Advancing Critical Anti-Racism Dialogues for Action (ACARDA)
Conveners: Darlyne Bailey and Monica Leisey
- Being mindful of much needed “action” in anti-racism work in macro social work, ACARDA members are from across the country working with our schools and programs as faculty, students, and community- based practitioners. Together we have met regularly to reflect on the history and current state of macro social work as it relates to ways to both initiate and promote anti-racism and anti-oppression work in our classrooms and institutions within the broader Social Work community.
Data and Outcomes
Conveners: Deb Adams and Isabel Lee
- The Data and Outcomes conducts an annual survey of SC allies and supporter about the SC and macro social work, their participation is various SC Committees, and data on their MSW school or program, and more. .87 of 1000+ responded. Also working with CSWE on collecting macro data from MSW programs.
Licensing
Convener: Mary Nienow
The purpose of this committee is to monitor and advocate on behalf of social work regulation which neither marginalizes macro social work nor gives preference to psychotherapeutic clinical social work. The group has grappled for the 10+ years with social work licensing for macro practice social worker, examined current state definitions of social work and determined that many state definitions were not fully inclusive of macro practice. The licensing group developed a new definition of social work which is balanced and inclusive. The group was instrumental in advocating for the release of examination pass rates from the ASWB and to address any racial disparities.
Macro Careers & Workforce Development
Convener: Shalay Jackson
The Macro Careers Committee seeks to increase the macro social work workforce through education, advocacy, and direct action; address the lack of understanding of macro social work; recruit more students into programs with macro specializations; and promote the many professional opportunities for social workers to engage in macro practice. Specifics include: 1) Aggregate resources in support of macro careers: Continue to work on the Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor (BLS) definition and description of Social Workers in their career series to ensure that it is inclusive of macro competencies and roles. Occupational Outlook Handbook: 2) Support efforts to rewrite/formalize definitions and scope of macro social work
Resources
Convener: Diane Bessel
The Resources Committee is charged with gathering, organizing, and disseminating macro practice resource materials to support students, educators, and practitioners. Our goal is to build a regularly updated resource clearinghouse to include, but not
limited to, historic documents, seminal articles, course syllabi and assignments, case studies, field education learning contract activities, macro placement suggestions, practice tools and worksheets, and media resources.
Social Media
Email Gary
The Social Media Committee is continuing to produce the “Macro Social Work Stories” video podcast. The partnership is comprised of Dr. Steve Burghardt at Silberman School of Social Work; Dr. Gary Jones at Tennessee State University, School of Public Service; and Dr. Kristie Holmes, Co-Chair of the United NationsCivil Society Press and Media Subcommittee. AC II will recruit social work students to partner with this endeavor. Building on the previous series of Macro podcasts (found at https://macrosocialworkstories.org), our video podcasts will be available on YouTube. The video podcast will be live or pre-recorded. The primary subjects and speakers over the coming will focus on the reckoning in social work itself by addressing systemic racism, climate change, income inequality, emerging social workers, and the opportunities of STEM in our profession. Speakers will include academics, students, and professionals who have been deeply involved in these issues – inside and outside of social work. The video podcasts can be an additional asset to the classroom and community. (The video podcast can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1k-ZnxkXJiUiYb7pntazHQ/vi