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Posts Tagged ‘
Hispanic heritage month ’
Introduction
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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Tags: Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, Hortensia Breton
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Henry Acosta, MA, MSW, LSW
Executive Director
National Resource Center for Hispanic Mental Health
Deputy Director, New Jersey Mental Health Institute
and Chair, Alliance for Latino Behavioral Health Workforce Development
Mercerville, New Jersey
 Mr. Acosta Q. Mr. Acosta, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I earned my Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Administration, Planning and Policy with children and families at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in 1999.
I also completed my coursework toward a PhD in Social Work with a concentration on Social Policy Analysis and Administration and am currently preparing for my qualifying examinations.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your career?
I chose social work as a career at it is truly a helping profession that takes into consideration such factors as the strengths of a whole person, family, and environment in resolving presenting problems. I have been blessed to work as a social worker in direct practice, administrative positions and in policy development and advocacy for nearly 20 years now at the local, state and national levels. I truly enjoy helping others achieve their goals and helping to create programs that run effectively and efficiently for the betterment of others.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
Hispanics face a number of challenges across the United States that significantly contribute to the group's over representation in many of the nation's most vulnerable populations that can be improved with increased availability of, access to, and the provision of quality, and culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health care. Social workers can help Hispanics overcome many of the challenges they face by becoming more culturally sensitive, becoming more culturally and linguistically competent, and by participating in advocacy and other efforts to ensure a more diverse, multidisciplinary, and bilingual and bicultural behavioral health workforce.
Honors and Awards:
- 2009 Minority Health Community Trailblazer Award from the U.S. Department of Human Services / National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities
- 2007 Advancing Minority Mental Health Award from the American Psychiatric Foundation
- a 2007 “Forty Under 40″ Award from NJBIZ Magazine
- a national leadership award in Latino Mental Health from the Latino Behavioral Health Institute
- Certificate of Recognition Award from the American Psychiatric Foundation in May 2006,
- 2006 National Association of Social Workers – New York City Chapter and New York Latino Social Work Task Force Leadership Award,
- The National Association of Puerto Rican/Hispanic Social Workers’ Leadership Award in November 2004
- 2004 Rookie of the Year Award from the March of Dimes North Jersey Chapter
- For his work on the 2000 Million Mom March event, Mr. Acosta received a State of New Jersey Senate Resolution recognizing his work and was invited to the White House for an event recognizing many of the individuals who helped organize the event
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Tags: Henry Acosta, Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers
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Hispanic Heritage Profiles 2010 |
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Introducción
Para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, pedimos a trabajadores sociales hispanos que nos cuenten sobre sus profesiones.
Guadalupe G. Lara, MSW, LMSW
GGLara Consultants Allen Park, Michigan
Miembro de la Junta Directiva
Asociación Nacional de Trabajadores Sociales
Washington, DC
 Sra. Lara P. Sra. Lara, ¿dónde obtuvo su título de trabajador social, cuál es su área de especializacin y dónde se desempeñ?
Obtuve mi título de maestría en trabajo social en la Universidad Estatal de Wayne en Detroit, MI. Mi enfoque ha sido asistir a niños y familias que han pasado por situaciones de abuso, pero aprendí con el tiempo que el personal también puede ser prejudicial y he desarrollado un entrenamiento a base de esfuerzo para gestionar conflictos laborales.
He tenido la suerte de contar con grandes mentores y modelos a seguir quienes me enseñaron el significado de justicia y mi responsabilidad para alzarme por aquellos quienes están siendo abusados y aún no tienen voz. Me retiré del Detroit Medical Center, donde trabajé 27 años en distintas posiciones de liderazgo, desde Directora de Trabajo Social hasta Directora Corporativa de Trabajo Social para los ocho hospitales de la Compañía. Desde entonces me he dedicado al cuidado de mi madre quien sufre la enfermedad de Alzheimer y a brindar asesoramiento y capacitacin sobre la gestin de conflictos en lugares de trabajo con diferentes grupos de personas.
