NASW continues its collaboration with Sesame Workshop (SW) and recently partnered for a roundtable discussion regarding parental addiction. SW is a nonprofit impact organization whose mission is to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Through its social impact initiatives, SW creates resources for young children, families, and providers that bring awareness and research-based guidance to help problem-solve tough issues impacting children.

The purpose of the roundtable was to examine SW’s existing content related to substance use, identify any gaps in material, determine the best way for providers to leverage the information in professional practice and to increase awareness of the resources in partnership with organizations such as NASW.

Nine panelists representing a variety of organizations and expertise participated in the discussion and offered insights on parental addiction. The panelist discussed content development that considers ages and stages of development and best practices in addressing the impacts of substance use on children. NASW presented the social work perspective in addressing substance use and highlighted the workforces’ impact in treatment and child welfare settings. NASW made three content recommendations that would assist social workers in educating and treating families impacted by addiction.

1. Develop resources that guide caregivers and professionals in conversations with children about overdose deaths.
2. Create content that depicts interactions with social workers and other vital helping professionals in the field of recovery and addiction.
3. Identify how current and future SW resources can integrate into existing treatment modalities such as trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

Information and recommendations from the panel discussion will help SW staff develop content and conduct additional on-the-ground research as next steps.

SW currently has helpful online resources at Parental Addiction that include videos, interactive activities, and professional development to assist providers and families to understand and manage the impact of parental addiction on young children. The content includes examples of healthy coping skills such as storying-telling, meditation, and deep breathing. There are also examples of lived experiences that highlight a family’s journey to recovery. The resources are fun, age appropriate, and relevant to social work practice. Several panelists indicated the benefit of the resources in various treatment and education settings. Consider viewing and utilizing the tools in your practice area!

On September 28, 2023, the U.S. Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a final rule regarding licensing and approval standards for kinship placements. The rule allows for Title IV-E agencies to utilize separate licensing requirements for kinship homes and distribute payments to kinship providers. Title IV-E agencies are tribes and state agencies that utilize Title IV-E funds to provide foster care service. The rule went into effect on November 27, 2023.

Background

There are calls to change the child welfare system to promote better outcomes for children. When children are removed from their home, siblings might be separated, youth may age out without proper support and some children struggle to find permanency. Removal and placement of a child outside of the home is traumatic and can impact their mental health long term. There are many prevention efforts to strengthen families and increase familial protective factors in order to avoid removals. For example, provisions in the Family First Prevention Services Act allow states and tribes to invest in preventative services.[1] Agencies can also provide parent education and access to treatment and resources to reduce or eliminate safety concerns that necessitate the removal of children.[2]

However, when a removal is necessary, the child welfare community recognizes the importance of kinship placements in reducing trauma in children. The definition of a kinship provider includes the term kin to describe blood relatives but also includes fictive kin who are non-related individuals that have connections with a child. Research indicates that children have better outcomes, including placement stability and reduced occurrence of mental health disorders, when placed with kinship providers.[3] When children are placed with relatives or fictive kin, they can live with someone they know which provides relational connections and stability. This allows children access to their culture, traditions, and community values.[4] Since 2007, there has been an increase in agencies placing children with kinship providers, but varying state processes created barriers and challenges to placement.[5]

Traditional foster placements with non-relative providers requires licensing standards that some kinship providers have trouble achieving. Requiring relative or fictive kin to comply with the same standards as licensed foster homes can create barriers for placement and limit financial support for potential kinship providers.[6] For example, some licensing rules demand pet records, finance reviews and certain home/bedroom configurations. Kinship providers may not have the means to make immediate changes to their home.[7] This could mean that children must wait for placement with a kinship provider as they complete the process to become licensed or some children may not be placed with a kinship provider if they cannot meet all licensing requirements. In some states, kinship providers were approved for placement but were not eligible for licensed foster care payments or were eligible for smaller payments because they were not considered licensed homes.[8] Licensed foster care payments are used to support costs associated with the care of children[9] and when kinship providers are denied full access to these funds it can create difficulty in meeting the needs of children. Decreasing barriers to kin placement and supporting kin placements is key to agencies successfully placing children with families[10] and the new ACF rule creates an opportunity to improve the kinship placement processes for children.

