50 BROADWAY • SUITE 1001 • NEW YORK, N.Y. 10004 • PHONE (212) 668-0050 • FAX (212) 668-0305 • WEBSITE: WWW.NASWNYC.ORG NOVEMBER 2009 VOLUME 54/NO. 2

Since Henry Hudson first landed in Mannahatta 400 years ago, New York City has always been the destination for immigrants from around the world. While immigrants have settled all over the United States even in rural communities, New York still continues to be home for more immigrants than any other place in the United States. Now over 36% of New Yorkers are

foreign born with another 30% children of immigrants making the majority of New Yorkers either first or second generation immigrants.

Who are these New New Yorkers?

We always knew that New York is unique and this is true of our immigration patterns. First, New York City immigrants come from different countries than immigrants elsewhere in the

United States. New York immigrants are

Immigrants in New York City – A Social Work PerspectiveElaine P. Congress, DSW, LCSW, Associate Dean and Professor, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service

Elaine P. Congress

Understanding The Service Needs Of African Immigrants In NYCOlatunde Olusesi, Ph.D., Coordinator, Project Stay, NYC Children’s Services; Co-Founder and Vice President, Nigerian Social Workers Association, Inc.

Editor’s Note: For related articles about social work with immigrants in NYC, see previous issues of Currents in the “Members Only” section of the Chapter website. (Asian immigrants in May 2006; Latino immigrants in May 2007)

According to the 2000 US Census, African

immigrants’ population in New York City is growing. A broad based understanding of the hopes, fears, challenges, and needs of these immigrants is sin-qua-non to promoting their well being and encouraging their optimal contributions to America’s social, economic, cultural, and technological advancement. Olatunde Olusesi

Continued on Page 10

Continued on Page 8

This issue of Currents focuses on key aspects of what social workers need to know about working with immigrants. What follows are some significant statistics which provide compelling information about immigrant communities in New York City.

There are 3.2 million immigrants in NYC, comprising 36% of the City’s total population. (NYC Dept. of Planning, 2009)

Topping the list of NYC’s largest foreign-born populations are the Dominican Republic, China, Jamaica and Guyana. (NYC Dept. of Planning, 2009)

One in five immigrants in NYC lives in poverty, earning less than $21,200 for a family of four. (NYC Dept. of Planning, 2008)

Immigrants comprise over 43% of NYC’s workforce. (2000 US Census Bureau)

52% of NYC households speak only English at home. (Population Association of America, 2003)

Experts estimate that there are between 400,000 and 500,000 undocumented immigrants living in New York City. (New York Times, 2007)

48,000 refugees entered the United States in 2007; 25,000 of them were given asylum. (US Dept. of Homeland Security and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, 2007)

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

FOCUS ONIMMIGRANTS IN NEW YORK CITY

2

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

New York City Chapter

Board of Directors 2009-2010

PRESIDENT PATRICIA BROWNELL

PRESIDENT ELECT SUSAN A. NAYOWITH

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT MEGAN MCLAUGHLIN SECOND VICE PRESIDENT PENNY SCHWARTZ THIRD VICE PRESIDENT SUSAN BAIR EGAN SECRETARY BEA HANSON

TREASURER THOMAS SEDGWICK

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

MARY BEAUDET PINCHAS BERGER SANDRA BERNABEI GWENDOLYN BUTLER

VIVIAN COLON KALIMA DESUZE DENISE FRANCOIS QIN GAO LORRAINE GONZALEZ SCOTT KRAMER SIN YUNG LO KEVIN LOTZ SHEILAH MABRY RACHAEL NEFF MYRNA M. NOBLE LISA WHITE SUSAN WONG

STUDENT MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

LORI SONENBLUM (MSW)CHRISTINA VELASQUEZ (BSW)

NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE

KAJORI CHAUDHURI CHRISTINE DAVIS

SHENELLE EATON-FOSTER MARK GOODWIN (CHAIR)HILLEL HIRSHBEIN JESSICA M. KAHN

JODI MASTROIANNI SUBADRA PANCHANADESWARAN STELLA PAPPAS JANINE PERAZZO

HAEIN SON ANDREA VAGHY BENYOLA

CURRENTS (NASW) (ISSN 0745-2780; USPS 589-370) is published September, November, January, February/March, April, and June by the NYC Chapter NASW, 50 Broadway, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Subscription rates are $12 a year for members (included in dues). Dues are $190 (regular members), $151 (associates), $48 (students), $94 (MSW graduates, transitional years 1&2), $143 (transitional year 3 and doctoral students). Periodicals postage paid at New York, New York. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CURRENTS of the NYC Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, 50 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10004.

Patricia Brownell, Ph.D., LMSW, PresidentRobert S. Schachter, DSW, Executive Director Launa D. Kliever, MSW, Editor/Associate DirectorJessica Adams, Graphics Production/Advertising

Message From the Executive Director

Our Growing EdgeProfessional Development in Challenging Times

Robert Schachter

Continued on Page 8

It is very distressing for people to be in situations in which everything you know, your past experiences, skills and resources, may not be sufficient to address the challenges in front of you. It is just such situations that often demand social work intervention. Social work is especially oriented toward addressing people’s needs in such situations, as it has been throughout the profession’s history.

It may well be true that overcoming such challenges in one’s own life, experiencing a related sense of meaningful accomplishment, and wanting to share this with others attracts many of us to become social workers. Such personal experience, when combined with a professional social work education, is an important source for social good.

From struggle and hard work, combined with the wisdom of the profession, comes mastery. In essence, when someone graduates from a school of social work, this is what we celebrate. The reality is, however, that the moment of graduation is not an end, but a beginning. I guess this is why the graduation ceremony is a “commencement,” even as enrollment in school is ending.

And there is virtually no end to the challenges that we as social workers face, challenges that put us at the edge of our own capacities, requiring new forms of adapting and coping. I have picked up the term “growing edge” to identify when we are at this point of challenge, and I think about this situation as central to professional development.

Many things might go into our professional development, such as taking workshops to expand our understanding of how to work with our clients, to become

more skillful and to achieve the best possible outcomes. Such efforts are essential.

Just as important, and perhaps more so, is how we all deal with our growing edge.

An interview I read several years ago, with an organizational consultant named Fred Kofman, discussed this concept although he used slightly different phrases. Kofman shared that he asked

participants in a conference to recall a situation that was one of the most important life defining experiences they had ever had, an experience that made them feel like a more fully developed person.

He then asked them to recall what they felt at the beginning of the experience. According to Kofman, the participants called out the following responses: “panic,” “frightened,” “confused,” “fear,” “chaotic,” and “despair.”

He then asked them to share what they felt after the experience was over. Terms such as courage, insight, exhilaration, inner strength, and wisdom were put forward.

The point that Kofman was making was that we relish life defining experiences, yet who wants to enter into situations where you are going to feel overwhelmed, panic, and other forms of personal pain? We tend to appreciate these situations after the fact, looking back on them.

For most of us, the initial response when we come up against such situations is to fall back on existing coping mechanisms, mechanisms that may not be adequate for dealing with the challenge.

I have no doubt that social workers are encountering their growing edge over and

3

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Fernando Chang-Muy

Immigration and Legal Classifications: What Social Workers Need to KnowFernando Chang-Muy, M.A., J.D., Thomas O’Boyle Lecturer, University of Pennsylvania School of Law; Founder and Principal, Solutions International

Grand Harmony Restaurant98 Mott Street (between Canal St. & Hester St.)

In the next several years the social work and human services communities will see a dramatic loss of leadership as a result of the retirement of 50% of human services executives.

NASW-NYC, through its 3rd Annual Emerging Social Work Leaders Awards, recognizes social workers who demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities and a unique commitment to the improvement of social and human conditions, assuring a promising future for the profession and the communities they serve.

Join us as we kick off our 3rd year honoring the next generation of social work leaders. This dinner is a unique opportunity to have a fun filled time, a wonderful dinner, and to network with NASW leaders and colleagues as we celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our emerging, young leaders. Last year, this was one of the signature events of NASW-NYC. We hope to see you there!

