Since the Fall issue of INFLUENCE, major events have occurred affecting social work professionals, educators, and students. The Presidential election concluded with the elevation of George W. Bush. The Council on Social Work Education issued its first draft of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) document. The ISP website, www.statepolicy.org/ had its 10,000th visitor. ISP also distributed its newest resource, a wall poster. The national ISP contest, State Policy Plus IV is well underway across the country. And, in Dallas, in March, 2001, ISP will hold its 5th annual meeting at the CSWE conference. As you might expect, I have something to say about each of these events.
In the New York Times, January 7, 2001, Robert Pear's article on front page one, Shifting of power from Washington is seen under Bush, really got my attention. It suggests that President Bush will give "states and local officials great leeway to shape and operate the full range of federal social, regulatory, and public works programs." With the faith-based programs initiative already sent to Congress, this administration is clearly pursuing a direction that favors "state" decision-making and non traditional policy and program alternatives. ISP's mission to increase social work's presence and effectiveness could not be more on target.
ISP will, in fact, be holding its fifth (5th) annual meeting in Dallas, 2001, after a rousing start in Chicago in 1997. It is hard to believe that four years have passed and yet, I sense that many individual ISP members have shifted their teaching, assignments, and even school curricula in a new direction, i.e., participating in the legislative processes at state and local levels. 10,000 persons have visited our website now. There are no commercials on it, so it must the messages and resources. Persistence is one of the key elements of successful advocacy and ISP has demonstrated it many times since 1997.
Members responded well to a call for support letters or emails to the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards revisions in the Fall. Over 65 individual members sent in an actual message. How significant was this? I leave it to you to judge. There were 230 responses overall to CSWE, some from programs and some from individuals. When you read the revised text on page ?? you will see clearly the evidence of ISP contributions. I think we made a substantial difference. (What if 300 ISP members had responded?)
The national contest, State Policy Plus IV, is underway again. When I reflect upon the outcomes, projects, and assignments of the past three contests, I am still as impressed as I was the first time I read them. Students and faculty across the country have demonstrated how to influence state policies and issues. It is clear for all to see and we should all be proud of these individuals. I encourage all to continue to motivate, remind, and nudge our students and ourselves to enter the fourth contest. April 3, 2001 is the deadline.
Finally, thanks to your dues and the work of a talented graphic artist-student, Sarah Walters, ISP has a striking poster to display in every social work program in the country. Its theme, "Policy Affects Practice and Practitioners Affect Practice," resonates with most ISP members with whom I have spoken. I hope that this poster and its message will find its way into the hearts and minds of every student and faculty in your programs. Why? Because it is really a kernel of truth, reflecting our profession's commitment to change on whatever level is necessary for clients to receive justice, apt services, and opportunities to reach their maximum potential. Be SURE to post it!
All the best for 2001.
As of February 10, 2001, visits to our website, www.statepolicy.org have surpassed 10,000.The website is a comprehensive resource of policy information and education for faculty and students at all levels. It has linkages to social work policy and practice sites, national organizations, job/career sites, state legislatures and agencies, national State Policy Plus contest rules, sample student projects, examples of faculty assignments focused on state policy, access to research organizations and much more. The newsletter, Influence, has been archived to the website, including all back issues.If you are interested in serving on an advisory committee for the website, please contact Bob Schneider at 804.828.0452.
New addresses and sites:
http://firstgov.gov/ is a portal linking citizens and students to more than 20,000 government web sites.
http://www.idealist.org/ is an excellent sources for jobs in the non-profit sector.
http://www.hpol.org/ provides a searchable archive of politically significant audio materials such as speeches by Martin Luther King,Jr. and recordings of Watergate.
http://www.public-i.org/ investigates party machines and politics, lobbyists and special interest groups. Developed by the Center for Public Integrity.
http://www.registervote.com/ is a non-partisan site that makes it easy to find out how to have your voice heard and your vote counted.
http://www.lib.umich.edu/libhome/Documents.center/elec2000.html answers every question you may have about the 2000 election in the USA.
http://www.narmh.org/ is the website for the National Association for Rural Mental Health.
http://www.auburn.edu/~salanad/ppsn.html is the site of The Student Policy Network where career issues, policy experts, and research agenda are available.