Important Components of the New ACF Rule

The new ACF rule allows IV-E agencies to create licensing standards specific for kinship placement. The rule encourages kin specific requirements that place “few burdens” on kinship providers.[11] This may reduce barriers to placement and allow children to reside in homes in their community with loved ones. Key components of the rule are below.

Under the new rule IV-E agencies may:

• Allow for different licensing requirements for kinship providers.
• Claim federal financial participation (FFP) for the cost of foster care maintenance payments (FCMP) for kinship specific licensed approved homes. FCMP’s are funds used to meet various needs of eligible children removed from their homes[12].

Under the new rule IV-E agencies are required:

• To review FCMPs and offer the same payment to kin specific licensed homes.

To assist agencies with developing a kinship specific licensing model, kinship specific standards were drafted by a coalition of nonprofit organizations. In addition, six IV-E agencies will start a pilot program to monitor implementations of separate licensing requirements. The link to the drafted standards are here. The results of the pilot program are available for monitoring and review here.

What does This Mean for Child Welfare Social Workers?  

Social workers should continue to place children with relatives and fictive kin whenever possible, given that research indicates better outcomes for children. Social workers can encourage kinship placements, by engaging with families to find relatives and fictive kin.[13]

With the new rule, Title IV-E child welfare agencies and social workers can help create separate standards for kinship providers to reduce barriers to placement and increase the pool of relatives or fictive kin that are able to care for children. This could increase the number of kinship placements available to children in the system. The rule can also improve an agency’s ability to offer financial support to kinship providers, reducing stress on families and fictive kin that are willing to care for children in need. When developing kinship licensing requirements, social workers and Title IV-E agencies should still include appropriate safety considerations and collect psychosocial information to assess placement suitability. Separate kinship requirements must also follow federal licensing regulations.

Children benefit from placement with kinship providers and agencies can support these placements by reducing barriers and provide support to kinship homes. Developing kin placement standards may require revisions at the agency level or via state law but making changes may improve and increase placement with kinship providers. Social workers can advocate for appropriate kin specific standards that best serve children, so they are in kinship placements that have better wellbeing outcomes.

Resources

• Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes A Proposed Rule by the Children and Families Administration on 02/14/2023 Federal Register :: Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes

• Separate Licensing or Approval Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes A Rule by the Children and Families Administration on 09/28/2023 Federal Register :: Separate Licensing or Approval Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes

• Title IV-E Plan Amendment–Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes Title IV-E Plan Amendment–Separate Licensing Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)

• Children’s Bureau Regional Program Managers Children’s Bureau Regional Program Managers | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)

• Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center Kin-Specific Foster Home Licensure: Overview of New Federal Rule & Release of Recommended Standards https://www.gksnetwork.org/events/kin-specific-licensure-overview-of-new-federal-rule-release-of-recommended-standards/

• Advocates Celebrate Biden Administration Kinship Care Rule https://www.gu.org/press_releases/advocates-celebrate-biden-administration-kinship-care-rule/

• New Rule to Provide Title IV-E Agencies the Opportunity to Streamline Foster Home Approval and Provide Equal Support for Kin https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/child_law/federal-rule-provides-ive-for-kin.pdf

• Child Welfare Playbook Standards for Kinship Caregivers Progress Dashboard | Progress Dashboard (childwelfareplaybook.com)

***

[1] Family First Act. (n.d.). About the Law. Retrieved from Family First Act: https://familyfirstact.org/about-law

[2] Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2022). Kinship care and the child welfare system. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-kinshi/

[3] Kimberly, C. (2023). Promoting stability in kinship foster homes. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

[4] Case Family Programs. (2023, September). What should every child protection agency do to ensure that children are placed with kin? Retrieved from casey.org: https://www.casey.org/kinship-values/

[5] Kimberly, C. (2023). Promoting stability in kinship foster homes (see footnote 3)

[6] Federal Register. (2023, September 28). Retrieved from https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-09-28/pdf/2023-21081.pdf

[7]Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network Oct 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dsHuyTkqwI

[8] Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network. (2023). New Federal Rule Supports Kinship Families in Foster Care. Retrieved from https://www.gksnetwork.org/: https://www.gksnetwork.org/resources/new-federal-rule-supports-kinship-families-in-foster-care/

[9] Code of Federal Regulations https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-XIII/subchapter-G/part-1355/section-1355.20

[10] Case Family Programs. (2023, September). (see footnote 4)

[11] Federal Register. (2023, September 28). (see footnote 6)

[12] Code of Federal Regulations (See footnote 9)

[13] Case Family Programs. (2023, September). (see footnote 4)

For more than two years, children and families fleeing danger have been turned away at the U.S.-Mexico border without a chance to seek asylum under a misguided policy called Title 42. Last week, the Biden Administration announced that it would be expanding the policy to include Venezuelans.