Honoring

Dana AshleyDagan BaylissGuadalupe Contreras-McNerneyBrooke K. Dayton

Elizabeth LeeShreya MandalKarol MarkoskyKyle McGee II

Christopher MurraySo-Youn ParkCaroline PeacockSelena Rodgers

Marcella TillettJenna TutjerNoelle TutunjianMark White

Kindly RSVP as soon as possible and no later than November 27, 2009. For inquiries, call the Chapter office at (212) 668-0050 ext. 233.Individual tickets: $100, New Professionals: $75, Students: $50. Reduced rates for table purchases.

in his or her own life and that of the community.

Entering the US Temporarily as a Non-Immigrant

US immigration law sets out a variety of ways in which newcomers can enter the country legally. Typically, non- immigrants (to be called “newcomers” in this article) who enter the US for a short term, generally

do so for: 1) humanitarian reasons, 2) tourism, 3) educational opportunities, or 4) short-term employment.

In order to enter the US, all newcomers must have a passport and a visa. Just as in order to enter a room, one needs a door and a key - a passport (issued by the country of origin) is analogous to a door, and a visa (issued by the US Embassy or consulate

Continued on Page 12

Given the evolving demographics with the movement of people across borders, social workers and their organizations constantly adapt to ensure that programs and services respond to meet the needs of diverse clients. Understanding a legal immigration framework will allow providers to develop, in partnership with the client, a comprehensive action plan to move forward. Adding immigration to a list of continuing education issues will help practitioners provide better advocacy at both the individual and systems level. The ultimate desired outcome is a consumer who is an engaged participant

4

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Direct Practice with Immigrants and Refugees: Cultural CompetenceCarmen Ortiz Hendricks, DSW, ACSW, LMSW, Professor and Associate Dean, Yeshiva University Wurzweiler School of Social Work

Carmen Ortiz Hendricks

A principle challenge for the social work professional is to understand the minds and hearts of immigrants, their desire for education and economic advancement, their interest in mainstream issues while maintaining their own traditions and their inevitable impact on modern day culture. All social workers have to appreciate the vital role and power of immigrant communities in the U.S. while simultaneously serving thousands of immigrants who walk into social agencies each day with a range of human needs.

“Cultural competence requires hard work, commitment, and experience. It entails more than speaking the language of the client or gaining specialized knowledge about a particular cultural group. Cultural competence means understanding the value of culture as perceived by clients, and appreciating how culture guides behavior and gives meaning to life. Culture shapes and influences individual health and mental health beliefs, family practices, human behavior, and even the outcomes of interventions (Ortiz Hendricks & Fong, 2006, p. 136. ) Culture affects everything we think about and do- from how we interact with family members, to how we recognize a child’s transition into adulthood, to what we do when we feel sick. The Indicators for the Achievement of the NASW Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice (2007) define cultural competence as “the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and communities Continued on Page 11

and protects and preserves the dignity of each” (p. 12-13.) Fundamentally, cultural competence is the ability and the will to respond to the needs of clients arising from their culture, and the worker’s and client’s ability to use their culture as a resource and strength to meet common human needs. It requires an appreciation of power, privilege and oppression, specifically how power is constructed

and used to oppress people. Social workers then have to work to change the conditions that continue to oppress immigrants. In the NASW Code of Ethics (1999), social workers have an ethical responsibility to the broader society which includes Social and Political Action (6.04) in the form of expanding choice and opportunity for all people, promoting respect for diversity, and preventing and eliminating domination, exploitation and discrimination. Therefore, understanding of and sensitivity to clients’ cultures is insufficient without translating this understanding and sensitivity into social action.

Language barriers, the stress of immigration, sociocultural dislocation, and discriminatory U.S. policies towards immigrants contribute to the likelihood that immigrant families are more vulnerable and therefore more likely to have health and mental health problems. Child abuse and neglect may be the result of failed systems of care that further traumatize immigrant parents and children who are at greatest risk. When parents cannot find adequate help for their own or their children’s problems, they are at a loss as to where they can turn to for help and often lack understanding of the kind of help they will receive.

In addition, there are tremendous disparities around who gets quality health

and human services in the U.S. Several factors impinge on an immigrant’s effective use of services: (1) length of stay in the U.S.; (2) size of the family or extended family; (3) documented or undocumented status; (4) minimum wage or less than minimum wage jobs; (5) financially supporting family members in the country of origin; (6) youth of the population; (7) single-parent households; (8) family support systems; (9) lack of marketable skills; (10) residence in inner city neighborhoods with substandard housing, inadequate schools and services; and (11) limited English-speaking proficiency. Racism and discrimination further oppress immigrants in the U.S., and put all immigrant groups at risk.

New immigrants are more likely to live in resource-poor communities, and are isolated from other communities that might offer support and services. Impoverished immigrants have more need to contact public service systems like public hospitals or welfare agencies due to the problems they are experiencing, and frequent contact with these systems makes them more visible at times of greatest risk. Immigrants often lack important information about how the health and mental health care system works, the financial resources to negotiate the system, and the confidence to advocate for themselves.

Social workers can play an important role supply in closing the gaps. We need to emphasize preventive services in work with immigrant communities. We need to build public and private agency partnerships that can address the range of service needs that immigrants present with, and support immigrants especially as they transition to a new way of life. Agencies need to outreach and establish connections with immigrant communities, and establish coalitions, councils or other collaborative boards to examine the issues confronting immigrants and problem-solve ways to reduce them.

5

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Raymond Danso is pursuing his Masters at the New York University Silver School of Social Work; he is currently in his second year. He has been involved in community work with diverse stakeholders representing many sectors, and will bring this experience on board to the Undoing Racism Project by working with schools of social work in New York City to broaden faculty and student involvement in anti-racist organizing. He is excited to be part of this team because of what he believes he can contribute to the project, and also because it will be a rich learning experience for him.

Alayne Rosales is a second year student pursuing her MSW at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, with a concentration in Leadership and Macro Practice (Social Work Management). As an NASW-NYC intern, she has helped begin a comprehensive analysis of the Chapter’s databases in order to improve communications and outreach, as well as assisting in planning the Emerging Leaders Dinner this December. Other contributions will include work with the New Professionals Task Force, planning the Annual Meeting, and furthering the Chapter’s priority on strengthening the social work workforce, among other administrative initiatives.

Raymond Danso Jacqueline Gugliotti Alayne Rosales

The NASW-NYC Nominations Committee Seeks Recommendations for Chapter Elections – Spring 2010

The Chapter’s Committee on Nominations and Leadership Identification has requested that members begin to make recommendations now. The basic requirement for being nominated is current membership in NASW.

In keeping with NASW’s Affirmative Action policy, Chapter leadership must proportionally reflect the number of women (79%) and people of color (19%) in the organization’s overall membership. NASW recognizes the following groups in its Affirmative Action policy: American Indian/Native Americans; Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders; Blacks and Latinos. The Chapter will also consider sexual orientation as part of its affirmative action goals.

The Committee will accept recommendations until December 1. To make a recommendation, contact Sharon Curtis at curtis@naswnyc.org for a form and additional details. If you would like details regarding the duties and responsibilities of the respective positions, please call (212) 668-0050.

1st Vice President3rd Vice PresidentTreasurerMembers-at-Large: (6) – three year terms

POSITIONS OPEN FOR ELECTION

Student Members: (2) – one year termM.S.W. Student MemberB.S.W. Student MemberNominations Committee: (6) – two year terms

NASW-NYC Welcomes 2009-2010 MSW Interns

Jacqueline Gugliotti is an Advanced Standing Master of Social Work student at the Hunter College School of Social Work where she is majoring in the Community Organization, Planning and Development method. Jacqueline earned her BSW in 2004 from the University of South Florida. Jacqueline is excited to have the opportunity to intern with the Undoing Racism Project which seeks to organize with students and faculty in New York City area schools of social work around undoing institutional racism. Specifically, Jacqueline will be co-coordinating the expansion of an Interschool Council on Undoing Racism.

6

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

For social workers assisting immigrant and refugee clients in New York City, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is an often overlooked but incredibly trustworthy and reliable resource for information and referrals. The Department has worked to ensure a fair and vibrant marketplace for consumers and businesses alike for the past 40 years, and in the past three years, has reinvented itself to include protecting and empowering consumers with low incomes in the financial services marketplace. As a regulatory agency, DCA licenses more than 71,000 businesses each year in 57 industries, including those that disproportionately impact immigrants and people with low incomes: debt collectors, process servers, second hand dealers, used car dealers, employment agencies, street vendors and pawn brokers.

