aides; secretaries and others. There are agency directors or secretaries
and their assistants. There are policy and fiscal staff in the governor's
office. There are key lobbyists. In spite of all these players, there
are only a few dozen people who are really key and who make most decisions.
The legislature is, then, a bit like a high school or a small college
campus where everybody knows everybody else and who really knows what
is going on.
- GET TO KNOW STAFF:
To be effective in the legislature, you must work closely with the staff
of legislators, committees, the governor's office and the major state
human service agencies. You MUST have a good working relationship with
the various staff key to your issues.
- PEOPLE POWERED
ENTERPRISE: The legislature is a people powered enterprise, driven by
relationships, trust, and friends. Relationships matter; trust is critical.
In fact, much of the time, that is all you have. You NEVER get to discuss
an issue and be seriously listened to if you are not trusted. Once you
lose credibility, you never get it back.
- UNDERSTAND THE
CENTRALITY OF THE BUDGET: In the final analysis, almost all legislative
decisions come down to how to allocate state dollars. The legislature
will do four bills: (1) the operations budget; (2) the capital budget;
(3) the transportation budget; and (4) the bonding budget. All else
is superficial, and if you don't know this, then you do not understand
what legislators are forced to care most about.
- UNDERSTAND THE
STRICT TIME-LINES: More bills die in the Legislature because they run
out of time than for any other reason. Thus, you must be sensitive to
the strict time limits imposed by the session's calendar. If bills are
not reported out of committee by a given date, they are dead for that
session. Time limits can be quite complicated. Ask about them.
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LIVE AUCTION
ISP will sponsor
its second annual "live auction" as social work educators gather in Nashville,
TN in February 2002 for the Council on Social Work Education annual meeting.
Ask anyone at the auction in Dallas in 2001 how much fun we had and you
will not want to miss this one.
Preparations are
underway to develop an alluring set of items for the auction. We need
all ISP members to contribute one item. Destinations such as vacation
homes or city apartments for a week, air fares, jewelry, autographed items,
hotels, weekend passes, leather jackets, state flags or memorabilia were
all very popular last year. The ISP "traveling gavel" has already been
to China and we wonder who will bid on it in TN. Please notify Bob Schneider
at rlschnei@ vcu.edu or 804.828.0452 about what you can contribute. Do
it now because, you know, time flies!
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ISP WEBSITE
As of August 25,
2001, ISP has recorded over 12,452 visits to our website, http://www.statepolicy.org
The website is a comprehensive resource of policy information and education
for faculty and students at all levels. It has linkages to social work
policy and practice sites, national organizations, job/career sites, state
legislatures and agencies, Annual Influencing State Policy Contest rules,
sample student projects, examples of faculty assignments focused on state
policy, access to research organizations and much more. The newsletter,
Influence, has been archived to the website, including all back issues.
During the fall, 2001, a new design will be installed to make the site
easier to use. A bulletin board for an exchange of ideas will also be
initiated.
New addresses and
sites:
- http://www.benefitscheckup.org
is a free, nationwide website that identifies the federal and state
assistance programs available to help the elderly. It has a database
of about one thousand programs, including energy credits, legal services,
supplemental income, and much more.
- http://www.stopfamilyviolence.org
is a site for activists who are raising awareness of the impact of violence
on families.
- http://www.mdrc.org/Families&Children.htm
is a synthesis of research on how welfare reform policies affect children.
- http://www.server.fhp.uoregon.edu/csws/welfare/welfvol1.shtml
is a report on a study of individuals who left welfare and their current
earning levels.
- http://www.aecf.org/whatsnew.htm
is a series a papers that were delivered at a summer 2000 conference
on welfare reform.
- http://www4.nas.edu/news.nsf
summarizes a new report by the National Academy of Science on the effects
of national welfare reform legislation.
- http://campaign.childrensdefense.org
provides an up-to-date report on the Children Defense Fund's Campaign
to Leave No Child Behind.
- http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/kc2001is
the updated 2001 Kids Count Data Book with a review of important child
indicator and their changes in the 1990s.
- http://www.kff.org/content/2001/3118
is a report of a joint survey by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Foundation,
and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on
poverty in America.
- http://www.whitehouse.gov
is becoming an important representative of government on the Internet.
It offers a tour of the White House. Viewers can study the raw materials
of policy making and politics.
- http://www.tgci.com
is a free magazine, The Grantsmanship Center Magazine.
- http://www.advocacy.org
is a resource from the Advocacy Institute on current advocacy issues
and techniques.
- http://www.afj.org/fai/nonprof.html
is the home site of the Alliance for Justice Nonprofit Advocacy Project.
- http://www.independentsector.org/clpi
is the site for Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, an organization
committed to improving the lobbying efforts of non-profit groups.
- http://www.housingadvocates.org
is the site of the California Housing Law Project, providing information
and linkages on pending legislation in California.