http://www.nrharural.org/ is the webpage for the National Rural Health Association.
http://congress.nw.dc.us/yourorg/ is a site for CaptolWiz, a tool that assists in finding legislative leaders (Federal and State) by entering a zip code. Customized emails can also be sent.
http://www.apa.org/rural/homepage.html is the website for the American Psychological Association's Office of Rural Health.
http://www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov/ is the webpage for the national Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Rural Health Policy.
http://www.urban.org/centers/iac/localgov/index.html is a site for "Resources of Local Government in Eastern Europe" that links the Urban Institute's reports, analysis, linkages, and training materials to policymakers and practitioners.
http://www.911rape.org/ is a site with rape statistics, information for rape survivors, and details about drugs used by rapists in attacks. It contains treatment and reporting advice.
http://endowment.pwcglobal.com/ discusses new approaches to improving the effectiveness of government at federal, state, local, and international levels.
http://www.iandrinstitute.org/ educates citizens on how to put an initiative on the state ballot if the state legislature refuses to support your proposal. In the past election, nearly 70 statewide and 1,000 local initiatives had obtained the required signatures to be place on various ballots.
ISP NEWS
Special thanks and recognition must be given to the sponsors of our national contest, State Policy Plus IV. The following have given ISP financial resources for our 2001 contest: Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors; University of Houston School of Social Work; University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work; Center for Social Development at Washington University, George Warren Brown School of Social Work. We all appreciate this support very much.
Universities with an appointed ISP Liaison: ( 71 %)
Universities without an appointed ISP Liaison: ( 29 %)
Total number of ISP Liaisons: 475
Total number of Friends of ISP: 85
Mailed copies of our video, Making a Difference: Influencing State Policy: over 900A new ISP poster is availble by emailing or writing Bob Schneider at rschneid@saturn.vcu.edu. A black and white glossy poster, with the theme: "Policy Affect Practice and Practitioners Affect Policy," hangs well in offices or hallways.
At the ISP Annual Membership Meeting in Dallas, on Saturday, March 9, 2001, at 5:30-6:45 PM, we celebrate our fifth (5th) annual meeting. All charter ISP member present at the Chicago meeting have been invited. The Honorable Elliott Naishstat, MSW, Delegate to the Texas General Assembly, will be our featured speaker. Come!
ISP wishes to thank the many individuals who have donated items for the auction in Dallas. Generosity and a genuine effort to support ISP are their hallmarks. Thanks!
New goals for ISP members during the 2000-01 academic year:
Double the number of student visits to state legislatures from 4, 164 in 2000 to 8,000 in 2001.
Increase visits to the website to an average of 500 per month.
Each program should have at least one (1) entry to State Policy Plus IV.
Increased paid memberships to 250.
Raise at least $2,000 for Ph.D. stipends awarded for dissertations on state policy.
Increase the visibility of ISP throughout social work education programs.
ISP live auction:
In order to raise funds for stipends for Ph.D. dissertations involving state policy and a new video series, ISP is conducting its first annual "live" auction in Dallas on Friday evening, March 9, 2001 from 5:30-7:00 PM in the Lone Star State Room A2 of the Adams Mark Hotel during CSWE's conference. With live music, a professional auctioneer, and free drinks (wine, beer, and sodas), it is an event NOT to be missed! Please tell anyone attending the CSWE conference to stop by to bid on some valuable and unique items. Here are some of the items to go under the hammer:
- A week at a 5 bedroom cottage on the Outer Banks of North Carolina
- A week at a lovely log cabin on the Hood Canal in Washington state
- A weekend's lodging and passes to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
- A weekend on a houseboat on Lake Union, Seattle, WA
- Dinner for 4 with in-coming CSWE President, Frank Basking
- Lunch for 4 with in-coming NASW President Terry Mizrahi
- Breakfast for 4 with CSWE President Barbara White
- Football autographed by Bobby Bowden, coach at Florida State University
- A weekend's stay in an ISP member's home for a couple with 2 kids in the Washington, DC area.