DCA administers the most comprehensive municipal consumer protection law in the country, which protects consumers against deceptive and unconscionable trade practices including false advertising, and establishes businesses’ obligations to provide important disclosures like receipts and refund policies. This law gives DCA strong protection and enforcement powers, even in industries it does not regulate, like tax preparers and immigrant service providers. DCA mediates and resolves thousands of consumer complaints annually against businesses that don’t do right by their customers, generating millions of dollars in restitution for wronged consumers. Last year, for example, DCA recovered more than $8 million in restitution for such consumers. DCA adjudicates cases that can’t be resolved by mediation through its administrative law judges, and has the power to bring large-scale law suits against predatory businesses.

Through its City-wide public awareness campaigns (its seven-year old campaign targeted to workers with low incomes

who may be eligible for the Earned Income tax Credit and the NYC Child Care tax Credit is a good example); a vast array of publications in many languages ( including “What You Need to Know About Immigration Service Providers” in 11 languages); and on-the ground, City-wide community outreach, DCA empowers consumers to help themselves.

In addition to the thousands of routine inspections of all business we perform each year, DCA conducts periodic enforcement sweeps of immigration service providers and employment agencies, fining and even shuttering those that take advantage of consumers. We need your help to empower your clients and all consumers, regardless of immigration status, to come forward and report to DCA when they have been harmed by businesses: file complaints by calling 311 or filling out and emailing DCA’s online complaint form at www.nyc.gov/consumers. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Executive Order 41 prohibits City employees from inquiring about a person’s immigration status unless it is required to qualify for specific programs, and all information about immigration status is kept strictly confidential

DCA’s Financial Empowerment Centers, located in every borough, are an exciting new referral source for your immigrant and refugee clients who may need help in budgeting, money management, paying down debt, accessing affordable financial services and increasing savings to reach personal financial goals and garnering valuable tax benefits. The Centers’ one-one-one counseling services are free and confidential and offered in English and Spanish.

As immigrant families prepare for the upcoming tax season in January, here are some helpful tips to share with your clients:

A tax return must be filed in order to receive important tax credits.

Immigrants with a Social Security

•

•

Number (SSN) may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) refund.

An IRS-issued Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can be obtained by immigrants who are ineligible for a SSN, so they can claim other tax credits geared towards parents. Visit www.irs.gov to find further instructions on ITINs.

Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs) that promise quick refunds are actually very high interest loans and unnecessary fees. Instead, clients can electronically file their return and should receive their refund in 8 to 14 business days.

Call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/consumers and www.nyc. gov/ofe to access all of DCA’s rich resources, including its publications in many languages; find free tax preparation sites for your clients and determine eligibility for tax credits; make appointments for free counseling at a Financial Empowerment Center; and search the Financial Education Network database of the City’s free and low-cost providers of financial education workshops, courses, lectures, and additional counseling services.

•

•

Department of Consumer Affairs

Fran Freedman, LMSW, Associate Commissioner, New York City Department of Consumer Affairs

Are You Getting Our E-mails?

You may be missing important information from the Chapter.

Call the Chapter office at (212) 668-0050 to update

your e-mail address.

A Resource For Addressing the Needs of Immigrants in New York City

7

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

SELECTED RESOURCES FOR WORKING WITH IMMIGRANTS

African Services Committee, Inc.(212) 222-3882www.africanservices.org

Alianza Dominicana(212) 740-1960www.alianzaonline.org

Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of N.Y.(212) 371-1000www.catholiccharitiesny.org

Center for the Integration & Advancement of New Americans (CIANA)(718) 545-4040www.cianainc.org

Chinatown Manpower Project(212) 571-1690www.cmpny.org

Chinese-American Planning Council(212) 941-0920www.cpc-ny.org

City Bar Justice Center(212) 626.7383 www.abcny.org/CityBarFund/Immigrant_Justice.htm

CUNY Citizenship & Immigration Project(646) 344-7245web.cuny.edu/about/citizenship.html

Department of Consumer Affairs311www.nyc.gov/consumers

Dominican Women’s Development Center(212) 740-1929www.dwdc.org

El Puente(718) 387-0404www.elpuente.us

Immigrant Social Services, Inc.(212) 571-1840www.issnyonline.org

Immigration Advocacy Services, Inc.(718) 956-8218www.immigrationadvocacy.com

International Immigrants Foundation(212) 302-2222www.10.org

La Guardia Community College: Center for Immigrant Education & Training(718) 482-5460www.lagcc.cuny.edu/ciet

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA)311www.nyc.gov/html/imm/html/home/home.shtml

Mixteca Organization Inc.(718) 965-4795www.mixteca.org

Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP)(212) 680-5100www.nedap.org

New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)(718) 205-8796www.nynice.org

New York Immigration Coalition(212) 627-2227www.thenyic.org

Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE)311www.nyc.gov/ofe

Queens Community House Immigration Program(718) 592-5757www.queenscommunityhouse.org

Queens Library/Main Street Legal Services / CUNY School of Law at Queens College

Battered Immigrant Women’s Program Immigrant Refugee and Rights Clinic

(718) 340-4300www.queenslibrary.org

•

•

The following organizations provide a range of services to immigrant communities. For a listing of more providers, visit the website for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at www.nyc.gov/html/imm/html/home/home.shtml. Click on “Directory of Immigrant Services.” NASW-NYC would like to extend a special thank you to the Department of Consumer Affairs for sharing its resource list for use in this issue.

A Resource For Addressing the Needs of Immigrants in New York City

8

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

over and pushing through it to discover new capacities. I also see situations in which I wonder if this is not happening. Of course it is hard for anyone to actually know just how one is confronting a challenging situation, except for the individual facing the challenge.

All of us have had an experience of meeting an organizational leader who is doing his or her job, under all of the pressures typical in organizational life, in which the staff experience their relationship with this person as dehumanizing. How this leader handles such relationships could well be a reflection of how he or she has dealt with his or her own growing edge at some earlier point in life, locking in a particular way of behaving and relating in a pressured environment. Similarly, how staff respond to such a person may also be a reflection of their own growing edge.

I first came across the term growing edge at an Undoing Racism™ workshop (organized by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond) about five years ago. At the beginning of the workshop, the trainer asked everyone in the room to try and stay with their growing edge when they experienced what was being addressed as uncomfortable or difficult or where there was a sense of disagreement. I thought that was a wonderful suggestion in the face of confronting a complex, difficult, and often misunderstood issue.

I can see from this workshop that we are likely to come up against our growing edge when we confront people who are different from ourselves, whether in terms of sexual orientation, gender identification, ethnicity and religious beliefs, language differences, or differences in age and generation, in addition to issues relating to race and racism. By recognizing that we are at our growing edge in such situations, and allowing ourselves to remain there, new ways of relating may arise.

For myself, several years after becoming aware of this concept, I am finding myself trying to be aware of and staying at my growing edge as much as I

Continued from Page 2

African immigrants are often erroneously classified as one homogenous group whose needs are analogous to those of African Americans and Caribbean immigrants. This error constitutes a formidable bulwark against effective service delivery especially to recent African immigrants, who by no means are a monolithic group. In fact, African immigrants have their origins in over fifty countries with distinct histories; and varied linguistic, social, economic, cultural, religious, and political systems. Also, when categorized by legal status, they are mainly naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, students, refugees, asylees, and undocumented or out-of-status newcomers. Further, a significant number of these mostly highly educated immigrants are bicultural and transnational.

Generally, African immigrants’ pre-migration expectations of the available opportunities in the US are often inordinately high, and the enormity of the likely challenges they might face are grossly minimized. Therefore, after the initial euphoria of reaching the US, disappointment and alienation may ensue, leading to mental health crises like depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress.

Push and pull individual, societal, political, economic, religious, and historical factors cause Africans to migrate to the United States, and they follow different trajectories in their immigration journeys. Understanding the reasons for African immigrants’ migration is pivotal to helping them with the challenges they

face in their new environment. Many Africans arrive in the US as

individuals, leaving behind other family members in their home countries. Being undocumented may result in years of physical separation from those left behind. Long distance marital relationships and trans-national parenting that become ineluctable, even though now made significantly easier with modern technology, create significant economic and mental health difficulties. Deportation of family members has also been known to cause marriage dissolution, family disruption, and other crises.

