Rogue Social Worker

This episode was from quite a while ago and it’s super interesting to see how our views about dealing with racism have changed. I will be updating you all with my recent transformation, which you may or may not be happy about...

 

Mental health and poverty :: chicken and egg

 

Deinstitutionalization

 

Caring for the most vulnerable while respecting their rights

 

Assumptions that people choose to be homeless

 

Most people think either homeless people choose to be homeless or they’re all mentally ill. No one knows that it’s mostly poverty

 

Accepting responsibility and then dealing with the guilt in a healthy way

 

Gay rights

 

Developmental disabilities vs. less sympathetic populations

 

What does our culture expect from people who are in recovery from MH/SUD issues

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Just trying to remind myself really!

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

While my perspective has changed a bit regarding systemic issues since this episode was recorded, it is an incredibly powerful story. In this episode I tell the story of how I got fired from my last agency job.

 

Ethics in the macro

 

I got fired

 

Leadership accountability

 

This is ordinary

 

When the consumer can participate they have much more leverage in capitalism than in our sorry excuse for a “safety net” monopoly

 

In our current system no one gets to hear from the consumer

 

I never wanted to be a therapist

 

It’s nearly impossible to truly change the system from within

 

Even when nonprofits just address the symptoms, they can’t even get that right

 

For some reason in the nonprofit world you can screw up over and over and over and nobody will hold you accountable

 

The one thing that matters is having resources

 

It’s hard to be sustainable on donations alone

 

To read the full version of how I got fired, click here. If you would rather listen than read, I’ll be reading the piece on a future episode.

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Apologies for the severe fluctuation in volume! We were walking and Olivia talks a bit quieter than I do, so I tried to increase the volume when she was speaking, therefore the overall volume may not be consistent throughout the episode.

 

DSS = Department of Social Services

 

DSS, the training you need to work for welfare, union jobs. Where’s the clients’ union? Burn the whole place down. Sanctioning people for not paying “shelter payments.”

 

“Debtor's prison for homeless people! At least they’ll have some place to stay.”

 

“I’m sure every time their numbers surge they can jerk off some rich white guy who donates to them.”

 

The beginning of CAPs - so we can be the arbiters of goods to the deserving poor.

 

“Sorry to rain on your parade but I think we should be giving people money directly instead of us deciding who deserves and doesn’t deserve basic resources like food and childcare and heating assistance.”

 

Introducing human service workers to UBI.

 

25-30% of case management is DSS compliance.

 

Agency incentives vs. client incentives.

 

How to run a homeless shelter.

 

The complexities and nuances of harm reduction (especially in a group or public setting), letting people make bad decisions, respecting self determination.

 

Cowardly bureaucrats in New York refusing to give out Narcan.

 

Natural consequences vs artificial consequences.

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Again, some of my views on systemic oppression have changed, but the rest is self evident--something is very broken here

 

Incentives for the clients to lose everything

 

Once you’re in the program, they screw you over

 

How is it conscionable to be a bandaid in a system that is clearly failing?

 

UBI survey - running total is over 50 in favor of UBI over welfare. Check it out here:

 

Fuck the safety net

 

Most people don’t understand that this system is actively damaging people

 

We’re spending millions of dollars on jobs that are purely to decide if someone deserves basic needs

 

Deserving vs. undeserving poor

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Again, some of my views on systemic oppression have changed, but the rest is self evident--something is very broken here

 

Incentives for the clients to lose everything

 

Once you’re in the program, they screw you over

 

How is it conscionable to be a bandaid in a system that is clearly failing?

 

UBI survey - running total is over 50 in favor of UBI over welfare. Check it out here:

 

Fuck the safety net

 

Most people don’t understand that this system is actively damaging people

 

We’re spending millions of dollars on jobs that are purely to decide if someone deserves basic needs

 

Deserving vs. undeserving poor

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Some of my views on systemic oppression have changed, but the rest is self evident--something is very broken here

 

Incentives for the clients to lose everything

 

Once you’re in the program, they screw you over

 

How is it conscionable to be a band aid in a system that is clearly failing?

 

UBI survey - running total is over 50 in favor of UBI over welfare. Check it out here:

 

Fuck the safety net

 

Most people don’t understand that this system is actively damaging people

 

We’re spending millions of dollars on jobs that are purely to decide if someone deserves basic needs

 

Deserving vs. undeserving poor

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Just another rant about UBI and social work

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

Recorded this back when I was involved with Yang’s presidential campaign, so UBI is framed as Yang proposed it - the “Freedom Dividend”

 

UBI vs fixing the safety net, applied to homelessness.

 

Triage in homeless services. Demographics within the homeless population.

 

Systemic causes and correlations to homelessness spikes?

 

The system is not set up to serve the 80% of people who just need money.

 

Why does somebody who’s really not disabled get intensive case management and the guy talking to himself gets nothing?

 

Start with the least restrictive services, i.e. money

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]

I’m on YouTube!

 

What it’s like to work at a CAP, another failed social service system

 

Hooked on UBI

 

Why UBI is better than programs

 

Fantasizing about burning the system down

 

Do we make more of a difference inside or outside the system?

 

Want to talk about social work or just say hello? Email me at [email protected]