Dr. Tricia Bent-Goodley is the Professor of Social Work and Chair of the Community, Administration and Policy Practice Sequence at Howard University School of Social Work.  Dr. Goodley’s research has focused on violence against women and girls, HIV prevention, and healthy relationship education.  She has developed community and faith-based interventions in domestic violence and relationship education with a focus on strengthening the Black family.  Dr. Bent-Goodley’s most recent book is The Ultimate Betryal: A Renewed Look at Intimate Partner Violence published in 2011.

Q.  Dr. Bent-Goodley, you have written about the role of sexism as one of the causes of domestic violence in the African American.  Would you say that sexism is a problem across the economic spectrum for African Americans?   Do we see the same level of domestic violence in recently arrived African immigrant families?

Q.  What particular barriers do African American women face when they seek help?  For example, are there stereotypes about African American women that may make staff at shelter’s less likely to take these victims seriously, i.e., African American women are perceived as strong and are expected to handle any situation?

Q.  This issue highlights the need for culturally compentent care providers.  Can you talk about how offering culturally competent counseling means more than just having African Americans on staff at women’s shelters, for example?

Q.  How can faith-based institutions help women dealing with domestic violence?  Is the Black Church ever a hindrance?

To honor LGBT Pride Month we asked Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) social workers to tell us why they chose social work as their profession and to describe the unique challenges facing their community.

Catherine Crisp, PhD
BSW Program Coordinator
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas

Dr. Crisp

Q. Where did you earn your social work degree? What is your area of expertise and where are you currently employed?

I have a BA in sociology from Rutgers University, an MSW from the University of Kansas, and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. My primary area of expertise is gay affirmative practice.

I developed the only validated scale to date that assesses the degree to which practitioners engage in gay affirmative practice behaviors and beliefs with clients (for more info about the scale, see http://ccrisp.googlepages.com/gayaffirmativepracticescale ).

I am currently the BSW Program Coordinator at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Q. Why did you choose social work as your profession?

I chose social work because I was drawn to the value base of the profession, particularly the commitment to working with diverse and oppressed populations. This emphasis makes social work and the work we do unique from other related professions. In addition, I embraced the systems and biopsychosocial perspectives and love the way that social workers treat the whole person, in the context of their many environments and strengths and challenges, as opposed to simply treating a single issue as is often the case in some other professions.

Q. What are the greatest challenges in the LGBT community and how can social workers help?

The greatest challenge facing the GLBT community is the need for equal rights and equal protection under the law. Shortly after I returned to my home state of Arkansas after a 26 year absence, the voters of this state stripped my right to be a foster or adoptive parent solely on the basis of the fact that I chose to live openly and honestly with my same sex partner, someone the state has denied my right to legally marry.

While discrimination against gays and lesbians is now written into many state constitutions, it is also reinforced by the federal government with laws such as Don't Ask, Don't Tell (which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the US military and continues to be reinforced under the Obama administration) and the Defense of Marriage Act (which defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for all federal laws).

Social workers must be educated about these laws, both in their own communities and at national and international levels, and given the education, resources, and encouragement to challenge these laws on both individual and institutional levels. Further, social workers must be educated in gay affirmative practice methods so they can engage in social work practice in ways that respect and affirm the lives of their gay, lesbian, bisexual, and/or transgendered clients.

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To find a social worker in your area, please click here.

To  celebrate Black History Month, we asked African American social workers  to  talk to  us about their career.

Geneva Fleming, PhD, LCSW, LISW-CP
Faculty and Coordinator of the Human Services Program  
Trident Technical College
Charleston, South Carolina

Dr. Fleming

Q.     Dr. Fleming, where did you receive your social work education, what is your area of specialization, and where are you currently employed?

I am a skilled Social Worker with more than 30 years professional experience in healthcare administration and higher education. I completed my undergraduate work in Sociology at Voorhees College in Denmark, SC and received my Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina in 1980. I later completed my Doctorate in Ministry and a PhD in Religious Studies from a notable California University.  

I am a faculty and Coordinator of the Human Services program at Trident Technical College, Charleston, South Carolina. Although my practice has extended from neonates to geriatrics, my primary area of expertise is gerontology, case management and leadership development in the profession of social work.

