Submitted by Tracy Wharton, co-chair Last updated by Tracy on 2/29/2012 4:24:40 PM
Welcome to website for the Social Work Topical Interest Group of the American Evaluation Association.
Notices:
- We are now accepting nominations for TIG Co-chair, to replace Dr Wharton at the end of 2012, and nominations for Program Co-chair, to replace Karen Anderson at the end of 2012. Please send your nominations to trcharisse@gmail.com. You may self-nominate or nominate others.
*Take a minute to brag about yourself and colleagues!
We have over 285 members in this TIG, and we know you don't like to brag, but please send us info about your publications, presentations, awards and honors, or great stories that you'd like to share! Send these to Tracy Wharton at trcharisse@gmail.com, and we'll get them posted.
Dear Social Work TIG Members,
As the NASW says: “Social workers touch lives.” According to the Census Bureau and US Postal Service researchers, there are between 600,000 and 800,000 social workers in practice across our nation. It is very likely that every American will be touched by our work somehow during the course of their lives, whether it’s at a hospital discharge, through school guidance, involvement with our protection or advocacy duties, or through our research and teaching. We are a broad profession with a common set of ethics and values, grounded in empowerment and social justice for marginalized populations.
Ours is an applied profession, and our evaluations, though they run the gamut of topics, are imbued with our values, as Social Workers and as Evaluators. How do we decide whose interests are the most important in our evaluations? What responsibilities do we have to give voice to underrepresented populations, and to those who cannot speak for themselves? What is our responsibility to evaluate our programs for efficacy, effectiveness, and equity? Who decides which stakeholders’ contributions are valued?
Let’s take an opportunity to share with our colleagues that this is an area where Social Work is not only knowledgeable, but deeply relevant, and that our profession represents a cornerstone in the upholding of our societal values and responsibilities to our citizens.
I wish you all a bountiful year, filled with opportunity, and I look forward to seeing you all at the Annual Conference in October, in Minneapolis!
Tracy Wharton, PhD, LGSW
Co-chair, Social Work TIG
trcharisse@gmail.com