P. ¿Por qué eligi el trabajo social como carrera?
Elegí el trabajo social porque justo después de la preparatoria trabajé a medio tiempo en un hospital y descubrí la gran necesidad que había de asistencia social para representar a personas mayores y aunque mi trabajo era como empleada administrativa me encontré a mi misma luchando por los pacientes. Además, mi madre era una Voluntaria de las Hijas de la Caridad y trabajaba principalmente con los ancianos y ella ha sido la inspiracin más importante en mi vida. Me siento privilegiada por trabajar en un campo que encuentro tan gratificante y que hace una gran diferencia para muchos.
P. ¿Cuáles son los principales desafíos que enfrentan hoy los Latinos y cmo pueden ayudar los trabajadores sociales?
Todos los Latinos enfrentan una discriminacin potencial debido a la reaccin negativa del movimiento de odio a la inmigracin. Los Latinos aún hoy necesitan en términos culturales servicios competentes, y aún existen muchos niños y familias que requieren asistencia con el idioma a través de servicios de traduccin.
Los niños que han vivido toda su vida aquí necesitan apoyo en favor de una educacin continua más allá de la preparatoria. Todavía existe pobreza y falta de acceso al servicio de salud en muchas de estas comunidades. Estoy orgullosa que en Michigan nuestra organizacin local NASW está defendiendo la Ley Dream y consistentemente se ha comunicado con los trabajadores sociales Latinos para brindar sesiones educativas en sus conferencias anuales. También se han asociado con la Organizacin de Trabajadores Sociales Latinos en Michigan.
Si es un trabajador social en un área con alta concentracin de Latinos, defienda la capacitacin sobre quiénes son los Latinos en su zona, cuáles son sus necesidades y haga grupos de enfoque con los prestadores de servicios de la comunidad Latina sobre cmo pueden colaborar con ellos para brindar un mejor servicio a esta comunidad diversa de Latinos en crecimiento.
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Tags: Guadalupe Lara, Hispanic heritage month, latina social workers, NASW Michigan Chapter
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Yazmira T. Nieto-Cruz, MSW, LCSW
President and Founder
Millennium Counseling Associates
Paramus, New Jersey
 Ms. Nieto-Cruz Q. Ms. Nieto-Cruz, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed? I earned my Master of Social Work Degree from Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service. My specialty in Mental Health. I have my own private practice, Millennium Counseling Associates.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your career?
I chose social work because I wanted to help people. I learned empathy and compassion from my mother, Fanny Nieto, who was a nurse. My mom encouraged and supported me to study Psychology at Rutgers College. After obtaining my B.A. from Rutgers University, I worked as a crisis worker in the Emergency Room. A couple of years later I began to work as a Mental Health Worker in the Mental Health Center affiliated with the hospital I worked for. I realized then that I wanted to pursue graduate studies in social work.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
I feel that the greatest challenge facing the Hispanic community is not knowing the English language and not being aware of the programs available in their communities. With the current economic crisis and lack of jobs, many have been faced with unemployment or income reduction. For many, lacking the skills necessary for specific jobs and not knowing the English language, places Hispanics at a disadvantage of getting a better job. Also, not knowing or being proficient in English creates a gap between families of school age children. This leads to a disadvantage since teachers may assume that parents are disinterested in their child's progress, when indeed, it has to do with not being able to communicate.
I believe that we need more Hispanics in the Social Work field, as well, as other social workers to work with patients in teaching them about mental health and psychiatric disorders and the options available in their treatment. Although medications may be recommended for mental disorders for many patients by their primary doctors or psychiatrists, many others may benefit from just attending individual couples/marital or family therapy. Social Workers can help by educating Hispanics and reaching out, especially in churches or a message via any Hispanic newspaper.
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Tags: Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW New Jersey Chapter, Yazmina Nieto-Cruz
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Gloria Lopez-Henriquez, MSW
Co-Researcher, The Goryeb Children's Hospital
Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology Department
Morristown Memorial Hospital
and
Private Practitioner
Morristown, New Jersey
 Ms. Lopez-Henriquez Q. Ms. Lopez-Henriquez, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I earned my masters in social work at the School of Social Services of Fordham University in New York City. I have always been drawn to family work and last year I completed formal training in family therapy at the Ackerman Institute for the Family. Being an immigrant myself, I have a special interest in the trans-generational impact of leaving one's own country of origin.
