Social Work Day on the Hill - Wednesday, March 9, 2022
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Social Work Day
on the Hill
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Student
Advocacy Day
Thursday, March 10, 2022
March is Social Work Month. Let’s Celebrate!
March 9, 2022
Dear Colleagues,
March is Social Work Month and a time to recognize and salute the many contributions social
workers make to our nation through our work in and engagement with Congress and the federal
government. In 2010, I had the honor of working with former Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns and
NASW to create the Congressional Social Work Caucus to provide an official presence on the Hill for
the nation’s social workers. Upon his retirement in 2013, we created the Congressional Research In-
stitute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) to complement the presence and work of the Social Work
Caucus. Social Work Day on the Hill was launched eight years ago to bring to life a dream of Con-
gressman Towns, who wanted a day when social workers of all walks of life would gather in Wash-
ington, DC and celebrate our work on the Hill.
We gather this week virtually—not just to celebrate—but with the purpose of influencing the
policies and legislation emanating from the halls of Congress. Social workers have claimed the
mantle of pursuers of social and economic justice. However, actualizing policy change is an ardu-
ous task in today’s political climate. We believe social workers like Michael Sherraden can influence
policy by intitiating and passing legislation to provide America’s children with assets at birth. It will
take the collective effort of social workers across the country to get it done. More ideas, research,
and policy initiatives will be born out of the work of the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work. CRISP
will be working at the federal level to advance legislative proposals.
As Frederick Douglas said: “Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never
will.” Our nation is weakened because of racial and economic divisions. Social workers must find a
way to avoid these and other pitfalls. Only by working together can we accomplish our goal of a
just and equitable society.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Lewis, Jr.
The Social Work Democracy Project
The Social Work Democracy Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization formed to galvanize the
social work profession around the need to preserve and strengthen democracy in the United States.
For many, our system of government had flaws and inconsistencies, but there was hope that we
would make progress in making it a more just and equitable form of governance. Although the Elec-
toral College prevented the majority of citizens from selecting the President of the United States and
Supreme Court decisions that deregulated campaign financing and rolled back protections from
discriminatory voting practices, we felt the majority of Americans wanted a system that reflected
the ideals in the U.S. Constitution.
Soon after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump
as the 45th President of United States it was apparent
that the nation would be on a rocky path for at least
the next four years when his first order of business was
to promote the falsehood that his inauguration drew
the largest crowd in the nation’s history. It was easily
debunked with photographs comparing the crowd
attending the inauguration of his predecessor Barack
Obama. He continued his incessant attacks on the news
media as “fake news” and ultimately as the enemy of
the people. It was evident that Mr. Trump’s ego was his
only concern which meant he had little respect or use
for orderly government. Democratic institutions such as
the Congress and the judiciary were only useful if they
served his purpose. Things got scary when Republican
after Republican fell in line.
We had witness Mitch McConnell and his Republi-
can colleagues abandon traditional decorum by deny- historian Dr. Nancy MacLean’s award-winning book,
ing President Obama the opportunity to appoint Merrick Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radi-
Garland to the Supreme Court. When Trump spoke of cal Right’s Stealth Plan for America, we learned that a
being President for Life like the despots he admired, we concerted effort to undermine democracy has been at
paid little attention and attributed those statements as work for many years. Led by libertarians largely funded
reflective of an overblown ego. Many laughed when by the Koch brothers, there was an effort at work to un-
White House counsel Kellyanne Conway informed the dermine majority rule in the United States and supplant
country that there were alternative facts. History teach- it with a system that would favor oligarchy and free
es that revisionist accounts of historical events occur capitalists to enrich themselves with few restrictions.
regularly and usually serve the purpose of the corrupt.
After reading Dr. MacLean book, we invited her to
We began to worry then if democracy would be dam-
participate in our 2018 Social Work Day on the Hill Pol-
aged by the Trump Administration.
itics and Policy Forum to respond to the question: Can
With the 2017 publication of noted Duke University continued on page 14
Social Work Day on the Hill
Policy & Politics Forum
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 • 11:00 a.m. EST
Can Social Work Help Save Democracy?