Difficulties in the areas of employment, finance and housing, marital and parent-child conflicts, problems with child welfare and the criminal justice system, and the often Sisyphean legalization battles may also engender mental health difficulties for Africans. Social-isolation, the “wayfarer mentality,” and structural inequities may also impede their participation in the mainstream of the American society.

African immigrants, like a significant number of disenfranchised groups in the US, often underutilize the available mental health services or delay seeking outpatient preventive or early rehabilitative mental

African Immigrants Continued from Cover Page

possibly can. Not only does the concept of the growing edge refer to the most challenging situations in life, it also seems quite applicable almost all of the time. Perhaps another way to express this is that our most challenging situations may be occurring right now.

Please feel free to email me at schachter@naswnyc.org to discuss this column or other matters.

Executive Director

Meeting space in the Wall Street area available for rent.

Reasonable daily rates Monday through Friday

The NASW-NYC conference room holds 30 people comfortably

and up to 60 for lectures.

For more information, please contact our non-profit organization at

adams@naswnyc.org.

Continued on Page 9

9

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

health care until costly emergency care or psychiatric hospitalizations becomes inevitable. Rather than seeking help from psychiatrists, psychologists, or clinical social workers for mental health difficulties, they may rely on informal help from pastors, imams, traditional healers, friends, and support groups; or seek care from general medical practitioners.

The underutilization of formal mental health services by African immigrants (as evidenced by their low enrollment rates and premature termination of mental health services) is caused by broad demographic, practical, and attitudinal variables. These include their failure to recognize mental illness or denial of its existence; not seeing symptoms as being severe enough to warrant treatment; thinking symptoms would remediate on their own; lack of faith in the efficacy of mental health services, especially psychotherapy; pre-migration help seeking patterns; lack or insufficiency of health insurance; or refusal to use the available health insurance for fear of being labeled

a “public charge” because it may lead to deportation or denial of immigration benefits.

Other barriers include absence or inadequacy of culturally tailored services; language barriers; poverty and economic need; fear of losing confidentiality or invasion of family privacy; fear of stigma; negative attitudes of formal service providers towards immigrant clients; mistrust of the mental health system; institutional discrimination/racism; lack of proximity to the available services; and lack of ethnically diverse or bilingual service providers.

Efforts to provide meaningful help to address the multifaceted challenges that Africans face in the US must be holistic, taking into account the barriers adumbrated above, their pre-migration experiences, resiliency, experiences in the US, and their unique and divergent worldviews. African immigrants urgently need, inter-alia, accessible culturally sensitive medical, mental health, youth empowerment, elderly, and domestic

violence services; immigration and citizenship preparation clinics; translation and interpreter services; employment training opportunities; vocational English as second language training; and so on.

While cultural sensitivity is crucial to effective service delivery to African immigrants, social workers should avoid stereotypes, but instead develop individual, group, outreach, and socialization interventions that take into account not just Africans’ cultural beliefs but modifications to these beliefs engendered by their education, socialization, acculturation, and immigration experiences in the US.

Social workers should realize that African immigrants’ lukewarm attitude toward formal services to deal with their mental health difficulties and their continued reliance on informal help may be an indication of their attitude to acculturation to the mainstream of the American society. Discordant socio-cultural dictates that threaten their

SAVE THE DATETeach-In Planned for NASW-NYC Membership on

Social Work Licensing in New YorkWhat you need to know, what you can tell us, and what can be done

Thursday, December 10, 2009 5:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.

Following feedback from numerous member queries, NASW-NYC will hold a teach-in for members on Thursday evening, December 10 at Fordham University, Lincoln Center Campus. There is no charge for this event; it is a service to you, our members. The purpose of the teach-in is both educational and action oriented.We will walk through selected sections of the licensing law to pinpoint the relationship between the law and many of the difficulties social workers have been encountering in their work, in their agencies, in finding employment, and in pursuing their careers. This will include both the LMSW and LCSW. Serious implications for the social work workforce will be addressed, including the impact of the LMSW exam on different segments of the profession and the Chapter’s objective of

diversifying the profession to meet the needs of NYC’s increasingly diverse communities. We will have an opportunity to hear what you, our members, are experiencing.We will share NASW’s strategies to expand the experience requirement for obtaining the LCSW, which has become extremely difficult to obtain. Depending on movements in the legislature, the teach-in may also be an opportunity to begin a member grass roots mobilization to contact legislators. Policy makers need to understand how concerned we are about the need for changes in the licensing law. There will also be a breakout session to learn the ABC’s of the licensing law, led by the Chapter’s licensing specialist, Lu Lasson.

More information about registering for the teach-in will be coming soon.

Continued on Page 11

African Immigrants Continued from Page 8

10

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

most likely to come from, in descending order: Dominican Republic, China, Jamaica, Guyana, Mexico, Ecuador, Haiti, Trinidad, Columbia and Russia, while immigrants in areas outside New York City are from Mexico, China, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Cuba, Korea, Canada, El Salvador and Germany. Also in New York, no one immigrant group makes up the majority, while in other cities often most of the immigrants come from a specific country. New York also has more non Hispanic Caribbean immigrants than any other city in the country.

A century ago when immigrants came to the United States, they emigrated permanently, often severing contact forever with friends and families in their countries of origin. Not so now in an era of transnationalism when immigrants frequently travel back and forth between New York City and their countries of origin and maintain cultural roots in both countries.. Emails, cell phone, as well as increased affordable air travel has made it possible for immigrants to pursue continual verbal and physical contact with friends and families in their countries of origin.

Why do people immigrate? When we work with immigrants, we

often are primarily concerned about the current situation of clients, but in order to fully understand immigrants we must also think about what their experiences were like in their countries of origin. Did they live in a rural or urban environment? What were the push factors (social economic, political, and religious) or pull factors (increased employment opportunities, family connections) that contributed to their decision to emigrate? Because of climate change that has led to increased flooding or draught in developing countries, many immigrants who are no longer able to pursue their traditional livelihoods have been forced to leave their homelands. Did they leave their countries of origin to come directly to the United States or were they internal migrants having left their original homes to migrate to urban areas within their

Immigrants in New York CityContinued from Cover Page

own countries before migrating to the United States? Did key family members – younger children or spouses – remain in their homelands?

A current immigration pattern is that often one parent comes to the U.S. in search of work and may be joined later by another spouse and/or children. In addition to understanding of the current immigrant situation and that in the country of origin, it is also helpful to understand the transit experience of immigrants. For some it may be a long plane ride, while for many, especially for those “south of the border”, it may be a dangerous, unpleasant desert crossing.

Who works with immigrants? All New York City social workers!

Social workers who work in settlement houses will find that almost all of their clients are immigrant families, but regardless of the setting, any New York City social worker will find that many of their clients are immigrants. Social workers who work in the school may meet children who have recently immigrated to the US and are challenged by adjusting to a new cultural and school environment. In outpatient clinics, as well as hospitals, social workers will work with immigrant patients and their families who may have questions and concerns about their health problems and may have difficulties in accessing adequate health care. In mental health settings immigrants may wonder how “a talking cure” will help them address current stressors in adjusting to life in a new country. Social workers who work in child welfare settings may find immigrant clients who have different child rearing beliefs than many native born Americans.

Can social workers be expected to understand cultural differences of each of their clients? As one social worker who worked in a large municipal hospital once said to me, “It is only noon and today I have already seen patients from ten different immigrant groups How can I understand the different cultural backgrounds of all these clients?” Social

workers do not have to know everything about each culture. They must begin, however with an understanding of their own culture and then be open to new learning about the culture of their clients. It is important not to make assumptions and to ask clients about their own values and perceptions of the world in beginning work with immigrant clients. Ecomaps and genograms can be helpful tools, but I developed another method out of my need to identify and understand cultural differences on a deeper level during my years as a mental health clinical practitioner. In the 1990s, I developed the culturagram to help individualize and avoid generalization about culturally different clients and families. If you would like more information and a copy of the culturagram, please contact me at congress @fordham.edu.

