Travis County Commissioners Court
March 13, 2012 (Agenda)
Item 2
Number two is to approve resolution recognizing the month of March, 2012 as professional social work month in Travis County.
should I read it? Who is in charge?
>> > good morning, my name is catherine davidson, I'm a university Texas school in social work. >> > anybody else? >> > I would like for the group to introduce themselves, if that is ok. >> > cathy, social worker with Travis County health and human services palm square. >> > hi, debra ferrel, I work with catherine. >> [chuckling] anyways. >> [indiscernible] it has been a dicey experience. >> [applause] thank you. >> > good morning, I'm also with health and human services offices. >> > my name is cecilia. >> > congratulations. >> > and if it wasn't for jacquelyn, she's my counselor. >> [chuckling] she's a good person worker. >> > hello, my name is sandra stevens. >> > thank you. >> > I'm sue millam. >> > good to see you, judge. >> > I was a social worker back then when I was with the city county. >> > the one on the end here will snap off. >> > good morning judge, Commissioners, my name is michael gianado. >> > thank you. >> > I'm grant huckston, a vocational rehabilitation counselor in the state of Texas dars. >> > >> [indiscernible] I'm a social worker >> [indiscernible]. >> > I'm jean stamp, I'm with the Texas department of education office. >> > good morning, thank you judge and Commissioners. >> > so should I read the proclamation or have we pretty much said it all? >> > we were better than that. >> > read it? >> [laughter] well, here it goes! Y'all so eloquent until I don't know whether I'm adding anything or not. >> > we're really privileged to have such an outreach of persons in all of the categories that were mentioned in this resolution. >> > we appreciate all of you, and all that you do. >> > thank you. >> > thank you. >> > all those in favor? That passes by unanimous rvo vote. >> [chuckling] >> > if it is approved, it is approved. >> > especially if I have the original. >> > good. The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
I spent last semester and semester before that interning in the family support services at palm square.
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you, judge, and the Commissioners, for all that you do for the county and for taking a moment to recognize the social workers that serve the people of Travis County.
I can honestly say I am extremely grateful for the rich learning experiences I had while interning at the county.
all the social workers that I had the privilege of meeting and working alongside have been phenomenal people.
I have really gotten to see firsthand how the county's assistance programs and social work services have really had the power to make positive impact in people's lives.
and some of those people are here with us today.
and have graciously agreed to speak.
I'm grateful for that and I'm grateful for you for listening to their voices.
so my time at the county has really just made me so proud of my profession.
I'm proud of social work and I'm really looking forward to a career in which I know that I get to work every day and really do things that matter.
so thank you so much for this great opportunity.
and I want to wish you all a very happy social work month.
she's been giving me fair, helping hand up.
and I wanted to say about social work is it is an asset, I agree, in our community, to those of us who might need it from time to time.
not only what I have found to work, workers are very -- have a gentle spirit.
little security blanket.
she's encouraged me, helped me through in times when I needed to vent and didn't realize it until I was there.
been a wonderful experience.
without social workers and community help, I don't know how one would survive, when necessary.
and I have went
I use my resources, which is the first time in my life.
as of Friday, I got a job.
I was in training, first training last night.
matter of fact I'm supposed to be training this morning.
they agreed since I told them I would be here, to come later.
I'm thrilled and on top of that I get paid weekly and back to insurance and no longer a second-class citizen.
all the while, I'm also back to college.
I was a nurse.
I was in business 15 years.
I discovered a couple years ago, I have to start from the ground.
getting this job is through randall.
quite beneficial, but there were many hoops to jump.
I was del gent in applying online.
but I really had to chase down the lady to get hired.
I was sitting in the public telephone because my cell phone dropped, the battery went dead while I was sitting in my car in the parking lot after visiting with catherine last Thursday.
I went in, used the phone and there was actually sitting in Travis County public phone, when we were done with our call, congratulations you got a job.
can you show up tomorrow, yadah yadah.
I'm just thrilled.
so working with catherine.
thank you for letting me be here and let me be part of this.
without all these folks, thank you so much.
they're just wonderful people.
I want to thank you for recognizing professional social worker month.
we have elected officials, educator, researchers, planners, folks that work in counseling, case management, all throughout our wonderful community.
thank you.
I would love for our folks to quickly introduce themselves, if they want to say a couple of words.
now I'm knorr now because I just got married.
she's good.
she helped me.
one time, I stayed in the apartments that -- that was full of rats and stuff like that she went there.
and helped and stuff.
I'm sorry, because I'm nervous.
she help me all the time.
if I can't see her in a month, I can't handle it.
she help me go to work and then talk the talk and everything.
and I have had four strokes, so good lord knows jacquelyn is with me.
thank you for this opportunity.
this is quite a learning experience for me.
social workers have played a very powerful part -- actually, in a pivot in my life.
I come from a long history of people who were, you know, veteran of foreign wars, and business starters, taxpayers, you know.
just american lovers.
and myself started working when I was 14.