Title 42, which was put into place by the Trump Administration in 2020, allows border officials to expel migrants automatically without screening them for asylum. Although the measure was touted as a way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the efficacy in doing that has been widely debunked by public health experts. In reality, the policy has caused devastating harms to families–especially Black and brown families–seeking refuge in the United States.

Recent investigations have revealed that even infants and toddlers have been expelled by U.S. border security under Title 42 into Mexico, exposing them to human rights abuses–including kidnapping and murder. As of May 31, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has expelled more than 30,000 children under the age of three to Mexican border cities. Forty-one percent of these expulsions occurred at midnight or later.

It is important to note that the Biden Administration ended Title 42 for unaccompanied immigrant children. More than 12,000 children in fiscal year 2021 entered the country as unaccompanied minors after previously being expelled under Title 42, typically having first entered with their parents. Thus, parents are forced to make the impossible decision between sending their kids alone into unknown circumstances in the United States or staying together in places where they continue to lack shelter and other critical resources and are exposed to danger. When children are separated from their families, they experience trauma that has long-term consequences on their health and development.

Moreover, the Title 42 policy has further exposed racism in our immigration system. Nearly 2 million Black or brown Mexican, Guatemalan, Salvadoran, Honduran, and Haitian migrants have been expelled under Title 42, while other groups of asylum-seekers, such as white Ukrainians, have been entirely excluded from the policy. Migrants in U.S. custody, particularly Haitian migrants, have reported suffering severe human rights violations at the hands of immigration officers. About 20 percent of Haitians expelled under Title 42 are children, including many under two years old.

The Biden Administration has made attempts to end Title 42 in the past, with its efforts largely being enjoined in the courts. However, the recent expansion of the policy to encompass Venezuelans represents a departure from its claims to restore asylum in the United States.

Each day Title 42 remains in place brings us further away from realizing a vision for a just and humane immigration system.

As professionals who work with recently arrived and immigrant families, as well as unaccompanied immigrant children,  social workers have first-hand experience observing the negative mental and physical impacts that draconian immigration enforcement policies have on children. Now is the time to speak up against Title 42.

Learn more:

• Children and Families Must Have Access to Asylum: Threats to Asylum are Threats to Children’s Safety (Children Thrive Action Network)
• Title 42 and Impact on Haitian Refugees (National Association of Social Workers)
• Title 42 and its Impact on Migrant Families (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Advocates Concerned With Title 42 Expansion Despite Exemptions for Some Venezuelans (Welcome With Dignity)
• Letter to Secretary Mayorkas on Title 42 Expansion (Human Rights First)

Disclaimer: The National Association of Social Workers invites officials from social justice and other organizations to share their expertise. This blog was prepared by Hannah Liu and does not necessarily reflect the view of the National Association of Social Workers.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which recognizes the importance of families, providers, and communities working together to strengthen families to prevent child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.

Social workers are play a key role in supporting families and helping them to access resources that help them to mitigate risks and minimize stress, creating a thriving environment where both child and family can prosper.

This year’s theme is “Thriving Children and Families: Prevention with Purpose” and emphasizes the Children Bureau’s commitment to preventing child abuse by recognizing their responsibility to support all families and help them to achieve positive outcomes.

Actions to help families implement protective factors into their lives that prevent child abuse are available at  2021/2022 Prevention Resource Guide.  

Texas attorney general Paxton issued a legal opinion that said gender affirming treatment/procedures constitute child abuse. Based on that legal opinion, Texas Governor Abbott instructed DCPS to conduct CPS investigations on any of these “abusive” gender affirming procedures.  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) requested a temporary restraining order (TRO) in district court to prevent Texas DCPS from conducting a child abuse investigation on a family who sought gender affirming health care for their trans child. The TRO was granted and Texas filed an appeal.

