Social Work Conference Summary International Conference on Children and Youth June 24-25

Pathways to Social Impact: A Funders Perspective Jon Matsuoka Process and strategies aimed at achieving significant and sustained impact in perennial societal problems. Considers multiple social work elements in an operational model to achieve real change. Seeks to challenge status quo, efficacy and intent, stimulate social movement and energy, generate social capital to position and leverage influence and resources. Consuela provides grant opportunities to programs that have a similar mandate to them. The work in three tears- 1) Treatment shelters for homeless youth, 2) Prevention Advocacy, media and 3) Social Policy Consuela urges agencies to take risks and invest in ideas. There are many areas that tie in to social impact. These are: Multi sector partners, coordinating social development efforts, pooling assets, leveraging funds and partners, filling gaps, and creating continuity across the life cycle Investing in life skills- social innovation & interactive social research as a development process is vital. Program model Good program idea Execution/implementation Evaluation Program refinement/ Development Replication/ scaling up Culturally appropriate evaluations must include: location, power, voice, relationship, time, returns, plasticity, reflexivity, history, location Qualities of a non-profit leader: Social workers/ media savvy, Entrepreneurial, Coalition builders/ networkers, data oriented, servant leadership style, visionary/ risk taker The importance of being a Trauma Informed organization Raksmey Sanh In 2011 Hagar became aware that staff lacked clear understanding about the prevalence and serious impact of trauma on the lives of the individuals with whom we work. They began researching the importance of training all staff in Trauma Informed Care. They have now developed a curriculum for a four day workshop to train all staff in the topics of serious impact of trauma on attachment, brain development and on every area of an individuals life. Hagar worked with victims and in 2011 set up a manual program of trauma informed care.

Trauma informed care: acknowledges that all clients receiving services have experienced trauma. Trauma is an incident that creates fear that inhibits ability to cope. Policies in an agency must acknowledge this. Staff must integrate understanding of trauma throughout their care Review of policies and procedures to prevent retraumaziation Involve clients in the decision making process Place priority on clients safety, choice and control Recognize the high prevalence of trauma Assess for trauma history & symptoms Train staff and volunteers Behaviours tell a story (self-injury, aggression, incontinence) Encourage client participation and choice Core values of a trauma informed agency are safety, choice, trust, collaboration and empowerment It takes a village to raise a child This agency has a four day workshop that is compulsory for all staff. It addresses intergenerational trauma. The next speaker spoke about schools of social work in the ASIA pacific region- their prevalence, statistics regarding how many students, teachers, subjects, specializations etc. I will not summarize it here because I dont think it is applicable to SSF Indonesia and attitudes towards rape victims -Binahayati Rusyidi Study was completed to investigate the impacts of socio-demographic and socio-cultural factors on the Indonesian social work undergraduate students attributes toward rape victims. Many people believe in the Rape Myth which is that women bring these circumstances upon themselves or deserve it. In her study she asked students from the social work school in Indonesia their perceptions on rape. 25% agreed that it would do some women good to be raped and that she deserved it 67-87% believes that rape happens because of a womens outfit and behaviour These were directly related to gender, religion, and perceptions on gender equality. Findings suggest an importance of developing a curriculum to improve students attitudes in particular male students attitudes, enhancing egalitarian gender roles and encouraging critical examination of cultural norms about rape.

Decolonizing Social Work- Myron B Thompson School of Social Work . In 2005 this school set itself on a path to indigenization, which speaks to commitment to enhancing social justice, equity and wellbeing for all under-represented, under-served and marginalized people in Hawaii and throughout Asia and the Pacific. Indigenization or Decolonization: defining an identity and mission relative to the community to which the academy is accountable. Accreditation is difficult in the decolonization process. Social work has been western brainwashed The journal of indigenous social development discusses the decolonization process. How do we decolonize ourselves? The process involves reframing the way things are done. Instead of saying I am here to empower which is oppressive, rethink re-empowerment, connecting people with their resources? It must acknowledge a need to critique dominant western approaches to social work, and invoke indigenous approaches that affirm traditional knowledge of western social frameworks through deconstruction and reconstruction. Thought leaders are accountable to those we service and resist being trapped by convention or constrains of an ideology. *How will social work education be assessed in light of mainstream professional social work standards nationally and internationally Participation of Buddhism in Social Welfare in Rural Areas of Viet Nam- Bui Thi Thanh Tuyen Focus on exploring the relationship of Buddhism and social welfare in the rural areas of Vietnam. With the long history attached to the rural areas and farmers, the spirit of national security and supporting the poor, Buddhism in Vietnams has supplemented the roles of the state and civil organizations with significant contributions to the social welfare in rural areas. Policy must balance = economic growth, social welfare, environment protection, cultural preservation Rural growth without proper planning equals an increase in poverty and the wealth gap. In order to solve social programs practice must strengthen social welfare government to social organizations (Buddhism) The spirit of Buddhism Doing well for one person is better than building 9 great temples Using spiritual therapies = worship, prayer, faith. The Pagoda is spiritual but also a place to connect. Social work can connect to Buddhism in the following ways 1) Capacity: Building homes/ roads, scholarships, materials 2) Social sponsors: care for orphans, elderly, disabled 3) Social services: Sponsoring, medicine

Limitations: unprofessional lack of skills, not sustainable, unmet needs Recommendations: training monks and nuns and volunteers, focusing on developing professional model to encourage stability and sustainability, engage in more community development projects, do evaluation

Illicit Inter-country Adoption Practices: Sale of Children or Trafficking in Persons- Jini L. Roby The Conflation of various illicit inter-country adoption activities under the umbrella of child trafficking has caused confusion and misdirected advocacy. This presentation analyses the cacophony of conceptualizations of illicit adoption practices and suggests a rubric for uniform labelling of common adoption-related offences. This topic addressed the UN definition of human trafficking and discussed the differences in theories regarding whether orphanages taking children from poor families, and selling those to unknowing families in North America is trafficking or the sale of child. This discussion is relevant because it changes how the people involved are treated afterwards. The spectrum is as follows 1. Exploitation must occur at the end for it to b trafficking... so the child must be forced to do something for money by the parents for it to be trafficking 2. If anyone gained money at any time in the process then it is trafficking 3. If a child would have not otherwise been put in the system or put up for adoption (the family was tricked or bribed) then it is trafficking 4. If anything goes wrong in the process or if there is any fraud, then it is trafficking 5. If the child has no voice, if they lost any part of their culture, if they are forced to love the family they are bought by then it is trafficking Demand Access Obtain Negotiation Finalize