The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media. Today, we focus on the inequity of vaccinations, NJ budget, child poverty & more. Subscribe today to receive the SWPN’s full e-newsletters every Tuesday! Subscribers will receive numerous policy updates as well as events, podcasts and job opportunities.
LOCAL & REGIONAL UPDATES
Gov. Murphy’s FY 2022 Budget Address - 5 Key Takeaways, NJPP: "The proposal, buoyed by borrowed funds and stronger than expected revenue collections, includes significant funding for public health, schools, transit, and economic support for workers and businesses alike — all key drivers of strong communities and a strong economy. With a full pension payment, which would be the first since 1996, the budget also protects the retirement security of nearly 800,000 public workers and looks to shore up one of the state’s biggest financial obligations."
Student mental health - A dialogue among educators, the administration, state assemblyman, NJ Spotlight: "...a virtual roundtable about student mental health and the services that New Jersey’s schools can offer now and through the end of the pandemic and beyond. New Jersey’s acting commissioner of education Angelica Allen-McMillan opened the 75-minute discussion and said the issue is a priority for Gov. Phil Murphy and his administration, which has allocated new grants for districts to provide additional counseling and other services."
Black Men, Disproportionately Arrested For Marijuana, Are Left Off NJ's Cannabis Commission, Gothamist: "A social justice advocate is criticizing the makeup of New Jersey’s new Cannabis Regulatory Commission because none of its five seats are held by a Black man...'There’s no one on the commission who has lived experience with the brutalities of the drug war,' said Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer, the founder of the group Salvation and Social Justice."
What we can do to prevent worsening racial and economic inequality in New Jersey, NJ Spotlight: "The pandemic caps off a decade of worsening economic inequality nationwide and at home in New Jersey. Even before the virus hit, Black and Latinx New Jerseyans were three times more likely to live in poverty than their white neighbors and about half as likely to own a home. During the pandemic, Black and Latinx New Jerseyans’ hospitalization and mortality rates are twice as high as those for their white counterparts, and they have had the highest job loss."
NATIONAL UPDATES
1 in 7 US children live in poverty. Misplaced fears over single mothers could be why, Vox: "Despite the nation’s wealth, the United States has one of the worst child poverty rates among similarly developed countries. A new poll from Vox and Data for Progress indicates that despite the popularity of child welfare programs, one of the reasons we’ve failed to help millions of children could be a concern that’s dogged public welfare programs for decades: widespread concern that some may take advantage of these benefits"
Backlash Over the Equality Act Is Fueling State-Level Attacks on Trans Youth, Truthout: "There is a coordinated, well-funded and dangerous campaign working to criminalize trans youth, bar trans kids from sports, and ultimately eradicate transness. Though it cannot and will not succeed in eradicating trans people, the animating discourse and the policies that define this movement and which, are dangerously close to becoming law in many states, have and will continue to cause serious harm to trans youth."
Biden’s controversial decision to reopen temporary shelters for migrant children, explained, Vox: "The Biden administration has reopened temporary facilities to hold an increasing number of migrant children arriving on the US southern border, reviving concerns about their welfare after immigration agents forcibly separated families and kept children in prison-like conditions under former President Donald Trump."
Democrats’ remaining options for raising the minimum wage, explained, Vox: "The Senate parliamentarian on Thursday dealt Democrats a disappointing blow in the fight for the $15 minimum wage, ruling that it can’t be included in a Covid-19 relief package if lawmakers want to use budget reconciliation. That decision likely means that the $15 minimum wage is effectively dead — for now."
COVID-19
How Inequity Gets Built Into America’s Vaccination System
"It’s a fact that simply being eligible for a vaccine in America doesn’t mean that you can instantly get one. Yet the ability to get to the front of the line isn’t the same for everyone. ProPublica has found that, whether intentionally or not, some vaccine programs have been designed with inherent barriers that disadvantage many people who are most at risk of dying from the disease, exacerbating inequities in access to health care."