Undocumented Immigrants in New York City

As you know, the United States has had an uneven pattern in welcoming new arrivals. Undocumented immigrants are particularly at risk as they are often denied needed social service and medical care and are continually in danger of family separation and deportation. New York City to its credit has adopted Proposition 124 that states that while public employees can ask about legal status in order to determine eligibility for financial and social services, this information can not be reported to the Department of Homeland Security. Social workers and NASW have had a long history of fighting against social injustice and promoting the well being of all people. Realizing that undocumented immigrants were often subject to discrimination and injustice, NASW last year added “Immigrant Status” to its Code of Ethics as an area where social workers should work to combat discrimination and bias.

What can social workers do to advocate for the rights of immigrant clients?

First, as the landscape of immigration legislation is continually changing, it

11

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

indigenous values and beliefs may hinder their acculturation. Holding on to these beliefs, therefore, may be the ballast that keeps them psychologically grounded.

The feasibility of home-based intervention should be explored to enable practitioners to assess the functioning of their clients in their natural environment, as well as to encourage their participation in services. In matching immigrant patients with social workers, the following factors, among others, should be considered to ensure a good fit: age, gender, cultural background, language, ethnicity, national origin, level of acculturation, and cultural knowledge of both the practitioners and the clients.

Also, to truly help African immigrants, the social and economic factors they confront in their new environment should be addressed through social action. Government and charitable organizations should support programs that seek to the economic empowerment of African immigrants.

Social workers should also endeavor to engage in advocacy aimed at improving services to African immigrants, expanding health insurance coverage for them, addressing discrimination and prejudice, and participating in the ongoing efforts to shape immigration policies.

Schools of social work should help develop curricula that promote capacity building for culturally competent social work practice with African immigrants. They should also encourage them to participate in research to evaluate old knowledge and generate new knowledge. Special efforts should be made to recruit more African students into social work programs.

Some of the organizations providing direct services, community awareness, and advocacy to African immigrants in New York, most of which are underfunded and understaffed, include the Nigerian Social Workers Association, Inc., Sauti Yetu, Sanctuary for Families, Nah We Yone, Association des Sénégalais d’Amérique, and African Services Committee, Inc.

African Immigrants Continued from Page 9

is important for social workers to have up-to-date information. A website such as the one sponsored by the National Immigration Law Center (www.nilc.org) is most helpful in finding out the latest legal and policy news that affect immigrants. Second, social workers can advocate both within their agencies as well as in the larger society. In working with immigrant clients and families in an agency, social workers can make sure that their clients receive all social services they are entitled to and also educate other agency staff about the values and needs of their immigrant clients. They can make referrals to lawyers who specialize in immigrant law and can help clients navigate the complex ever-changing immigration laws. Beyond their agencies, social workers can become involved with advocacy groups that work to improve the welfare of immigrant families. National NASW has had a special committee that focused on education and advocacy for immigrants. A copy of the Immigrant Toolbox created by this committee can be found on the National NASW website (www.naswdc.org).

Currently, there is no special committee at NASW-NYC that focuses on immigrants, but many committees address different issues with immigrants. PACE endorses candidates for political election and social workers can make sure that endorsed candidates are committed to promoting the rights of immigrant families. The Disaster and Trauma Committee looks at the effects of trauma on immigrants around the world, as well as locally. New professionals’ concerns about promoting a bilingual, bicultural workforce have led many to pursue Spanish language education.

Beginning in settlement houses over a century ago, social workers have had a long history in working with immigrants. The work and struggle continues in the 21st century as social workers strive to address the unmet needs of immigrant clients, advocate for their wellbeing, and promote their right to live in the United States without bias and discrimination.

Social workers need the support and guidance of culturally competent organizations that can enact a two-prong strategy: (1) continue recruitment and retention of diverse workers that can understand the language and culture of diverse clients; and (2) prepare all staff as culturally and linguistically effective practitioners. Cultural competence begins with administrative supports and encouragement, quality supervision and oversight, strong peer relationships, and manageable caseloads. It also requires well-educated, well-trained and experienced social workers who can effectively deal with increasingly diverse and troubled immigrant individuals and families. Agencies need to help workers keep abreast of new policies and procedures, and changing state and federal laws. Cultural competence includes knowledge of a range of cultures, histories, world views, values, and beliefs; understanding of communication patterns and appropriate interviewing techniques; strengths and differences among and within diverse racial/ethnic groups; cultural expectations and help-seeking behaviors; and the integration of traditional, indigenous, spiritual practices that attend to the spiritual needs of families and children of color. Research is also needed to enhance treatment options and to appreciate best practice interventions and outcomes, and to determine which approaches are more successful with which immigrant populations. Research is particularly needed on resiliency to determine the factors that keep immigrants in tact and healthy.

It is not hard to imagine the possibility of depression and health problems among immigrants, particularly single individuals or families, struggling financially with little education and job skills, with little social support and often enormous social isolation, and with extensive life-long histories of trauma. Culturally competent social workers are central figures in the health and well-being of countless immigrant populations now and into the future.

Direct PracticeContinued from Page 4

12

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

in the country of origin) is the key permitting newcomers to enter the room (in this context, the United States.) All newcomers must have a passport and some may need to have a visa. The Visa Waiver Program (VWP), however, allows citizens of specific countries to travel to the US for tourism or business for up to 90 days without having to obtain a visa. In turn, and as a reciprocal agreement, US citizens similarly do not have to apply for a visa to enter those countries. All countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program are regarded as developed countries (e.g. most European countries).

A visa allows newcomers to travel to

the United States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border crossing). Immigration matters are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The US Immigration officials working for the DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) branch, have the authority to permit newcomers to enter the United States. Officers from ICE decide how long newcomers can stay for any particular visit. (www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/whatis/index.html)

When meeting with a newcomer client,

providers may want to ascertain how the person first entered and what immigration status the person is in now, as a way to later determine a legal remedy. The social worker may want to refer the client to a non-profit agency that specializes in immigration issues. In conducting intake and to help establish rapport and honesty, providers should emphasize that all information is confidential.

Although there are over 20 ways that newcomers can enter the US for a short term, some in which a social worker’s assistant might be needed include women who enter to marry a US citizen and then are victims of abuse, or persons who are trafficked into the US for sex or other work. A description of all the visa types can be found at www.visalaw.com/abcs.html.

Entering or Remaining in the US Permanently

Individuals may also enter the US as immigrants and be able to live here permanently. If they choose, they never have to return to their country of origin. Just like non-immigrant visas are for individuals who want to enter temporarily, immigrant visas on the other hand, are for people who intend to live permanently in the U.S. The terms “green card” or a “lawful permanent residence” are all synonymous.

There are a number of methods by which newcomers can enter or remain in the US legally and permanently. Social workers can be particularly helpful in situations where newcomers are trying to obtain Refuge/Asylum status, relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Special Juvenile Immigrant Status (SJIS) or who are trying to pursue a process of Cancellation of Removal.

The social worker’s role in providing support to newcomers is perhaps most relevant in applications for asylum. The social worker can help the asylum applicant navigate the system helping to:

obtain legal assistance in filing the case; draft an affidavit to submit to the government, helping to prove the first prong of the refugee test- that the applicant is indeed afraid and that the social worker is providing counseling or therapy to alleviate the fear of past (and future) persecution if deported to the country of origin; and conduct research on information on human rights abuses to support the second prong of the definition- persecution as substantiated through reported human rights violations.

Equally important, social workers can support newcomer women who are survivors of violence. Before US and permanent resident husbands could hold newcomer women in virtually slavery, dangling the application (or not going

•

•

•

forward) for a lawful residence as a carrot, forcing the woman to endure abuse.

Through the immigration provisions of the Violence Against Women Act, newcomer women married to lawful permanent residents or US citizens, can self-petition without the need of the abusive sponsor/husband. The immigrant woman can safely flee domestic violence and even prosecute her abuser. Social workers can help to prove abuse by:

Submitting affidavits from others that the marriage was ended within the past two years for reasons connected to domestic violence; Getting copies of the Protection from Abuse Order;Obtaining hospital records, if any, of medical treatment because of the abuse; Obtaining police records to show that the police had been called; andSubmitting an affidavit that the social worker is providing counseling.

