NASW NEWS

The anniversary of Sept. 11 is upon us. As we reflect on the tragedy and its aftermath, there are reasons to admire the responses by government and the social work community, as well as to sound a note of caution.

The whole country was traumatized by the events. The Bush administration and Congress responded by providing crisis funding and mobilizing state and local governments, which in turn coordinated public-sector and voluntary responses to the emergency mental health needs of the population.

Social workers, in their NASW chapters, agencies and communities, rallied. Countless hours of volunteer assistance were provided, largely through the Red Cross, where social workers were reported to be the largest group (43 percent) of the volunteer mental health counselors.

In thinking about the role of charity and voluntarism in America, however, we must also ask the following questions: What happens when the volunteers go home? What happens when the period of public mourning is declared over? What has happened to the millions of people who were hurting before 8:43 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001? And what is happening to those in need of help since then, especially in light of the economic recession and budget deficits?

Given the complex social problems people are facing today, it is clear that we need to focus on a well-funded, highly respected professional workforce and a permanent human services infrastructure.

Instead, President Bush emphasizes "charitable choice," other "faith-based" initiatives and voluntarism, in addition to the marketplace, as appropriate venues to meet human need. "Compassionate conservatism" is the term he uses to place greater responsibility on individuals, families, civic efforts and religious institutions to do more, with fewer expectations about the role of government.

In his State of the Union address last January, Bush extolled the virtues of voluntarism. Specifically, he called for an expanded Peace Corps and supported additional funding for Ameri-Corps and Teach for America, President Clinton's initiatives. He also introduced his "Freedom Corps," a volunteer-service program to let civilians join in homeland defense.

All of these are important programs for both those providing and receiving assistance. Indeed, our profession has its roots in sectarian and secular voluntary associations. We understand well the need for contributions and involvement of clients and community constituencies.

However, compassion and commitment are only half of the equation. What ever happened to competence, the other half? Imagine if President Bush had called for a campaign to "Work for America.'' He could have encouraged Americans to seek a lifetime career in health and human services. He could have acknowledged the contributions of the helping professions. He could have promoted the development of a well-paid professional human services workforce to administer welfare reform, mental health, youth and senior services, and other programs.

When voluntarism and charity are viewed in juxtaposition with a downsized federal budget for most domestic discretionary programs, the president's approach implies that "anyone with a good heart" can deliver human services. It assumes that all you need is a caring community. This places the onus on the clients and families already struggling and diminishes the role of professionally educated social workers and other trained personnel.

Moreover, volunteers are not "free labor." As the NASW policy statement "Volunteers and Social Services" indicates, professional oversight, supervision, structure and resources are necessary for effective and accountable volunteer programs.

Social workers must remind policymakers and the public that along with compassion and commitment must come competence to improve conditions and enhance opportunities.

To contact Terry Mizrahi: president@naswdc.org