Two other areas of great interest are how to develop into a socially just clinician and supervisor and how families with children diagnosed with chronic diseases prevail, especially those at the margins. Currently, I am a co-researcher at the Goryeb Children's Hospital, Pediatric Diabetes and endocrinology department, Morristown Memorial Hospital in a qualitative project involving families with teens diagnosed with type I diabetes. I am also part of the faculty at the Center for Family, Community and Social Justice in Princeton and I have a small private practice in Morristown, NJ.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your profession?
As the child of a poor family living in poor country, I developed an early sociopolitical awareness that evolved into my life time commitment for social change. I believe that as a social worker, I am instrumental in promoting change one family at a time.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community?
It is my belief that Latino immigrant families in general, but in particular those undocumented, are in the middle of the cross fire between those USA political forces that promote arresting and deporting and those who promote legalization and assimilation. While this tangled political debate continues, the answer to how a rich, powerful and desirable country for immigrants such as the United States is to deal justly with immigration, continues to elude us. In the mean time, 12 million human beings, 80% of them Latinos, continue to suffer the causalities of this war of words.
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Tags: Gloria Lopez-Henriquez, Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW New Jersey Chapter
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Everardo Alvizo, Jr., MSW
Program Analyst
Special Service for Groups (SSG)
Los Angeles, California
 Mr. Alvizo Q. Where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I obtained my Master in Social Welfare degree from UCLA's School of Public Affairs, Department of Social Welfare. My area of specialization is social work with organizations, communities and policy. I'm currently employed as a Program Analyst with Special Service for Groups (SSG). SSG is a nonprofit organization with more than 24 programs that provide social services and mental health services throughout Los Angeles County. As a Program Analyst, my responsibilities include grant writing, social service and mental health program design, contract management, and coordinating after-school tutoring programs.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your career?
I chose a career in social work in order to engage in positive social change. I was able to attend UCLA through the Blue and Gold Scholarship which required me to complete community service hours every year in order to "give-back" to the community where I came from. I completed my hours by providing college preparatory instruction to high school students from underserved communities throughout Los Angeles County. This was my first experience with "social work" and where I began understanding how I can affect positive change in the world.
After obtaining my B.A. from UCLA, I worked for a fair housing council in Los Angeles, providing assistance to individuals with various housing needs. As an Outreach Coordinator for this council, I saw how local housing policies can positively or negatively impact individuals and communities. Both of these experiences taught me that social service programs and local public policies have the potential to greatly improve lives. As a gay Latino man from immigrant working class Mexican parents, I feel that it is imperative for me to be politically knowledgeable and involved as well. Whether by developing effective social service programs or creating and advocating for public policy that will address community needs, I feel prepared to do so as a social worker.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
I believe the greatest challenge facing the Hispanic community currently is the need for comprehensive immigration reform. I have recently become aware of Hispanic undocumented college students who want to be contributing members to their communities but cannot do so because of their undocumented status. These youth cannot receive financial aid to complete their college course work and/or cannot secure employment to pursue their careers once they have obtained their bachelor's and master's degrees often from very prestigious and high ranking universities.
Currently, there is a strong push for passage of the DREAM Act. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bipartisan bill introduced to provide undocumented young people an earned legal pathway to citizenship and is endorsed by NASW. Social workers can help the passage of the DREAM Act by informing themselves about this Act and pushing for its passage. You can learn more about it here.
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Tags: Everardo Alvizo, Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW California Chapter
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Ruth V. Negrón-Gaines, MSW
Retired
Central Islip, New York
 Ms. Negrón-Gaines Q. Ms. Negrón-Gaines, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I attended the State University of New York At Stony Brook where I received a Masters Degree in Social Work with a concentration on policy, administration and research. I am a retiree and serve as a volunteer board member on several nonprofit organizations.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your career?
I began my work career as an employee of the New York State Office of Mental Health at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. After several years of working in various positions I decided to return to school to further my education and to become a professional. I chose to pursue a career in social work because my values, interests, and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, made the career especially suitable for me. I also chose social work because it is challenging, satisfying, it makes a difference and is filled with opportunity. I knew that as a social worker I would be able to support people in following through with treatment plans for illness, disease, other goals they needed to achieve and to help them to bring about wellness and success in their lives.