NASW signed on to the Doe v. Abbott amicus brief. The court granted the TRO on March 2.

Below is NASW’s statement of interest that was submitted:

NASW Statement of Interest

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), founded in 1955, is the largest association of professional social workers in the United States with 110,000 members in 55 chapters. Its Texas Chapter has over 5,000 members. NASW has worked to develop high standards of social work practice while unifying the social work profession. NASW promulgates professional policies, conducts research, publishes professional studies and books, provides continuing education and enforces the NASW Code of Ethics. In alignment with its mission to ensure the efficacy and quality of practicing social workers, NASW provides resources and develops policy statements on issues of importance to the social work profession. The NASW National Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Questioning + Issues develops, reviews, and monitors programs of the Association that significantly affect LGBTQ+ individuals.

Consistent with those policy statements, NASW, including its Texas Chapter, is committed to advancing policies and practices that improve the status and well-being of all LGBTQ+ people. NASW strongly advocates for the availability of culturally appropriate, comprehensive health and mental health services for LGBTQ+ people across their life span. [1] NASW asserts that discrimination and prejudice directed against any individuals on the basis of gender identity or gender expression, whether actual or perceived, are damaging to the social, emotional, psychological, physical and economic well-being of the affected individuals, as well as society as a whole. NASW supports the open availability of comprehensive health, psychological, and social support services for transgender people and their families that are respectful and inclusive, and provided by skilled, educated professionals who have been trained to work effectively with transgender people. [2] Furthermore, NASW supports children’s rights to be treated with respect as individuals; to receive culturally responsive services; and to express their opinions about their lives and have those opinions considered. [3]

NASW President Mildred “Mit” Joyner, DPS, MSW, LCSW

“NASW condemns Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s direction of the Department of Family and Protective Services to implement Attorney General Ken Paxton’s opinion and to actually treat age-appropriate medically necessary gender affirming treatment as child abuse.

The Texas attempt to change the definition of child abuse are in direct opposition of social work values, principles, and our code of ethics. And most importantly, they pose danger to transgender youth and their families. Gov. Abbott’s directive is discriminatory, unjust and directly targets transgender and gender expansive youth. NASW wants Texas leadership to understand that social workers across this nation support transgender youth, their families and their support systems. Gender affirming care must be viewed for what it is – life-saving and life-affirming health and mental health care.

Gov. Abbott ‘s directive sends an alarming message to kids and families across thee country that will further exacerbate transphobic discrimination, stereotyping and bullying already experienced by trans youth and children. NASW is against the directive and will take all necessary steps to oppose any implementation or enforcement of these unjust rules.

To the transgender and gender expansive youth, children and adults that are struggling and hurting in this moment. Please know we hear you, we see you and we support you. NASW stands in solidarity with you and will continue and uplift transgender rights as human rights.”

NASW had previously participated in this case filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Courts at the lower level decided that the child and Ms. Golan (mother), had suffered extreme physical, sexual and psychological abuse by Mr. Saada (husband and father), and should be returned to their country of residence.  The main issue is this case before the U.S. Supreme Court is whether returning a child who has been exposed to extreme domestic violence to their country of residence would result in more harm.

Our brief highlighted clinical research that shows children exposed to domestic violence face a significant risk of suffering physical, psychological and  developmental issues.  The brief also argues that the harm done to children by exposure to domestic violence is too complex for a court to “solve” through ameliorative measures and does not mitigate the probability that the abuse will continue once the mother and child are repatriated.

A copy of the Golan v. Saada amicus brief is attached and can also be found in NASW’s LDF amicus brief database.

A man practices self-care by taking time to relax in nature and listen to music.

Social workers dedicate their lives to helping others, including some of the most vulnerable people in our society. However, research shows members of the social work profession are more likely to experience work-related stress, burnout, and a lower quality of life compared to other professions and the general population.

Self-care is important to social workers and in fact the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics included the importance of self-care when it was updated this year.

North Carolina social worker Jocelyn Williams, MSW, learned about the importance of self-care when  she took a high-pressure position at the Department of Social Services. That experience prompted her to write a book to help other social workers. NASW’s Social work Blog talked with Williams about self-care and why she decided to write about this issue.

