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Happy Transgender Awareness Month!
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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!
Professional Opportunities
Training Operations Coordinator - The Management Center (TMC) (remote)
2024 Program Manager, Field Building and Resources - Camden Coalition of Healthcare (Hybrid: Camden, NJ)
Worker Organizer - Make the Road States (Elizabeth, NJ)
Re-entry Specialist - Defender Association of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)
Program Coordinator, Literacy NJ Atlantic-Cape Programs - Literacy New Jersey (Hybrid: Pleasantville, NJ)
National Policy News Highlights
Crisis calls from LGBTQ+ youth spiked by 700 percent after Election Day
The 19th
“The Trevor Project saw an overall 700 percent increase in calls, texts and chats compared to prior weeks. The organization offers a lifeline via phone, online chat or text to LGBTQ+ youth who struggle with thoughts of depression, self-harm or suicide while navigating coming out to their families or facing discrimination. Right now, the services are experiencing long hold times at an especially vulnerable time for LGBTQ+ people.”
Florida Department of Education releases list of over 700 banned books in K-12 schools
Central Florida Public Media
“Over the weekend, the Florida Department of Education released a list of over 700 books that were “removed or discontinued” from districts throughout the state last school year. That’s an increase of almost 400 books from the list they released a year ago, for the 2022-2023 school year.”
The most dangerous roads in America have one thing in common
Vox
“Although only 14 percent of urban road miles nationwide are under state control, two-thirds of all crash deaths in the 101 largest metro areas occur there, according to a recent Transportation for America report. In some places, this disparity is widening: From 2016 to 2022, road fatalities in Austin, Texas, fell 20 percent on locally managed roads while soaring 98 percent on those the state oversees.”
Regional Policy News Highlights
NYC bans unusual practice of forcing tenants to pay real estate brokers hired by landlords
The Associated Press
“Mandatory broker fees, an unusual feature of New York City apartment hunting long reviled by renters, will be banned under legislation that passed Wednesday after overcoming fierce backlash from the city’s real estate lobby.”
Progressive think tank urges tax hikes to close budget gaps
New Jersey Monitor
“New Jersey should adopt a host of progressive tax changes to generate nearly $4 billion in revenue to bridge structural deficits over the coming years, including new tax brackets for millionaires, an expanded sales tax, and a revived estate tax, a new report from a left-leaning think tank urges.”
Hoboken residents preserve rent control rules in landslide vote
Gothamist
“Rent control rules will remain in place in Hoboken, after voters roundly rejected a ballot measure [on Election Day] that would have scrapped the current regulations for raising rent on rent-controlled apartments in the New Jersey city.
Poll: Most NJ voters don’t see schools as segregated
NJ Spotlight News
“Most New Jersey voters are largely unaware that the state’s public schools are the sixth most segregated in the country for Black students, seventh for Latino — and that a pending lawsuit could upend all that.”
Upcoming Events
Rooted in Resilience: A TGD+ Mental Health Webinar by and for TGB+ Folx
Presented by Garden State Equality
Monday, November 18th, 2024
6:00pm - 7:30pm
**online**
In this mental health webinar, they will cover lived experiences, strategies for advocating for ourselves, and establishing therapy ideals. Discuss lived experiences, self-advocacy strategies, and advice for finding affirming mental health providers with other trans and gender diverse people.
Click here to register.
The True Cost of Economic Security: What Does It Take to Thrive in the US Today?
Presented by The Urban Institute
Wednesday, November 20th, 2024
1:30pm - 3:00pm
**online**
"According to a 2023 Federal Reserve survey, 52 percent of US residents report that, at best, they’re just making ends meet and did not save any income in the previous month. Only 33 percent report they live comfortably. Yet conventional measures of economic insecurity, like the poverty rate, capture only acute need and don’t show the hardships of millions of people who struggle to pay bills and save for the future—people who are economically insecure and not poised to thrive.
'To better understand families’ circumstances, their resources, and the costs of fully participating in today’s society and economy, the Urban Institute developed a “true cost of economic security” measure. [They] designed the measure with accuracy and replicability in mind, using high-quality publicly accessible data collected regularly to capture variations across states and all areas, allowing [them] to explore differences by age, family structure, and race and ethnicity.
"Please join [them] for a discussion on the new measure and how policymakers and researchers can leverage insights from this research to improve American families’ well-being."
Learn more about the speakers and click here to register.
Highlight of the Week
Governance Studies at Brookings
"...[T]he Governance Studies program at Brookings is dedicated to analyzing policy issues, political institutions and processes, and contemporary governance challenges...The Governance Studies program and its scholars are dedicated to strengthening democracy and improving its institutions through research and expert analysis to inform public debate and provide solutions for the most critical governance challenges."
Each week, the Governance Studies Program sends out an email with their top issues of the week, along with relevant policy events that are accessible online. Like our newsletter, it is important to keep up with policy issues that effect us and our clients. Their publications include but are not limited to the following policy areas:
- Political polarization
- Public participation in the electoral and redistricting processes
- The intersection of religion, policy, and politics
- Racial bias and inequality
- Healthcare
- Leadership in the modern age
- Education reforms such as school choice, teacher evaluation systems, and class size
- Investments in manufacturing and critical infrastructure
- Privacy in a digital world
If you are looking for trusted sources for policy news and research, the Brookings Institute is a safe and trusted resource. Remember to be vigilant when reading stories online, and always go to the source for information.
You can subscribe to the Governance Studies Program email by clicking this link.
