Mentoring Women: A Pathway to Success

By Arzelia Dixon Said, MSW, LSW, ACSW

other myriad topics adults often lecture girls about. These talks fed my inquisitive mind and helped me to learn how to navigate the world around me. In addition, the guidance these women provided me helped to build my self-confidence and instilled within me the desire to pursue my dreams. They were my mentors and a part of the village that influenced me.

Growing up in Newark housing projects exposed me to the many social problems found in inner cities, where residents often feel trapped by an environment of violence, poverty, illegal drugs, alcoholism, theft, lack of education and crime. My ability to escape these societal ills was not based solely on my own efforts, smarts, or intuition. I had help from others—the mentors in my community.

The benefits of mentorship are undeniable, and I strongly believe mentoring can and should be a vital component of the services social workers offer their clients. For example, social workers who work with underserved and impoverished communities provide their clients with guidance and direction about opportunities. They link clients to community services, schools, training programs, employment, and other resources that help clients along the road to success and open many opportunities for them.

My neighborhood mentors played this role for me.

With the support and guidance of family and mentors, I obtained an Associate degree at Essex County College, then went on to pursue further studies at Rutgers University Newark and the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work. My attendance at these schools exposed me to African and Hispanic female professors for the first time. It was inspiring to see women of color—people who looked like me—in positions of prestige, wielding their expertise for the benefit of others. Dr. Phylis Peterman, head of the Rutgers Social Work Department in Newark (now retired) was my teacher and mentor. She guided me while I was in both undergraduate and graduate school. I am eternally grateful for her help and friendship over the years.

When I completed graduate school, I worked at several social service agencies in Newark and Jersey City. The last job I held prior to retirement was as a professor at Essex County College in the Human and Social Services Program. I also provided student advisement, coordinated field placements, and mentored students majoring in social work. Teaching students gave me the opportunity to leverage my earlier life experiences of being on welfare and living in housing projects to better educate students who had no prior experience with social services, as well as to better empathize with and relate to those students who came from similar backgrounds and experiences as my own. I encouraged my students not to settle for less and to continue their education by obtaining their BSW and MSW degrees after completion of their junior college degree. Throughout this time, while I acted as a mentor towards students, I was also being mentored by my supervisor, Professor Mamie Bridgeforth, Chairperson of the Division of Social Sciences who aided me in obtaining both a promotion and tenure while teaching in the department. Professor Bridgeforth is, of course, a social worker.

Now, it is my turn to give back. In my work, I strive to guide disadvantaged and struggling young women who want to rise above their circumstances and improve their standard of living. I am committed to doing so through the application of social work concepts and ethical principles that enhance the overall well-being of individuals and their families.

In my retirement from teaching, I continue to serve as the President of Women Talking to Women II, Inc. (WTW), an organization I started more than 25 years ago. At WTW, we realize the importance of mentoring and we are in the process of launching a new mentoring program for women. WTW’s mission is to educate, encourage and empower women to improve their lives and overcome obstacles. Our target populations are women from underserved communities, minority women, single mothers, teenagers, women experiencing homelessness, students, domestic violence survivors, shelter residents, and other women receiving services from social service entities. In addition, we are partnering with other organizations that will provide referrals and resources to our mentees.

Making a positive impact in the lives of the vulnerable, oppressed, and neglected women is my life’s mission. I want to help women who are seeking a better life for themselves and their families to change and take control of the narrative of their lives. As an impressionable teen, I was blessed with a village that guided me down the right paths in life. Now, I want to share with others what has been passed down to me. I challenge social workers to integrate mentoring in their practices with individuals, groups, and communities. Ultimately, through these means, the innate worth and dignity of our clients will shine through.

About the Author:

Arzelia Dixon Said, MSW, LSW, ACSW is the President of Women Talking to Women, II, Inc. She is a retired Assistant Professor from Essex County College, where she served as Co-Director of the Human and Social Services Program in the Division of Social Sciences. Women Talking to Women conducts workshops and conferences at social service agencies, colleges, schools, churches, and other community organizations to help educate and empower women. For additional information, email dixonsaid@yahoo.com.