Newcomer children who are dependents on the state because they are victims of abuse, neglect or abandonment, are among the most vulnerable people in the United States. Immigrant children who have experienced abuse suffer the same emotional and physical problems as abused U.S. citizen children – and often more. In many cases, the children or their advocates can obtain a critical legal benefit that will help the children gain control in their lives and successfully transition to adulthood. Immigration law provides that dependent immigrant children in permanent placement can apply for lawful permanent residency as “special immigrant juveniles.” In this scenario, social workers can help by:

Completing the application for this immigration status; Helping to obtain a special medical exam;Obtaining fingerprints, photograph, and proof of age; and Getting an order from a State family court that the child is eligible for

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Continued from Page 3

Immigration and Legal Classifications

13

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

long-term foster care due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.

Presently, persons under deportation proceedings may achieve permanent residence through a process called “Cancellation of Removal”. In order to obtain this remedy or relief, applicants must show that they: 1) are continuously present in the U.S. for a minimum of ten years, 2) are persons of good moral character, and 3) their deportation would result in " exceptional and extremely unusual hardship" to their parents, spouses and children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Social workers can assist to prove these criteria described above by:

Gathering materials to prove the “continuous presence” (bills, letters, affidavits from neighbors, teachers or even social workers themselves) andProving the second criteria “Hardship” by affidavits attesting that the applicant’s deportation will result in "exceptional and extremely unusual hardship" to their qualifying relatives.

Exclusion from entering the United States and Deportation

Immigration law also excludes persons from entering the United States. All nations have reasons for excluding foreign nationals from entering their borders. Most governments base their reasons for inadmission based on health, economic or criminal reasons. The US is no exception. Clients may approach a social service agency not necessarily for themselves, but for a relative who wishes to enter as a non- immigrant or as an immigrant.

Section 212 of the Immigration Act states that aliens will not be admitted into the US for many reasons, but some of particular concern to social workers are those grounds related to health and criminal grounds. For instance, a newcomer who has a “communicable disease of public health significance, including HIV, will not be admitted. However, a waiver exists and a social

•

•

worker’s role in helping the newcomer obtain a waiver is crucial. A social worker’s affidavit can help in attesting that if the individual is admitted to the US there will be minimal danger to the public health, minimal possibility of the spread of HIV, and no cost to a government agency without that agency’s prior consent. The affidavit should state that counseling will be provided to insure these outcomes.

Immigration law also includes sections dealing with the deportation of persons who are already in the US. Legal reasons for removal are based on health, criminal, or economic grounds and are stated in section 237 of the US Immigration Law.

US CitizenshipThe final portions of the immigration

law that may be of relevance to social workers, deals with how immigrants can become citizens. The US, unlike other countries, grants citizenship under three circumstances: 1) citizenship by parentage 2) citizenship by birth on US soil and 3) citizenship by application. Applicants for citizenship, however, must comply with US citizenship laws, which include:

Being at least 18 years old;Being a permanent resident of the United States;Having lawful permanent residency for three to five years;During the last five years being inside the United States for 30 months or more;Ability to read, write and speak basic English;Ability to pass the civics test; andBeing a person of good moral character.

Social workers may want to urge their lawful permanent clients to seriously consider applying for US citizenship since benefits include the ability to become civically engaged: voting, advocating, and demonstrating. Social workers can help by referring applicants to resources in the community that can help permanent residents prepare for the citizenship test.

••

•

•

•

••

Undoing Racism™

Workshop

Anti-Racism Training for Social Work Practitioners and

Educators

Are You Challenged by How to Deal with Race Issues in Your Practice or in the Classroom?

Are You Concerned About the Impact of Racism in Our City?

For more information, including the dates of the

next workshop, call (914) 723-3222 or visit

our website at www.naswnyc.org

However, the government will waive taking the test if the applicant has a physical or psychological condition. If this is the case, the social worker can assist in attesting that such a condition exits.

By understanding legal immigration framework, social workers can, in partnership with the client and legal advocates, develop a comprehensive action plan to support the newcomers’ strengths, resolve challenges, and support newcomers who can become engaged participants in their own lives and within the community.

14

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Currents Advertising ScheduleRates and Policies

Ad sizeFull Page2/3 Page1/2 Page1/3 Page1/4 Page sq.1/4 Page hor.1/6 Page

Dimensions

10 h x 7 1/2 w

10 h x 4 7/8 w

4 7/8 h x 7

1/2 w 10 h x 2

5/16 w 4

7/8 h x 3 11/16 w

2 11/16 h x 7

1/2 w 4

7/8 h x 2 5/16 w

Price

$1,150$850$675$550$500$500$350

Issue September November January February/March April June

Deadline July 20th

September 21st

November 23rd

January 11th

February 22nd

April 19th

Receipt by Members Last week in August Last week in October Last week in December 3rd week in February Last week in March Last week in May

CALENDAR OF EVENTSNOVEMBER 2009 - JANUARY 2010

(All meetings held at the Chapter Office unless otherwise specified)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 NASW-NYC PACE 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, November 13, 2009 Private Practitioners Group Topic: Legal & Risk Management Q&A with Bruce Hillowe Ph.D., Esq. 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Gerontological Social Work Committee Topic: Elder Justice Location: TBD 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Thursday, November 19, 2009 New Professionals Task Force Meet-up Location: TBD 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Friday, November 20, 2009 Disaster Trauma Committee 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Addictions Committee 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Friday, December 4, 2009 Private Practitioners Group Topic: Fee & Marketing Support Group with Lynne Spevack LCSW 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Monday, December 7, 2009 Social Workers Advancing the Human Animal Bond 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Gerontological Social Work Committee Holiday Networking Party 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 17, 2009 NASW-NYC PACE 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009 Addictions Committee 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Friday, January 8, 2010 Private Practitioners Group Topic: Tax Preparation Q&A with Dennis Sheridan CPA, MBA, Esq. 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

To Advertise: Contact Jessica Adams at (212) 668-0050 x235, or at ads@naswnyc.org.

Classified Rates: $13.00 per line, 40 characters/line with a six line minimum. There will be an additional $15 charge on all ads not received via email.

Advertising Schedule: Any ad that is time sensitive in relation to the date of an event or a deadline should be placed in the newsletter early enough to ensure that NASW members will have time to respond. Consult the above schedule to guide the timing of ad placement. All publication dates are subject to change.

Currents Accepts Advertising For: Professional development meetings such as workshops, conferences, classes, and courses; employment; publication; office rentals; social work related products and services; situations wanted; organizational services; referrals to organizations and institutions; and consultation/study groups (limited to licensed social workers - LMSW or LCSW). Note: There is a $75 fee on all non-camera ready display ads.

Advertising Policy: All advertising copy is subject to the publisher’s approval. NASW reserves the right to reject advertisements for any reason at any time. NASW is not liable if an advertisement is omitted for any reason. Publication of an advertisement does not constitute endorsement or approval of contents of a book, point of view, standards of service or opinions presented therein; nor does NASW guarantee the accuracy of information given. Because of the commitment of NASW to non-discriminatory personnel practices, advertisers in NASW publications, by action of the National NASW Board of Directors, must affirm they are equal opportunity employers.

Employment Advertising: Advertising is also available on our website at www.naswnyc.org. Contact Monika Dorsey at webads@naswnyc.org or (212) 668-0050 x223.

