Update: Supporting Former Foster Youth Students

Hi all,

I promised that I would keep you updated on my Internship working towards the creation of a Guardian or Renaissance type program on campus at Humboldt State University. For those of you who don't know what these programs are: basically they are specific programs designed to support retention of Former Foster Youth students by helping them with barriers specific to this population.

I just got back from a conference in Los Angeles titled : Creating a Blue Print: Supporting Former Foster Youth in Higher Education. I heard about this late September--quickly went after grants on campus so that I could take Former Foster Youth (FFY) students with me--And we (two students and I) just got back. It was phenomenal--empowering--and gave us a lot of useful information and inspired a collective vision for the future.

I began my internship as sort of a ship sailing with one sail out there in the big silo world on campus. I did not know what existed on campus in the way of support for former foster youth students. I was placed at the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at Humboldt State University, with the understanding that this was a very busy time for them so I would need to keep myself busy.

In the beginning I spent my time researching programs on other campuses, trying to establish a FFY club through outreach efforts, creating letters to mail out to students, going after grants to attend this conference, and making myself available to FFY students in the EOP program. Several students were referred to me for various issues and I diligently connected them to resources or found answers to their questions. Working with students with needs has become a passion of mine. It is completely rewarding and humbling to be in a position to respond to people by developing relationships with them. I have found all the students I have ever worked with to be inspiring, bright, and amazing people who are working towards a goal of completing their education as a way to brighten their future.

Many people on campus do not understand that students who are from the Foster Care system were placed due to their parents issues not because of any fault of their own. Many people don't know the common issues that foster care children face. It's common for foster kids to be moved from placement to placement and from school to school. This in itself is very demoralizing and creates a lack of trust and lack of self-esteem. When you can't trust your own parents who can you trust? From past abuse and trauma from being removed from a family home; and then passed around from foster home to foster home, often without anyone ever really understanding or caring like a parent does --- foster youth often develop mental health and deep trust issues. Then to top of this whole experience, the system historically has not provided necessary life skills and the kids are cut off the system at age 18. Many are not prepared and become homeless and enter into the criminal system out of no fault of their own except for making understandable mistakes. The good news is that current legislation is mandating systems to work with foster kids at a young age to prepare them for higher education, and provide independent living skills. In addition newer legislation is mandating liaisons on campus at community colleges, we still need to also carry this over to Universities. Our local Judge, Chris Wilson, just helped with these processes by allowing appropriate sharing of information to ensure foster kids are getting access to higher education.

Back in 1965 an educational act (Higher Education Act of 1965) was declared in order to attend to disadvantaged students. This is when EOP, Talent Search, Upward Bound and TRIO type programs were developed. The population that was forgotten were the kids from the foster care system. At my internship, through connecting with many people I uncovered the efforts of many working towards the development of support on campus for this population. Yet, I also uncovered a clear understanding of the need mixed with unsuccessful efforts to really get a program off the ground. A lot of hard work has been done to lay the groundwork by directors on campus through relationship building and networking off campus--but time and funds have been major barriers as well as the a clear understanding of support from those in power.

As you may guess these barriers are complicated with the silo structures. Not all players on campus are working together as is necessary. My role is interesting because I am not in a position of power, yet I have put out a lot of effort and passion for this need.

The outcome of a meeting I had-- developed into another meeting and it was decided to bring all the key players together with a social worker who has been working with other college campuses across the nation on similar projects with little funding available. At this meeting the missing key players were identified and the clear need from all present to have the endorsement from upper power positions. It was agreed to move forward and begin the process of identifying a key person on campus as the FFY liaison, find a space, and involve all key players at on-going meetings.

My efforts have now shifted. My main focus at this time is to continue empowering practices with the club members (FFY students currently at Humboldt State University in their efforts, goals and voice in this whole process and to ensure sustainability of these efforts so all does not fall flat as it has over the past five years. To be continued...

Human Service Organizations (HSO's)

These are some reflections and pieces that spoke to me from Chapter Nine, Community Practice, by Hardcastle and Powers, (2004).

One implication for Social Workers to ponder is the future direction of human service agencies and also funding sources. According to Hardcastle and Powers (2004), the current trend is towards privatization. "The for-profit sector has an almost 36% share of the social services market, with a 50% growth projected over the next few years (p. 247). (THIS IS A BIG CHANGE) On the upside, "faith-based agencies in the not-for-profit sector also are expanding and serve as an exception to the commercialization trend"(p. 247). I don't know all of the implications of this--I suspect the focus on profit may shift focus on quality of service. In addition, the very rich are giving less since the 1980's because they are not getting the same tax breaks. Already social work is stressful, but the added changes point in the direction of additional hardships from a loss of resources and a loss of focus on service and reform.