Introducing the Social Work Democracy Project
The Social Work Democracy Project is a 501(c)3 organization that was created out of the need for a response from
social workers to growing threats to democracy that were clearly evident during the Donald Trump administration
and led to the violent attempt to nullify the 2020 presidential election on January 6, 2021 when a mob of Trump
supporters stormed Capitol Hill.
Moderator
Charles E. Lewis, Jr. is the founding Director of the Congressional Research Institute for
Social Work and Policy (CRISP). He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University School
of Social Work and a member of the Grand Challenges for Social Work Leadership Board.
He was recently inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and So-
cial Welfare. Dr. Lewis was Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for former
Congressman Ed Towns Towns when he oversaw the creation of the Congressional Social
Work Caucus. He earned his MSW degree in clinical counseling from Clark Atlanta Univer-
sity and PhD in policy, planning and policy analysis from Columbia University.
The Panel
Dr. Mimi Abramovitz is the Bertha Capen Reynolds Professor of Social Work at the Silber-
man School of Social Work at Hunter College and The CUNY Graduate Center. She is
co-leader of the Social Work National Voter Mobilization Campaign. Known nationally
and internationally as a public intellectual and an activist, she publishes widely on issues
related to women, poverty, human rights, the U. S. welfare state and the impact of public
policy on non-profit human service agencies–all through the lens of race, class and gen-
der. She earned her B.A. in sociology at the University of Michigan and her MSW and PhD
at Columbia University School of Social Work.
Dr. Lenna Nepomnyaschy is an associate professor at School of Social Work at Rutgers
The State University of New Jersey. Dr. Nepomnyaschy’s research interests are broadly fo-
cused on how poverty, inequality, and social policies impact child and family health and
well-being. One line of work examines the impact of social policies, particularly related to
fathers and child support, on the well-being of families and children. Another line of work
examines socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in child health and development.
Her current work explores the extent to which father involvement can reduce disparities in
outcomes between children in lower and higher income families
Justin Hodge, LMSW, is a clinical assistant professor in the School of Social Work at the
University of Michigan where he promotes socially just policies through his engagement in
governmental and political organizations. A licensed MSW, he earned his MSW degree at
the University of Michigan. Justin was elected to serve the Washtenaw County community
as both the Chair of the Eastern Washtenaw Democratic Club and the Vice-Chair of the
Legislative Committee for the Washtenaw County Democratic Party. He was also ap-
pointed to serve on the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Community Advisory Board for Law
Enforcement where he brings a social justice perspective to the board.
Social Work Day on the Hill
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 • 1:00 p.m. EST
Young Social Workers Speak
The Social Work Day on the Hill midday event is a panel discussion by social work stu-
dents or recent graduates to bring their voices and persepctives to the table. The will
give their views on the challenge for social workers to be engaged in activities that per-
serve and strengthen democracy while responding to the question: Can Social Workers
Help Save Democracy? The panel will be moderated by Taylor Brown, a recent MSW
graduate of the Brown School of Social Work at the University of Washington in St. Louis.
Taylor will be the 2023 CRISP Student Advocacy Day Lead Organizer. He will be joined by
four members of this year’s Student Advocacy Day Leadership Team.
Taylor Brown
The Brown School
Stephani Brodi Marissa Rodriguez
University of Houston Columbia University
Nevo Polansky Devany Howard
University of Michigan Columbia University
2021 CRISP Student Advocacy Day Leadership Team
Amani Desamours Kenneth Hagler Marissa Rodriguez
Howard University Johnson C. Smith Unversity Columbia University
CRISP Fellow Lead Organizer CRISP Fellow
Aaron Autler Devany Howard Grace Nielson Jennifer Bulcock
University of Pennsylvania Columbia University University of Missouri University of Pennsylvania
Kristine Paz Nevo Polonsky Sherie Turnage Stephani Brodi
Sacred Heart University University of Michigan Coppin State University University of HoustonSocial Work Day on the Hill
Recognition & Town Hall
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 • 3:00 p.m. EST
Recognition Ceremony
Every year CRISP presents awards to social workers and others who make contributions to
society through Congress and the federal government. We decided to suspend our awards
ceremony until we are able to return to the Hill. However, we would like like recognize our
Congressional Social Workers and several notable nominees for their accomplishments
during the past year.