15

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

16

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

17

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Chartered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York

18

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

19

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

20

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

POSITIONS AVAILABLE OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE

Are you interested in part-time assign-ments that help your community and offer personal satisfaction along with a modest compensation? ReServe matches retired professionals 50+ with work in NYC non-profit agencies. You receive $10/hour, plus the satisfaction of contributing your skills to your communities. Contact us at www.reserveinc.org or (212) 792-6205 Psychotherapists & Intake Workers, LCSW, fee for service, part-time - Adult/ Child - Saturday availability, bilingual Spanish/ English helpful. Send resumes: Director of Clinical Services, Metropolitan Center for Mental Health, 160 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024, Fax (212) 362-9451, Email: psaunders@metropolitancenter.com

Wall St. Area – Large, fully furnished office in financial district. Private waiting room. Large closet/ storage. 24/7 doorman bldg. Near subways, buses, and PATH trains $275/day. Contact Maryse Duvalsaint, LCSW, agapemoments@earthlink.net, (646) 872-8396 Downtown (160 Broadway) – 2 Large Beautiful F/T offices in new suite. High ceilings with recessed lighting; cherry floors; beautiful lobby. $1,400/ $1,250 Also: P/T furnished corner office with views. Call Lisa Kentgen, Ph.D. (212) 727-2792 Greenwich Village/ Mercer Street – Psychotherapy office suite, shared waiting area in secure doorman building. Spacious. Sophisticated furnishings, A/C, kitchen, convenient location. Available Tues., Thurs., Fri. and weekends. Mon. and Wed. until 3:30. Call Howard (212) 873-4039

21

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

East 11th Street at Broadway, near NYU and Union Square – Bright, comfortable office is available for sublet 2 days a week - Tuesday and Thursday. Large enough for small groups. Near most subway and bus lines. Call Marilyn, (212) 677-8655 5th Ave./ 13th St. – Conference Meeting Room, 24/7 doorman bldg, light/ airy, kitchenette, visuals, professional tables/ chairs. Ideal for movies, classes, seminars, workshops, discussions, videos, private organizations, luncheons. Near all subways. Call Susan Gerritt (212) 352-0004 853 Broadway (between 13th and 14th Street) – Full-time or Part-time office space available in a 2-office suite. Very Sunny. 7 day, 24 hr. doorman building. Accessible to all transportation. Info. (212) 924-7621 Union Square at 14th Street – Small, furnished, sound-proofed, windowed, internal office with A/C. Part of two-office psychotherapy suite. Shared waiting room, electronic keypad entry, 24/ hour, 7 day/ week building with concierge. $1,200/ month, $275/ day/ month (2 day minimum) Call (212) 228-1631 Fifth Ave. at 16th Street – Full-time or Part-time. Elegantly decorated professional psychotherapy office space for rent. Centrally located, accessible to East and West side train/ busses. Info: (212) 633-0486 Gramercy Park – Views and keys to the park; Lobby floor; Suite of three therapy offices. Furnished including phones. Day and evening availability. Call (212) 687-5335

17th Street and Fifth Avenue – Newly constructed suite one block from Union Square. Each office has 8’ solid oak doors, soundproofed walls, high ceilings with inset lighting, wireless internet available. Kitchenette and Bathroom. Long leases available. 2 offices (8’ x 12’) $1,200 each, 2 offices (9’ x 14’) $1,800 each, 1 office (10’ x 12’ approx) with view, $2,000. Please contact johnkburtonmd@gmail.com 5th Ave. and 20th St. – Psychotherapy Offices. Part-time days, half days and hourly rates. Group room available. Secure 24/7 bldg, beautifully furnished with high ceilings and large windows. Close to all subway lines. Call Valerie, (212) 627-2947 Flatiron Area, East 21st St. / Broadway – Sleek, modern Psychotherapy Suite in secure, professional bldg. with lobby attendant. High floor with large windows. F/T, P/T, wide price range for inner and windowed offices. New Greenwich Associates, (212) 473-1010, newgreenwich@aol.com Flatiron District – P/T, open, comfortable space, easily accommodates both individual and groups. Available Mon, Wed, Fri. all day, $125. Tues and Thurs, until 6 p.m, $75; Or any day by the hour, $25/hr- 2 hrs minimum. Wood floor, waiting room, ample sofa, chairs, large window with good sun facing east. Call (917) 627-3761

Chelsea/ West 23rd Street – Beautiful furnished psychotherapy suite with offices for rent weekdays, evenings, weekends, and hourly. Located in London Terrace complex. Doorman building, spacious waiting room, convenient to public transportation, reasonable rates. Group room also available. (212) 627-8419 25th St./ 6th Ave., 16th St./ 5th Ave., 5th Ave./ 13th St. – Limited part-time space at our 3 locations: 24/7, waiting room, wireless, nice people, private restrooms, rates vary, pantry, some hourly. Please call Susan Gerritt (212) 352-0004 Chelsea, 7th Avenue and 29th Street – Wonderful city views. Large, multi-windowed, sound-proofed, psychotherapy office in a 24/7 full service door man building. Bathroom and kitchen in suite. Cleaning, electricity, A/C, and supplies included in reasonable rent. Can be shared. Call David Sumberg at: (646) 285-3489 or e-mail: ubellsumberg@aol.com 5th Avenue and 30th Street – Views, FT/ PT, large, windowed, sound-proofed psychotherapy office in collegial suite. Kitchen and bathrooms in suite. 24/7 building. Cleaning, electricity, A/C, and supplies are included in reasonable rent. Can be shared. Delivered furnished if desired. Call David Sumberg at: (646) 285-3489 or e-mail: ubellsumberg@aol.com Fifth Avenue at 34th Street – Psychotherapy office available, 1 to 3 days per week; flexible hours; cozy, comfortable, attractive furnished; shared waiting room with 1 other therapist; competitive price; call Susan, (212) 683-6593

22

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

East 37th Street (Park and Lexington) – Tree lined street; private entrance on ground floor of brick townhouse; suite of 3 therapy offices; part-time availability. Call (212) 687-5335 Fifth Ave. and 32nd St. – Two offices in 24/7 doorman bldg, lots of light, fully furnished, shared waiting area, phone jack, wireless internet. $325/day, $300 for multiple days, $1,500 FT. Other includes private waiting area, wireless internet, great for large groups, multi-family sessions, workshops, and board meetings. Available Sat., Sun., late evenings, $300/day or $30/hour. Both near subways, buses, PATH trains, Penn Station. Possibility of referrals. Contact Maryse Duvalsaint, LCSW, agapemoments@earthlink.net, (646) 872-8396 Near Grand Central – Single Parent Resource Center: 2 person office, share meeting room, kitchen and reception area. 24/7 security, internet ready, cleaning included. $1,000 per month. Contact Eileen Terzo at etpeace@aol.com Grand Central Station Area – Professional Offices for Rent. Furnished psychotherapy office spaces to share in professional suite. Well-maintained, secure building, shared waiting room. Call (212) 867-4270 or (347) 678-8880 Midtown/ 7th Ave. between 54th St. and 55th St. – Three-office suite in doorman building, with waiting area, bathroom and small food prep area. All offices are fully furnished, with A/C and nice, expansive city views. $225 to $275/ day/ month, depending on office size, utilities and cleaning included. Part-time to full-time. Contact: Emily at (212) 774- 7475 Columbus Circle – Psychotherapy office rental. Tuesdays and Thursdays and weekends available. White glove door-man building, very large, beautifully furnished office in three office suite with bathroom and full kitchenette. Call Todd at (646) 418-7403

West End Avenue and 68th Street - Lincoln Towers – Spacious (20’x12’), beautiful, quiet, convenient office in therapy suite; doorman, intercom, lobby floor. Available: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday mornings until 2 p.m.; Friday starting 2 p.m. through afternoon and evening, Saturday all day. Rent dependent on time needed. Contact: Bruce: (212) 580-8419 5th Avenue and 85th Street – Part-Time Psychotherapy Office. Professionally de-signed, ground floor office with private waiting room, bathroom, and intercom. Utilities and cleaning service included. Available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Weekends. Contact Cathy at (917) 882-7770 86th St. and Amsterdam Ave. – Large psychotherapist office to share. Luxury bldg with doorman ideally located near subways. Professionally furnished with shared waiting room. Available all day Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Call (212) 873-8656 CPW at 88th St. – 10’ x 14’ psychotherapy office on the street floor. Large. Ample space for individuals and couples. Shared waiting room and two bathrooms. Available all day Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; Mondays until 2:00 p.m. Minimum, Monday and Friday, $500 or $900 for full three and a half days. (212) 799-7913 90th Street and CPW – Part-time office. Pleasant, quiet, 11’x15’. Available Wed-nesday and Friday day and evenings, plus Monday and Saturday until 3 p.m., for $650/mo. Contact ocheselka@optonline.net, or call (212) 787-5973 94th St. / W. End Ave. Entrance – Luxury doorman bldg. Lobby entrance. Newly renovated 2-office suite. 12’X19’ office. Windows. Parquet floor. Closet. No sharing. Adult practice only. $1,675 + cleaning ($80) and utilities. (212) 662-9966 96th Street between Central Park W. and Columbus Avenue – Luxury doorman building. Lobby entrance. 156 sq. ft. office in 3-office suite. Parquet floor. Window. Sharing permitted. $1,290 plus cleaning ($80) and utilities. (212) 662-9966

