On being White & doing anti-racist child welfare practice
[This is the text of a speech I gave to the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families this morning] I’m so pleased to be with you all today – it’s always good to… Continue reading
Category Archive: Child Welfare
Disparities in service referrals for psychosocial needs by U.S. child protection caseworkers in practice with parents with intellectual disabilities
That parents with intellectual disabilities are noted to have risk factors for child protection involvement as well as disproportionate rates of involvement in that system is well documented. Whether this is truly warranted is… Continue reading
Why social workers shouldn’t be “servicing” clients
Debates about how to refer to the people social workers support through the provision of care and service referrals ebbs and flows. We have moved on from the medicalized “patient” to the more… Continue reading
Sharing reflections on U.S. and Russian child welfare and disability services with my graduate students
Recently, I have been wrapping up my Social Expertise Exchange grant from the Eurasia Foundation. This grant allowed me to engage in an exchange with a Russian colleague who was also interested in youth… Continue reading
Supporting people with disabilities in the U.S. and the Russian Federation: A roundtable from the Eurasia Foundation
We’ve all heard the phrase “great minds think alike,” but this morning’s disability initiatives roundtable sponsored by the Eurasia Foundation’s U.S.-Russia Social Expertise Exchange really blew my mind. I was honored to participate… Continue reading
Bringing Vygotsky’s theories to life: A visit to the Center for Curative Pedagogics (центр гечебной педагогики)
The spirit of Lev Vygotsky’s theory about cultural-historical psychology lives on in a vibrant community center for youth with a range of disabilities in Moscow, Russia. I had the honor of visiting… Continue reading
On mentoring students with disabilities: A consultation with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Moscow (Старшие Братья Старшие Сестры России)
Nastavniki, otherwise known as Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Moscow, is an organization specializing in mentoring young people in the child welfare system – including young people with disabilities. As I understand it,… Continue reading
Переосмысливая отношение к людям с ограниченными возможностями: для программ наставничества и социальных проектов (Reframing disability: A training for social workers and mentors)
In this training, presented in Russian (transcript below), I argue that people with disabilities need to be seen in a different light – a more empowering light. In both the United States and… Continue reading
A family village centered around children with disabilities
My Russian child welfare colleagues are experimenting with a number of different models designed to support children with disabilities in stable family placements. Today, I visited one of these experimental models, a family… Continue reading
Universal design in action: A school for students with disabilities
The concept of universal design is based on the idea that the production of buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to all – regardless of disability – is a best practice.… Continue reading
Reframing disability: A visit to Downside Up in Moscow, Russia
While Russia may face a stereotype that people with disabilities are stigmatized, this does not mean that there is a dearth of social change agents actively working to re-frame the status of this population… Continue reading
An easy bridge to build for supporting children with disabilities in Russia and the United States
As I arrived in Moscow for the first time in 33 years, I wondered what kind of bridge I might need to build between me and my new colleagues. We were all interested… Continue reading
Grant received to study youth with disabilities in U.S., Russian Federation child welfare system
Social Support of Citizens:Youth with Disabilities in the Child Welfare System in the United States and the Russian Federation Dr. Elspeth Slayter was awarded a grant from the Eurasia Foundation to consult with… Continue reading
My response to the National Council on Disability’s (wonderful) new report on parents with disabilities
Earlier this morning, the National Council on Disability (NCD) co-sponsored a congressional briefing on ensuring the rights of parents with disabilities. Co-sponsors included the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers and the… Continue reading
On transitional-aged youth: Of brain science and juvenile justice
This is the second post in a series exploring the social policy and human services needs of transitional-aged youth. You can see the other two posts in this series by clicking here. As… Continue reading
Qualitative research on child protection practice and child sexual exploitation
Over the past year, three graduate students from my applied research course (Ellen Calhoun, Melissa Geoffroy and Dominique Gutierrez) designed a qualitative research project to learn more about the experiences of child protection workers engaged… Continue reading