Tag Archives: not-for-profit

Violence In the Shelter: The Price of Underfunding

Hello Readers!  It’s been a while… This article is a personal response to a systemic and societal ill reflected in the abduction and murder of my colleague, Social Worker and NYC homeless shelter Director Ana Isabel Charle, who died senselessly nearly … Continue reading

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The Easiest Hard Decision: When Caregiving Trumps Employment

For someone who has worked their entire life, unemployment is a peculiarly unsettling kind of purgatory.  This social work practitioner was not “practitioning” for nearly 16 months, having resigned my position in keeping with a favorite John Lennon lyric that … Continue reading

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“It’s Not My Job”—Keeping Job Descriptions Current

Supervisors, how do you react when someone on your staff says, in so many words, “It’s not my job”?  It might come out sounding like “I’m sooooo busy” as they scurry away; “I’m still trying to finish that other thing … Continue reading

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Cultivating “The Gratitude Attitude!”

There seem to be a number of articles going around the web recently on the subject of how to deal with difficult bosses, and endless complaints about feeling underappreciated, overworked, stressed, unhappy, and on and on and on.  Fine, I … Continue reading

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The Ever-Changing Resume

I made a big mistake early in my career.  I forgot to dust off my crystal ball. When I put together my first post-MSW resume in 2007, it was pretty simple and straightforward.  But if there’s one thing we can … Continue reading

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Once Upon A Client: The End of Homelessness

There is no symbol more reflective of the end of homelessness than a set of keys. As Manager of the Client Advocacy Project (CAP) at Coalition for the Homeless in New York City, I had the privilege of leading a … Continue reading

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Readers Respond to “Social Workers Deserve Higher Pay Now”

Emotions ran high in response to my September 16, 2013 article “Social Workers Deserve Higher Pay Now.”  While there were several interesting suggestions on how to address the issue of low salaries, three things are abundantly clear.  Social workers are … Continue reading

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Social Workers Deserve Higher Pay Now

A September 2009 CNN·Money article listed 15 stressful jobs that pay badly.  Number 1?  Social worker – median pay: $43,200. The article states: “Social workers step in when everyone else steps aside to help people and families in vulnerable situations. … Continue reading

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“Am I A Good Social Worker?”

As social workers, we serve many masters—our clients; our supervisor; our program; our organization; our funders.  With so many to please and with interests that sometimes compete, it can be hard to know which voice to listen to when seeking … Continue reading

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Of Safety and Dreams

As our children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews return excitedly (or reluctantly) to school, two contrasting themes come to mind: their safety, and the ways in which they embody our collective hopes and dreams. As social workers, we are mandated reporters.  … Continue reading

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