Big expansion in N.J. COVID vaccine eligibility includes teachers, restaurant workers. Here are the dates and details, NJ.com: "Hundreds of thousands of more people will be eligible to receive a vaccination for the coronavirus in New Jersey over the next month as Gov. Phil Murphy announced the state is preparing to vastly expand who is allowed to receive shots."
Gov. Murphy directs Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to minority communities, NJ Spotlight: "Roughly 70,000 doses are expected in New Jersey this week, and medical experts say that emergency use authorization having now been given for this third vaccine in the U.S. could help turn the page on the pandemic. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be prioritized for Black and brown communities. Will that help with inequities in the state’s vaccine distribution system?"
Bolstering Family Income Is Essential to Helping Children Emerge Successfully From the Current Crisis, CBPP: "Children’s alarming rates of food and housing hardship risk inflicting sustained harm to the well-being and potential of a generation, but a strong package of income support policies can lower this risk and help more children realize their potential."
POLICY IN RECENT PUBLICATIONS
That Which is Essential has been Made Invisible:The Need to Bring a Structural Risk Perspective to Reduce Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare
"Given that both structural racism and economic hardship are relevant in causing and preventing maltreatment, we ask: How are those structural factors accounted for in risk assessment within child welfare systems? What are the consequences when these factors are left out of risk assessment design and procedures? In this conceptual paper, we analyze the most common tool for decision-making to determine the likelihood of future maltreatment in child welfare cases, the Structured Decision-Making Model’s (SDM) risk assessment (RA). We deconstruct the RA to highlight how the RA focuses on individual behaviors and ignores structural factors, which in turn, obscures systematic risk and structural solutions for maltreatment."Read more of "That Which is Essential..." here.
ACTION OPPORTUNITY:
CONGRESS: PROTECT OUR VOTING RIGHTS, ACLU"Voters of color continue to be impacted by discriminatory election practices intended to diminish their voting power. In 2020, we witnessed even more attempts to disenfranchise Black and Brown voters through attacks on vote by mail, cuts to early voting periods, and unnecessary identification requirements. And, in the wake of record levels of turnout last year, we are now seeing proposals in many states seeking to cut back on voter access.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would begin to root out voting barriers that discriminate against voters of color. Our democracy works best when all eligible voters can cast their ballot freely and fairly." Ask Congress to protect voting rights TODAY!
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Research Assistant: Center for Prevention Science, RU School of Social Work
Application Deadline: March 3, 2021
Under the supervision of the Associate Director, Center for Prevention Science, this position will provide administrative and logistical support to one of two externally funded projects which focus on substance use prevention research, training, and evaluation. Job duties for this position will include data entry, prevention training preparation activities, administrative assistance, conducting literature reviews, updating websites, maintaining program documents, and communication with organizations involved in the project. This position is for 12 to 15 hours for the remainder of the 20 – 21 academic year and potentially longer. Assistant will be paid $15 per hour.
Desired Education: Bachelor's degree in the social sciences such as social work, psychology, or related social services field required; Master’s degree preferred.
Knowledge and Experience: Excellent attention to detail. Strong organizational skills. Comfortable with technology. Capability to learn new programs and methods. Ability to exercise independent judgment when appropriate; Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook; familiarity with spreadsheet/database applications.
Additional Desirable Qualifications: Spanish language (written & oral), Knowledge of cultural competency issues. Critical thinking and problem solving skills; Strong decision-making skills. Able to complete assignments independently and work productively in collaborative situations
Contact Clare Neary, Project Coordinator at cneary@ssw.rutgers.edu to apply.
Summer Research Internship: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging
Application Deadline: March 13, 2021
The Rutgers University Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research (IFH) Summer Research Internship Program is designed for undergraduate/graduate students interested in biomedical or social science research. This program is a 10- week internship opportunity for qualified students who would like to gain hands-on, guided and practical experience in a project related to the interdisciplinary areas of research at IFH while being introduced more holistically to research processes and possibilities.The expected time commitment per week is 20-30 hours. A $2000 stipend may be available for qualified applicants. Please send Resume/CV and 1-page cover letter to internship@ifh.rutgers.edu by March 13th. Learn more about the IFH Summer Research Internship Program here.