- http://www.GrannyD.com
is the website of 91 year old Doris "Granny D" Haddock who trekked 3,200
miles last year across the USA in support of campaign financial reform
legislation.
- http://www.healthpolicyreform.org
offers an intelligent and thoughtful comparison of the health care performance
of eight nations: Canada, the United States of America, Australia, South
Africa, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
- http://www.congressonline-project.org/publications.html
is a recent study of the impact of emails on members of Congress. Strategies
are offered to improve the chances your email will be read.
- http://www.techsoup.org
is a site that features Online Activism. Topics such as writing effective
email alerts and creating an activist web site are among many topics.
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FACULTY IDEAS
Donna McIntosh, Assistant
Professor, Siena College, reports that social workers in New York State
have been trying to obtain licensure for their profession for a number
of years. A licensing coalition of social work practitioners, educators,
and NASW had been working together diligently to promote licensure for
the BSW, MSW and Clinical Social Worker. Last year, the multi-level bill
died at the end of the legislative session.
The coalition fell
apart when NASW promoted a bill that would only license the master's level
social workers. Siena College social work students, under the supervision
of their policy professor, organized petition drives, conducted qualitative
interviews with BSW practitioners, and designed a cookie jar with a recipe
which stated "the missing ingredient is licensure for the BSW!" 211 cookie
jars were assembled by Siena seniors on a Saturday afternoon and distributed
to New York State legislators!
On April 24, 2001,
at a state lobby day, students reported meeting with many legislators
throughout the day, even without set appointments. They were able to get
past the receptionists in many instances to key legislative staff or the
legislators themselves. Students in attendance reported being "tired and
excited and empowered by their experience." Siena College Professor Diane
Strock-Lynskey provided guidance to students and faculty on mobilizing
support of their issue.
Diane Weis Farone,
DSW, Assistant Professor, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga,
taught a BSW course called Legal Issues in Social Work and students were
given a group advocacy project. Student collaborated with the local mental
health association chapter to counteract a plan by the State Mental Health
Authority to close a regional hospital. Students were required to research
specific questions on demographics, logistics, and services. They obtained
signatures for a petition and proposed developing a website to provide
information to other advocates.
Ruth Rubio, Eunice
Garcia, & Mary Mulvaney, BSW Faculty at the University of Texas at Austin
School of Social Work, developed an assignment called, "Private Troubles,
Public Issues," for a field seminar. First, students select a case from
their field instruction caseload and describe the client system and problems.
Students then translate the private problems into broader community issues.
They follow with a description of the administrative, judicial, or social
policies that are impeding or facilitating the client's resolution of
the problems. Students pick one policy that has a state legislative connection
and analyze the policy, the politics, the values, and the implications
for social justice. Students also perform additional advocacy efforts
such as letter writing, testimony, or disseminating information.
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DID YOU KNOW
Dr. Karen Haynes,
ISP Board member and President of the University of Houston at Victoria,
delivered a "knockout" speech in front of over 1,000 social work students
at the Student Day Rally at the Texas State Legislature in February, 2001.
Students and faculty were all "uplifted, pumped up, and raving," according
to participants. To read the text in its entirety, go to ISP's website,
www.statepolicy.org/ and find the speech in the highlight box.
At Rutgers University-Newark,
Dr. Paul Shane reported that, in March, 2001, students and faculty in
social work, political science, and criminal justice attended a symposium
geared to helping them learn how to influence state policy through the
legislative process. A plenary session and workshops examined what had
been accomplished in the past five years and what was needed in coming
sessions.
Dr. Joseph Wronka
of the School of Social Work at Springfield College in Massachusetts,
has collaborated with his state representative to introduce Bill 850,
An Act Providing for an Investigation and Study of Integrating International
Human Rights Standards in Massachusetts Laws and Policies. This bill would
determine the extent to which international covenants and declarations
such as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights are found
in Massachusetts's laws. Email Dr. Wronka at: joseph_wronka@spfldcol.edu/
with questions or suggestions.
Dr. Ruth Brandwein
has collaborated with D. Filiano in producing a 2000 publication, "Toward
Real Welfare Reform: The Voices of Battered Women," in Affilia, 15(2),
224-243. Ruth also notes that the entire Affilia issue of Summer, 2000,
is devoted to women and the new American welfare.
The State Yellow
Book provides subscribers with contact information for elected and appointed
officials in the executive branch as well as state legislators and their
committee in all 50 states. It is a quarterly publication and features
direct dial phone numbers, staff members, leadership positions, internet
addresses and email addresses. It is part of The Leadership Library and
is available on the Internet and CD-ROM. Call 212.627.4140 or go to www.leadershipdirectories.com.
