By Elizabeth Borngraber

Whether or not you want to believe it, gun violence in America is heavily influenced by race. According to The Washington Post, homicide gun deaths among black Americans are five times greater than among their white counterparts. (Interestingly, white Americans are five times more likely to commit gun related suicide than black Americans.) While it may be easier and more comfortable to brush off the recent news coverage of police brutality and black deaths as something sensationalized by the media, the truth of the matter is that for black Americans homicide is the eighth most common cause of death. For other minority groups and white Americans, homicide doesn’t even make it onto the list of top ten leading causes.

The recent shooting in Charleston, South Carolina is just another example of the racism woven into the fiber of our country. On June 17, ten people were shot and killed at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a Bible study session. When we live in a place where sacred spaces are no longer safe, where black men and women feel threatened when walking down the street, or encountering police officers, or simply within their own homes, it’s naïve to think our country has recovered from the sins of our past. For people like myself who benefit from the privilege of a light skin color, the amount of fear and mourning experienced by the black community was never realized until recently.

If we as social workers fight for reproductive rights, we must first fight to combat forces that cause the dampening of those rights. To do anything else would mean abandoning our role as agents of change and instead allowing discrimination to continue. While racism in America runs deep, it is our responsibility to stand for the rights of all at every level of practice.

As an organization for women of color, SisterSong saw the inherent connection between the injustices they faced and reproductive rights. This intersectional approach calls for conditions in which parents can raise their children in healthy and safe environments, where mothers do not fear their children will become a target of violence due to prejudice. One professor of mine told a story of a black adolescent who attended a summer camp in Detroit and was stopped by the police after wandering off. Luckily, nothing bad happened during their encounter, however, he told my professor it was good he had his camp shirt on, otherwise the police might have given him a hard time. We should not live in a society that disenfranchises an entire population by requiring them to legitimize themselves through alliance with a white sanctioned person or thing. Black parents should not have to teach their young children how to avoid police brutality or discrimination from others. It simply should not happen. Reproductive justice cannot be achieved if hundreds of years of injustices are allowed to continue and parents fear for the lives of their children the moment they are born.

Elizabeth Borngraber is a graduate student in the University at Buffalo School of Social Work in New York state whose studies and interests are focused around women’s health and rights, healthcare access, and policy.

Our three-part webinar series in the month of March was a huge success! Many thanks to all the incredible social workers and other professionals from across the U.S. who attended!

Weren’t able to attend? Not to worry! You can stream them here on our webpage when it’s convenient for you! Just click on the ‘webinar series’ tab above.

Special Thanks to the Abortion Conversation Project for their support throughout this project!

Find us on Twitter or Facebook for updates!

SWRJ Three Part Webinar Series

Webinar One: The Role of Social Workers in Issues of Reproductive Health — Watch the recording of this webinar by clicking here! 

Presenters: Gretchen Ely, PhD and Melanie Otis, PhD

The NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to respect a client’s right to self-determination, including making individual health decisions. In addition, the NASW Policy Statement on Family Planning and Reproductive Health states that social work as a profession supports clients’ rights to choose how, when and if to reproduce and raise a family through access to family planning services, including abortion.

Gretchen Ely, PhD, will outline her research findings regarding the need for more education and training surrounding issues of reproductive health among social work students. Both Ely and Dr. Melanie Otis will discuss the importance of infusing these skills into social work practice and give some practical ideas on how to empower clients to have self-determination in matters of reproductive health by providing them with unbiased and accurate information and referrals.

Webinar Two: Reproductive Justice in Social Work Practice — Watch the recording of this webinar by clicking here! 

Presentors: Nicole Clark, LMSW and Reia Chapman, LCSW, LISW

What is reproductive justice (RJ) and how does it relate to our work as social workers? This webinar will give an overview of the reproductive justice framework and make the connection between this movement and various social justice movements that are related and integral to social work practice. The presenters will discuss how social workers can exemplify the Code of Ethics around social justice issues on the national level and provide ideas and examples of how we can promote RJ at the micro, mezzo, macro level.