- Autographed CD by country singer Trish Yearwood
- A day sailing on an Ultima 20 on the Gulf of Mexico
- The state flag of Texas
- Bruce Jansson's new book: The 18 Million Dollar Mistake
- Autographed photo of Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton
- The Influencing State Policy "traveling" gavel
- A Harley Davidson leather jacket
- Autographed photo of Senator Debbie Stabenow, MSW
PLEASE support this event by coming yourself and bring your colleagues! PLEASE let each of your colleagues coming to Dallas to know about it. Without this promotion, ISP will fail!
DID YOU KNOW....
The Association of Baccalaureate Programs Directors (BPD) has established a Summer Policy Fellowship for BSW students. It will allow one enrolled BSW student to spend the summer of 2001 in Washington, DC to gain experience in political advocacy, lobbying and policy change at the national level. A $5000 stipend will be awarded and the student will be given paid air travel and lodging at the BPD conference in Denver to present the results of the fellowship. Contact Dr. Jack Sellers, BPD Policy Fellows Committee, Box 5029, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL 35632-0001 or call at 256.765.4391 or email at jsellers@unanov.una.edu.
The United Nations has published Poverty Report 2000, The State of the World's Children 2000, The World's Women 2000: Trends and Statistics, and Human Development Report 2000. These analytical reports can be ordered at UN Publications at publications@un.org or call 212.963.8302.
The New America Foundation invites applications from scholars and practitioners for its Public Policy Writing Fellowships. Information about the application process can be found at http://www.newamerica.net/
The Urban Institute has released Snapshots of America's Families II, a product of its ongoing Assessing the New Federalism project. The report is based on a 1999 national survey of America's families' economic well-being, access to health insurance, health care, and children's status. Go to http://www.urban.org/ to download a copy.
Ruth Messinger, ISP member and former President of the Manhattan Borough in New York City, celebrated her 60th birthday in September by bicycling 275 miles from Boston to New York for the sixth annual AIDS ride. Advocacy in action!!
Hispanics account for 12% of the U.S. population and nearly 6% of voters, but there are only 19 Latinos among the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and no U.S. Senators. At the state level, Hispanics hold only 147 seats out of nearly 5,500 in the house legislatures and only 51 senators out of almost 1,000.
"The First Measured Century: An Illustrated Guide to Trends in America" by Theodore Caplow, Louis Hicks, and Ben J. Wattenberg was published by the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy. It contains all sorts of interesting facts. For example, Americans made up 4.5 percent of the world's population in 2000, just as in 1900, despite doubling it number twice in the twentieth century. In 1900, 6,000 books were published; by 2000, that number had increased tenfold (60,000). In 1900, only six percent of married women worked outside the home; by 2000, that number soared to 61 percent.
ISP member, Dr. Steven Soifer, of the University of Maryland School of Social Work, advocated successfully to change the MD Division of Corrections policy regarding urine analysis testing of inmates who suffer from the "shy bladder" condition. Tests must now be made commensurate with the condition. Congratulations, Steve!
In a survey of more than 1,000 students and recent graduates about "most respected career," Jobtrak.com/ respondents voted: Teacher (40%), Medical doctor (32%), Social Worker (13%), CEO of internet company (8%), and police officer (7%). "Least respected careers" included politicians (38%), salesperson (28%), lawyer(11%) and journalist (7%).
CSWE EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND ACCREDITATION STANDARDS: ALERT!
Influencing State Policy, through the efforts of its Board of Advisors, Advisory Council, a committee co-chaired by Drs. Ronald Dear of the University of Washington and Robert Schneider of Virginia Commonwealth University, and individual ISP members, developed a proposal responding to "policy issues" in the first draft statement of the new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) by CSWE. ISP's collective response consisted of letters/emails from 65 individual ISP members. The final draft of our proposal is on our website.
The revised draft of the EPAS, based on prior comments, has now been disseminated (see next paragraph) (January, 2001) for a second round of public comment, particulary at the APM of CSWE in Dallas in March. On Friday, March 9, after the morning Special Plenary session, there will group discussions, and on Saturday, March 10, at 12:45 PM, comments can be made at the membership meeting. The Commissions will again seek input in April to mid-May before preparing a final draft for consideration by the CSWE Board of Directors in June, 2001. The Board consists of 30 individuals representing all levels of social work education.