I was also active in the Union and I wanted to take action and get others involved. I wanted to learn how to achieve social change through collective action by changing the balance of power.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
To me the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community viewed within the context of socioeconomic, environmental and political is the wide disparity that exists between the social status of Latino families and that of the majority population. It has being recorded that lack of access to financial resources, unemployment, underemployment, poverty, crime, public safety, racism, immigration, unacceptable high school dropout rate, glass ceilings, drugs, gangs and acculturation strongly impact one's physical and mental well-being. Such conditions bear on the lives of many Latinos, Latinas and their families.
The second and more important challenge on the Latino agenda is both broader and deeper. It is to make the Hispanics' presence felt and respected: respect for ourselves, our language, and our culture. The history of America is a history of change. Over the centuries, America has experienced profound and dramatic changes in government, cultural mores, commerce, and immigration, to name a few.
Change is also having an impact on Latinos in Long Island. Like other groups, Latinos are struggling to preserve old traditions while striving to embrace, or keep new ways of thinking and living. The growth of Latinos in Islip Town has also caused its own unique struggles regarding change – between Latinos and non-Latinos, between newly immigrated Latinos and more established Latinos, and between older Latinos with strong ties to the ways of old and younger Latinos with visions of the ways of the new.
The U.S. Census defines Hispanics as people who originate from Spanish speaking countries or regions. Hispanics can be of any race. Today, rising numbers of Americans are, like me, of mixed ethnicity. Many of us are proud of this heritage and interested in our multiple ancestries. We do not fit the limiting, artificial categories of race.
In my own community, ironically, I am not seen as a "Latina". I am, to my Mexican and Latin and Central American colleagues, just another "American". No matter that I speak Spanish, have brown skin and parents from the Old World. So I'm branded a "gringa" where I don't want to be one, and where I want to be one, I'm rejected.
As social workers we have the opportunity to play a huge important role in the coming years, as the world grows into its new self. We can play the role of bridge-builders, and we can bring back to the community coalitions not merely of convenience but based on the moral integrity of solidarity. It is easy for Latinos to get the wrong advice. Social Workers must not only say the right words, but also we must "walk the talk." We must be disciples of the partnering process and be unashamed to spread the message and benefits of the process. It must be more than lip service to appease others. Social workers must be secure and self-confident, because when we need to give hard feedback to a Latino family or individual we should not shy away from it. We must remember that mentors grow out of a joint experience and mutual respect develops from shared knowledge, and the recognition that the relationship is beneficial to both parties.
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Tags: Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW New York State Chapter, Ruth Negron-Gaines
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Virginia Rondero Hernandez, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor
Department of Social Work Education
California State University
Fresno
 Dr. Rondero Hernandez Q. Dr. Rondero Hernandez, where did you earn your social work degrees, what are your areas of specialization, and where are you employed?
I earned my MSW from California State University, Sacramento and my PhD from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. My research interests include child welfare, children's health, developmental disabilities, health disparities, juvenile justice, mental health and substance abuse.
I have taught at the university level for 18 years. I specialize in teaching research, policy and human behavior. Currently, I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Work Education at California State University, Fresno and a Faculty Researcher/Evaluator for the Central California Social Welfare Evaluation, Research and Training Center at Fresno State. Previously, I taught at Texas State University, San Marcos and the Worden School of Social Service at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.
My social work career includes service in clinics, hospitals, hospice, schools and community-based agencies. I have conducted research related to fetal alcohol syndrome, genetic health services, child health disparities, Latino mental health, substance abuse, and shame resilience.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your profession?
I chose social work based on my family's experience with my brother, who was born with Down Syndrome, and my work experiences with Head Start. The former experience helped me to appreciate the importance of advocacy and empowerment. I watched my parents pursue every avenue they could to get the social support and services they needed for my brother. The latter experience introduced me to the ecological perspective, which helped me to appreciate the dynamic processes and interplay of human behavior and the social environment. These experiences fueled my desire for social change at multiple levels, a practice approach that I teach aspiring undergraduate and graduate social workers today.