The content:

• Discussion of social work community-based practice
• Reproductive Justice (RJ) 101: distinguishing the reproductive health, rights and justice movements
• Connecting RJ to various social justice movements and a discussion of how RJ benefits communities
• The differences between RJ and pro-choice movement
• Why it’s important for social workers to integrate RJ framework into their practice
• A discussion of how social workers can exemplify the Code of Ethics around social justice issues on the national level using recent examples in the media
• What barriers are faced by social workers in promoting RJ
• How social workers can promote RJ at the micro, mezzo, macro level
• Sharing of resources for further learning and investigation

Webinar Three: Options Counseling in Social Work Practice 

watch this webinar by clicking here!

Presenters: Chloe Hanson Hebert, MSW and Jessica Laigle
Thursday, March 26th, 12:00pm-1:00pm EST

Register here!

Regardless of the type of practice, social workers are in a unique position to be the first point of connection and support for clients who may be experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, which is likely impacting other realms of their life.  Because social workers are many times already connected and trusted in the communities they serve, they are ideal agents for opening this discussion and equipping clients with the tools needed to take the next step.

This webinar will discuss options counseling for clients on reproductive health options in relation to the NASW code of ethics as well as incorporate social work-related theories and practice models that compliment the options counseling model.

Content

• Utilizing common social work interventions in an RJ framework
• Discussing the NASW Code of ethics in relation to counseling clients on reproductive options
• An overview of theories and practice models that fit well with the Options Counseling model
• A discussion of where to look for unbiased resources and how to make a speedy referral

Special Thanks to the Abortion Conversation Project for their support throughout this project!

Find us on Twitter or Facebook for updates!

Monica Jones is a Social Work student at Arizona State University and activist. She is fighting for the rights of Trans Women of Color and needs your support tomorrow November 24th. Read this post from The Best Practices Policy Project for more info on Monica’s advocacy and how to support her here: http://www.bestpracticespolicy.org/2014/11/21/stand-with-monica-jones-november-24-2014/

 By SWRJ Advisory Council member Anita R. Gooding, MSW, LSW

Transgender Day of Remembrance 2014

The annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is occurring on November 20, 2014. The day is an opportunity to pause and remember trans* persons who were killed because of their identity. TDOR is also a time for advocacy and awareness of issues faced by those in the trans* community. However, responsibility for change and awareness needs to fall on everyone’s shoulders.

In the Philadelphia area alone I have heard three stories of individuals murdered because they were trans* or Gender Non-Conforming. I also recently learned of a 17-year-old trans* male who committed suicide because of stigma, depression, and lack of support. National statistics on trans* violence are staggering. A 2013 report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that trans* folks were one of the communities most impacted by violence. Their research shows:

Transgender people were:

• 3.32 times as likely to experience police violence as compared to cisgender survivors and victims.
• 2.46 times as likely to experience physical violence by the police compared to cisgender survivors and victims.

Transgender people of color were:

• 2.59 times as likely to experience police violence compared to white cisgender survivors and victims.
• 2.37 times as likely to experience discrimination compared to white cisgender survivors and victims.

Transgender women were:

• 2.90 times as likely to experience police violence as compared to survivors and victims who were not transgender women.
• 2.71 times as likely to experience physical violence by the police as compared to survivors and victims who were not transgender women.
• 2.14 times as likely to experience discrimination as compared to survivors and victims who were not transgender women.

As social workers we are tasked with understanding social diversity, respecting colleagues and consumers, promoting non-discrimination, and encouraging social and political action. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is a reminder that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to promote acceptance of all identities. Social workers can provide clinical support for those coming to terms with their gender identity, and resources to friends and family members of trans* folks. Most important, social workers can create safe, non-judgmental spaces that allow for judgment free exploration of self.

If you would like to learn more about the Transgender Day of Remembrance or participate in a vigil, please visit www.tdor.info.

*Never seen the asterisk before? Check out this website to learn more.

Our friends at Provide are hiring for positions in Alabama and Tennessee. Check them out and go to www.provideaccess.org for more information!

