School of Social Work News

Hey SSW,

As many of you may or may not have seen, this week Arkansas passed a law banning health care providers from providing trans youth with access to healthcare. Along with Arkansas, there are similar bills being introduced in several states across the country including Michigan. Many are attacking the ability of trans youth to participate in sports, others are attacking access to healthcare and the ability of transgender people to participate in public life.

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

This is a direct attack on the trans community. As social workers, we must make a commitment to organize in order to ensure that transgender youth have life-saving medical care by any means necessary. 

Now more than ever, cis people must stand up for the rights and dignity of their transgender peers. The solution is and must be intersectional solidarity, advocacy, and mutual aid. The trans community must not face these attacks alone.

On this Trans Day of Visibility, we are asking everyone to make at least ONE call to either the Governor of Arkansas or to an Arkansas State Senator to call for an end to this inhumane legislation.

• Call Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and demand a veto to HB 1570: (501) 682-2345
• Call Arkansas State Senators to voice opposition to this bill. Here are their numbers.
• Additionally, here is a template to email the governor at [email protected].

To view the anti-transgender legislation in other states, see the following links. It is vital we stay up to date and advocate alongside our trans friends and colleagues. 

• BREAKING: 2021 Becomes Record Year For Anti-Transgender Legislation
• Legislative Tracker: Anti-Transgender Legislation  

Finally, if you or a loved one are in need of resources, several are included below:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
• Trevor Project LGBTQ+ Hotline: 1-866-488-7386
• CAPS After Hours: 734-764-8312
• The UM Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES): 734-936-5900

In Solidarity,

Queer Advocacy Coalition

Edie Kieffer and a team from the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation study on the impact of dental coverage is featured in the latest issue of ADA News. Their research suggests that Medicaid’s dental coverage has improved enrollees’ health in ways that have helped them seek a new job or do better at the one they have. “Many enrollees spoke passionately and sometimes joyously about how having dental benefits had changed, and in some cases, saved their lives,” said Kieffer.

Dean Lynn Videka was one of the six of U-M’s women deans who wrote a letter protesting the remarks U-M Regent Ron Weiser made on Thursday at the North Oakland Republican Club. The deans called on Weiser to “repair the serious harm” he had caused. “Regent Weiser's name-calling and use of language suggesting violent actions are hostile, threatening and offensive to all women,” said Videka. U-M President Mark Schlissel and Provost Susan Collins also issued statements denouncing Weiser’s comments.

PhD student Garrett Pace, Associate Professor Shawna Lee, and Professor Andrew Grogan-Kaylor's research was cited in public policy discussions in Colombia, leading to a ban on corporal punishment of children in that country.  Colombian legislator Julián Peinado Ramírez shared his memo on Twitter, which references Grogan-Kaylor, Lee and Pace’s 2019 work. The research and ban were also featured on Radio Santa Fe 1070 AM Bogotá.

Once again, America has been devastated by another mass shooting. Yesterday in Colorado, ten people were killed — it is the second mass shooting in less than a week.  

We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and to the communities in and around Boulder, Colorado.  Senseless violence not only robs us of loved ones but also our sense of security.

We encourage our Michigan Social Work community to seek the support or counseling they need to address their own trauma. Check in with your networks, come together and remind each other of the power of human connection in terrible times. 

Social workers are fed up with the pervasiveness and normalization of gun violence. We must act on behalf of our communities to denounce acts of hatred and violence, and to demand meaningful reform to end this epidemic of gun violence plaguing our nation.

To take action: 

Tools for Social Workers to Prevent Gun Violence: Safe Storage of Guns in the Home, Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and Other Methods of Gun Violence Prevention

Professor Luke Shaefer’s book “$2.00 a Day'' helped lay the groundwork for current antipovery legislative efforts, including President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.  A recent New York Times article describes how Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) arranged for all his Democratic Senate colleagues to receive a copy of the book.

Shaefer’s research was also cited in a New York Times article detailing how the availability of safety net programs have compounded the uncertainty and hardships faced by vulnerable populations during the pandemic — especially for those struggling with poverty and depression. “When the government acted, things got better — when the aid went away, things got worse,” he said.

Associate Professor Terri Friedline and her co-author argue in their commentary “Powerful alternatives to predatory lenders: Postal Service banking and public banks” that the payday and auto title loan industry exists only because there are so many communities in the United States lacking even one traditional bank. The commentary was published in the Chicago Sun Times.

Dear Community,

We are appalled by the shooting deaths in Atlanta at three different locations where 6 of the 8 dead were Asian American women. Given the country is in the midst of an epidemic of rising anti-Asian sentiment and hate crimes, we urge authorities to investigate whether these killings are racially motivated hate crimes.

Irrespective of motive, the outcome remains the same, and we are here to offer our support and solidarity with you during this time. Violence against some of us, harms us all, and we know this incident will have a significant impact on our students, faculty, staff, and community.

Our community is grieving and hurting, which is why it is important for us to take time to address our trauma, grief, erasure, and most importantly, HEALING. This is complex, difficult, and necessary work. We urge you to seek self-care and support (resources below), and to report hate if you or someone you know experiences it (see below).

Please reach out to us or the resources below with any support you need during this time.

Sincerely,

Ayesha Ghazi Edwin, Lecturer and ENGAGE Program Manager, Chair of the Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission
Lorraine Gutierrez, Associate Dean for Educational Programs
Lynn Videka, Dean
Katie Lopez, Director of Office of Global Activities