105th Street/ West End Avenue – Large and elegant psychotherapy office available part time Tuesday through Friday, 3pm- on. Please call (212) 280 -1919 Brooklyn Heights – Attractive part-time furnished offices in psychotherapy suite. Convenient to all subways. Large waiting room. A/C and Intercom system. Secure 24-hr. building. Contact Debra (718) 624-3192; debra.laks@gmail.com Park Slope – Attractive part-time or full-time psychotherapy office available Thursday, Friday, and possibly other times. Ideal location as it is convenient to all subway lines. Reasonable rates. Call Jackie at 212-946-5570 Woodside, Queens – Nicely furnished, shared space, $300/ month. Available Fridays 12 p.m. – evening and Sundays ($175). Great location near #7 train, parking available. High referral area if you accept insurance plans. Some referrals possible. (718) 406-4618 Forest Hills, Queens – Part-time office comfortably furnished, A/C, refrigerator, microwave, phone. Shared waiting room, private entrance with security, and intercom, short walk from transportation. Call (718) 261-7337 Forest Hills, Queens – Treatment room and separate office in professionally furnished and well maintained suite. Bright and airy. Available full-time ($575) or part-time. One block to Queens Blvd, 71st Rd, subway. Call (631) 689-7184 Forest Hills, Queens – Affordable fully furnished part-time offices exclusively for mental health professionals. Individual, group, analytical rooms. Ideal for net-working. Near LIRR, buses and subway, Queens Blvd. Two hour metered parking. Forest Hills Center for private practice. (718) 786-4990 or e-mail karen@fhipa.com Kew Gardens – Private suite in residential building on quiet tree lined block. Furnished offices with window. Includes reception, cleaning, restroom, electricity, DSL. (FT/PT). Near train/ LIRR, bus, car. (718) 441-3444 or lcsw@lcswofnypc.org

23

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES

“Bringing Yoga into the Psychotherapy Session” – Saturday, Dec. 12th, 2 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Integral Yoga Institute, 227 W. 13th St., N.Y. 4 CEUs; no yoga experience required. Information: www.traumayoga.com, Registration: www.iyiny.org NYU Silver School of Social Work and NYU Center on Violence and Recover co-sponsor Domestic Violence Symposium – November 12-13, 2009, 60 Washington Square South, NY, NY. www.nyu.edu/info/swce/enews Low Fee Clinical Group Consultation For New MSWS – We will explore solidifying a professional identity, adapting to agency life, expanding engagement skills, how to go deeper in your work with clients, etc. Lu Lasson, LCSW-R (212) 229-7409 CLINICAL CONSULTATION for LCSWs - Psychodynamic, effective use of self. 25 years experience, former Clinic Director, Institute Faculty. Expertise with child/ adolescents. Supportive, challenging, flexible. Credit to R. Convenient Village location. Mona Daniels LCSW (212) 627-2080

Clinical Consultation for EMDR Certification, Consultant-In-Training and General Practice – Experienced psychotherapist and EMDRIA Approved Consultant offers affordable consultation for wide range of clinical issues. Approach to treatment is psychodynamic and psychoenergetic, integrating mind-body-energy with mindfulness, psychosynthesis, EFT and transpersonal methods. Karen L. Arthur, LCSW (212) 947-7111, ext 364 CBT Study Group Forming – Prospective clients and employers value CBT trained clinicians. Acquire/ enhance CBT skills and integrate CBT with other therapeutic approaches using a warm, engaging style. Time limited group or individual consultation emphasizing case dis-cussion and role play. Lynne Spevack, LCSW - 25+ years of experience as a therapist, supervisor and instructor, offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn. LynneSpevack@aol.com, (718) 377-3400 Prepare CMS-1500 claim forms easily and efficiently with SmartForms software – Save patient claims for easy editing and subsequent claim filings; print claims on plain paper, pre-printed forms or submit electronically. Manage your claims and get paid faster and don’t worry, access to FREE technical support is included. $89 www.cms1500bynet.com or (866) 681-1887 MIND OVER MARKETING – Design your Private Practice with expert consultation. Develop and Create your Action Plan for ongoing referrals and business success in mental health. Learn Emotional Freedom Techniques to increase consciousness of prosperity. Karen L. Arthur, LCSW (former advertising project director) (212) 947-7111, x364 A Prosperous Private Practice Can Be Yours! – Lynne Spevack LCSW, practice building consultant, offers moderately priced groups and customized individual consultations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Learn how to develop a steady flow of clients and skillfully set, adjust and collect fees to ensure an adequate income. (718) 377-3400 LynneSpevack@aol.com

AFFORDABLE CLINICAL CONSULTATION Services – to support your professional growth. Psychodynamic, gestalt and systems methods. 27 years practice and supervisory experience. Institute senior faculty. Enhance your clinical skills with individuals, groups, couples and families. For free initial phone consultation, call Louis Levy, LCSW, CGP at (212) 722-0505 or e-mail grouprx18@aol.com Ego Psychological and Object Relations Centered Consultation – Let us meet and determine what your needs are and how we can work together to further your professional development. Thirty-Nine years of experience in a clinical practice. LCSW, R, CEAP, with expertise treating individuals and couples for mental health disorders and addictions. Jerry Pecker, LCSW, (212) 496-5494 or JPecker@aol.com

SITUATIONS WANTED

Administrative Assistant – Experienced administrative assistant, PT hours. Billing, reconciling payments, authorizations, patient reports, and more. Short term assistance or ongoing support. Contact Pegeen (718) 979-8121. References

Garden City, 7th Street – Part-time/ Full-time office space to sublet in professional office suite in doorman building. Newly renovated. Networking possibilities.Great Neck office also available. Contact N. Michael (800) 711-9775 Little Neck, Queens – Warm, comfortable, lots of light, newly built and elegantly furnished offices. Triple insulated office walls provide quiet privacy. Free Wireless Internet. Locked Mailboxes. Tenant listing in the building’s directory. Rent by the hour/ day/ month. Please contact Igal Levy at (516) 817-8879 Bronx on Pelham Bay Parkway – Large office spaces available for rent, Part-time /Full-time. Excellent for Psychotherapists, Tutors, Educators. Affordable rent, furnished or unfurnished. Call (718) 595-2846

24

CURRENTS of the New York City Chapter

Periodicals Postage Paid at

New York, New York

NASW • NOVEMBER 2009

Inside: • Emerging Leaders Awards Dinner, Dec. 3, 2009 p. 3

• Call for Nominations for Chapter Elections p. 4

• NASW-NYC Welcomes New MSW Interns p. 5

• Resources for Working with Immigrants in NYC p. 7

• Licensing Teach-In for Members, Dec. 10, 2009 p. 9

NASW-NYC is taking another step into the Electronic Age

The January issue of Currents will arrive electronically in your inbox.

The NASW-NYC Board of Directors has made a decision to send two of our six issues of Currents electronically: January and June. Most organizations make similar decisions to “go green” with the intent of saving the environment, and we share that goal. We are also very clear that by sending two issues electronically, we will be saving on printing and postage costs, which will allow us to use our limited funds for other top priority activities.

As a result of piloting this new idea, we anticipate positive outcomes including:

Maintaining and even expanding Chapter activities, such as lobbying efforts to change the licensing lawFacilitating an easier way of sharing the newsletter with colleaguesExploring the possibilities of expanding the newsletter to include more content

If you do not have internet access, feel free to contact the Chapter office at (212) 668-0050.

We value and welcome your feedback; please feel free to contact the Editor of Currents, Launa Kliever, at kliever@naswnyc.org.

•

•

•

Continuing Education Fall 2009

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment

Child and Adolescent Bereavement Theory

Agency Recordkeeping and Charting

The Group Leader in Addressing Conflict

Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse

The Self of the Social Worker

I’ve Been Promoted to Manager! Now What?

Spiritual Philosophy and Clinical Practice

Facilitating Challenging Dialogues

Implementing Strategic Planning

Helping Families with Substance Abuse

Community Organizing

Utilizing the DSM-IV-TR

Combating Anxiety and Depression

Recordkeeping for Private Practitioners

Ethical Decision-Making

LCSW Test Preparation

LMSW Test Preparation

For more information on how to register, please call the Chapter office at (212) 668-0050, ext. 235 or visit our website at www.naswnyc.org.

Register Now

Continuing Education Fall 2009