Professional Opportunities
- Project Manager - Sustainable Cities for All (remote)
- Deputy Civic Engagement Director - One PA (Philadelphia, PA)
- Senior Program Manager, Federal Technical Assistance, HUD - Corporation for Supportive Housing (Remote)
- National Housing Initiative Engagement Coordinator - Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) (hybrid: New York, NY)
- Community Organizer - Garden State Equality (Asbury Park, NJ)
- Policy Analyst, Behavioral Health Division - Council of State Governments Justice Center (Hybrid: New York/remote)
- Social Work Case Manager - Legal Services of New Jersey (hybrid: Edison, NJ)
- Mental Health Program Specialist 2 - NYS Office of Mental Health (hybrid: New York, NY)
- Program Associate, Progressive Talent Pipeline - Demand Progress Education Fund (remote)
- Program Manager, Trenton Neighborhood Initiative - Trenton Health Team (hybrid: Trenton, NJ)
- Analyst: Corrections and Criminal Justice - NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (New York, NY)
- Advocacy Manager - Unchained At Last (hybrid: Northern NJ)
Upcoming Events
#RadChat – Pushing Back when Under Assault and Keeping Your Day Job
Presented by the Social Welfare Action Alliance
Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 8:00pm via Zoom
"Restrictive, regressive, and oppressive laws are on the rise across the country. How do we fight back and protect ourselves? How do we engage in collective care and support one another? Let’s come together to share ideas about how we are pushing back against these human rights abuses. How do we engage in collective care, supporting one another?"
SWAA National Steering Committee Co-Hosts:
Rosemary (Rosi) Barbera (she/her) is a social worker committed to radical social change and the end of capitalism and all forms of oppression. She has worked in Chile and Bolivia doing human rights work. In the US she has worked on human rights issues, including the human rights of immigrants. She is also a social work educator.
Sharon Pratt (she/her) Sharon is currently serving as a clinical therapist in private practice. She also serves as the president of the Ohio chapter of SWAA. In addition to her social work degree and licensure, she also holds a master’s degree in public administration.
Click here to register!
Legislative Education & Advocacy Day (LEAD)
Presented by NASW-NJ
Thursday, April 4, 2024, 10:00am - 1:00pm, Virtual
"Every year, LEAD brings hundreds of social work students and professionals together to learn about the legislative process, key policy issues impacting social workers and their clients, and to draw attention to the work we do and the needs of our profession and our clients.
"Attendees can expect a day filled with learning, collaboration, and empowerment. The agenda includes advocacy updates, insights into the bill-to-law process, and discussions on civic engagement efforts.
"...[the] feature presentation, Civic Duty - Poll Working as a CEU, will be given by, District Representative Chief of Staff, Ameerah N. McCoy, LSW. As we delve into the realm of civic duty and the importance of poll working as a community engagement opportunity, Ameerah, will guide us through a thought-provoking discussion on the impact and significance of active participation in the electoral process. She will shed light on the vital role that individuals can play in shaping the future of their communities through their involvement in the democratic process.
The presentation will discuss:
Recognizing the intersection of social work principles with election poll work.
Identify key roles and responsibilities of social workers in election engagement.
Explore the impact of election poll work on community empowerment and social change.
Identifying opportunities for social workers to contribute to fair and equitable elections.
This event is FREE to attend, but registration must be done before the day of the event!
Click here to register!
Taking the Next Step: Finding a MAP Job
Presented by the RU School of Social Work
Thursday, April 4, 2024, 4:00 - 5:15pm via Zoom
The last “MAP Chat” will focus on job search preparation for MAP-focused jobs. Topics discussed will be interview prep, resume tips, and what to look for when searching for MAP jobs.
The guests are specialists in nonprofit recruitment and can help navigate the landscape for MAP-related careers. The session features panelists from Rutgers Career Services and a recruitment firm that hires in the nonprofit arena:
Ava Aulisi, MA: Program Director, Career Interest Communities at the Office of Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Steven Schall, LMSW: MCP-Principal Schall and Russo
Demand Rutgers Social Work Students are Paid for their Labor!!
To learn more, follow the Rutgers Payment4Placements chapter and the Payment4Placements movement on Instagram: @rutgersp4p @p4pnational
National Updates
Biden OKs $60M in aid after Baltimore bridge collapse as governor warns of ‘very long road ahead’
The Associated Press
“Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse. Meanwhile the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was moving the largest crane on the Eastern Seaboard to help remove the wreckage of the bridge…”
US is changing federal race and ethnicity categories for first time in 27 years
The Guardian
“For the first time in 27 years, the US government is changing how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity, an effort that federal officials believe will more accurately count residents who identify as Hispanic and of Middle Eastern and North African heritage.”