Q. What are the greatest challenges in the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
I think the greatest challenges we face are the misperceptions that mainstream America has about Latinos, and the subsequent stereotypes that follow. Latino populations help to support the nation's economy at many levels. The majority of Latino families promote prosocial values, such as family life, education, and self-sufficiency. Certainly, a disproportionate number of Latinos are affected by underemployment and poverty, and are in desperate need of the basics of life that Abraham Maslow described.
As social workers, we must be unrelenting in advocating for the reframing of perceptions that we are a "drain" on resources, and strive to ensure that the physical, psychological, and social needs of nuestra gente are met, and that social and economic justice prevail.
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Tags: Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW California Chapter, Virginia Rondero Hernandez
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Theresa Moran, BSW, CTPM
Program Specialist
Texas Department of Family
and Protective Services (DFPS)
Austin, Texas
 Ms. Moran Q. Ms. Moran, where did you earn your social work degrees, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I earned my BSW at The University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work. As a student in 2001, I interned as a caseworker with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Child Protective Services prior to accepting employment with the Department.
My area of specialization is Child Welfare and I have been serving abused and neglected children and their parents or caregivers through employment with Child Protective Services for about eight and a half years. I began my career with the Department as a caseworker, first in Investigations, then moving to Conservatorship, and finally Family Based Safety Services.
Conservatorship was truly my passion, as it allowed me to work one-on-one with children in foster care for more than four years. I have worked with families in both rural and urban areas. I am bilingual and able to communicate with children and parents in both English and Spanish.
I have worked with many Spanish speaking families, which sometimes included immigrant families from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. At times this has meant working with the Mexican Consulate’s Office on behalf of children who have a parent in Mexico. After becoming an Advanced Specialist with almost five years of frontline casework, I moved to the child and adult abuse hotline. Writing has always been an area I enjoy and do well in, so I next moved to Procurement where I worked for two years on procuring services for CPS families. In procurement I wrote Requests for Proposals, Invitation for Bids, and Provider Enrollments for services such as counseling, parent training, family group decision making conferences, and many other services. This has allowed me to participate in and sometimes lead workgroups to define what we want in the services for our families.
I am currently employed as a Program Specialist for the Director of CPS Regional Contracts, where I continue to work with program staff to help develop services and QA processes and procedures for CPS contractors. As a member of these teams, I strive to maintain the agency’s commitment to integrate and embrace family centered practice in all that we do, as this philosophy is fundamental to serving children, youth and families with dignity and respect.
Q. Why did you choose social work as your career?
I consider myself to be a Child Advocate. I actually worked in college textbook and scholarly university press publishing for sixteen years and had been a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in 1995. I had always been pulled between journalism and social work and made the decision to do social work because I believe that we must “Be the Change you want to See in this World” [Ghandi]. As a student, other students would ask me why I wanted to work for CPS because the majority of them had no interest in CPS and had heard of the high turnover rate of caseworkers. My response was always–if not me–then who? For me, there was no question about it–I had made my commitment. It was the right choice for me and I have never looked back. I wear my old caseworker badge behind my new badge and it serves to remind me of the children I have known along the way. Every decision I make is made with them and the caseworkers in mind. This is hard work — but incredibly rewarding.
Q. What are the greatest challenges facing the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
Immigration issues are very significant and the Arizona law is creating a backlash of concern among the Hispanic community. Under this law, legal American citizens, (even my grandmother on the way to the grocery store) can be required to show their papers to prove they are legal citizens if asked by law enforcement. This is clearly discrimination. Until every person is required to show their papers–regardless of what country their ancestry migrated from–a law should not be passed that singles out a people based on their national origin or appearance of national origin. I do not know what the answers need to be but, I do know that when decisions are made–Hispanics must be sitting at the table participating in those outcomes.
Another issue is the issue of the growing Hispanic community sometimes referred to as the “sleeping giant.” The population has been growing but the leadership in the Hispanic communities is not yet in place. I am involved in an organization called “Las Comadres Para Las Americas,” which helps me connect with other Latinas and provides training and forums to address the issue of political leadership. There are many good organizations that a person could get involved with. Social workers need to be involved in advocacy and organizing to help develop leadership and increase voter capacity.