A little about Provide: Founded in 1992, Provide is a national organization working to increase access to abortion in some of the most challenging environments – especially rural communities and Southern and Midwestern states. We believe that anyone who cares for women has a role in ensuring accessible abortion care for all women. To support health and social service providers as they take on that role, we work in three distinct and complementary ways: 1) training physicians and nurses in uterine evacuation skills; 2) advocating for abortion education in nursing schools and professional nursing associations; and 3) training and supporting health and social service providers to offer abortion referrals to patients and clients.

Alabama State Field Coordinator (estimated start date: January 2015)

As a member of Provide’s Referrals Initiative team in Alabama, the State Coordinator will:

• Coordinate state/regional work to increase access to abortion and build state champions as described in Provide’s Conceptual Model for Referrals and Referrals Project plan, working with project leadership and a state-based team through:
• Outreach/assessment: As part of a team, research, identify, assess and recruit training sites and champions among community health, rural health, social services, perinatal health and primary care agencies, focusing on those agencies where there is the most opportunity to promote access through pregnancy options counseling and referrals for agency patients/clients.
• Training: As part of a team, provide introductory training to agency staff in pregnancy options, counseling and referral-making, and other reproductive health information and skills based content using materials developed by Provide.
• Technical Assistance: As part of a team, provide hands-on technical assistance to targeted agencies in the process of integrating or enhancing abortion referrals into their institution’s practice and policies, using the model approach to providing abortion referrals as a guide for establishing site-specific practice goals and for assessing and responding to facilitating factors and barriers.
• Champions: As part of a team, identify, recruit, prepare and mobilize site- and state- champions to promote institutional uptake of pregnancy options counseling and referrals practices and advocate for abortion within their institutions and profession.
• Work closely with the state team to ensure team members are utilized as co-trainers and in outreach, training, follow up/technical assistance, and champion development activities.
• Identify and strengthen abortion provider relationships to inform and include them in any referrals activities of interest.

Tennessee State Field Coordinator (estimated start date: January 2015)
As a member of Provide’s Referrals Initiative team in Tennessee, the State Coordinator will:
Coordinate state/regional work to increase access to abortion and build state champions as described in Provide’s Conceptual Model for Referrals and Referrals Project plan, working with project leadership and a state-based team through:

• Outreach/assessment: As part of a team, research, identify, assess and recruit training sites and champions among community health, rural health, social services, perinatal health and primary care agencies, focusing on those agencies where there is the most opportunity to promote access through pregnancy options counseling and referrals for agency patients/clients.
• Training: As part of a team, provide introductory training to agency staff in pregnancy options, counseling and referral-making, and other reproductive health information and skills based content using materials developed by Provide.
• Technical Assistance: As part of a team, provide hands-on technical assistance to targeted agencies in the process of integrating or enhancing abortion referrals into their institution’s practice and policies, using the model approach to providing abortion referrals as a guide for establishing site-specific practice goals and for assessing and responding to facilitating factors and barriers.
• Champions: As part of a team, identify, recruit, prepare and mobilize site-and state- champions to promote institutional uptake of pregnancy options counseling and referrals practices and advocate for abortion within their institutions and profession.
• Work closely with the state team to ensure team members are utilized as co-trainers and in outreach, training, follow up/technical assistance, and champion development activities.
• Identify and strengthen abortion provider relationships to inform and include them in any referrals activities of interest.

Qualified individuals should send resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of three references to Provide via email to LaTischa Drake, Program Assistant, at ld at provideaccess.org. Please indicate “Alabama State Coordinator” or “Tennessee State Coordinator” in the subject line of the email.

The following is from a PhD student who is looking for other students of social work to help with her research:

Hello! I’m a PhD student at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and I developed (with the help of other sexual health scholars who helped me to design these survey questions) a survey that explores if and how topics of reproductive and sexual health are discussed in social work education and practice settings, along with other questions about attitudes and beliefs regarding such topics. We are conducting this survey across the U.S. Participation is voluntary, confidential, and should take about 15 minutes. The only requirement for participation is being enrolled in a social work program, so BSW, MSW, and PhD students of social work may respond. Please let me know if you have any questions about the survey.

