Friday, May 2, 2014

CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF LEARNING

GRADUATION marks the end of a long and arduous journey for most students.  It also represents something amazing and powerful to us, as educators.  We have the pleasure to teach, instruct, share, and learn in a program whose purpose is to bring about change in the lives of clients and those who serve them.  We consider the most important work in the education process to understand the complexity of oppressive systems that impact the day-to-day lives of the clients we serve.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics states "The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual wellbeing in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living" (1996).

It is a powerful transformation to watch students gain a new understanding of privilege and power instrumental in defining what life looks like for those trying to meet their basic human needs.  We often describe this change as a "GRADUATION" of it's own.
This "education graduation" is a powerful liberation on their journey to the development of cultural competency.


Again, the NASW Code of Ethics is clear regarding the development of cultural competencies critical for optimum client outcomes.  "Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, and mental or physical disability" (NASW, 2008).

BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE LGBTQ KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITY




More than two years ago we set out to create a Knowledge Community (KC) that addressed the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people across their lifespan.

The purposes of building a Knowledge Community focusing on LGBTQ people are to give voice to the issues impacting this population and provide comprehensive resources, strategies for effective policy-advocacy, clinical practice and research.  In addition, the Knowledge Community will serve as a portal for best and promising practices for the education and training for social work practitioners, students, faculty, community partners, and members of the LGBTQ community, their allies and other stakeholders.

The goals of the KC are to reduce health disparities and enhance the human well being of LGBTQ persons by ensuring culturally competent persons are involved at the macro, mezzo, and micro levels of policy, practice, and research.

We are happy to announce the launch of the LGBT Social Work website, LGBTSocialWork.com and the creation of our LGBTQ Social Work Knowledge Community (LGBTQSWKC).  In addition to the website, the LGBTQSWKC will be supported through our Facebook LGBT Social Work Facebook and on Twitter @lgbtsocialwork.

Our email address is: LGBTSocialWork@gmail.com.

We invite you to become an active part of our collective creative efforts as teacher, student, consultant, and contributor or as a member of the LGBTQ community through these processes.


HERE IS HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED


  • Go to the LGBTSocialWork.com site and access the "CONTACT US" tab and send us an email indicating your interest in participating in our Knowledge Community.
  • While on our site, please take a look around and identify areas of the site that you'd like to help further development.  Remember this is a Knowledge Community and the depth and breadth of the information will grow through the contributions of its members.  Send any additions to the Knowledge Community either as attachments or links to LGBTSocialWork@gmail.com
  • Join our Facebook group LGBT Social Work Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter @lgbtsocialwork
Thank you for being a part of our community,

Michael A. Freeman, MSW
Mary Mann, MSW

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