(The cost of $325 might be paid for by the university library)
The August 9, 2001
edition of the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights the role of research
in policy planning and advocacy in preparation for the reauthorization
of the 1996 welfare reform legislation. Go to http://philanthropy.com
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STUDENT PROJECTS
Besides the winning
entries to the Annual ISP Contest-2000, other students participated in
the contest by trying to influence state policies. Here is a summary of
their projects. (For Contest-2002, imagine your project on these pages!)
Pamela Dennison and
Leslie Jensen, junior BSW students in the Social Work Department at Carroll
College in Waukesha, WI, developed a bill proposal related to testing
drivers over the age of 65. They did an in-depth policy analysis, met
with state senators and representatives and aides and sought support from
the Wisconsin Coalition on Aging. While they sought sponsorship, the students
learned that experience of "doing policy" was much different than reading
about it. They concluded that affecting change in policy is available
to everyone including social workers.
Susan Rogers, a BASW
student in the Social Work Dept. of Malone College in Canton, OH, worked
on obtaining Medicaid waivers for brain-injured people in Ohio. She and
a colleague organized meetings with senators and representatives and convinced
them to become their ombudsman, which one of them did. They attended workshops
and rallies, designed posters, and gave testimony at public forums. Ms.
Rogers was instrumental in getting local builders to build housing for
special needs persons and was awarded student social worker of the year
by her local NASW unit.
Pamela J. Hewlett,
a BSW senior at the School of Social Work at California State University
at Chico, advocated for changes in implementing the Adoption and Safe
Families Act as it pertained to foster care. She particularly developed
relationships between the youth and the foster care professionals by organizing
two forums. She helped young people participate in a rally at the state
capitol and advised a statewide chapter of California Youth Connection,
a network for foster youth to advocate for themselves. Ms. Hewlett realized
the fundamental role that clients can play in affecting change in policies.
Christa Powers, a
BSW senior at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at
Austin, worked for House Bill 775 in the Texas legislature, advocating
for substance abuse programs for incarcerated or recently released inmates.
She undertook a policy analysis of the bill and provided it to other advocates
who testified before the Corrections Committee. Ms. Powers said, "Social
workers have a place in policy and it starts with me."
Jim Myers, a BSW
senior at the School of Social Work at California State University at
Chico, advocated for updating the current measures and formula for poverty
in California. He wrote an analysis based on his study of attitudes among
college students and faculty towards poverty. His paper was accepted for
presentation at a national conference at Temple University. Mr. Myers
learned that incremental approaches to policy are important and can result
in broader social change.
Arlene A. Mathew,
a BSW student at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas
at Austin, helped to pass House Resolution 249 that declared PROJECT 2001
as a day of service to the East Austin community. Serving on the planning
committee, she organized 1,500 UTA students and faculty into the largest
service project in the region. An eight-block radius of the neighborhood
was cleaned, houses and schools painted, landscaping was done, and a nature
trail built through a public park. Ms. Mathew learned that planning needed
to be done in collaboration with residents to define problems.
Hermelinda Gomez
and Elisabeth Jaquish-Galocy, MSW students at the School of Social Work
at Indiana University Northwest, worked to empower individuals affected
by domestic violence legislation. They gathered information on various
bills, created an education folder with fact sheets, contacted shelters
across the state, and worked with staff and women who had been affected
by domestic violence. They provided training in legislative processes
to 10 women and created a website to educate others. Ms. Gomez and Jaquish-Galocy
lobbied several state legislators. For them, the empowerment of persons
holds the best hope for change and long-term impact.
Nancy Fleming, Nancy
Campbell, Barbara Deiotte, and Julie Zloza, MSW students at the School
of Social Work at Indiana University Northwest, advocated for House Bill
2126 that would place social workers and psychologists in every elementary
school in Indiana. In meetings with the state legislator who sponsored
the bill, they learned several strategies to follow to gain support for
the bill which passed 98-2 in the House. They developed an information
packet, support letters and faxed copies of the bill to statewide groups.
They learned that legislators are available and willing to listen to careful
research and presentations.
Danele J. Cousins,
an MSW student in the School of Social Work at Virginia Commonwealth University,
worked on House Bill 1582 that would allow for the licensure and regulation
of certified professional midwives in Virginia. The medical lobby assured
that the bill was defeated. Ms. Cousins has already begun to organize
for the 2002 session by contacting key legislators, securing support from
NASW-VA, and preparing pertinent facts and information. She learned that
organizational support as well as grass-roots efforts is required.
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ISP NEWS
Special thanks must
be given to the sponsors of The Annual Influencing State Policy Contest-2001
(formerly STATE POLICY PLUS): The Association of Baccalaureate Social
Work Program Directors; the University of Houston School of Social Work;
the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work; and The Center
for Social Development at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work
at Washington University, St. Louis. We all appreciate this generous support!