Town Hall Discussion The Future of Political Social Work
Justin Hodge Tanya Rhodes Smith
Suzanne Pritzker
Assistant Professor University of Director, Nancy A. Humphreys
Associate Professor and author of Michigan School of Social Work Institute for Political Social Work at
Political Social Work
County Commissioner the University of Connecticut
Steven Pimpare Jason Ostrander
Charles E. Lewis, Jr.
Principal Lecture at the University Assistant Professor University of
Director, Congressional Research Michigan School of Social Work
of New Hampshire and author of
Institute for Social Work & Policy
Politics for Social Workers County CommissionerStudent Advocacy Day
Thursday, March 10, 2022
8:00 a.m. PST/11:00 a.m. EST
Morning Program begins at
8:00 a.m. PST/11 a.m. EST and will
end at 9:30 a.m. PST/12:30 p.m.
Meetings begin after the Morning Program
until 2:00 p.m PST/5:00 p.m. EST
gler There will be ongoing activities on the Stage Luisa
Ha
Kenneth and informational sessions throughout the day Lope
z
Program
Opening Remarks • Dr. Charles E. Lewis, Jr., CRISP Director
Welcome • Kenneth Hagler, II, Student Adocacy Day Lead Organizer
Greetings • Special Guests
Poetic Expression • Brandon Burke
Introduction of Keynote Speaker • Amani Desamours, CRISP Fellow
Keynote Speaker • Dr. Shannon Lane, Associate Professor & Author
Special Dance Performance • Michael Jackson, Jr.
Break Time • 9:30 a.m. PST / 12:30 p.m. EST
Meetings • 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. PST / 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. EST
Closing Session • 2:00 p.m. PST / 5:00 p.m. ESTPlans to Resume CRISP Political Boot Camp in 2023
Plans to resume the CRISP Political Jason Ostrander, an assistant professor
Boot Camp in 2022 were again put at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield,
on hold as the nation continued its Connecticut. Both have been actively
battle against the COVID-19 virus and engaged in political social work.
its many variants. It was decided that The University of Michigan School
although the country appears to be of Social Work recently announced
making significant progress stemming the initiation of a MSW program spe-
the pandemic, it is still uncertain what cialization in political social work. The
the circumstances will be four months school now offers an online certificate
from now and it takes much more than program for which Hodge is an instruc-
four month to plan for the event tor. He recently was elected to a seat
The four-day intensive political on the Washtenaw County Commis-
and media training received very pos- sion Board.
itive feedback from the three cohorts Ostrander earned his MSW and
going back to its inauguration in 2017. PhD at the University of Connecticut
Sixty-six social work students, faculty Donisha Cotlone, a graduate of School of Social Work, the home of the
and practitioners have participated the University of Houston Graduate Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Polit-
College of Social Work, seen here
in the three previous Boot Camps. The ical Social Work where he was men-
at the 2019 CRISP Boot Camp.
2020 event was cancelled during the tored by the late Dr. Humphreys, the
height of the Covid-19 virus outbreak. foremost proponent of having more
professor in the School of Social Work
The next event will be coordinated social workers being actively engaged
at the University of Michigan, and Dr.
by Justin Hodge, a clinical assistant in the political arena.Introducing the Social Work Democracy Project
continued from page 5
Social Work Help Save Democracy? November 7, 2018. The panel consisted of Drs. Teasley,
Although the forum was cancelled due to a snow- MacLean, Uehara, Telvis Rich, Lewis, Jr. The presen-
storm, on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, several social work tation was well-received by the deans and directors
leaders gathered in a conference room in the Marriott and a task force was created to explore future possi-
Hotel in Washington, DC to meet with Dr. MacLean. bilities and adopted the name Social Work Democra-
In attendance were Drs. Marilyn Flynn, Martell Tea- cy Project.
