One success with this model was in helping pregnant women and mothers of newborns. By doing casework and visiting women, staff could not only address the real need for mother and newborn health and development, but offer connection to other services addressing issues of poverty. For example, if a pregnant woman was behind on her rent, she was most likely not going to be too interested in the plan for the day, even if it might be a wellness visit for mom or baby. Staff could help connect the woman to MIDTOWN’S other programs and get her rent assistance—on the way back from the doctor’s appointment.
We found combining casework and home visits the most successful approach to social services. We were not following the worker’s agenda, but open to where the individual or family’s needs were on any given day. By providing casework services, transportation and support, our neighbors were more consistent with the work their plan required.
A crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures, And talk a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love.
Francis Bacon
SOCIAL GROUP WORK
Social Group Work is another traditional method with a great history of success. Settlement Houses used group work to help integrate immigrants into American culture. Through a variety of activities in groups, such as dancing, arts and crafts, games, stories and songs, workers helped people become comfortable in a strange environment, get to know their neighbors and learn a little of the English language. Social group work helped acclimate new Americans to their neighborhoods, cities and the new culture.
Social group work is a democratic process where individuals learn from each other through activities, and decision-making is carefully processed by the worker. Choosing activities, making plans and assigning roles happens as moderated by the worker, so the strongest in the group do not wield undue influence and the newest or more “careful” group members still have a part to play in the growth of the group as a whole. This is an important difference between group work and group counseling—the growth of the group helps individual members learn and grow. The group process is in and of itself what helps people become more capable. Group counseling focuses wholly on individual needs.
Almost all of our lives we are involved with a group. Whether it is at work, church, socially or with family, we spend our time interacting with other people. Jesus knew the importance of groups as the first thing he did when he began his public life was to gather his apostles. When we understand how be strong and open in a group, we have truly been socialized for human interaction. Being able to wait our turn, share our resources, listen to the other person, celebrate cohesiveness and reach our group’s goals helps make our interactions a success. Through groups we learn the personal skills and tools needed to develop strong, positive human relationships. Because we have practiced skills in a safe, democratic place, we are empowered to try them on our own.
Helen Harris Perlman in her book, Relationship: The Heart of Helping People4 calls groups a “relationship laboratory” where individuals may practice new behaviors in a safe environment. The group helps individuals learn how these new behaviors may lead to better relationships because of how others react. The group demonstrates such behaviors during its interactions so individuals learning new behaviors can see them modeled. The group promotes more acceptable and appropriate behaviors, so new members and those without such experiences learn what works.
When we incorporated social group work into programs serving predominantly African American children and adults, we knew we had similar issues to address as those settlement houses faced with immigrants. Even though African Americans have been in this country for hundreds of years, they are a people still not welcomed into “the group”. Helping low income, African American children and adults process acceptable and appropriate behaviors for school, work, on the street and in the home improved our neighbors’ chance of successfully navigating white culture. This was the kind of work we hoped would improve the chances for social mobility among our neighbors.
Through our contacts with children and families, we realized there needed to be group activities which would socialize children to school and home. Building strength in their decision-making, relationships with their peers and reasonable obedience to adult expectations would be the experience of youth groups. We knew “play is the work of children”5 and learning which was fun would teach social skills. The ability to wait their turn, share their crayons or markers, follow directions, listen to their peers and successfully interact with adults was the only way children could succeed in school and help create a better home environment for overly stressed or working parents. Group work with children and adolescents had the ultimate goal of creating good citizenship so youth could grow into the world; a world which often kept them apart.
For adults, the goal of group work was to create a different path helping neighbors consider and overcome the fear and isolation caused by poverty. We wanted African American adults to understand certain societal expectations and increase social mobility. Part of the reason poverty affects so many African Americans is the white culture does not allow participation in developing these social norms. African American families are segregated by housing, income, schools and prejudice. They are kept from seeing and participating in what is thought of as mainstream
Social groups like the MIDTOWN Mamas and Men’s Club gave neighbors a chance to interact with their peers in a safe and protected group. Staff ensured there would be no judgment of others, no personalities allowed to dominate and openness to differences. Participants had a chance to learn to accept others-- whether their ability to develop relationships with other people was adequate or not. Staff stressed “together we build a peaceful community”. People learned; in groups we did not have to compete with each other over scarce resources, working together we would create more than enough for everybody.
The use of social group work was the most important component of our work. The intentionality of each group and all the activities involved were what allowed us to build individual relationships with our neighbors. These ongoing positive relationships were what led to a stronger community—a community where diversity of experiences fostered growth.
I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned
about what happens in Birmingham.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality
tied in a single garment of destiny.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Letter from a Birmingham City Jail
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND SOCIAL ACTION
Community organizing and social action have historically been a part of social work, even when the field does not recognize it as so. Community organizing works to help groups of people address unfairness and inequities in societal institutions. The macro level includes public action—such as the March on Washington. The meso level deals with community issues such as housing development and gentrification. The micro level may be getting a stop sign placed at a dangerous corner on your block. This is how St. Louis aldermen most often respond to community complaints—by creating more stop signs than any other city its size and the famous St. Louis roll.
The organizer helps people who are ready and able to improve their block, neighborhood or community. The worker helps when a few residents or organizations have found issues. The group discovers its goals and identifies leadership with guidance from the organizer. The organizer supports but does not direct the group’s goals. Often, the organizer brings their connections and experiences with power and institutions to the group. To help people learn techniques for addressing the influence and control such entities may exert against their goals, the worker speaks to their experiences. The role of the organizer is one of support, information-gathering, dissemination of decisions, practical application of methods, and insuring a democratic process.
At MIDTOWN, there were no plans to become involved in community organizing. Our main focus was helping people learn to do their best in the extremely difficult circumstances