Q: Why did you decide to become a social worker and work in the child welfare arena?

A child welfare social worker meets with her clients.

Williams: As a child, outside of my mother and aunt, I did not have a lot of guidance and stability from adults to teach me how to carry myself in a mature and  respectful manner. It was not until high school that I was positively influenced by my basketball coaches and other teachers who helped instill hope, time, energy and accountability in my life. Gratefully, this support carried on while in college. It wasn’t until I started working in Level III boys/girls group homes that  I realized that most of the children were lost or had behavioral barriers because they did not have someone to look up to or speak life to them on a regular basis. After this realization, I strived to be a positive light to all children and I wanted them to know that outside of my job role I am truly just a person with compassion who cares for their well-being. This opened my eyes to become a social worker and to provide children with the same positive interactions that I had while growing up. I strive to be like the adults and mentors who helped mold me as a child and I aspire to do the same in every encounter that throughout my career with future children.

Q: What prompted you to write your self-published book Soul Your Work.

Book cover

Williams: Soul Your Work was written in the spirit of joy, frustration, exhaustion, self realization and hope while being in a leadership role as a forensic investigation supervisor for the Department of Social Services. While writing Soul Your Work, I was employed at a job that I had initially loved and it slowly turned into a place that I could no longer identify with for various reasons. As a social worker, we endure more trauma than the public believes and I wanted to acknowledge our struggles and let my colleagues  know that they are not alone. We are encouraged to help protect children and families, but at times it can feel like we have to neglect ourselves while doing so. I’ve witnessed great social workers leave the field one by one and I wanted to speak about the reasons why they decided to leave a field that they loved. Soul Your Work shines light on the fact that while we are social workers, we are humans and deserve to be taken care of with intent. I wanted to provide a tool that could be utilized by leadership and key decision makers in hopes to promote positive alterations where applicable.

Q: How did you learn to practice self-care? What are some things that you do?

Williams: Sadly, I honestly did not learn to practice self care until I had no choice but to. I quickly found out that ignoring problems did not solve anything and I found myself being frustrated and annoyed on a daily basis. I also discovered that my body does not respond well to stress and I had to make a change quickly. It wasn’t until I spent hours venting to close co-workers on multiple occasions that I discovered that being vocal was the first step to decreasing my stress. By simply talking about barriers in a solution oriented fashion versus expressing empty complaints initiated my desire to increase my self-care practices. My favorite self-care practice is simple: take time to myself. No distractions, no phone calls, no house visits; just me, myself and I. This could carry on for 24 hours, or three days, or whatever is necessary.  Taking time to myself creates the opportunity to recharge and reflect on what I need to address versus me spending energy on someone else. As a social worker, we pour so much of ourselves while at work and continuing to pour into family, friends and spouses after work hours can be completely draining. Exercise, listening to music, reading and spending time with friends and family who provide meaningful conversations is essential to my self-care methods as well. I am very intentional with whom, what and where I spend my time and energy and this has been the best decision I have made for my self preservation.

Q: You said many social workers stay on the job because they see themselves in their clients. Do you think many social workers go into the field to heal themselves? Do you think this makes them better at their work?

Williams: Great question. I do believe that there are social workers who see themselves in their clients and this is one of many factors as to why individuals stay in this field. I have colleagues who were former foster youth, had parents that suffered from mental health barriers, or were victims of witnessing domestic violence between adults in the home. During my career, I have learned that these colleagues strive to provide hope in areas that they were saved from, or change the narrative to negative experiences that they were victims of. I can’t say for sure that social workers go into the field to heal themselves, but I believe that there is some relief, joy and a feeling of gratitude that is experienced during our daily encounters with children and families. I think that all social workers, rather they have dealt with severe trauma or not, are in this field because they simply have the passion to do it. They care for humanity and they want to be an essential part in seeing the world become a better place. Passion alone makes a social worker better at their job. Experience and trauma are factors that could be helpful or harmful depending on how it is projected upon the clients they come in contact with. We all deal with trauma and happiness in various ways, but we all hope that social workers utilize it to work to our clients benefit at all times.

Q: You have recommended that social service agencies give social workers and others more tools for self-care, such as yoga, support group sessions etc. Do you see any agencies doing this? How can social workers create such support if their employers are not doing so.

