MEMBER CONNECT

MEET THE NASW-NJ UNION UNIT! by Hannah Korn-Heilner, MSW

Beginning my term as the NASW-NJ Union Unit Leader during the middle of a global pandemic seemed daunting at first! I was nervous about hosting virtual meetings where I did not know the participants, and did not know who, if anyone, would attend!

One thing I underestimated was the power of relationships. Although many people are feeling Zoom-ed out after a year of pandemic, relationships are the foundation of our profession. I think many social workers have missed being able to connect with each other during the past year. One routine I’ve started is to begin our meetings with a round of introductions. At first it felt awkward! I was worried some people would not want to share or feel it was a waste of time. However, I have been surprised at how such a simple routine can build a feeling of community.

Even more so, I think the introductions help people feel heard and seen. We have had new students participate, recent graduates, retired social workers, and new members attending their first NASW meeting! Each person is warmly welcomed and we congratulate those with recent accomplishments! Being able to connect with so many new social workers has reenergized me in the midst of this pandemic and I hope it has done the same for our members.

Of course, introductions are just the beginning. I also needed to find topics and presenters who were engaging and offered new information for members. So, we sent out a survey in September to find out what topics our Unit members were interested in. One of the biggest responses we received was for more information about racism and social justice. While NASW-NJ has done an incredible job providing a slew of programming addressing racism in their Race, Responsibility, and Reconciliation series, I was excited to see that members still wanted to learn more.

I did some research on the Instagram accounts of Black Lives Matter groups in New Jersey. I learned they were doing really great work focused on mutual aid—a process where a community comes together to support one another. This approach seemed to align with social work values, and I thought it might be new information social workers would want to learn about. With some

brainstorming and a few emails, I was able to get in contact with a representative from the Black Lives Matter movement in New Jersey to do a presentation for our Unit.

The presentation was a huge hit! We had many members join our meeting who had never attended a Unit event before. Attendees learned about the work the Black Lives Matter movement is doing in New Jersey. The media usually reports on more public BLM events like protests, however BLM organizers in New Jersey are feeding the homeless with community fridges, planting community gardens, supporting hunger strikes at ICE detention centers, and hosting events to bring the community together. Attendees also learned about the history of mutual aid dating back to the Black Panther Party and how the movement had evolved into Black Lives Matter.

I was also excited to be able to use my platform as Unit Chair to share with members about the work I do! In April, for the Week of the Young Child, I presented about my own work at Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ). We are a nonprofit organization that advocates for better laws, policies, and programs for children and their families. I sit on our early childhood team, focused on issues affecting our youngest children in the state—babies! We focus on a number of issues from childcare to home visitation, and maternal health. I co-lead a workgroup focused on expanding mental health services for babies and their families in New Jersey. Many social workers do not know about infant mental health, so I was excited to share this work with our members!

Are you interested in sharing your work or skills with other social workers? I’m always looking for new presenters! Even if you have never presented before, this is a great platform to start practicing your skills! If you are interested in presenting, you can contact me at hrk29@scarletmail. rutgers.edu! I look forward to continuing to provide exciting programming for the Union Unit for the remainder of my term! See you at our next event!

Aboutthe Author:

Hannah Korn-Heilner, MSW is a macro social worker and passionate advocate. She works as the Policy and Outreach Associate for the nonprofit organization, Advocates for Children of New Jersey. She obtained her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Management and Policy from Rutgers University and previously worked in youth development in Paterson, NJ.