As most social workers are probably aware, the immigration system in the United States creates challenges for undocumented immigrants, as it does not offer an attainable path to citizenship nor many protections in the workplace and beyond. This results in many undocumented immigrants in the United States facing abuse without any recourse as they live in constant fear of deportation.

On April 10 in Washington, D.C., supporters of immigration reform convened for the Rally for Citizenship on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building and in cities across the nation. Tens of thousands of people from all different backgrounds attended to show their support for immigration reform and to demand that a realistic plan for citizenship be put into action.

Why is immigration reform so important?

The United States has a rich history of immigration, with most Americans able to at least vaguely trace their ancestry back to foreign lands. This history has not always been one of instant acceptance, but as each group of future Americans landed on its shores, we as a nation have eventually come to welcome them.

Many Americans still cherish this as the essential American character, which they would argue is reason enough to continue our tradition of welcoming immigrants, but the current immigration system also perpetuates a number of abuses that needs to be addressed. Due to the fear of deportation, undocumented immigrants are often subjected to abuses from which the rest of us are protected under law, such as:

• Underpayment or nonpayment at work
• Sexual harassment
• Unsafe working conditions
• Human trafficking
• Criminal activity, such as robbery

These abuses are allowed to continue because of a system which denies rights to undocumented workers, allowing others to prey upon them. The people who perform these abuses are those who know full well that they can take advantage of a population that is legally unprotected. Many across the country argue that immigration reform needs to happen immediately in order to put a stop to these kinds of abuses.

How can social workers help?

Social workers are natural advocates for this underserved population. On a case-by-case basis, social workers can help their undocumented clients to access services in the safest way possible, ensuring they are not at risk for deportation and protect them from abuses. A central tenet of social work is empathizing with clients and earning their trust; this is doubly important in a population such as this, who are often marginalized and frequently avoid interacting with mainstream society. If you don’t have any undocumented clients, you can help by volunteering for an agency that serves them.

Social workers can also help by working to influence policy and immigration reform. They can be the voice for this population, and it’s absolutely imperative that they speak up on behalf of this marginalized population to affect positive change. You can voice your opinion by signing up for the NASW Grassroots Advocacy list and sending this letter to Congress to show your support for immigration reform.

This happened in the 1980s, when bullying was not as prevalent or publicized as it is today. Today, according to the American Medical Association (AMA), 3.7 million youths engage in bullying each year, and more than 3.2 million are victims of moderate or serious bullying. Thirty percent of child and adolescent suicides can be directly related back to bullying. Two-thirds of school shooters say they felt bullied, threatened and attacked by others.

Parents wonder what their role is and what they can do to help, especially when they feel that school staff members are not getting involved enough. According to the AMA, students say that teachers and staff intervene in bullying incidents only “once in a while” or “almost never” in 40 percent of elementary school cases and 60 percent of middle school cases. Should parents take the step to protect their children when the school does not?

For my sister, intervention from our mother worked. The Monday after the black eye, my sister returned to school and learned that my mom had paid the bully a visit at her after-school job. No one knows what happened or what was said, but the bullying ended. In the ‘80s, no one raised an eyebrow at my mother paying my sister’s tormentor a visit. In today’s society, that kind of thing is frowned upon.

Recently, I’ve seen news stories and read articles about parents who respond to their children being bullied, and it’s clear that my mother’s brand of parental intervention would not be received well now.

Felecia Phillips, a 35-year-old woman in Florida, was arrested and charged with child abuse for attacking her son’s bully on a school bus. “My son is trying to get an education,” she told reporters. “Leave him alone.”

Another mother, Tracy Morales, was arrested for sending her child to school with a canister of Mace to use against bullies. “Three females jumped [my daughter] and beat her up so badly in the cafeteria, the ambulance had to be called,” Morales said. “I’d give her the Mace again. You can’t continue to bully children; people are dying over it.”

Some people genuinely feel as if bullying is a normal part of childhood. Although it may be common, the victims are forever scarred. So what are parents to do when their child is bullied? Do they keep notifying the school when nothing is being resolved? My mother played a central role in putting a stop to my sister’s bullying. Some would say my mother’s behavior was over the top, but at the time, my sister was scared and had no one to defend her. My mother was brave, courageous and determined. My sister needed our mother to be a superhero.

This article was written by MSW@USC student from Southern California, Shena Crowe. She enjoys hiking, biking, shopping and reading.

Alcohol Awareness Month

The alcohol-free weekend kicked off the 27th Annual Alcohol Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD). This national grassroots effort was first observed in 1987, and today, communities throughout the United States work together to support prevention, research, education, intervention, treatment and recovery from alcoholism and alcohol-related problems.