ISP Board member,
Dr. Michael Sher-raden, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social
Development at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington
University in St. Louis, was the 2001 winner of the Flynn Prize of $10,000
in recognition of the international impact of his scholarship on social
policy for the poor. Congratulations, Mike!!!
- Total number of
ISP Liaisons: 548
- Total number of
ISP Friends: 102
- MSW Programs with
an official ISP Liaison: 126 (78%)
- BSW Programs with
an official ISP Liaison: 281 (62%)
ISP Board member,
Dr. Ronald Dear of the University of Washington School of Social Work,
recently retired from the faculty, but agreed to stay on ISP's Board.
Thanks, Ron, for past, present, and future contributions!
Distributed copies
of our video, Making a Difference: Influencing State Policy:950+.
Ms. Heather Carkuff
and Ms. Aimee Perron, both second year MSW students at Virginia Commonwealth
University School of Social Work, have agreed to serve on the ISP Board
of Advisors during 2001-02 (see page 1). They are improving the website
and providing student perspectives. If you wish to contact them, their
email addresses are heather.carkuff@alumni.duke.edu and grrlpwr@rockbridge.net.
Welcome, Heather and Aimee!
ISP Board members,
Dr. Nancy Hooyman of the University of Washington School of Social Work,
and Dr. Darlyne Bailey of the Case Western Reserve University, Mandel
School of Applied Social Sciences, both stepped down as Deans of their
school. Nancy continues to serve as a faculty member and Darlyne has become
a Vice President of Teacher's College, Columbia University.
The ISP "Live" auction
in Dallas in March, 2001, netted $3,000. Proceeds are being used to provide
the annual Ph.D. stipend award and production of a new video on lobbying
at the state legislature.
ISP members are encouraged
to examine the new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS)
approved this summer by the Board of the Council on Social Work Education.
I think you will find ISP' fingerprints in the text. Go to: http://www.cswe.org.
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BOARD OF ADVISORS
Ms. Nancy Amidei,
Senior Lecturer, University of Washington School of Social Work
Dr. Darlyne Bailey,
Vice Provost, Teacher's College, Columbia University
Dr. Ruth Brandwein,
Professor, State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Social
Welfare
Ms. Heather Carkuff,
Student, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Ronald B. Dear,
Professor, University of Washington School of Social Work
Mr. David Dempsey,
Manager, Government Relations & Political Action Unit, National Association
of Social Workers
Dr. Diana Dinitto,
Cullen Trust Centennial Professor, University of Texas at Austin School
of Social Work
Dr. Leon Ginsberg,
Carolina Distinguished Professor, University of South Carolina College
of Social Work
Dr. Lorraine Gutierrez,
Professor, University of Michigan, School of Social Work
Dr. Karen Haynes,
President, University of Houston at Victoria Dr. Nancy Hooyman, Professor,
University of Washington School of Social Work
Dr. Bruce S. Jansson,
Professor, University of Southern California, School of Social Work
Dr. Alice Johnson,
University of Illinois Chicago, School of Social Work
Dr. Sheila B. Kamerman,
Centennial Professor for the Prevention of Children's and Youth Problems,
Columbia University School of Social Work
Dr. F. Ellen Netting,
Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work
Ms. Aimee Perron,
Student, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Jack Sellers,
University of North Alabama
Dr. Michael Sherraden,
Professor and Director, Center for Social Development, Washington University
in St. Louis, George Warren Brown School of Social Work
Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil,
Professor, UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research
Dr. John Turner,
Professor and Dean Emeritus, University of North Carolina School of Social
Work
National Chairperson,
Dr. Robert L. Schneider, Professor, Virginia Commonwealth Univ. School
of Social Work. 804.828.0452, Fax 804.828.6770. rschneid@vcu.edu
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ISP MISSION
Mission:
The mission of Influencing State Policy is to assist faculty and students
in learning to influence effectively the formation, implementation, and
evaluation of state-level policy and legislation.
Goal:
To increase Social Work efficacy in influencing state-level policy and
legislation.
Ultimate Outcome(s):
Social Work students will achieve knowledge and skills to influence state-level
policy and legislation as demonstrated by successful projects implemented
in graduate and undergraduate social work programs.
Intermediate Outcome(s):
Social Work educators in graduate and undergraduate programs will obtain
knowledge and skills in order to educate students to influence state-level
policy and legislation as demonstrated by incorporating appropriate content,
making related assignments, and developing field instruction opportunities.
Immediate Outcome(s):
Social Work educators in graduate and undergraduate programs will receive
resources necessary to the development of course content, assignments,
and teaching strategies that emphasize how to influence state level policy
and legislation.
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MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Please send your
name, address, phone number, fax number, email address and the annual
$25 membership/liaison fee payable to the: "National Committee"
to:
Dr. Robert
L. Schneider, Nat'l Chairperson
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Social Work
P. O. Box 842027
Richmond, VA 23284-2027
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