The Social Work Policy Network sends weekly resources regarding national & local legislature, events, as well as media.
Thank you for your continued support of the Social Work Policy Network!
Professional Opportunities
Manager for Foundation and Government Grants - New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (New York, NY)
Youth Wellness Program Coordinator - Nationalities Service Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Civic Engagement Coordinator - Make the Road States (Elizabeth, NJ)
Public Employment Relations Specialist 3 - Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) (Trenton, NJ)
Director of Positive Youth Development Policy and Advocacy - Advocates for Children of New Jersey (Newark, NJ)
Staten Island Community Organizer - Citizen Action of NY (New York, NY)
DE&I Talent Acquisition Manager - Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Program Coordinator - Urban League of Essex County (Newark, NJ)
Upcoming Events
Bloustein Lecture – Antisemitism in the Heartland: Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights
Monday, October 16, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Douglass Student Center
100 George St, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
Hubert Humphrey was elected mayor of Minneapolis in 1945 and, in just three years, transformed it from being nationally notorious for its antisemitism and anti-Black racism to being nationally acclaimed for its concrete progress on civil rights. How Humphrey accomplished what he did is both dramatic as a part of history and instructive amid the present upsurge in antisemitism. Raised in a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant enclave in South Dakota, there was no intrinsic reason for Humphrey to devote so much of his public life to battling against racial and religious discrimination.
Samuel Freedman will discuss his new book, Into the Bright Sunshine: Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights, which examines this obscure chapter of Humphrey’s life. It foretells the man who was President Lyndon B. Johnson’s right hand in pushing through the landmark civil rights laws of the mid-1960s and provides a powerful and useful analogue to today’s struggles.
Presented by the Bloustein School and the Allan and Joan Bildner Center for the Study of Jewish Life. Register for this event.
Activist Training Program: Having Nonpartisan Voting Conversations
Presented by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey
Tuesday, October 17, 2023
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
Online (Zoom)
In this hyperpartisan era it can be difficult to have nonpartisan conversations around voting. What does a successful voter education conversation look like? How can we invite community members to build consistent voting habits? How do we combat mis/disinformation? What are the most important things that a voter needs to know about casting their ballot?
Join the League of Women Voters of New Jersey as they explore strategies for breaking down hyperpartisan barriers and connecting with voters.
VOTER REGISTRATION FOR THE ELECTION
ENDS OCTOBER 17TH!
Election Day is right around the corner!
This is the year that every NJ legislative seat is up for re-election!
What's on the Ballot?
Are you Registered?
The deadline to vote is October 17th!
Did you move recently? Change your name? It's important to update your voting registration to reflect these changes! Use the links below to make sure you are up to date and ready for election day November 7th!
Register to Vote!
National Updates
Claudia Goldin Wins Nobel in Economics for Studying Women in the Work Force - The New York Times
“The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded on Monday to Claudia Goldin, a Harvard professor, for advancing the world’s understanding of women’s progress in the work force. She is the third woman to have won the economics Nobel, which was first awarded in 1969, and the first one to be honored with it solo rather than sharing in the prize.”
Experiencing discrimination could increase obesity risk: research - The Hill
“Researchers found that when people were exposed to discrimination, their appetite was stimulated. The stress caused by discrimination increased cravings of unhealthy foods which in turn led to stress-related weight gain.”
Migrant mothers arriving in New York find support, hope — and lots of challenges - NPR
“In the last year or so, over 100,000 migrants from all over the world have come to New York City. Some…are pregnant, and seeking shelter. NPR spent time with several of these women, their babies, and the team of doctors, nurses and social workers who assist them.”
Dems file lawsuit challenging just-enacted, Republican-crafted North Carolina voting law - POLITICO
“Two top Democratic organizations filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Republican-backed North Carolina election law moments after it went into effect…But the plaintiffs are specifically seeking preliminary relief on the bill’s provisions on same-day registration, which require additional photo ID and address verification requirements. Under those provisions, if voters opt to do same-day registration but do not have their submitted information verified on time, the ballot could be withdrawn under the new laws.”
Local/Regional Updates
States are trying to prop up the child care industry. It isn’t enough. - NJ Monitor
“State efforts to prop up child care might spare some providers from the worst effects of last month’s expiration of pandemic-related aid — at least temporarily. But the unraveling of a system plagued by a lack of affordability and access, low wages, staffing turnover and burnout will continue, experts say.”
Court finds NJ has a duty to deal with segregated schools. It doesn't say how. - Gothamist
“Plaintiffs looking to end de facto segregation in New Jersey public schools said Tuesday they were heartened by parts of a judge’s ruling that say the state is responsible for addressing the problem — even if they’re not sure of the path ahead.”
ICYMI: New Jersey Health Department Highlights Ongoing Expansion of Harm Reduction Services in NJ - NJ Office of the Governor
“Following regulatory changes implemented by the Murphy Administration in July 2023 to facilitate the development of harm reduction centers (HRCs) throughout our state, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) highlighted the ongoing approvals of new centers and efforts to grow the reach of existing centers. Since New Jersey began accepting new applications for harm reduction centers on a rolling basis in July, seven additional HRC applicants have been approved in 2023 – effectively doubling the number of approved HRCs in the state. HRCs are now authorized to operate in 12 of the state’s 21 counties.”
President Biden to announce funding for a regional ‘clean energy’ hydrogen hub - NPR
“The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2) for Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and Delaware has secured $750 million in federal funding, according to a Reuters report…[the] hydrogen hubs face opposition from climate activists who express skepticism about hydrogen’s true impact on carbon emissions and say there’s a lack of transparency regarding the detailed plans and impact on local communities."
Highlight of the Week
A Primer on SNAP Work Requirements
The Hamilton Project, a part of the Brookings Institution, has released a report after examining the work requirements for SNAP.
They examine SNAP work requirements and offer key takeaways to help guide an understanding of work requirement policy, the people subject to work requirements, and features of the labor market in which these SNAP participants work based on rigorous evidence. They conclude that evidence supports ending or severely limiting work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).
