Doin’ The Work: Frontline Stories of Social Change
Society & Culture
Episode 43
Guests: Cameron Rasmussen, MSW; Durrell Washington, MSW; Michelle Grier, LMSW; Vivianne Guevara, LMSW
Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW
www.dointhework.com
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If you love what we discuss on the podcast, then you will love our courses! We focus on frameworks, knowledge, and skills to engage in anti-racist, anti-oppressive, justice-based liberatory practice. CEs are available. Check out https://dointhework.com/courses/ to learn more and register. We hope you will join us!
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Thank you to this episode’s sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available.
In this episode, I talk with Durrell Washington, Vivianne Guevara, Cameron Rasmussen, and Michelle Grier of the Network to Advance Abolitionist Social Work (NAASW). Durrell is a PhD student at the University of Chicago School of Social Work. Vivianne is the Director of Social Work at the Federal Defenders of New York in Brooklyn, New York, Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work, and a facilitator in the community. Cameron works at The Center for Justice at Columbia University and is a PhD student in Social Welfare at CUNY. Michelle is a Black feminist, Brooklyn raised and social worker trained, who is leaning into practices that foster radical healing, racial and gender justice. Their collective grew out of the need for social workers to support each other in abolition work, particularly out of the discussions over the last year where many social workers and national social work organizations have supported social workers either working with the police or replacing police, and the NAASW says a loud “no” to both. They share their definitions of abolition and discuss how – and if – abolition can be applied as a framework for social work. They talk about ways that social work has supported – and continues to support – carceral systems, surveillance, and gatekeeping – and the connection to white supremacy and liberalism/individualism. There is also discussion on social workers – and social work as a whole – not living up to the Code of Ethics and social work values, especially with emphasis on licensure and private practice. They emphasize the need to engage in collective work and support to envision the world we want, as well as how to take smaller steps to implement abolition in the present while working towards a long-term larger vision. Members share their experiences working in the field in ways that do and do not align with abolition and how they navigate that, again stressing the importance of how their collective provides a supportive space where they can engage in abolition work. This is an excellent discussion for those looking to learn about abolition as well as folks who are already doing this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.
www.naasw.com
Twitter: @AbolitionistSW
Instagram: abolitionistsw
Facebook: @NetworktoAdvanceAbolitionistSocialWork
Cameron
Twitter: @CamRasNYC
Durrell
Twitter: @builtfoesuccess
Michelle
Twitter: @narwhaldreaming
Vivianne
Twitter: @viviviannne
Instagram: viviviannne
Music credit:
"District Four" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Operation Stop CPS – Amanda Wallace, BSW
Liberation Health Model – Dawn Belkin Martinez, PhD, LICSW
Liberatory Lawyering to End the School-to-Prison Pipeline – Ashleigh Washington, JD & Ruth Cusick, JD
Constructing a White Nation: Social Work in the Americanization Movement – Yoosun Park, MSW, PhD
Paid Social Work Internships Part 2 FED UP – Beth Wagner, Claire Mancuso, Natalia Norzagaray & Parham Daghighi
Paid Social Work Internships Part 1 Payment 4 Placements – Matt Dargay, MSW & Arie Davey, LLMSW
Understanding Antisemitism and Racism – Kohenet Shoshana A Brown, LMSW & Autumn Leonard
Creating Culturally Safe Spaces for Indigenous Populations – Turquoise Skye Devereaux, MSW
Organizing to End the School-to-Prison Pipeline – Jewel Patterson, MS; Edgar Ibarria; Nicole Bates, JD
Race Doesn’t Exist Without Racism – Deadric Williams, PhD
Addressing Racism in Social Work Licensing #StopASWB – Charla Yearwood, LCSW; Cassandra Walker, LCSW, CCTP; Alan Dettlaff, PhD, MSW
Surviving Racism in Academia – Maxine Davis, MSW, MBA, PhD
Trans Rights and Justice in a Time of Anti-Trans Attacks – Daye Pope
Racial Equity in Psychiatry and Mental Health – Jessica Isom, MD, MPH
Stop Playing Diversity – Monica Cox, PhD
Abolish the Family Policing System (”Child Welfare”) – Joyce McMillan & Victoria, MSW
Exposing the Right-Wing & Corporate Takeover of Education & Democracy – Jasmine Banks
Stop Whitewashing Social Work History: Tell the Truth – Kelechi Wright, LCPC & Kortney Carr, LCSW
Decolonizing Mental Health & Supporting Indigenous Women – Tyra Wanatee-Flores, BSW
Taking Action on Social Determinants of Health – Armen Henderson, MD
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