Whether you are a new or returning subscriber, we are excited that you're here!
The Social Work Policy Network remains committed to sharing key news updates, policy changes, action opportunities, events & more - with content particularly focused on social justice, equity, and systemic change.
Thank you for your continued support of the Social Work Policy Network!
Congrats to Dr. Nepomnyaschy for receiving the 2024-25 Chancellor and Provost Award for Faculty in Mentoring!
Professional Opportunities
Research Scientist 3, Program Evaluator - New Jersey Department of Children and Families (Trenton, NJ)
Distributed Organizer - PA Stands Up (Central or Eastern PA)
Regional Coordinator - Bridges Outreach, Inc. (Rahway, NJ)
Student Support & Intake Coordinator - The Welcoming Center (Philadelphia, PA or remote)
PAID Fellowship Opportunities:
Graduate Fellowship - Eagleton Institute for Politics (New Brunswick, NJ)
Summer Organizing Fellow - Sister District Project (remote)
Engagement & Leadership Summer Fellow - National Council of Jewish Women (Washington, DC)
National Policy News Highlights
SAVE Act Would Undermine Voter Registration for All Americans
Brennan Center for Justice
“Last month, congressional Republicans pledged to fast-track the SAVE Act, a bill that would require all Americans to provide a birth certificate, passport, or one of a few other citizenship documents every time they register or re-register to vote. If enacted, it would devastate voter registration while disenfranchising tens of millions of eligible American citizens.”
Nearly One in 10 U.S. Adults Identifies as L.G.B.T.Q., Survey Finds
The New York Times
“Nearly one in 10 adults in the United States identifies as L.G.B.T.Q., according to a large analysis from Gallup released Thursday — almost triple the share since Gallup began counting in 2012, and up by two-thirds since 2020. The increases have been driven by young people, and by bisexual women.”
Idaho Woman Violently Removed From GOP-Led Town Hall After Criticizing Lawmakers
truthout
“An Idaho woman was restrained and removed by an unidentified security force after she expressed her dissent during a town hall meeting hosted by Republican lawmakers over the weekend — a blatant violation of her First Amendment rights, witnesses to the ordeal have said.”
Breaking Down Health Care and Public Health Silos—Once and for All
RAND
“By aligning common vision, mission, and action anywhere these exist across the health care and public health sectors, a new aligned American health structure could help the nation… Past efforts at integrating health care and public health have only been partially successful and only in specific localities. It is time to systematically integrate these sectors across the United States, once and for all. Doing so would be in the best interest of both Americans' health and the nation's pocketbook.”
Regional Policy News Highlights
Lawmaker revamps bill aimed at protecting workers from heat
The New Jersey Monitor
“After a nearly three-hour hearing [on the 20th], lawmakers advanced a controversial bill that would mandate heat standard protections for New Jersey workers. The measure, which faces sharp opposition from business groups, would require the state labor commissioner to create a heat stress standard that would trigger certain requirements from employers, like limiting how long people can work and mandating paid breaks and access to cool water.
Apathy for migrants and the unhoused collide in New York City
PRISIM (opinion)
“According to the Associated Press, more than 230,000 migrants have come to New York since 2022, with roughly 50,000 migrants being housed in temporary shelters in New York City. Now under the Trump administration, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) halts payments for migrant housing in New York, it has become painfully clear how little the government values immigrants in a city that has historically personified America’s ‘melting pot.’”
N.J. medical cannabis patients feel betrayed as legal weed business booms
NJ.com
“The price of cannabis in New Jersey is among the highest in the nation. Consistent discounts offered to medical cannabis patients before the adult-use market opened are scarce now, patients say. While it was never easy to get specific strains that could ease pain, patients say it’s even tougher now as cannabis companies chase what’s most profitable to sell.”
Trump eyes NJ military base for immigrant detention
NJ Spotlight News
“The Trump administration is exploring military sites across the U.S. — including New Jersey’s largest base — to assist in managing undocumented immigrants…The report identified Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington and Ocean counties as on the list of potential detention sites. The report stated that the administration is working on establishing a deportation “hub” at Fort Bliss in Texas, which would serve as a model for the other locations. New Jersey’s base would operate as a satellite facility, along with bases in nine other states, including New York, California and Colorado.”
Upcoming Events
Evidence-Based Policy and Practice Approaches to Addressing Homelessness in the United States
Presented by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Institute for Research on Poverty
Wednesday March 5th, 2025
2:00pm - 3:00pm
*online*
The 2024 rate of U.S. homelessness increased by 18% over the previous year, with a 39% rise in families experiencing homelessness. According to an annual survey conducted in communities across the country, more than 770,000 people were living in shelters or outside—the largest number since the report was initiated in 2007. Panelists will provide historical context for homelessness in the United States, as well as research findings on the effectiveness of various policy and practice approaches to decreasing homelessness and supporting unhoused families and individuals.
To register for this event, and review panelist bios, click here.
Planning your MAP Career: Opportunities in the Public & Private Sectors
Presented by the Rutgers School of Social Work
Thursday March 6th, 2025
4:00pm - 6:00pm
*online*
How do you plan a MAP career? What types of MAP jobs are available in the public and private sectors? Join us for a discussion of post-graduation job searches in management, planning, and policy.
Speakers include:
- Rebecca Alfaro: Deputy Executive Director, New Jersey Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
- Melissa Allen: Deputy Chief Program Officer, AmeriCorps
- Mark Lamar: Associate Professor of Practice and Executive Director of Field Education, Rutgers School of Social Work
Register for the zoom here.
Highlight of the Week:
Cognitive Biases
What are cognitive biases, and why are they relevant to social policy and social work? Princeton psychologist Daniel Kahneman defined cognitive biases as "unconscious and systematic errors in thinking that occur when people process and interpret information in their surroundings and influence their decisions and judgments." These biases occur often in all disciplines, but it is especially important to spot and confront them in the social policy space. When left unchecked, a cognitive bias can create dangerous narratives based on false information or "feelings" about a specific topic.
In the video below, 12 common cognitive biases are covered so you can spot them when you see them, and learn to combat them within yourself. too. Having a cognitive bias isn't inherently a bad thing, but continuing to employ it when you know better, is.
For more cognitive biases and free resources to learn about them, click here.
