Is Social Work becoming more conservative?

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The future of government workers is bleak.
Insurane payment for private practice is also drying up.
From my perspective the future of social work is private practice, and I would think more than an MWS would be advised.

I see no indication that governmet social workers have any significant stress.

Our job as eligibility workers is 'not important' (per a direct statement from our director).
Yet on a daily basis if I do not do my job properly, the customers (as we are to call them) will not have medical cards for the children,will not have food to eat, will not have a roof over their head.

I am the one required to approve $1800 in benefits for a drug addict with 3 children, after waiting for over 2 months for this person to go to the Social Security office to apply for benefits. I opened his case on Friday, he received the benetifs Saturday, and I'd bet my next paycheck over half of it is gone by today. All within the regulations. $800 of it was in food stamps, and it takes longer to turn that into drugs than the $1100 he got in cash.
Yes, according to the regulation he was screened for addiction issues, none found.
If he does not declare a problem, none exists. That is how the system works.

It is my job to fix the problems caused by irresponsible adults, who failed to do things as simple as sign an application and return it within 6 weeks, after three notices we are still waiting.

On a regular basis I deal with ten times as many drug addicts, child abusers, neglectful parents, and generfally irreponsible adults and parents, compared to any MSW at our agency.

Their job is to imporve customer mental health and activities.
My job is is to see that they and the children are fed, clothed, have all of their medical bills paid for, have a place to live, have their utilities paid for.
I have about 6 cases where no one in the family of 5 persons works, and their net income is greater than my own.
Increase family size to 8 or 10, and their is another dozen.
Welfare families have more net income than their case managers. If you think that makes me feel good, you would be mistaken.
If you think my employer has any concern, you would be mistaken.

A woman with 2 children, had gross earnings of $17,200 last year, and got an EITC refund of $7000.
She had medical cards with no cost or co-pays for all of them, recieved food samps of $350+ on a bad month, had about $1000 paid on her utilitiy bills.
Compare that to my $34k gross, less $250 per month for health insurance, less about $50 per month in medical co-pays, less $140 per month for my pension, less 18% of my gross for taxes, less $200 per month for gasoline to and from work.
My four year degree and 25 years experience does not stack up well compared to her ability to make babies.

Of all of the reasons for an MSW to decide to NOT go into government employment, stess would be at the bottom.
Job security should be at the top.

I hope you are pursuing something where you will feel more valued and respected. I would feel so defeated if I had to encounter that everyday...especially with a supervisor telling you your job is unimportant.

Thank you for sharing your experiences...

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I will be 63 in a few weeks, eligible for Social Security, Pension, state health care package even now, but not enough to retire, no time to change jobs.
Hopefully be able to retire by age 67.

I am telling the young ones coming in to have an exist strategy.
Some are working on a Masters.

The future of our job is as a call center, very little direct recipient contact.
This has been in the wind for decades, but the climate is changing, I can see it coming.
Many states are operating at 50%-75% staffing in most counties.
Our new workers were trained on the Food Stamps program, by a state trainer (not county level), and never given the Food Stamps manual - the bible for the Food Stamps program.
They were given what I would call cliff notes, a broad overview. Sure reminded me of call center training.
In the old old days, we had to be able to quote the manual chapter and verse.
Now they aren't even given a copy.

We do have an online version of the Food Stamp manual, but that wasn't used for training.
By the way, the official name of food stamps has changed to SNAP, Supplimental Nutritional Assistance Program.
 
I really appreciate the perspective and experience you have brought to this discussion. Thank you.
 
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