By Jessica Gott, CA Alliance Intern

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Why Social Work and how have my experiences shaped my understanding of the field?

The unconditional positive regard from a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) as a teenager changed everything for me after struggling to cope with my mother’s mental health and substance-use for years. Mental health services provided me with the consistent, safe environment that I often did not have at home. As I grew up and planned to go to college, I did not know exactly what career I planned to pursue, but I knew that I wanted to provide that same support to others in some way, shape, or form. For myself, the first logical step was to complete my bachelor’s degree in psychology to gain a solid educational foundation while I forged into the unknown. The fear was palpable for me, a first-generation college student, with no financial support. However, the hope and freedom of this opportunity were louder. I told myself that I would make the most out of every available opportunity that came across my path, with one clear goal in mind: to support others in their time of need, just as my provider was there for me all those years. I had no idea what was in store for me.

From volunteering with refugee children in Germany to interning at a local art studio to support Autistic artists with their projects and art shows while earning my bachelor’s degree, I came face to face with the privileges I hold. As I began to critically reflect upon these privileges as a White, cisgender, able-bodied woman, and more, it became apparent to me that I needed to do more to amplify the voices of others. But how? Admittedly, I felt powerless. I felt like a fish out of water, unsure of how on earth little me could address disparities within huge systems. Where do I go from here? From the wise words of a blue fish, “Just keep swimming,” I told myself.

After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I tried to find answers in roles as a Behavior Therapist in Applied-Behavior Analysis (ABA), as a Youth Development Specialist providing social-emotional learning workshops for children and adolescents in permanent supportive housing, as a Youth Advocate engaging young people via outreach and linkage to resources, and as a Care Coordinator in community mental health. In each of these roles, I recognized a recurring theme: gaps in care due to well-intended policies that fell short in practice. I witnessed the unique experiences of youth involved in the justice system, former foster youth impacted by child welfare, and LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness left out of many of the conversations that directly affect their wellbeing. I experienced as a provider how policies and procedures can appear beneficial on paper, however, later prove to be inequitable and even dangerous in practice. This experience inspired my “how.” I began to research graduate programs that would help me address what I believe to be the root of the problem – oppressive policies – and happened upon a master’s in social work (MSW). I learned that social work encompasses more than I originally thought! Social work includes not only clinical practice, but also macro-level practice to serve others via advocacy for social justice. It felt like all the pieces had fallen together, I applied, and before I knew it, the first semester was here.

As a direct-care provider and, soon enough, practicum student, I provided mental health services to transition-age youth (TAY) in the forms of case management, individual therapy, and skill-building. Unfortunately, myself and the young people I served continued to encounter micro, mezzo, and macro-level barriers to care. Unhoused, traumatized youth denied mental health services due to provider bias that they are “only seeking housing.” Justice-involved youth turned away from dignified housing due to their record and being penalized in court for lack of stable housing. Foster youth unable to access care due to presumptive transfer delays. Youth discharged from services prematurely due to mental/behavioral health staff shortages to meet county standards. Young mothers of color blamed by child welfare professionals for experiencing intimate partner violence. Disabled youth scolded by other providers for “not trying hard enough.” Other providers too overloaded to collaborate with the client’s team members. The justice, housing, medical, child welfare, benefits, mental and behavioral health providers are misaligned regarding social determinants of health, trauma-informed care, and anti-oppressive practice, creating unnecessary barriers to care and resources.

Throughout my experience in my MSW program, I have been taught about how to implement anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in both micro (direct) practice and macro (societal) practice. In direct practice, examples include person-centered and trauma-informed care, such as collaborative treatment plans, meeting clients where they are at, informing clients of their rights, program evaluation, and being open to feedback from clients and family members. At the macro level, this looks like advocacy to inform, amend, and introduce policy, to reduce barriers to care, to increase accessibility to care, and reduce stigma of mental health conditions and beyond. I realized quickly that micro-level interventions did not feel impactful enough to address barriers to care and the re-traumatization of these young people. I then contacted my Field Placement coordinator and requested placement, if possible, with a macro-level organization to address these concerns.

What Inspired Me?

Paolo Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, who wrote Pedagogy of the Oppressed, shaped my understanding of critical consciousness, education, and praxis. His writings inspire me to remember that my role in service is not to uplift myself, but rather, to serve the community through stakeholder involvement and prioritizing the voices of underserved communities. Within these overarching concepts, Freire emphasizes equality of voice and participation, continuous self-reflection, and the power of a collaborative collective in creating change. For example, when one attempts to create change without cause or input from those who will be impacted by this change, this inherently enforces an unequal power dynamic between the “knowing” and the “unknowing.” When we do not take the time to question this dynamic, our society falls victim to a “culture of silence,” a culture of oppression, a culture of prejudice and inequity.

These concepts from Pedagogy of the Oppressed align with the National Associate of Social Work (NASW) Code of Ethics, which requires social workers to abide by the following ethical principles: service, social justice, dignity and worth of all people, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Further, the NASW describes additional ethical responsibilities for social workers that impact broader society:

1. Social workers should engage in social and political action that seeks to ensure that all people have equal access to the resources, employment, services, and opportunities they require to meet their basic human needs and to develop fully. Social workers should be aware of the impact of the political arena on practice and should advocate for changes in policy and legislation to improve social conditions to meet basic human needs and promote social justice.

2. Social workers should act to expand choice and opportunity for all people, with special regard for vulnerable, disadvantaged, oppressed, and exploited people and groups.

3. Social workers should promote conditions that encourage respect for cultural and social diversity within the United States and globally. Social workers should promote policies and practices that demonstrate respect for difference, support the expansion of cultural knowledge and resources, advocate for programs and institutions that demonstrate cultural competence, and promote policies that safeguard the rights of and confirm equity and social justice for all people.

4. Social workers should act to prevent and eliminate domination of, exploitation of, and discrimination against any person, group, or class on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, political belief, religion, immigration status, or mental or physical ability.

I am honored for the opportunity to apply a social work lens to CA policy in child welfare, juvenile justice, and TAY services here at the Alliance. Social work students are trained in the “person-in-environment” approach to micro, mezzo, and macro-level service. I prefer to think of it simply as empathy; to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, in the same time and place both literally and socio-politically, and account for that person’s history and traumas and dreams within the context of any situation they may be experiencing. I believe that incorporating this lens into policy can help create a more equitable society for us all, and especially for those who have been systemically oppressed.

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