Social Work Advocacy Day 2011

On March 3, 2011, Texas social workers flooded the Capitol in hopes of making their voices heard. Both professionals and social work students from various colleges attended the event. The day began with the distribution of materials and preparation for speaking with legislators later in the day.

The theme for the day, set by the National Association of Social Workers, was “Social Workers: The Bootstraps of Texas.” I am surprised that attendees and organizers accepted this slogan. The United States has a history of expecting others to help themselves or “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” Conservative Republicans, a dominating force in Texas politics, further this belief in their support of less government intervention and less spending on social services. The use, then, of this statement in a social work logo is neither useful to social workers nor their clients. Clients suffer when fewer programs are available and eligibility requirements are made stricter. Meanwhile, social workers will undoubtedly suffer job and funding losses under the implementation of this belief.

Furthermore, the isolation of social workers as the sole source of support and assistance for Texans is not something to be applauded. Social workers should not be alone in the task of assisting Texas’ disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. By making such a slogan, social workers are stating that they are not only okay with being alone in this fight, but that they are proud of it. Yes, one should take pride in being a social worker, but we should also be furious with the state of affairs in Texas.

Looking at HB1 as it passed on April 1, the efforts of social workers in Texas seem to have melted in the face of the declared budget crisis. Cuts were made across the board to various social service programs. For Texas’ Child Protective Services (CPS), a division of the Texas HHSC, this means slashing services in a system that has already been deemed “broken.” (See “A Broken System” http://slippingthroughthecracksintexas.blogspot.com/2011/04/broken-system.html)


Jennifer Copeland
MSSW Candidate
University of Texas at Austin