This year’s Alcohol Awareness theme — Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow — was designed to draw attention to the pervasive impact that alcohol, alcoholism and alcohol-related problems have on young people, their friends, families and communities. In a show of solidarity for those coping with alcohol-related problems, participants were asked to abstain from drinking alcoholic beverages for a 72-hour period to demonstrate alcohol isn’t necessary to have a good time. If participants found it difficult to go without alcohol during this period, they are urged to seek more information about the warning signs of alcohol abuse.

Facts About Alcoholism

The goal of Alcohol Awareness Month is to recognize the damaging effects of alcohol and alcoholism and to renew support for individuals battling to overcome addiction. Here are a few facts about alcoholism from the NCADD website:

10 Things You Can Do

The NCADD recommends a number of actions you can take to increase the impact of Alcohol Awareness Month. Depending on populations they serve, social workers can play a leadership role. Here are 10 ways you can make a difference:

1. Recognize the clients and families, young people and community members you know who lead alcohol- and other drug-free lifestyles.

2. Teach a class or speak at a church or community event on alcohol prevention strategies, such as parental involvement.

3. Discuss critical skills for understanding alcohol-selling techniques with clients you serve.

4. Teach that abstinence from alcohol is an acceptable lifelong decision, and drinking can be risky; intervene when you have a concern.

5. If you work with schools or are raising school-age children, raise awareness about the rules regarding the use of alcohol and enforcement, and advocate for confidential health services and community service opportunities.

6. Ask your schools and universities to enforce a zero-tolerance policy on the illegal consumption of alcohol by students both on and off campus.

7. Support education programs on college campuses that include information on alcoholism prevention and treatment.

8. If you drink, be sure to set an ongoing, healthy example regarding adult alcohol use and never brag about your use of alcohol or other drugs.

9. Work with businesses in your area to offer discounts or free admission to members of the community who have signed a pledge to remain alcohol free.

10. If you are concerned about yourself, a friend, family member or client, call NCADD. Its network of affiliates will connect you with someone who is specifically trained and experienced in helping individuals and families deal with alcohol-related problems.

Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow

“The good news is that we are making progress,” says Robert J. Lindsey, president/CEO of NCADD. “It is now estimated that more than 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery. These individuals have achieved healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally, and contribute in positive ways to their communities.”

Join the tweet chat on 4/10, at 5pmPST/8pmEST to discuss the challenges military families face and how social workers can help.

Social Work Social Care Media invites you to join its weekly #SWSCMedia 8pm EST Wednesday chat. This April, Blue Star Families and MSW@USC will be co-hosting one of these chats to engage with veterans, service members, military families and social workers.

Meet us at #SWSCMedia and #milsw on Wednesday, April 10, at 5p.m. PST/8p.m. EST to discuss the challenges military families face during or after the deployment of a service member and how social workers can help. We encourage you to share your personal stories of the challenges you face and what resources would benefit your family. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions, engage with one another and learn about the initiatives active social workers are taking to help military communities.

Join us for what promises to be an educational and inspirational conversation with an active community of social workers online. Please RSVP using your Twitter handle, and share this event with your fellow military families and social work friends.

For more information on the MSW@USC military social work specialization, please visit the official USC School of Social Work page.

RSP using your Twitter handle: http://twtvite.com/military-social-work

At the start of National Social Work Month, we asked our Facebook fans what inspired them to become social workers. The comments they left on our Facebook wall mentioned a variety of motivations, such as family, community and empowerment, but the common thread was that MSW@USC students want to help people in need by being the best advocates they can be.

Here are a few quotes from our MSW@USC students about what inspires them:

In return, our MSW@USC students inspire us as they give us hope for a better, more equitable future. Share your own motivation to become a social worker in the comments below!

In a recent op-ed, Laura Gale, LCSW, a lecturer in the Virtual Academic Center, discussed the concern that all people with mental illness will be perceived as being potentially violent when, in fact, this is not the case.

Gale said the stigmatization of mental illness has a negative impact on the quality and quantity of treatment services available. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that most people with mental illness are not violent, except in cases of psychosis or comorbid substance abuse. In these cases, writes Gale, the connection between mental illness and violence “is true only if the mental illness is left untreated.” In many of the recent mass shootings, the killers exhibited disturbing behavior and other signs of mental illness before committing murder, but nothing was done to prevent their actions. Gale calls on social workers to engage in meaningful discussions about mental health and to educate family, friends and clients about the importance of treatment and to fight the growing atmosphere of stigma.

Professor Ron Avi Astor discussed the issue of guns on school campuses in an op-ed featured on CNN.com. Astor, who holds joint appointments at the USC School of Social Work and USC Rossier School of Education, calls attention to the persistent problem of elementary and secondary school students bringing lethal weapons to class. He cites federal statistics that show there were 33 school-associated violent deaths in the nation in the 12 months preceding June 30, 2010; many of these deaths were caused by young students who used weapons against fellow students.

Astor encourages principals and teachers to initiate discussions with students and parents about the presence of weapons in schools and their use as a means of intimidation. He also would like to see schools create a procedure that will allow students to anonymously report potential threats. Schools that have created these communication channels in the past decade report that incidents have been successfully thwarted as a result.