Williams: I believe that self-care can be encouraged and promoted at any agency, but it has to be accessible and consistently in the forefront . When there is an audit, a report or anything that requires a deadline, staff receive multiple alerts to promote meeting this expectation. There are signs posted, calendar reminders and your supervisor is constantly reminding you of what needs to be done. These same efforts can be utilized to promote self-care in the workplace. Instead of the basic “take care of yourself’ and answering ‘fine’ when asked how you are doing, we should take the time out to ask what employees need and find ways to support them. While emails are useful, more tangible resources have to be utilized because while at work, all we think about is work and not our needs. It would be beneficial to have yoga instructors, health consultations, estheticians, masseuses or other self-care advocates come to the agency to provide insight about self care opportunities in the community. Everything has to be accessible and consistent. A great example of this is on site gyms. We know that the accessibility of a gym at work is a game changer to those that know that when they go home they don’t plan to work out.  Encouraging different self-care activities and making it a competitive contest is another suggestion to allow employees an opportunity to bond, take care of themselves and feel supported by their peers. Something as simple as having a lounge area where no electronics or talking are allowed can provide a great space for those who need to sit in silence and recharge before going to their next task. Self-care support does not have to be something grand and drastic.

Q: You have said in your book that if you do not feel like you are being heard or valued at a job you should leave. Is it really sometimes better not to battle the system and move on?

Williams: If you are not valued, or feel like you are being heard at your job, I believe  it is essential that you express yourself and communicate your needs to leadership at your agency. If there are barriers at your job that you know go against the overall mission, I strongly encourage that you fight for a change and advocate for yourself as well as your peers, especially if the barriers are to the detriment of the population that you serve. At the same time, I believe that there is a time to leave when your fight negatively affects your mental health or when you acknowledge that the agency does not have plans to change their culture or overall treatment of their staff.

Q: You also stress the value of leadership and communication. Explain why these are important.

Williams: Without communication, agencies are not aware of what is working and what needs to be changed. Every social worker has a different perspective and outlook based on their personal experiences, despite all of us working in the same field. These career experiences and encounters should be valued and taken into consideration at all times. No one voice is more important than the other and communication is necessary to ensure that we are well versed in all aspects of social work. Leadership is essential to social work because at the end of the day they are the game changers. They are our voice to upper management and key leaders to make changes and they hold the power to what happens next in our field. Our leaders are who we seek guidance and support from. If a leader is detrimental to the agency this not only affects social workers but does major harm to the populations that we serve. As social workers we have to be vocal about all aspects of our work and we need positive, powerful and fearless leaders to help pass along the message and make changes. Our leaders are responsible for listening to what is being communicated on all levels in hopes to ensure that our overall mission of helping children and families is at the forefront.

Jocelyn Williams, MSW

Greensboro, NC native Jocelyn Williams is the self-published author of Soul Your Work. She earned a graduate degree in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University. Williams has worked with at-risk youth and other vulnerable populations. Williams currently lives in Charlotte, NC and serves as an Employment Success Manager for PRIDE Industries, which provides employment opportunities for individuals living with disabilities.

Studies indicate that, for some, the appeal of the helping professions—including medicine, psychology, and social work—is their own history of trauma. Often labeled “wounded healers,” these people are believed to be motivated to help others, in part, by their own wounds. Social work educators have an obligation to remain informed about this phenomenon.

Rates of depression and suicide, as well as the important role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the lives of professional helpers, behoove social work educators to assess the challenges and provide effective classroom management and methods. In a recent issue of the journal Social Work Research, co-published by NASW and Oxford University Press, an article reports on a study of this phenomenon. The quantitative design of the study, with consideration of action and translational research, included the use of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Brief Resilience, and Life Satisfaction scales.

The BSW and MSW students in the study were found to have relatively high levels of adverse childhood experiences but also overall positive scores in resilience and life satisfaction. No relationship was found between ACEs and either brief resilience or life satisfaction. A low positive correlation was found between resilience and life satisfaction. The author of the article also notes that the lower scores among non-White cultural groups demand further inquiry.