As social workers, it’s important that we understand how to help clients who are transgender (trans), gender non-conforming (GNC), or non-binary (ENBY). (Trans will be used as an umbrella term for these identities). When we think of these identities, we mainly think about change. Most of these changes fall under the category of “transitions.” While some of us have trans people as clients, it is also important to recognize that trans folks are also our friends, coworkers, family members, and everyday people we interact with. One of the easiest ways to help trans people during transitional periods, is to understand the three main types of transitions: social, medical, and legal.

Social transitions are often the first step in the transition process. Some factors involved in a social transition could be changing hair and wardrobe, using a preferred name, and changing pronouns. While most people think of haircuts as a regular part of upkeep in appearance, for transitioning individuals it can be life changing. Cutting hair or growing it out can help a person express themselves. Wardrobe changes also help with this process. Feeling comfortable in clothing can help someone express how they like to appear. Some trans people will choose a new name when they transition. This is often referred to as a person's “preferred

Working with Transgender Clients: What is Transitioning and What Does it Mean?

By Leah Rousso, MSW

name,” while their given name is referred to as a “dead name.” It is important that people make a conscious effort to use a person's preferred name and correct themselves if they were to accidentally “dead name” someone. While using the correct name is important, it is equally as important to use a person's correct pronouns. It should also be noted that asking a person what pronouns they use is not rude. Corrections should be made if misgendering occurs.

While it is not a requirement for trans people to go through a medical transition, it is often a step that people take in their transitioning journey. Some things that could be part of a person's medical transition are puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or various surgeries. Puberty blockers are for young people before they naturally begin puberty; they delay the natural onset of puberty. The puberty blockers do have to be stopped at some point to allow the natural course of puberty to happen. The effects are also reversible. Hormone therapy will happen for those after the onset of puberty. These hormones physically change the body so that a person can feel more comfortable in their own body. While these do change the body physically, the effects can be reversed with the stopping of hormones.

Surgery is also an option for those who are going through a medical transition. For those assigned female at birth, chest masculinization or “top surgery” can be performed. This involves a flattening of the chest area. For those assigned male at birth, facial feminization is an option for them. This could involve two different things: cracking and resetting of the jaw to create less of a square jawline, and / or shaving down the Adam’s apple. Genital surgery or “bottom surgery” is also an available option. This involves replacing the genitalia with the preferred genitals.

Legal transitions usually go through two main routes. The first is a legal name change. A legal name change uses the person's preferred name and makes it their legal name. This means a change in the birth certificate and all legal documents. The other legal transition would be a legal sex change. Legal sex can be changed to “M” for those who identify as male, “F” for those who identify as female, and “X” for those who do not identify as either male or female. This would also involve changing the birth certificate and other legal documents. While it is important to recognize a person’s legal sex, some medical settings might ask for a “sex assigned at birth” because that will affect the medical care provided in certain settings.

It is also important to recognize that not all people's transitions look the same. Some people will never go through medical or legal transitions or will pick and choose things they want to do. Some main takeaways are that we do not shame anyone for how or if they choose to go through the transition process. Basic respect goes a long way.

Understanding the three main types of transitions can help point those we are helping in the right direction. The transition process can be extremely hard for those going through it. Being able to aid someone in this process can be lifesaving.

About the Author:

Leah Rousso, MSW (she/her) recently graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in December 2022 with her MSW and certificate in Social Advocacy and Justice. She currently works as the Continuing Education Associate at NASW-NJ.

In December 2017, the national office of NASW contacted local Chapters in search of qualified members to volunteer to serve on a Task Force to revise the document, Clinical Social Workers in Private Practice: A Reference Guide . At the time, I was the Chair of the NASW-NJ Ethics Committee, had created and presented several ethics and private practice-related continuing education programs for NASW-NJ, and had participated in many Chaptersponsored, private practice support, collaborative, and advocacy endeavors. Because of this experience, Chapter leadership suggested I apply to serve on the Task Force. I immediately submitted my resume and to my surprise, on February 28, 2018, I received notification that I was chosen to serve on this illustrious Task Force.

Several months after receiving my appointment letter, the Task Force met for a planning meeting during which the participants became acquainted and we discussed the overall mission of the Task Force and logistics of the work. The following month, we reviewed the existing document and brainstormed material to add to the revised document, volunteered to amend/create various topics, and revamped the definition of private practice—all in just two hours; it was a resounding success! After that first meeting, I think we all knew we had a lot of work to do, but we had no idea that it would take 3 years of monthly