Here is the second draft statement on Social Welfare Policy and Services:
Programs provide content about the history and current structures of social welfare services and about the role of policy in service delivery,social work practice, and attainment of individual and social well-being. Course content provides graduates with the knowledge and skills to understan major policies that form the foundation of social welare; analyze organizational, local, state, national, and international trends in social welfare policy and social service delivery; analyze and apply the results of policy research relevant to social service delilvery; understand and demonstrate policy practice skills in regard to economic, political, and organizational systems, and use them to influence, formulate, and advocate for policy consistent with social work values; and identify financial, organizational, administrative, and planning processes required to deliver social services.
ISP will follow these revisions closely and will again be asking members to respond to changes or omissions. If you are attending the Dallas CSWE meeting in March, please note the times above of the meetings for comment and discussion of EPAS and be ready to testify on ISP's position. Look for room names in the final conference program in Dallas. While ISP has already contributed a very thoughtful response, diligence is required in order to ensure that future social work curricula possess a balanced emphasis on policy and practice.
STUDENT INTERNSHIP WITH A STATE LEGISLATOR
Ms. Gina Giglio, a second year MSW student at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, is in a 3 days-a-week field practicum with Delegate Frank Hall, a long-time member of the Virginia General Assembly. Ms. Giglio writes below about some of her experiences, impressions, and learning opportunities.
"My experience as an MSW legislative intern continues to be an amazing journey. When I signed on with a state delegate, I knew it would be an incredible experience, although I was not sure how. I have come to realize all social workers have greater power than we imagine. All of us can change conditions. There is no profession better equipped or more qualified to impact the decision makers than social work. We possess all the necessary qualities.
How so? We have the ability to critically analyze the long-term effects of policy on segments of our population. We see the real-life implications of legislation while working with our clients. Through professional education, we garner knowledge in the area of social science research, rendering us capable of explaining data in real terms to committees or representatives, or to dispute slanted findings. We each have at least a novelette of anecdotal evidence to humanize policies. We're constantly around others with whom we can form a coalition.
Unlike other professions, we have an additional insight that sets us apart, i.e., the mantra, "come from where the client is," that is equally applicable to legislators. There is little difference between working with a legislator with whom you are fundamentally in opposition and working with an involuntary, hostile client. We can rely on our clinical skills to assess the situation. Social workers also tend to be well-versed in politics. We do our best to stay informed about different social and political causes.
Through laws and regulations, our ability to aid those in need may be minimized or expanded. Through social policy enactment and budgetary committees, our clients may find the odds of success are slim or they may be given opportunities to flourish. Involvement in legislation and policy is a matter of survival for our clients and ourselves.
Over these five months, the legislative internship has exceeded my expectations. Of course, at times, my anxiety level has reached newfound heights. However, the thrill of being part of shaping the future of Virginia is indescribable. Somewhere inside every social worker is that hope of a perfect, socially just community. Do not grow cynical and push it away. Use your skills, your abilities, and your talents and you can create such a society."
BOOK REVIEW
This text, Economics for Social Workers: Social Outcomes of Economic Globalization with Strategies for Community Action by ISP Liaison Dr. Arline Prigoff of the University of California - Sacramento is reviewed by Dr. Mitch Kahn, ISP Liaison & BSW Program Director, Ramapo College of New Jersey. To request an examination copy, http://www.wadsworth.com/
As Dr. Prigoff notes, it has become apparent to those of us who teach social policy and macro practice that many social work students lack sufficient knowledge of economic theory and its relationship to the formation of social policy. Fault lies with our profession's bias towards micro "treatment" and a social work curriculum which has historically de-emphasized the study of economic theory and doctrine. Lacking the knowledge and utility of economic theory makes it difficult to understand the root causes of poverty and in making informed judgments about social policies directed at both the rich and the poor.
Throughout the text, Professor Prigoff emphasizes the contradiction between maximizing profits through the market system and meeting basic human needs. Her analysis extends from early capitalist developments in the 17th Century to the current globalized economy. She critically examines the claims made by classical liberal economists such as Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and David Riccardo who extolled the virtues of the "free markets" and "free trade." These late 18th and early 19th century theorists argued that "free markets," left unregulated, would be a panacea yielding maximum benefits to society. Their theories have become the cornerstone mantra of today's conservatives. Professor Prigoff shows how capitalists, competing among themselves through monopolization, government sponsored corporate welfare, and the creation of international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, have fared. While the market system has indeed yielded exorbitant profits to investors and material growth for many, these benefits have been inequitably distributed, with a majority of the world's population left destitute.