sley, Eddie Uehara, Charles E Lewis Jr, and Angelo The purpose of the project is to raise the aware-
McClain; and Patricia White, retired senior program ness of social workers about threats to democracy in
officer for the New York Community Trust. the United States and to encourage social workers to
After nearly three hours of spirited discussion increase our civic engagement at all levels of soci-
and debate, the consensus was social workers were ety. We plan to promote public discourse about the
already engaged in numerous civic activities and threats to democracy and efforts to mitigate those
actions and more would be if we focused on the threats such as campaign finance reform, ranked-
threats to democracy and the need to respond. It was choice voting, and expanding voting opportunities.
agreed there would be an effort to identify the actors We also plan to develop and disseminate materials for
and actions that were already occurring and further classroom instruction.
discussion about how best to inform the social work
community.
Dr. Teasley, president of the National Association
of Deans and Directors (NADD) invited the panel to
present at the annual fall meeting in Orlando, FL onSaluting Social Justice Champions
Every year CRISP presents awards to social workers and others who make contributions to
society through Congress and the federal government. We decided to suspend our awards
ceremony until we are able to return to the Hill. However, we would like like recognize our
Congressional Social Workers and several notable nominees for their accomplishments
during the past year.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) continues to be a champion for social workers as
Chair of the Congressional Social Work Caucus. She serves on the influential House Commit-
tee on Appropriation and the House Committe on Budget. She has bee a leading voice for
Americans in poverty as the founder and co-Chair of the Out-Of-Poverty Caucus and Chair
of the Majority Leader’s Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. She became the only African
American woman in leadership as co-Chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Commit-
tee. She has been appointed the Congressional Representative to the General Assembly
of the United Nations for five successive terms. Known for casting the lone vote against the
Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) which gives the Executive Branch a blank check
to wage war, her legislation H.R. 256 was passed by the House in June 2021.
Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) continues to be a champion for children, youth and
families engaged in foster care sytems. In November 2021, she introduced the 21st Century
Children and Families Act to improve stability for young people in foster care. She is in the
process of crafting two additional bills, one of which will provide support for kiniship caregivers.
She recently annouced her candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles where she began her public
service as a Physicians Associate before earning her MSW from the University of Southern Cal-
ifornia in 2015, after being elected to Congress. Upon entering Congress, she co-founded the
bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Care. As a member oof the Foreign Affairs Commit-
tee, she continue promote global health, particularly in Africa. Her signature accomplishment
in 2021 was getting The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 passed in the House.
Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), the newest social worker elected to Congress, burst
on the scene rather quickly when she was named as one of seven managers for the im-
peachment of President Trump. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a degree
in social work and political science and went on to earn her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the
Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. The first Latina to represent Tex-
as in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Garcia serves on Judiciary Committee
and the Financial Services Committee. Her bill, H.R. 2922 -- the Elder Abuse Protection Act of
2021 passed the House in June. The legislation is designed to protect seniors from fraudulent
schemes and other forms of elder abuse. It requires the Attorney General to launch a national
elder fraud hotline and requires permanent consultations with the Offfice of Tribal Justice.
Sarah Butts, MSW, is the Director of Public Policy for the National Association of Social Workers
(NASW) where she continues to do outstanding work with the White House and Congress in bring-
ing social work issues to the forefront of national policy and its program agenda. She works closely
with both White House staff and Hill Members and staff. Sarah also has worked to unify the key
policy positions of major national social work organizations, such as the Council on Social Work
Education, the Society for Social Work and Research, the American Academy for Social Work and
Social Welfare, and the National Association of Social Workers. Much of her work in these areas is
unprecedented in the social work field.