Graduate Research Assistant
Quantitative Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies
The Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies seeks a research assistant (up to 19.75 hours/week) to support the Center’s quantitative research projects and initiatives. The ideal candidate will be a detail-oriented, responsive critical thinker with experience conducting applied research in and studying the social sciences (for example, sociology, social or cultural psychology, social work, economics, education studies, political science, or an interdisciplinary field). Learn more about this research assistantship with the Cornwall Center here. Please email resume and cover letter to Kimaada Sills at kimaada@rutgers.edu. Qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview.
Graduate Fellowship Program in Politics and Government
RU Eagleton Institute of Politics
Application Deadline: March 26, 2021
Build knowledge, skills and networks to engage in American politics, government and your community. The Eagleton Fellowship offers select Rutgers graduate students the opportunity to further their understanding of government, public affairs, and the practice of politics, and to connect the fellowship experience to their chosen fields of study. All Rutgers graduate students are eligible to apply for this one-year, interdisciplinary certificate program which includes financial awards. Meet the current Eagleton FellowsApplication deadline for Class of 2022 Eagleton Fellowship is MARCH 26, 2021. Learn more and apply online today.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Social Work, White Supremacy, and Racial Justice Symposium (Part 3)
Mar 4 – Mar 5 (12:30 - 4:30 PM EST via Zoom)
Free. Registration Required.
"Social work has a complex history of upholding White supremacy alongside a goal to achieve racial justice. Moreover, our profession simultaneously practices within racist systems and works to dismantle them. In the wake of a fervent #BlackLivesMatter movement and persistent racial disparities in key social welfare institutions, these paradoxes have come to the forefront of discussion in academic and practice circles. This unique moment presents an opportunity to interrogate our profession’s relationship to White supremacy and racial justice in order to reimagine an anti-racist future. Part 3 of this 4 part series explores emerging movements in social work that are working to actively dismantle racism and White supremacy. If anti-racism is the goal, how will we get there? What is the future we can imagine, and what is the future of social work in this new society?" Review the full Symposium schedule & event details here.
Advancing Climate Justice: A Case Study from Providence, Rhode Island
March 4 (12:00 - 1:00 PM EST via Zoom)
Free. Registration Required.
Join Leah Bamberger (Director of Sustainability) and Jazandra Baros, Jesus Holguin, and Monica Huertas (colleagues from the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee of Providence, Rhode Island) in a presentation and discussion regarding Providence's Climate Justice Action Plan. Learn more about this climate justice event here.
NASW'S Abolition Town Hall Part 1: Are Social Workers Abolitionists?
March 12 (2:00 - 3:15 PM EST via Zoom)
Free. Registration Required.
"As social workers, we are called to challenge injustice and oppression. This call includes challenging the systems and structures that perpetuate and maintain injustice, inequality, and oppression. This webinar will explore the basic tenets of the abolition movement, the connection between abolitionist values and social work values, and a call to action for social workers to envision and help create reimagined responses that are free of injustices driven by systemic racism." Learn more about the NASW's Abolition Town Hall here.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
28th Annual NASW-NJ Conference & Exhibition
March 7-8 via Zoom (Review session times via website)
Free for Student Members of NASW
& Affordable Options for Student Non-Member of NASW
Registration Required.
The NASW-NJ Annual Conference is the must-attend event of the year for New Jersey's social workers. The conference brings together over 1,000 participants from across New Jersey and nationwide for 2 days of learning, laughter, and networking. With dynamic keynote speakers, cutting-edge workshops, and engaging special presentations, attendees have the opportunity to earn up to 22 Continuing Education credits during the event. Social work has a complex history of upholding white privilege alongside a goal to achieve racial justice. Moreover, our profession simultaneously practices within racist systems and works to dismantle them. The 2021 NASW-NJ Virtual Conference will present an opportunity to examine our profession’s relationship to white privilege and racial justice in order to reimagine an anti-racist future.
The Social Work Policy Network's e-newsletter is created by:
Brittany Libby, MSW Graduate Student, Network Research Assistant
Dr. Lenna Nepomnyaschy, RU Associate Professor, Network Founder