Throughout the text there is an attempt to link economic theory with economic and social policies that impact the welfare of individuals, families, and communities. In a book with such a wide historical sweep, this is a daunting task and there is an occasional omission. For example, it might have been worth mentioning that classical "free market" theory came to policy fruition with the passage of the English Poor Laws of 1834 which institutionalized a "free market" highly advantageous to industrialists and absolutely disastrous for laboring people. The Laws' doctrine of less eligibility, which mandated that those receiving relief should be placed in a worse situation than the lowest paid worker, provided capitalists with a more easily exploitable work force. Not only did the law expose the fallacy of "free market" theory by exacerbating the grinding poverty of the English masses; its doctrine of less eligibility was to become, in different terminology, a major principle in poverty policy debates to the present time.
She notes the contradiction that, in spite of its laissez-faire ideology, American corporations bulldozed their way towards consolidation and monopoly following the Civil War. Their immense accumulation of wealth and power was coupled and predicated on a ruthless exploitation of working people. Important economic developments of the 19th and 20th century are covered in useful sections on Karl Marx,the Populist Movement,the rise of organized labor, Keynesianism, monetarism, the growth of consumer culture, the social and economic impacts of militarism and counter-insurgency, and the hegemony of finance capital.
An impressive part of this book is its examination of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and global trade policies such as GATT, NAFTA, and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI). Professor Prigoff skillfully documents how these organizations and policies favor the interests of multinational corporations and systematically manifest dysfunctional economic development.
This book is a call to action. In the second half of the book Professor Prigoff demonstrates what we can do to promote economic justice through institutions that meet basic human needs in the new global economy. She places emphasis on organizing. She surveys examples of community resistance to economic injustice and organizing models that have been employed to promote sustainable economic development under democratic control. Examples are drawn from both the United States and the Third World. Most importantly, she explains the roles that social workers and social work institutions can play in these efforts. The book's appendices contain a number of relevant documents and resources that amplify these issues.
Professor Prigoff should be applauded for this long needed book. Hers is an ambitious and comprehensive text that will be useful in teaching courses on the history and philosophy of social welfare, social policy, and community organization, or in an economics course designed specifically for social work students.
Listed below are examples furnished by ISP members about how states are establishing their own priorities and shaping social policies to fit them.
Congress provided a total of $40 billion over 10 years for health insurance to children in low-income families. States had three years....from October 1, 1997 to Sept. 30, 2000...to use the first's year's installment of$4.2 billion. As of September, 2000, $1.9 billion would be unspent and will be given to the 10 states that used their full allotment (AK, IN, DY, ME, MA, MO, NY, NXC, PA and SC). Louisiana expects to lose $63.7 million, California will lose $590 million, Texas will lose $446 million; these three states have 29 percent of the nation's uninsured children.
In the Fall 2000 elections, voter in Maine rejected a measure that would have allowed doctor-assisted suicides. Colorado voters rejected a measure that would have required a 24 hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion. Massachusetts rejected universal health care coverage. Colorado and Oregon passed measures requiring background checks of people seeking to buy weapons at a gun show. Arizona, Colorado, and Georgia passed property tax relief for senior citizens. Voters in Nevada and Colorado approved the medical use of marijuana. Nebraska and Nevada banned same-sex marriages. California and Michigan defeated proposals allowing their states to offer school vouchers. Arizona voters banned bilingual education. California voted to steer nonviolent drug offenders to rehab programs instead of jail. Alabama repealed a 99 year old ban on interracial marriage. New Jersey approved of putting the state's sex offenders database online.
In Maine, the legislature passed a bill ensuring unpaid leave to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, rape or stalking in order for them to receive medical treatment, attend court, or get treatment necessary to recover from the crime. It failed to pass a bill that granted protection to all Maine citizens in the areas of housing, credit, employment and public accomodation regardless of their sexual orientation.
In New York, a bill passed, after repeated attempts, that allows college work-study to be counted as a "work" activity for women covered by TANF.
In Missouri, students in Wayne Munkel's BSW class 310 lobbied for the successful passage of a bill that strengthened child abuse statutes and criminal laws on child pornography and sexual exploitation.