“The best prevention of student-instigated violence on campus is an educated, well-trained and caring school community in which everyone understands what to do when they see a weapon on campus and why it might save lives to act,” Astor said.

A group of social work researchers, practitioners and associated organizations led by Astor responded to the acts of violence at Sandy Hook by updating their 2006 School Shootings Position Statement. The statement recognizes two key factors in recent mass shooting incidents: the presence of severe mental illness in the shooter coupled with an intense interpersonal conflict. Increased awareness of these factors and better access to mental health services are seen as positive ways of addressing. On the subject of increasing school security to make schools safer, the group supports a thoughtful approach based on balance, communication, connectedness and support.

As social workers, we will be challenged to answer many of these tough questions at some point in our careers. Through advocacy for our clients who suffer from mental illness and education aimed at the wider public on the true nature of mental health disorders, we can begin to tackle these issues in an effective way.

In honor of this celebration, we want to re-acquaint you with our Social Work 101 infographic, which will provide anyone who is considering a career in social work a quick understanding of the profession, and the varying roles social workers play in our world. This infographic breaks down where 642,000 American social workers are employed, details about three common fields of practice and profiles four famous social workers who were pioneers in the field.

Please feel free to share on your website by copying and pasting the embed code below to celebrate National Social Work Month 2013!

<a href=”http://msw.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/MSW-IG-Social-Work-101.jpg”> <img class=”aligncenter” src=”http://msw.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/MSW-IG-Social-Work-101-600.jpg” alt=”Social Work 101 – MSW@USC” border=”0″ /></a> <br />Via MSW@USC: <a href=”http://msw.usc.edu”>Online MSW</a>

Q: What was the need that created the opportunity for this project?
A: Prior to the success of the foster care respite pilot program and change by the Iowa legislature, only licensed foster parents could provide respite foster care. That meant that foster children often had to leave their foster homes to stay in another foster home for respite. Sometimes another home was not available, or the children would have to go to another school district.

Q: What were the initial barriers that were overcome in implementation?
A: The initial barriers are always funding and the acceptance of the Iowa Department of Human Services to certify individuals who were not going to be full-time foster parents.

Q: How were funds raised initially? What type of funding was offered by the state legislation?
A: The funds initially came from a grant. A grant was used for the pilot program, and with that success, we went to the Iowa legislature. The state of Iowa changed its code to allow for foster care respite providers and allocated $25,000 to support training foster care respite providers throughout the state.

Q: Was there any pushback or red tape related to passing this project at a state level?
A: We had amazingly little push back. However, the Wartburg faculty members and foster care association director did offer direction to the students as to how they interviewed, wrote up the documentation, and provided respite services. The students were expected to perform as professional social workers in their interviews and in their documentation. Since DHS was initially reluctant to endorse the project, the work had to be exceptional. Fortunately, the students were willing to have Wartburg faculty push them to perfection. Students understood that what they did and wrote had direct impact on children and families.

Q: What are some of the major outcomes related to this outreach effort? How has this project improved your community?
A: Foster families raved about having respite services accessible to them and appreciated that their foster children could remain in their own home. Families appreciated the opportunity for respite services that had not been available to them before this program.

Q: Do you have any special considerations, advice, or words-of-wisdom that may help future advocates turn projects into policy?
A: Much of the legislative success came from writing a strong issue case. We did our research. Another helpful tactic was requesting the area foster care/adoption agencies and foster parents advocate for the passage of this program in the legislature. A coalition of invested citizens tends to be successful. We also identified key legislators, several of whom were social workers, to champion this cause.

The adoption of the Certified Respite Provider program demonstrates what social workers do every day—we work for one small change that makes a huge difference. We congratulate Professor Vallem, Dr. Faux and the Wartburg College BSW students who worked so hard to make this program a reality.

Join the University of Southern California School of Social Work and its online MSW@USC program for a tweet chat co-hosted with Social Work/ Social Care Media to kick off National Social Work Month! Meet us at #workforchange on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. PST/ 9 p.m. EST.

We will provide a forum that encourages social workers and social justice advocates to discuss the importance of dedicating your life to social change. We encourage you to share your stories of what inspires and motivates you to work for change. You will have the opportunity to ask questions, engage with one another and learn from fellow social workers.

Join us for what promises to be an educational and inspirational conversation with an active community of social workers online. Participants will be entered in to a drawing to win one of four copies of “Three Little Words: A Memoir“ by MSW@USC graduate Ashley Rhodes-Courter, who turned a foster-care childhood into fuel for child welfare advocacy. You must RSVP for a chance to win!

Consider using the following platforms to engage in the conversation*:
• Twitter.com
• Tweetchat.com
• Hootsuite.com
• Tweetdeck.com

*you must have a Twitter account to participate in the tweet chat.