I am from Texas, where we are known for having one of the largest prison populations in the world. The majority of the inmates are Hispanic and Black and I believe this is partially due to social injustice in the way we provide court appointed attorneys that are not always truly invested in the way they work with those they are hired to represent. The sentences are often too long for the crimes inmates have committed. The father in prison is sometimes the best parent a child has, but his inflated prison sentence is keeping him from being in the home to financially or emotionally support his child(ren).
We must advocate for improvements in our criminal justice system and require lawmakers to make laws that help separate those inmates that pose a clear and present danger to the community from those that do not—on a case by case basis. The expense of running so many prisons bears an undue burden on taxpayers. We are in a cash strapped economy that demands us to be smarter on crime–not harder on crime. Social workers should advocate for more re-entry programs to help inmates become safe and productive members of society.
The drop-out rate of our youth is a mounting problem with staggering statistics. These youth are our future and we must find a way to provide support, help them bridge the learning gaps, and help them succeed in gaining an education. The highest rate of inmates in our prisons is often individuals who have dropped out of school. Children need to grow up with a sense of accomplishment and have experiences that help them build on their successes. Social workers must advocate and encourage others to become involved. We must find a way to reach out and support these youth, their teachers, and the school districts and become involved as organizers and mentors in the community.
Finally, domestic violence and partner abuse is another issue that impacts the Hispanic community. Research shows that a depressed economy has a direct correlation with an increase in stress that can lead to increased domestic violence. This works in both increased cases of battered partners and in child physical abuse. Social workers are needed in our communities as volunteers, therapists, organizers, and healers of domestic violence situations. Spanish speaking social workers are needed as the Hispanic population increases and we need to work to break the cycles of domestic violence.
We are in an economic downturn. In Texas, our governor and legislators are slashing the budget of health and human service agencies by 15 percent for each agency. These are the agencies that serve abused children, elderly, physically disabled, mentally disabled, blind, hearing impaired, and others who need our assistance for survival. As social workers, we must advocate for accountable government and let our legislators know that we do not support irresponsible budget allotments like Austin’s multi-million dollar race track that gets to stay in the budget while we slash services to those who need them to survive. In some states, there have been even greater economic impacts. As social workers, we must become informed and involved wherever we are.
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Tags: Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW Texas Chapter, Theresa Moran
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Introduction
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Hispanic social workers to talk to us about their careers.
Christine Valentin, MSW, LCSW
Caregiving Specialist
Glendale, New York
 Ms. Valentin Q. Ms. Valentin, where did you earn your social work degree, what is your area of specialization, and where are you employed?
I earned my Social work degree from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in New York City where I focused my studies on Gerontology. Since graduating, I've expanded my focus to include working with family caregivers. I work full time at a non-profit organization and have a part-time private practice where I assist family caregivers who are concerned about an older adult in their life. I help family caregivers alleviate feelings of anxiety and hopelessness so they can better manage their situation through the provision of information, education, advocacy and counseling.
Q. Why did you choose social work for your profession?
I chose to become a social worker because I am an avid believer in helping other people. Since a young age, I knew I wanted to make a positive impact on other people's lives and the field of social work offered me the opportunity to do so on a variety of levels.
Q. What are the greatest challenges in the Hispanic community and how can social workers help?
The greatest challenge, I believe, facing the Hispanic community at this time is fear of discrimination. Due to recent spikes in hate crimes, it is not uncommon for a cloud of fear to hover over individuals who need services but are intimidated to access them because of fear of being reported or victimized. As a result, underutilization can occur thus making it harder to get funding for greatly needed programs.
Social workers can help by not only focusing their efforts on educating the community about available resources, but also educating individuals about their rights. In addition, it is imperative social workers partake in the various aspects that make up the field of social work. For instance, clients not only need us to help them with counseling or case management but they also need our help on a legislative level. As a social worker I come across various grievances from colleagues about lack of funding, unavailable services, etc. These grievances, however, are not accompanied with the initiative needed to advocate for their client's needs on the city, state or government level. The ability to look beyond the direct service we provide to clients is critical and can be beneficial for the social work profession as a whole.
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Tags: Christin Valentin, Hispanic heritage month, Hispanic social workers, NASW New York City Chapter
Posted in
Hispanic Heritage Profiles 2010 |
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