An important reminder is that, "most of our important social reform came about through nonprofit activities--child welfare, civil rights, environmental protection, women's rights, workplace safety"(p. 248--originally from Salamon, 1992).

I couldn't help thinking back to a time I worked at a non-profit which served the needs of the community, yet ran at a high cost to the employees and ultimately-- due to this fact at the cost of the community. The board worked with the CEO as a team, much like it should --yet the CEO was misrepresenting and mismanaging and failed to keep the board properly informed. Unfortunately this went on for years, with several crisis's and upheavals until the board finally took control and fired the CEO--but it took many years and a persistent director to make this change. This can happen-- especially when the CEO is not qualified to be in such a position.

Hardcastle and Powers (2004) point out that "human service work is often stressful, not only because of inadequate resources, but also because it is both "moral work" and "gendered work" (p. 246). Social work holds it's own ethics and values--which play into decisions and particular jobs that require us to make decisions that may go against our own values and that require moral judgments about the worth of individuals and families. Hardcastle and Powers reference gendered work because women make up the majority of the direct service workers while men are more often in managerial positions. In addition to this fact, Hardcastle and Powers claim that feminine values of "altruism, caring and nurturing" and the need to be flexible conflict with a more structured masculine value orientation centered on efficiency. "This conflict, coupled with the lower pay attached to female-dominated occupations and industries and the fact that many of the clients of human serviced agencies are poor women and other "undeserving" poor, devalues human service work and demeans all human service workers" (p. 246). Again the funding is directly tied to this value and as such "might change the pattern of allocations significantly in the future"(p. 246). I appreciate the focus on how power is distributed in social work and how this distribution plays out in funding, and where value is placed. It's very important not to loose site of power inequities when working towards reform or change within agencies.

What I found most helpful are the tips provided for service workers when facing the need to work towards reform within agencies. It's important to understand formal and informal structures and lines of power. Hardcastle and Powers point to the importance of developing what they term "social capital" which is described as establishing positive relationships with co-workers and establishing "personal legitimacy" (p. 262). The reference to personal legitimacy has to do with developing personal expertise in an area of value. All decisions should be made with caution and taking time to lower personal and unnecessary risks. Refer to page 263 for a complete list of "rules of thumb for working the system" (p. 263).

Personally I align myself with organizational development strategies which are"cooperative, collaborative, and consensus building in nature"(p. 265). (when at all possible!!!)

"Yes We Can": What we can accomplish!

What we can accomplish: It all starts with the belief that you can accomplish anything if you don’t give up and you can think critically and creatively. Most importantly if you don’t see stop-signs (metaphorically speaking), and don’t accept statements or answers as if they are the gospel—even when and especially when-- negative beliefs have been supported for a very long time.
As a social worker, stories can be a source of inspiration and as a reminder that not only can I accomplish a lot, it is my responsibility. I am currently doing community work. Along the way I have stumbled upon barriers that I was able to re-frame. What looked like an obstacle to one person-I reframed it to be something else, and was able to accomplish a task which had been a major barrier over years of time. It was that simple. Chapter eight of Community Practice (Hardcastle and Powers, 2004) covers this use of self in relation to community work. They remind us to be careful about what we reveal, and to be mindful in all situations of what we say. Basically, they are pointing out the importance as a community leader or change agent not to alienate anyone, and you never know, even in the elevator, who might be listening. Then, they discuss beliefs that shape our behavior and the persistence that allows a person to solve long standing problems with creative solutions combined with a positive belief. I recently learned in my AOD class that when people are working through ambivalence they need three ingredients to be successful when working towards a change. They need to be willing, ready and able. When you can shift a belief from being helpless and hopeless to a belief that change is possible then you open your mind to consider next actions (the able part).