I worked myself through two degrees.
I had my -- I would say first extremely powerful negative experience in 2003 when I was a victim of a violent crime.
I started doing volunteer work in tdcj in the restorative justice program.
what I didn't know is life still had its biggest slap in the back of the head yet to come.
in 2007, I lost my central vision to a rare eye disease.
I didn't understand -- I mean, I had never really had any history of depression or any problems. I was in corporate america, I had worked myself to a successful place, but the place that a disability can and will take you to if you embrace the concept that a social worker at Travis County actually introduced me to the word, disempowerment, and I realized that through her and through jackie and I worked with her for a couple of years now, intellectually, I was able to comprehend the part that I was playing in my own disempowerment.
their experience and the way they was treated and the way that they're educated, I wasn't treatad as with some other government agencies where I was the consumer or the person waiting in the hallway or the person someone wants to get rid of so they can clock out at 4:30.
I was a person that they listened to and helped in such a profound way that now I am applying to the school of social work for another master's having already worked myself through one already to embrace this life change in a positive way, I want to thank you for recognizing social workers because I think it is important to understand.
hay don't obviously come into this career for money.
you know, it is not something where you are like I will be a social worker and be rich! I believe their motives are in the right place.
it is so easy in a government -- I have seen it so often, people take jobs and get comfortable with the vacation time.
they get jaded and there is something about perhaps you do social work, but social workers in general, they care I think it is from the heart.
I'm thankful that you gave me the chance to speak.
and I still am.
now I'm with the national association of social workers, Texas chapter.
I'm government relations person there.
I'm very pleased to be invited to be a part of this.
I'm a part of the branch of the capital area branch.
it makes me very proud to see social workers in this role.
people that used to be in the department that I oversaw.
but I bring you greetings from the national actionag of social workers, Texas chapter.
I will shut up and let the others introduce themselves.
please step up to the mic and tell me who you are.
you can pass the mic around.
I am the court social worker and guardian social worker for the court and the branch chair.
as you can see by the three stories here and all of the other folks who are my colleague, associate workers, social work is embedded in the various levels, local up to state and national.
I'm very fortunate to be associated with a lot of these people.
it's kind of one of the best volunteer jobs I have because I get to know people and deal with that I never would on a regular basis.
it shows during crises such as katrina, rita, hurricanes, the bastrop fires where social work comes through, the heart and soul really shows, especially with students, such as katie.
it is a wonderful job to have.
again, I'm very honored.
and I love what I do.
I appreciate the support that the county has given and will continue to give.
thank you for recognizing us.
this is a really good accomplishment for all of the folks who have been throw so much.
I applaud you, encourage you and continue the good work.
I'm working with sandra stevens, my client for many years.
it has been an honor to work with her and all of my clients.
the example of sandra's and my relationship that develops, between the social worker and the client represents the best of what government funding can do when it hits the ground.
it is an person to be in this position, where I am allowed to represent my government and make connections with citizens who are in need.
I hope that I do the best without that funding every day.
I appreciate all of you.
we interact with you a great deal.
try to give you a report every year.
and with the Texas child welfare board and region 7 board of directors for nsaw.
thank you for having us for this honor.
my name is barbara anderson I'm on the clinical faculty at the university of Texas.
catherine is one of my students.
thank you all for your support of social work and for all the work you do.
thank you clients for being here.
the primary mission of social work is to enhance the well-being and meet the basic needs of all people, especially our most vulnerable through programs and services provided as essential elements of the social safety network.
whereas social workers make critical impacts and lessens in development, ageing family caregiving, child protection, faems -- family services.
nonprofit and community management.
reduction in poverty.
that is all of the areas.
social workers seek to improve social functioning and social conditions for people in emotional, psychological, economic and or physical need through care, coordination, case management, therapeutic treatment for biopsychosocial issues.
whereas more than 640,000 trained social work professionals in the united states and more than 50 fields of practice ranging from private and public agencies, hospices, hospitals, schools and clinics, businesses, corporations, government organizations, military units, think tanks, foundations.
work tirelessly as specialists, consultants counselors educators, community leaders, policymakers, researchers.
whereas the influence of the social work profession has been instrumental in achieving civil rights and human rights advances in the united states and across the globe for more than a century.
and whereas social workers strengthen our nation by helping people navigate major life challenges, finding hope and options for achieving their maximum potential and allowing for full participation as a society.
pardon me.
now, therefore, be it resolved by the Travis County Commissioners court that all residents of Travis County are urged to join the national association of social workers in the celebration and support of the social work profession by observing March 20 as professional social work month in Travis County and the commitment and dedication that our social workers provide for our community.
I move approval.
any other comments? That was a mouthful resolution, by the way.
I applaud the service you give this testimony and of course, the testimony from the persons that came before us.
a clear example of some of the things that is done.
my heart goes out to you.
I thank you for the services rendered to Travis County.
we sign it or the whole court? After we execute it, as long as the original is full.
that did pass by museum vote there, robert.
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