Thank you!
Stephanie Begun, MSW
stephanie.begun@du.edu

Survey link:

http://gssw.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bpgypprT5Al5meh

Tonight, if you aren’t watching Scandal (or during the commercials) participate in a Macro Social Work chat led by the Association for Community Organization and Social Administration on #Ferguson. ACOSA released a statement on what Social Workers can do to address and challenge institutional racism in the United States, which you can read here- http://ow.ly/Ck6Pj

The National Association of Social Workers posted this on their blog in August, 10 days after a police officer fatally shot Michael Brown urging social workers to advocate for reforms in police practices: http://www.socialworkblog.org/advocacy/2014/08/police-shootings-underscore-need-for-social-workers-to-press-for-law-enforcement-reforms/

What do you think of the social work response to Ferguson? Are you discussing this with your colleagues, clients or community?

To follow the chat and participate follow the hashtag ‪#MacroSW tonight, 10/9 at 9pm EST. On twitter follow ACOSA at: ‪@acosaorg. ‪ Follow us on twitter at @socialworkersrj

The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs asked us to post this job opening for an Advocacy Specialist for Reproductive Justice. Contact hr@wcsap.org for more information. Full posting is here: http://www.wcsap.org/sites/wcsap.huang.radicaldesigns.org/files/uploads/Advocacyept_Specialist_JobAd_10_2014.pdf

By Katherine Bisanz, SWRJ Co-Founder

The Supreme Court made blatantly clear its disregard for the rights and dignity of low-income families of color in three major rulings brought forth in recent weeks – Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, McCullen v. Coakley and Harris v. Quinn.  All three rulings pose a unique but direct threat to health equity and reproductive justice for people and families in this country.  Perhaps the most widely discussed of them all, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, allows for-profit, religiously identified organizations to deny employees health insurance coverage for birth control.

As Carole Joffe reminds us in her pointed take on the decision: despite the fact that contraception is widely thought of as a “women’s issue”, the truth is that it plays an enormous role in general family well being.  As social workers, we can see the mammoth scope of potential impact that denying already low-wage workers coverage for birth control will have on families and as per the usual, low-income families of color will be hit the hardest.

In their 2013 report, The Guttmacher Institute cited the negative impacts of unplanned pregnancies on adult relationships, including depression, and heightened conflict and the health benefits to children when births are spaced have been noted time and time again. Additionally, the report shows the ability of contraceptive access to play a role in breaking cycles of poverty and government dependency across generations, patterns often perpetuated by unintended pregnancies.

The contraceptive coverage benefit of the Affordable Care Act was a huge step forward in terms of removing very present barriers to consistent contraceptive use that many women face.  Marcia D. Greenberger of the National Women’s Law Center noted the importance of this aspect of the ACA in a statement last November: “Birth control is a critically important part of women’s health care, but its cost, including co-pays, can be an impediment to a woman’s consistent use of it or to her ability to use the safest method for her. This benefit removes this financial barrier to women getting and affording the birth control they need.”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg noted just how prohibitive the cost of contraceptives can be for low-income women in her, now famous, and notably scathing dissent to the decision:  “It bears note in this regard that the cost of an IUD is nearly equivalent to a month’s full-time pay for workers earning the minimum wage.”

Earlier this year, during the initial iteration of this case, Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights made clear the danger of assigning more rights to institutions than to human beings: “The right to religious freedom belongs to individuals, not for-profit institutions. Our fundamental individual liberties must be protected so that these for-profit companies are no more entitled to deny women insurance coverage for essential health care than they are to dictate how any of us can and cannot spend our paychecks.”

SWRJ stands behind efforts to reverse the discriminatory and dangerous path being paved by conservative members of Congress and the Supreme Court in hopes that we, as members of the reproductive justice and health equity movements, may do our part to salvage the individual liberties and human rights that these very entities were established to protect.