The following is a true story. When I was 11 years old, all I could think about were horses. I asked my parents if I could have a horse. We lived in a summer home on Puget Sound which had been weatherized by my father. To get to our house, you had to walk down a very steep trail through tall trees, maiden-hair ferns, and trilliums. We had no flat land. From the balcony, I could throw a rock into the water. Sometimes I would sleep on the balcony/porch and wake up to the sound of water lapping on the dock, and birds singing. I can’t think of a more peaceful setting, yet this beautiful surrounding did not support the needs of a horse. Yet, when I was eleven I asked my mom if I could have a horse. She said, first off we have no place for a horse, and second off we can’t afford a horse. This is when my wheels (my mind) began to churn. I found a pasture close by with a barn, whose owner agreed to my use free of charge. I baby-sat on a weekly basis and saved my money. Eventually, I saved enough for a horse, I found one through the local papers, enlisted my friends’ parents to trailer it home, and continued with my baby-sitting job to afford hay and grain. I learned how to build a corral with a peer and learned to care for his hoofs with help from a local Ferrier. What this story is about is a little girl who did not let one persons response be her destiny. With hard work, persistence, and the belief that she could find a way—she accomplished a lot.
As I read chapter eight of community practice—and look back to chapter seven which told a similar story about Erin Brokcovich—I see how these characteristics can make a difference. President Obama understood this with his slogan “Yes We Can”. Our Professor Michael Yellow Bird has been pressing us to consider our minds as one of the most important resources available to ourselves and to our community. It starts with our beliefs about being able, and then we can choose not to accept status quo or even what the majority says. How often do we hear people say they are hopeless and feel helpless? This kind of thinking stops us in our tracks! Our community can accomplish a lot, and we are not helpless or hopeless—even when things seem overwhelming at times.

What I would like to ask our class( –taking all of this chapter into consideration—which basically surrounds particular ways of developing particular characteristics AND—Tapping into what Yellow Bird has been drilling into us as our most powerful resource, developing the way we see the world, how we believe that we can respond, learning how to be persistent, to think critically, to move beyond an unconscious reactions of our reptilian brain based on fear and realities that don’t serve us well- to expand our brain to create a new way of being as effective positive change agents of our communities reaching across nations)-- is can we as a class take time to consider more concretely how we will develop our awareness about ourselves so that we can develop these characteristics mentioned in chapter eight of CO?
For instance: How does one develop persistence?
How does one develop the belief in ourselves, and lend this belief out to others? I used to think that some of these characteristics were either inherent or not. For instance I am one of those people who see the cup as half full—My husband on the other hand is much more cautious and see’s the cup as half empty—He brings some strength to the table for me because he considers details –when I might just be jumping forward without making important considerations—Now that I’ve made this statement---I see that with some critical thinking we could both gain from our limited vantage points—but my concern is that I have developed these trenches in my brain or pathways so now I need to take deliberate actions to develop these new pathways—which is not necessarily clear to me at this time. I also need to develop my awareness. Is Yellow Bird suggesting that through meditation and focus this is what we can accomplish??

Our President: Taking a stand!

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/ID/213658

President Obama delivered the keynote address at the 13th annual Human Rights Campaign national dinner. He praised the work of the campaingn on behalf of civil rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgerder (LBGT) Americans and thanked them for thir support during his presidential campaign. He aslo acknowledged frustrations with the pace of government action, but urged persistance in the fight for recognition of LBGT families, passage of hate crimes legislation, ending discrimination in the workplace and military, as well as extending the benefits of marriage through repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Last Weeks discussion-what I can remember. And other related thoughts.

Life has been hectic, my sleep has not been that great, I am 47 and I need conversation,at times, to dig my memory up--But I have hope because my brain is still malleable or plastic--This is what my professor, Michael Yellow Bird, tells me. I am trying to understand this neuroplasticity stuff and how this can play out in everyday life. And, how this knowledge about neuroplasticity will make my community healthier and more vibrant? And how this all relates to community organizing.

Is this more simply stated as the power of education and meditation? So that we become critical thinkers and train our brains with meditation--we become healthier. I think this is what we are being presented to a certain extent with also this new understanding of the capacity of our brain to make new neuro- pathways up until the day we die-So I throw this out to my fellow cohorts and to my professor for some dialog--Maybe this discussion can be brought back to class. If I am on the right track then--how do we present this to the masses and heal the world community by community--with the realization that many don't have access or are just trying to survive? And if I have missed an important aspect about neuroplasticity then--please spell it out.

A past cohort of mine went to Ghana for her internship. She was so affected by her experience such that she is a changed person. When you witness different realities, it changes perceptions of current realities. She said to me one day... If people could see what I saw they would see that Americans living in poverty have opportunities that don't exist for these people. I tell this story because it is so easy to be egocentric and only think about the United States when now is the time to think at a global level and it seems so wrong for groups of people to only work towards lifting oppression for their community. To save the environment we can't do it without including the rest of the world.--and really we need to work together!--And I believe that for our community to be healthy, we have to consider global issues. --of course the point that we have to at least be healthy enough to consider beyond survival is always true.