Study author: Sharon Colleen Lyter, PhD, LCSW, professor, Department of Social Work, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA

***

The journal Social Work is a benefit of NASW membership. It is available online or, at a member’s request, in print. Children & Schools, Health & Social Work and Social Work Research are available by subscription at a discounted rate for NASW members, either online or in print. You can find out more about the journals and subscriptions at this link.

Thousands of unaccompanied minors arrived in the U.S. in February.

Shortly after Election Day, the new Biden-Harris Administration announced that immigration reform was one of its highest priorities. President Biden also pledged to rescind the inhumane asylum-seeker policies of the Trump administration ― the “remain in Mexico policy.” In February, the administration announced it would accept unaccompanied children, a reversal of Trump-era policy.

As social workers, we should be concerned about the welfare and protections of children. It should be noted that many of these children have been stranded in Mexico for a year, despite federal law granting them the right  to seek asylum at the U.S, border.

However, in a classic case of the law of unintended consequences, the administration’s good intentions have resulted in a looming crisis—a massive number of unaccompanied migrant children presenting themselves at the border seeking asylum.  This influx was triggered by asylum seekers in Central America having anticipated the end of the “remain in Mexico policy” and began making the long trek to the U.S. border.

Border patrols intercepted more than 9,400 unaccompanied migrant minors crossing the border in  February. The February data was the highest monthly total in border crossings by unaccompanied minors since a surge in migration began in the spring of 2019. The continuation of this significant spike has strained government resources and placed the Biden administration in the position of appearing to be unprepared for a surge that some say should have been anticipated.

While Department of the Homeland (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas recently announced new plans to accommodate increasing numbers of children arriving on the southern border, his announcement is in the face of  the Biden administration coming under fire and being accused of detaining children in inhumane conditions. The paradox of having their asylum policies seen as being the same as the previous administration is something that President Biden must address immediately.

It is a positive step that Mayorkas is opening new temporary influx center in Arizona to house the asylum seekers. Other centers are opening in Carrizo Springs, Dallas, and Midland, Texas. Though these facilities will not have the same oversight as permanent shelters operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, they are much better alternatives for housing and caring for children than U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intake facilities― which were designed for single adults.

More than  4,200 children were reportedly being detained in those facilities. The concern is that most of them remained beyond the 72-hour limit― as dictated by the Flores Settlement ― before being transferred to Health and Human Services (HHS) custody. This means that some are sleeping on gym mats with foil sheets and have not been permitted to go outside for days at a time.  An exacerbating factor to finding shelter space is the reduced capacity because of social distancing policies associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to be in compliance with the 72 hours retention limit, DHS intends to open new processing centers jointly operated by CBP and HHS. This plan will place children in HHS care immediately after Border Patrol encounters them. HHS also seek to open additional, temporary housing where unaccompanied children can be placed until they are released to family members in the United States or placed in foster care. The immediate dilemma for the administration is ensure they are treated humanely and locate housing.

A further step by the Biden administration to avert a humanitarian calamity was to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)  to improve the process for managing the increasing number of unaccompanied migrant children entering U.S. border custody―primarily to respond to the reported overcrowding in Border Patrol holding facilities. FEMA states it will work with the HHS to “quickly expand capacity for safe and appropriate shelter, and provide food, water, and basic medical care.” Again, it is critically important that the administration coordinate with all relevant government agencies to gain control of the situation.

Addressing Root Causes of Mass Migration of Unaccompanied Migrant Children

There are many reasons why these children leave their homelands. Many are from families caught up in desperate socioeconomic conditions that include COVID-related economic crises; hurricanes that struck their countries late last year; gang violence, government corruption; and crop failures due to regional climate change. In fact, the proposed U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021  speaks directly to the importance of focusing on the root causes of migration.

One possible way reduce the number of asylum seekers making the arduous journey is to have them apply for asylum in their home countries –an Obama-era policy discarded by Trump. The new administration states that it will work with Central America’s “Northern Triangle” countries — Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador — to create processing centers in those countries that would screen migrants to see if they are eligible for humanitarian protections, including asylum.

The bottom line is that while it is a mistake to equate the Biden administration’s asylum-seeking policy with the callous Trump family separation approach, the administration does have a serious problem on its hands.

Social workers should be equally invested in urging the Biden-Harris administration to institute policies for unaccompanied migrant children and asylum that adhere to international humanitarian standards.