Q.   Why did you choose social work as your profession?

As a woman of honor and integrity, I chose Social Work as my profession because its Code of Ethics represents my own personal values and beliefs. I am a lover of God's greatest creation, people. From my youth I've had a genuine interest in the life and wellbeing of all mankind; but particularly those less able to take care of themselves.   Those interests continue to permeate my practice as I utilize the higher education process to focus on the integration and influences of the micro and macro systems.   The Code of Ethics for the National Association of Social Workers is the right fit for who I am as a person and professional, which makes practicing in this discipline a natural.

Q.   What is your proudest professional achievement?

Along with  enhancing student knowledge in the profession of social work, my proudest professional achievement is the creation of a company, The Fleming Group, LLC  (www.thefleminggrouponline.com), that provides strategic planning, training and consultation to organizations wanting to start or improve its services to the community.   The clinical arm of this company, called Case Management Plus+, provides a local service to physicians and their patients which involves counseling and care coordination.  

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William Shryer is the Clinical Director of Diablo Behavioral Health Care in Danville, CA.   Mr. Shryer earned his BA degree in Sociology at California State University in Hayward. He received his MSW from the University of California at Berkeley specializing in Children and Families. Mr. Shryer has been in private practice since 1981 specializing in Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Mood Disorders, and the Anxiety Spectrum in children, adults and their families. Mr. Shryer has lectured frequently to college classes and professionals in the areas of ADD and Autistic Spectrum disorders and their implications in the educational setting. He has been active in a number of CHADD chapters. Mr. Shryer manages three behavioral clinics with a staff of MD’s, Counselors, Clinical Psychologists, and Special Education teachers. He has been the moderator on CCTV, (Contra Costa Television) for both “Mental Health Perspectives”, and “With the Family in Mind” which discussed topics such as Asperger’s Disorder, Autism, Bipolar disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder in children and adults.

Asperger's Syndrome is a variant of autism therefore on the autism spectrum.   While it is indeed possible to have ADHD and Asperger's it is often misdiagnosed as ADHD by those clinically unfamiliar with Asperger's.   A central difference between Asperger's and ADHD is that the individual with ADHD has a neurobiological difficulty in focusing and paying attention, therefore an Attention Deficit Disorder, while an individual with Asperger's will have difficulty deciding on what to pay attention to, or not be able to shift attention from what they want to think about to what someone else wants them to think about.   When misdiagnosed as ADHD the individual with Asperger's will often be prescribed the medications to treat ADHD and have their internal anxiety state go to into high gear.   If they have stuck thoughts the stimulant medications can increase their stuckness so now they have what I call "Attention Surplus Disorder".   The higher functioning the individual with Asperger's may be the more likely they are to be misdiagnosed by the uninformed.

Q.               Does it affect more boys than girls?  

Asperger's was thought to affect more boys than girls by a wide margin; however this is being called into question lately.   While the number of boys referred for evaluation is around 10:1, it now appears that girls are more likely to present very differently than boys.   Girls are more likely to give aid and support to an "Aspie" peer while boys are more likely to be bullied and made fun of.   With so many of our diagnostic categories' it seems that girls present differently and therefore are missed, or misdiagnosed.

Q.               What are the typical behavioral manifestations?   Their talents, their shortcomings?  

The behavioral manifestations vary depending on age and severity of the disorder.   Younger children and more often boys than girls will be very concrete in their interpretations of things asked of them.   They often have an odd quality to their speech patterns often speaking in a pedantic, "little professor" manner.   They are famous for starting an answer with, "actually".   They have real difficulty with social nuance and the unwritten rules of social discourse.   They often don't get what comes naturally to other children, they make talk too loud or too quiet, and they may stand too close to someone or too far away.   They often have great difficulty with ADL's or activities of daily living such as teeth brushing, hair combing and other issues related to hygiene making them easy prey for targeting.   Eye contact is often difficult for them and much more common in boys than girls.   It seems girls with Asperger's are better at watching and copying the behavior of other girls in order to appear to fit in.   As far as their talents go, they are often very intelligent as the so often have a parent that is a engineer or some other occupation that requires high intelligence.   Since they have a very concrete way of perceiving the world they often do poorly at algebra but can be a whiz at calculus or trigonometry.   They often have great skills in the computer area and as kids love computer games as they are not played with others directly.   