Fewer than fifty percent of all states require that child-care staff have any child development training. New York City requires some child-care workers to have a four year college degree and some states require only that the staff person be 16 years old.
In Mississippi, a judge struck down a law that had allowed sales of coffins to by made only be licensed funeral home directors. It had violated the 14th Amendment protecting from arbitrary regulation.
A Congressional report, requested by Rep. Ciro D.Rodriquez, MSW, from Texas, found widespread violations of federal health and safety standards at nursing homes in Texas, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and California.
In Connecticut, a stay-at-home mom challenged the local drinking ordinances and police now have the authority to enforce under-age drinking laws on private property.
In Tennessee, nearly half of the day-care centers had broken federal rules on the payment of overtime and minimum wage requirements.
Winners and losers of Congressional seats: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, and Texas will gain two seats apiece. California, Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina will gain one seat each. New York and Pennsylvania will each lose two seats, and Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin will lose one seat apiece.
In 2000, eleven states (FL, IN, KN, SC, MD, VT, IL, RY, RI, ME, MA) took action on the high cost of drugs and prescriptions. Some developed programs for low-income residents while others expanded eligibility for discounts and subsidies.
Indiana now prepares a "report card" on nearly 550 nursing homes across the state to help families choose a facility.
In Kentucky, official estimate that 5,300 new mothers had a substance abuse problem and allocated $2 million to a statewide program. Since 1999, only 245 takers participated and only $150.000 has been used.
In Michigan, the Governor signed a law stipulating that a divorced parent with joint custody of a child would need approval from the ex-spouse or a judge before moving more than 100 miles to a new home.
Sixteen of the 46 states that settled with the tobacco industry two years ago have seen their payments reduced by almost $200 million in part because they failed to enact a piece of legislation in time. The affected states are:CA, NY, PA, NC, AL, AZ, Dt, DE, HI, KY, MA, MI, OR, VT, WI, WY.
March 8-11, 2001. Influencing State Policy Booth at Annual Meeting of CSWE, Dallas. Exhibition Hall, Adams Mark Hotel. Open daily. Stop by and say hello.
March 9, 2001. Plenary Session in the morning where CSWE will consider Educational Policy and Accreditation Statement. Please consider attending and giving support to ISP's position. See position on website at www.statepolicy.org.
March 9, 2001. Influencing State Policy Annual Planning Luncheon. APM of the Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, TX. Noon til 1:00 PM. Free lunch for first 30 to sign up. Place: Dakota's Restaurant, 600 North Akard, Dallas. Near Adams Mark Hotel.
March 9, 2001. Influencing State Policy Annual AUCTION. APM of the Council on Social Work Education, Dallas, TX. 5:30-7:00 PM. Adams Mark Hotel. Lone Star State Room A2.
March 10, 2001. Annual Meeting of Influencing State Policy at the APM of CSWE, Dallas. 5:30-6:45 PM. Adams Marks Hotel. Featured Speaker: The Honorable Elliott Naishtat, MSW, Delegate in the Texas General Assembly. Room?
April 1, 2001. Deadline for proposals to be considered for presentation at the national conference, "Politics, Policy, and Social Change," in Charleston, SC. Contact Duncan Whyte http://www.sc.edu/cosw/polconf2001.html
April 3, 2001. Deadline for entries to State Policy Plus IV, ISP's national contest for students, faculty and field instructors. See rules at http://www.statepolicy.org/html/contest.html
June 16-19, 2001. Conference "Politics, Policy and Social Change," co-sponsored by the College of Social Work of the U. of South Carolina, PACE-national, and ISP. Contact Duncan Whyte at: WhyteD@gwm.sc.edu and use online registration available at http://www.pware.com/index.cfm?clientid=2118. Focus this year is on "state policy" and ISP awards luncheon for State Policy Plus IV on June 18 at noon.
September 1, 2001. Beginning of 2002 ISP national contest, State Policy Plus V and new goals for ISP in 2001-02.
Please send your name, address, phone number, fax number, email address and the annual $25 membership/liaison fee payable to the: "National Committee" to:
Dr. Robert L. Schneider, Nat'l Chairperson
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Social Work
P. O. Box 842027
Richmond, VA 23284-2027