Recently, I began thinking about purchasing clothing and how I can become more conscious about who I am affecting. Are the businesses I am purchasing from at least moving in a direction that is environmentally conscious? Are the manufacturers decent or exploitative to their employees?-- all the while realizing that I am privileged to be in the position to even consider these things and then I get mad!! Stark raving Mad!! Why in the hell is the system set up this way Dammit! How did the world become so driven by profit that people and the environment don't count! Everyone deserves the right to make conscious decisions with the full understanding of the consequences! Everyone deserves a different world!--If anyone has some ideas to help me--fine but will these kinds of efforts just be some sort of ego-trip to pacify myself and believe that --Hey, at least I am being environmentally, and morally conscious. Which is a good segway into our class discussion. but first-- I just got an idea--Why don't I take pictures of exploitation--the power of images are just that.."POWERFUL" I will uncover business by business of unthinkable environmental
practices and pics of the women, children, and men who are being exploited with some educating words attached and ways that everyday people can respond.--I see a partnering with Michael Moore--Don't laugh or do because it will only propel me to do just this--My images will become so powerful that businesses will become so full of fear they will take action not to become a target of my picture taking!--This will be their motivation to take environmental action and for the government to take action to stop Americans from allowing businesses
to travel over seas and exploit people. Back to the main point of class:

One of the main points I got out of our class discussion is this: Social workers are pacifying systems just enough so that people don't revolt. Well, this got my hairs standing up! Is this true, don't our caring efforts in the work towards change count for anything. Are we maintaining status-quo? Betty Chin our local hero who was on Oprah because she has taken it upon herself to aid the homeless and hungry--Is she just pacifying our community?? I can understand both sides of this issue. People have experienced her generous, genuine care and are better from it. In fact the ripple of her efforts have been felt and are powerful quite beyond my limited knowledge so I need to dig in and keep/hold her efforts as sacred. She saw a need and is responding. I believe that we need more Betty Chins in this world AND people who are willing to see systems and their failings and stand up and push for change. Frankly, I don't see how we can change the systems enough unless we can find a way to educate the masses about the failings of a capitalistic economy and demand something better.

What we can do, beyond feeling overwhelmed!

What we can do, beyond feeling overwhelmed!

So many images are available, images that rip my heart open to deep sadness if I can feel the depth of pain in the moment. I believe that at different times in our lives we can't and that's ok. As a young woman, I remember a moment in time at age 21 or so. I was already a mother of two sons. I was watching the news and I made a decision to quit watching because I felt so overwhelmed with the horrific acts and situations going on throughout the world. I think as a mother, it hit me especially hard. For several years I avoided watching the news. In retrospect, it may have been helpful for me to realize I had a choice beyond Fox type newscasts. Yea, I know this is laughable, but remember I was young, and a very busy mom who was emotionally parenting alone. I had a husband, who at the time, only understood his responsibility as bringing home the paycheck.

Now I am older, my four sons’ are out of my nest, I have a husband who supports me in all that I do. I want to know what is going on in the world. Painful images don't shut me down completely. Believe me they are painful--but I need to choose seeing the cup as half-full. I need to reach out to the hope-- or make it when I can. The realities of horrible life circumstances, through images, can indeed be powerful and are important to see so that we can respond. And as a social worker I see this as a deep responsibility.

Our professor brought tragic intense famous images to our class and talked about them in detail. Some had to get up and leave, I honor them being able to take care of themselves in the moment and it brings up the dilemma of being emotionally pushed to separate from our class discussion--which I think they would have liked to have been present for.While it's important to learn how to face realities so that we can respond and learn how not to shut down or become overwhelmed--I wished we could have honored my fellow classmates at the same time. These classes were very valuable for me. I have not had the opportunity to discuss the process of being overwhelmed or moving beyond feeling overwhelmed (taking action!). (Because this is precisely something I have struggled with) This was a powerful discussion so I personally appreciated these classes, yet my classmates are part of a group (our class). As part of a group we need the support to maintain cohesion. So, I am reaching out to my professor very directly to request the need to be flexible to honor my classmates when they are pushed beyond their limits so that they can contribute and be a part of our class discussions, while still making some very important points.