Q.               What kind of   partners / spouses are they?  

I have seen several who are in fact married and it always seems to be an Aspie man married to a non-aspie woman.   Maybe it's the idea of some women that they can change the man or nurture them so they will change.   Often the woman married to an aspie man needs to learn proper expectations of their spouse.   Remembering birthdays and to say kind things in a relationship are important and the individual with Asperger's will have to be taught these things as they will not come naturally to them.   In the movie Adam, which is a wonderful movie about Asperger's and relationships the woman in the show says to Adam, "Can I have a hug?" Adam responds with, "yes" and then does nothing.   The woman realizing he was being concrete say to Adam, "Can I have a hug Now" and receives one.   This is a great example of how they handle intimacy.

Q.               How were these young people diagnosed in the past?  

In the past most young people with Asperger's were misdiagnosed.   Some of the more common misdiagnoses were ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder even though most with Asperger's stuck on their own particular fascination, be it vacuum cleaners, algae, dinosaurs, or medieval history show little to no anxiety while thinking about their special area.   The anxiety that these folks feel is in relation to knowing on some level that they don't know how to navigate the social landscape.   They have been misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, schizotypal personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, obsessive compulsive personality disorder, even antisocial personality disorder.   When these poor young people that fell into the grasp of poorly trained clinicians it gives new meaning to the old saying that if "all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". The professionals that saw them didn't know about Asperger's so they tried to fit them into categories they did know to the misfortune of many children and teens over the years.

Q.              How can therapy help them?  

The reality is that typical therapy really doesn't help them.  The abstract world of "How does that make you feel" is beyond them.   They frustrate most clinicians that don't know the patient they have is Asperger's.   They need a lot of direction and coaching and training.   While what I do I call therapy with this group, it is highly directed, very structured and involves the entire family, the school and often other groups.   Assisting the schools to provide the support they need is central for them as well.   Often the schools and the parents are overwhelmed with the often odd and perservative behavior they can demonstrate.   This is one diagnostic category where the saying, "It takes a village" was never more true.

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To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.  

Hortensia T. Breton, LCSW, PPSC
School Counselor/Social Worker
Stephens Middle School
Long Beach, California

Ms. Breton

Q.   Ms. Breton, where did you earn your social work degree, where are you employed, and what is your area of specialization?

I earned my BSW from California State University, Long Beach and my MSW from USC.   I specialize in school social work and am employed at Stephens Middle School in Long Beach, CA.   Since 1993, I have been a part-time faculty member  California State University, Long Beach’s MSW program.

Q.   Why did you choose social work as your profession?  

My parents were my role models.   They were in  the medical/helping profession.  They were  immigrants  who were sponsored to  stay in the United States  when  relations between the USA and Cuba were severed.   Because  of this political situation, I  lived  in a small farming community outside of Peoria, Illinois until I was 10.    I remember my parents had a  chicken coop  built to hold the chickens we recevied as the community paid for services  rendered.   I can also remember my Grandma Ema welcoming us after school with home baked cookies  while  my parents were at work.  I  can also remember as a five-year-old  when the Post Master brought us a sack of toys from Santa  and we celebrated  our first  American Christmas.    

When we moved to Coral Gables, Florida the bus driver’s’ “Hello” was always welcoming as I took a seat and felt the house key tied around my neck.   Later, when my family  moved to California,  Vietnam Veterans and the Long Beach Veteran’s Administration Hospital became our extended family and after school program.   The concept of it takes a village to raise a child was always present in my life as the fact that every person I encountered was my family.  

Q.   What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community?  

A challenge I see for some women in the Hispanic Community is to overcome the role of  ”La sufrida”  which has immobilized women.   I also  want  the Hispanic Community to find their voice at whatever level: in their child’s school, in a letter they write to voice their opinion,  in the voting booth, in the political arena.    

Social workers have the responsibility to help everyone in need, to find their inner voice and be heard.

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To find a social worker in your area, please click here.