Introduction
To celebrate Black History Month, we asked African American social workers to talk to us about their career.
Richard-JaJA R. Greene, MSW, ACSW
School Social Worker, East Orange , New Jersey
Founder, Generations of Change
Mr. Greene
Q. Mr. Greene, where did uyou earn your social work degree, where are you employed and what is your area of expertise?
I earned my Bachelors degree in Sociology from the University of Virginia and my Masters degree in Social Work from The University of Pennsylvania. During the course of my career, I have held management positions with private sector organizations that serve the homeless, mentally ill, persons living with HIV/AIDS, low-income families, adolescents and other similar service delivery areas. My area of expertise is in the realm of youth development. I serve on numerous Boards and Advisory groups that have shared common missions of creating opportunities for positive youth development. I am currently employed with the East Orange, New Jersey school district as a school social worker. Additionally, I serve as an adjunct instructor at Rutgers University School of Social Work. In 2007, I founded Generations of Change, a consulting firm that provides training, professional development and grant management resources to social services agencies and schools.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your profession?
During my early childhood, I was blessed to have been nurtured by family and friends. This early support system has developed within me an affinity for helping people and doing for others. While working to help individuals make connections between their environment and human behavior, social work allows me to help people identify and create positive change in their lives.
Q. if you were able to make one lasting impact on the world, what would it be and what would be your strategy for achieving it?
Throughout my career as a social worker, I have been working with young people to focus on areas of their lives that they can directly influence and change. On a daily basis, I help youth develop, appreciate, and act on their talents. It is the talent of the people I work with that will better our communities. My one lasting impact on the world would be to take the children who are constantly complaining and focusing on things that they have no control over, watch them get worked up, frustrated, angered, and help them direct that energy in a positive way to be the change they want to see in the world.
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