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From November 2001 NASW NEWS Question of ValueHooray to Executive Director Elizabeth Clark for making social work salaries a high priority ["From the Director," September]. I think the erosion of our status, salary and working conditions has more to do with our own low self-esteem than it has to do with maltreatment by employers. We may have a hard time seeing our own needs as important. We tolerate cramped offices with hand-me-down furniture, low salaries and unsafe working conditions. Once we start viewing our work — and, more important, ourselves — as valuable, we'll start demanding employers treat us with the respect expected by other professionals. Stacy Taylor, MSW, LCSW
We often do a wonderful job being advocates for others, but it seems some of us have a difficult time rationalizing advocacy for ourselves. We need to question why that is. If we cannot attract new professionals to the calling of social work or retain the ones already in the field, who will provide services to society's most needy and unspoken for? Do we believe some other profession can do that better than ours, and be paid more to accomplish that? Jamie L. Cushenbery, MSW, LISW Definition Needed"Social worker" is used to refer to an MSW, BSW, LCSW, DSW, a psychotherapist in private practice or in an organization, a caseworker, a discharge worker in a hospital — really anyone in an organization who "helps" might be labeled a social worker ["Image Seen as Key to Social Work's Future," September]. Before we can improve our image, we need to define our job descriptions, define our missions and make clear the significance of the various levels of education and expertise. Connie Crosby, MSW, MSG, BCD Cultural CompetenceHow happy I was to see NASW create standards for cultural competence [September NEWS]. While news from Sept. 11 may have decimated many peoples' faith in humanity, to see the creation of such a document has gone a long way toward restoring mine. As a student, I have been surprised many times by the lip service issues of human diversity are given. This proactive statement charges social workers to go beyond service without discrimination and to pursue a truly integrative practice. Perhaps we can, together, help to bring real healing to the wound of segregation and hatred. Mandy Fauble Letters PolicyLetters are published as space permits and may be edited for clarity and length. Submissions may not necessarily be published or responded to; receipt is not acknowledged. Unsigned letters, form letters and ccs to third parties are not published. Mail to: Managing Editor, NASW News, 750 First St., N.E., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002. E-mail — plain (ASCII) text only — to: naswnews@naswdc.org Back to NASW NEWS Contents
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