Tennessee rolls back police reform passed after the death of Tyre Nichols
WPLN (NPR)
“Police reform passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ death at the hands of Memphis police is now null and void. Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a measure Thursday that prevents local governments from passing anything that would interfere with police stopping crime.”
“Everyone Will Die in Prison”: How Louisiana’s Plan to Lock People Up Longer Imperils Its Sickest Inmates
ProPublica
“Janice Parker has witnessed the failing medical care at Angola, the state’s largest prison, on her frequent visits to see her paralyzed son. Laws passed at the behest of Gov. Jeff Landry threaten to further strain that system. Her complaints have gone nowhere, she said. ‘I don’t know what to do anymore…’”
Local & Regional Updates
Why urgent reform of NJ’s opaque budget system is needed
NJ Spotlight News (Op-Ed)
“For years, [the Garden State Initiative] has pointed out how a serious discussion about real solutions to New Jersey’s economic and fiscal challenges has been consistently muted by an abbreviated budget process that lacks meaningful public input. Not only has this lack of transparency in our state’s budget process made it difficult for important voices to be heard, but it also has increased the opaqueness of our state’s true financial condition from taxpayers.”
NJ Rep. Kim will continue suit to end county line system after Murphy suspends campaign
The Gothamist
“New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy’s sudden departure from the U.S. Senate race on Sunday will not stop another candidate’s federal lawsuit to end the state’s unusual county line ballot system before the June Democratic primary. “He will continue to press so that we can have essentially a fair election and where his constitutional rights don’t have to be bargained for,” said attorney Yael Bromberg, who is part of Kim’s legal counsel.”
Study: Low pay a driving factor in N.J.’s primary care shortage
WHYY (NPR)
“Low reimbursement rates are a major cause of New Jersey’s continuing primary care shortage, according to a study published by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute — and that shortage is hurting people’s health…The report found that New Jersey has around 17 primary care physicians for every 100,000 people, which is far below previous estimates.”
Governor Murphy Signs Law Reauthorizing New Jersey’s Transportation Trust Fund for Five More Years
NJ Office of the Governor
“Governor Phil Murphy…signed legislation renewing the State’s Transportation Trust Fund (TTF) for five more years, which will invest billions to modernize and maintain New Jersey’s statewide transportation infrastructure, while providing additional capital funding for NJ TRANSIT, supporting local and county projects to alleviate the burden on local taxpayers, and creating thousands of good-paying union jobs.”
Highlight of the Week:
A Report from our Founder!
On Tuesday, the New Jersey Monitor published an Op-Ed co-written by U.C. Berkeley social welfare professor, Jill Duerr Berrick, Rutgers' very own Cassandra Simmel, and our esteemed founder, Lenna Nepomnyaschy! The Op-Ed is titled, "Making parents pay for foster care: A bad idea for families," and provides a commentary on troubles within our foster care system, and some opportunities that New Jersey has to improve them.
A selection from the Op-Ed:
Kids’ stay in foster care in New Jersey is usually about 17.3 months, on average, but the financial hole that creates for parents can last a lifetime. Parents who are unable to pay go into debt to the state – a debt that often follows parents for years or even decades. Parents in arrears can lose access to credit, have their driver’s license or business license suspended, have their passport taken away, have their wages garnished, and have their tax refunds and unemployment benefits intercepted.
If you are looking for more information about the commentary, please contact us through our email or on social media. We would love to hear from you!
Read the article here.
2024 NASW-NJ Annual Conference
"Life in a Traumatic World: Implications for Social Work Practice"
Sunday, April 14 - Tuesday, April 16, 2024, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ
"As Social Workers know, trauma can take many forms, from interpersonal violence, sexual assault and medical trauma to natural disasters, institutionalized oppression, war-related trauma and the sudden loss of a family member. According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults have experienced a traumatic event in their lifetimes. This means more than 223 million people are living with the effects of trauma in the U.S. Over three days, we will examine how trauma affects our clients and ourselves, and also learn about cutting edge modalities to treat this pervasive and challenging subject."
The conference will include:
- KEYNOTES – The opening keynote presentation on Sunday sets the tone for the conference. The closing keynote brings us back together to reflect upon all we have learned during the event.
- PLENARIES – We have added plenary sessions to the schedule so we can come together to learn and examine key issues collectively.
- CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS – You’ll have the opportunity to choose a workshop on a topic of interest to you from a selection of concurrent sessions. You’ll attend one concurrent workshop session a day.
- ON-DEMAND WORKSHOPS – To help keep your conference schedule manageable, while still providing the opportunity to earn up to 23 CE credits, they are offering two pre-recorded workshops that you will complete on-demand any time between April 17-May 17. If you are a member and have registered for all three days of the conference, you will also receive a third pre-recorded webinar for on-demand credit. That’s 2 bonus CE credits, at no extra charge, just for members!
