Porter Raymond Lee: (December 21, 1879 — March 8, 1939) Social Worker, Educator and Author Introduction: Porter Lee is most remembered for his contributions to the advancement of social work education and in particular development of the casework method. He worked in Charity Organization Societies in Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia, PA before beginning his…
Continue Reading »Assuming, then, that field work of this sort is an essential part of the social worker’s training, numerous questions of organization arise that present many difficulties, not only to the schools, but to our long-suffering friends, the representatives of the social agencies of our respective communities. How much of the student’s time is to be given to field work, and how can the practical problem of the distribution of the student’s time be arranged? To what agencies shall the time of students in training be entrusted. and how shall their work be supervised? How much time is to be given to any one agency? And what is the relation of field work to classroom work, lectures and conferences?
Continue Reading »In a 1915 presentation, Porter Lee said: Whichever of these conceptions (of social work) command the greatest measure of support from those who call themselves social workers, the proponents of all of them agree in speaking of social work as a profession. If it is or is to be a profession, has it definite characteristics which will admit all those who claim the name, or which will automatically exclude some? The announcements of this conference describe this as the greatest gathering of social workers on the continent. Our membership includes public relief officials, institution officers, play leaders, parish workers, charity organization secretaries, probation officers, placing out agents, nurses, settlement workers, medical social service workers, prison heads, friendly visitors, truant officers, matrons, teachers of special groups, members of boards of directors, tenement inspectors, public welfare directors, social investigators, executives of agencies for social legislation, industrial betterment leaders, those who work with immigrants, factory inspectors and-to avoid omitting any-many others. Is the tie which gives coherence to this group a professional one?
Continue Reading »Early in his presentation, Abraham Flexner said: “…However, I have not been asked to decide whether social work is a full-time or a part-time occupation, whether, in a word, it is a professional or an amateur occupation. I assume that every difficult occupation requires the entire time of those who take it seriously, though of course work can also be found for volunteers with something less than all their time or strength to offer. The question put to me is a more technical one. The term profession, strictly used, as opposed to business or handicraft, is a title of peculiar distinction, coveted by many activities. Thus far it has been pretty indiscriminately used. Almost any occupation not obviously a business is apt to classify itself as a profession. Doctors, lawyers, preachers, musicians, engineers, journalists, trained nurses, trapeze and dancing masters, equestrians, and chiropodists-all speak of their profession.
Continue Reading »Report given at the Seventh Annual Conference of Charities and Corrections, 1880. Read By Henry W. Lord, Chairman of The Committee. “Not the slightest idea of organized reformatory measures as connected with prisoners, ever entered into the hearts of men until almost within the memory of persons now living; and the first thought of systematized prison labor as an element of discipline was an American idea, reduced to practice in the early part of the present century.”
Continue Reading »Posters like these were designed to bring information about the new Social Security Act of 1935 to the American public.
Continue Reading »The federal and state governments now provide cash assistance to needy adults who are aged, blind, or disabled through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. A person who is 65 years of age or older, legally blind, or permanently or totally disabled, and who meets prescribed income and resource requirements, can receive a basic federal cash grant of up to $264.70 per month. In FY 1981, some four million persons received SSI payments, amounting to $8.3 billion in state and federal funds. The states’ share, composed of mandatory and optional supplements, was approximately 22 percent, or $1.8 billion.
Continue Reading »Monsignor William Joseph Kerby (1870-1936): Writer, Sociologist, Catholic Social Work Organizer By: Michael Barga Introduction: Monsignor William J. Kerby helped galvanize Catholic social workers in the creation of a number of organizations, most notably the National Catholic Conference of Charities in 1910. He was a prolific writer and editor and spent most of his life…
Continue Reading »Clarke A. Chambers (1921 – 2015) — Researcher, Professor of History and Founder of the Social Welfare History Archives at the University of Minnesota Introduction: Clarke Chambers has been recognized for his excellence in teaching, research and writing, and service to the University of Minnesota. However, his most lasting contribution will be his long…
Continue Reading »The Jewish Social Service Agency of Metropolitan Washington has its origins in two different agencies. The United Hebrew Charities was incorporated in 1893 “…to assist in relief of needy Hebrews” in Northwest Washington; the Hebrew Relief Society of the District of Columbia was organized to “…provide relief for needy Orthodox Hebrews” in Southeast Washington. The two agencies merged and incorporated in 1921 as the United Hebrew Relief Society of D.C.
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