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ENGAGE: COVID-19 Response Virtual Discussion

April 9, 2020 Weekly Meeting

ENGAGE: SSW

Office of Field Education

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Agenda

Why are we having this conversation?
Why should we care about this?
What are you doing & what do you need? Student poll and discussion
Community engagement strategies
Charles E. Williams Historic King Solomon Baptist Church
Volunteer opportunities through ENGAGE: SSW
Field office rules and requirements
Dominique Crump on Self-care and mediating anxiety
What happens next?

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Why are we

having this conversation?

TRINA
Students, staff /faculty are already engaged and want help
Student field hour needs - IF YOU DONT HAVE ENOUGH FIELD HOURS AND ARE STRUGGLING.
This is not an invitation to leave your field site. You need permission from your field instructor
Communities have contacted us
Silos need to be broken down and coordination and communication needs to happen
This is the nature of our profession
You can share work you are doing each week with others and gain tools and resources
This is a teachable moment
Please note that sharing these volunteer opportunities does not imply School of Social Work's endorsement of the opportunity described. These opportunities are shared because they may be of interest to the SSW community and should not be taken as indicating an expectation that students volunteer or provide assistance in these areas.

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Why should we do anything?

Because it's our professional and ethical obligations

CODE OF ETHICS

Value: Service

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What are YOU doing?

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Give us some more information about you

Student Poll

Are you currently volunteering/do you plan do so in the near future?
What is your primary reason for volunteering?
Do you speak any other languages, and would you be willing to assist with translating services?
What skills/strategies would you like more information on?

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Let’s discuss

What have you been doing?

What is working well?

What do you need more information about?

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Community Engagement Strategies

In times of crisis, it is even more important to approach communities from a place of strength..

Motivational Interviewing
Strength-based organizing
Identifying assets

Social workers have long known that systems of inequity and power disenfranchise people. This is a moment where we can help others realize our shared humanity and duty to help one another for our mutual benefit
Helping communities shift from a place of panic to a place of empowerment
Using strength and asset based organizing models even more important during times of crisis
Even more important to approach communities from a place of strenghs and assets, rather than deficiencies, in times of crisis,
Similar to interpersonal practice modalities like CBT, DBT, used with individuals - similarly can be done with groups and communities - helping them to combat distortions that they can’t get through this, remind them what they have overcome, help them inventory their assets, remind them of their resources, and reality that 80% of cases are mild, etc.
Not their to tell them what to do - empower them
Respect that communities often know their problems - and know the solutions to their problems - better than anyone else - your job is to empower them
Start local and start at your field placement/networks you are already a part of

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NAN - MI COVID-19

Wellness Operation

@ Historic King Solomon Baptist Church

Presented by:

Charles E. Williams II

Joint Doctoral Student Social Work and Sociology

Senior Pastor, Historic King Solomon Church

Chair, National Action Network Michigan

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What are we doing?

We have a publicized help line number - 313-288-8433

We are delivering care packages (filled with groceries and supplies)

We are picking up medications from local pharmacies and dropping them

We are doing Mental Health Wellness checks

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What do we need?

Volunteers

Volunteer Coordinator - respond, onboard, and plug-in additional volunteers as they continue to come.

(in-home) Mapping Coordinator - Map and Plot addresses and care package delivery to neighborhoods for drivers via zip code

Care Package Runner - delivering care packages

Food handler & Packaging - Packaging and sanitizing care packages

(in-home) Voicemail Returner - We have been receiving many calls and many of the calls are sent to voicemail we need someone to return those calls and ascertain the need.

(in-home) Wellness caller - The impact of COVID-19 has left many struggling with mental health challenges as we all are. So it is important to check in on our database and make referrals to licensed counseling agencies that may be able to give tele-help.

Pharmacy runner - some individuals have called and asked for pharmacy pick - up

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HOW TO VOLUNTEER?

GO TO: http://www.kingsolomonchurch.org/covid19

We will follow up with a virtual orientation

Special Thanks to:

Professor Mary Eldridge

Dr. Trina Shanks

Assistant Dean Dan Fischer

Kayla Kennard

Chanel Taylor

Sonia Harb

ENGAGE Staff

GO BLUE!!

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ENGAGE Volunteer Opportunities

ENGAGE Covid 19 Volunteer opportunities list of organization and non-organization based volunteer opportunities in Detroit and Washtenaw
Updated weekly
Contact the organizations directly if you’re interested in the volunteer opportunity
Fill out this form for all hours you complete - this is just so we know what is going on

Please note that sharing these volunteer opportunities does not imply School of Social Work's endorsement of the opportunity described. These opportunities are shared because they may be of interest to the SSW community and should not be taken as indicating an expectation that students volunteer or provide assistance in these areas.

AYESHA

Ongoing list, updated weekly. Link provided in slide. Will also be housed on the SSW website.
Some of the organizations interested in getting students include Street Democracy, APIAVote-MI, Detroit Disability Power, Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley, among others.
Activities range from grant writing, to voter and census outreach, to contacting the elderly in local Ypsilanti neighborhoods to find out if their safe or need anything.
If you do any of the volunteer opportunities listed in the guide, for ENGAGE’s recording purposes, please fill-out this form (link in slide) of how many hours you did and where. This form will also be housed on the SSW website.
These are short term volunteer opportunities, contact the individuals listed in the guide directly.
Please note that your safety is of utmost importance. Most of these opportunities are virtual, but some are in person.
By sharing these opportunities, the School of Social Work is not endorsing the opportunities described. These opportunities are shared because they may be of interest to the SSW community and should not be taken as indicating an expectation that students volunteer or provide assistance in these areas.
Feel free to share volunteering opportunities with us that you know of by emailing
Use your best judgement
If you want field credit for your work, talk to your field faculty instructor. This, along with safety issues, will be discussed more next by Dan Fischer from the field office

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Field Sites & Potential Field Credit

Consider health and safety
Clear boundaries between field activities and volunteer activities
Start with your field agency
If you want outside volunteer activities to count for field hours, talk to your field instructor and your UMSSW field faculty

In order to count these additional on-site activities as field hours, you and the site will be required to sign off on a liability form. Ask your UMSSW field faculty for more details.

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Self care IS social justice

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Self Care and Managing Fear and Uncertainty

Mindfulness Explanation & Activity

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Self Care and Managing Fear and Uncertainty

Helpful Resources

Box Breathing

Afterward: I am safe. I am grounded. I am in control of my thoughts and actions.

DBT PLEASE Skill for emotional regulation in times of stress
Guided Meditation to Release Worry During Sleep

Next Week: Resilience research

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When will this be done again?

This will happen every Thursday at 12 pm
The School will send out an RSVP link
Webinars will be recorded
Go to the School of Social Work website for the resources from this webinar, like the hour log form if you volunteer, list of opportunities, and slides from the webinar
Contact sswcommunityengagement@umich.edu if you want us to add any opportunities to our list
Contact sites directly if you're interested in volunteering
Work with your field instructor and UMSSW field faculty for field credit
ENGAGE Resource guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BMTQZDzITgnrLgUER_dvW7CfV9py7Atnw6OlOlob4FE/edit