Dr. Michael Lindsey is the newly appointed dean of the Silver School of Social Work at New York
University and long-time director of the McSilver Institute for Poverty and Research. He is recog-
nized for his outstanding scholarship and policy work in mental health, particularly raising the alarm
about the increase in suicide among young people of color. Research at McSilver has influenced
policy and improved the lives of countless individuals and families in New York City and New York
State. He leads the working group of experts supporting the Congressional Black Caucus Emergen-
cy Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health, which created the report Ring the Alarm:
The Crisis of Black Youth Suicide in America.Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey and went on to become the first woman of color to serve in a statewide elected office a Lieutenant Governor. She also serves as Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs. A graduate of Columbia Uni- versity School of Social Work, she is only the second African American woman to serve as Speaker of a state legislature, second only to Karen Bass. Under her leadership, the Department has also expanded and leveraged a wide range of initiatives aimed at assisting distressed municipalities, including the federal Opportunity Zones tax incentive, the Main Street New Jersey program, the Neighborhood Preservation Program, and several others. Gary Parker, MSW, is Associate Dean for External Affairs and Director of the Clark-Fox Policy Insti- tute at the Brown School at Washington University in St Louis. He has served as a university adminis- trator, legislative aide, registered lobbyist, researcher, policy analyst, and educator. As director of the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, Parker translates research findings into evidence-based policy for dis- semination to community leaders, policymakers, and government officials. Working collaboratively with a wide array of stakeholders, Parker identifies and addresses community needs and develops programming that serves to strengthen and build community and he has worked to bring leading macro social work organizations together to collaborate. Dr. Tina M. Maschi is a Professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service in New York City where she has been making outstanding scholarly contributions that advance social work knowledge with more than 15 years of clinical social work and research experience in juvenile, criminal justice, and community mental health settings. Her 2022 Society for Social Work and Researcd award-winning book, “Aging Behind Prison Walls: Studies in Trauma and Resilience,” represents the culmination of her passion and commitment towards cultivating a caring justice way of living through a data-driven and compassionate analysis of the lives of older people in prison. Carol C. Phelps, MSW is a Senior Instructor and Field Coordinator of the Washington, DC Internship Programs for MSW and BSW students at the University of Alabama where she received her MSW. For the past six years Ms. Phelps has organized and coordinated our DC Fly In which allows over fifty students to take part in policy advocacy. Her commitment to working tirelessly with Congress through advocacy is evident through the work with students and the DC program. Because of her commitment and work, social students are consistently placed on Capitol Hill making a consistent impact on policy as it relates to social and economic justice. Dr. Suzanne Prtizker is a social worker, activist, author, and mentor for many political social workers. Dr. Pritzker studies strategies that increase youth civic engagement, including her federally-fund- ed project on civic engagement among Latinx teenagers. She also extensively studies how social workers are prepared for, and engage in, political action. Co-author of the textbook, Political So- cial Work: Using Power to Create Social Change, she leads the Graduate College of Social Work’s Political Social Work Specialization at the University of Houston. Their competitive Austin Legislative Internship Program places social work students in the Texas legislature. She has helped define polit- ical justice for the profession. Wendy Sherman, MSW, is an American Diplomat currently serving as the United States Deputy Sec- retary of State and is the first woman to hold the position. She was a professor of the practice of public leadership and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. She earned her MSW at the University of Maryland and credits her skills in negotiations to her social work experience and education saying: “For me that core set of skills was in community organizing and clinical skills and I only half joke that those clinical skills have been very effective with both dictators and members of congress… it does help to understand interpersonal relations and how people think and feel and have different sets of interests.” Heather Zenone was a long-time senior legislative aide for Congresswoman Karen Bass is the new Director of IPA Administration at Casey Family Programs where she will oversee national efforts to address the well-being of children, youth, and families. She will being particular attention to improving outcomes for Native American children and families. During 2021, Heather worked to advance foster care legislation, including the 21st Century Children and Families Act introduced by Congresswoman Bass in November and Kinship Care legislation that will be introduced later this month. She was responsible for bringing stakeholders together and crafting legislation to address various perspectives.
A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
Leader Sponsors
Association of Social Work Boards
Boston University School of Social Work
Center for Social Development at the Brown School
Columbia University School of Social Work
Council on Social Work Education
University of Washington School of Social Work
Supporter Sponsors
Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis
Clark-Fox Policy Institute at the Brown School
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
University of Tennessee at Knoxville College of Social Work
The Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) is a nonpartisan 501(c)4 organization
dedicated to expanding opportunities for social workers’ particiapation in the political arena
750 First Street, NE • Suite 386-B
www.crispinc.org
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