To You…We Throw the Torch
by Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD
When I reflect on the theme of NASW’s Social Work Month, “Social Work: Generations Strong,” I think about my mentors, particularly the two field instructors for my MSW field experiences at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work in 1986-1988. My first field instructor, Patti Juliana, supervised me at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Division of Substance Abuse in Bronx, NY. We served clients with opiate addictions, offering methadone maintenance, addictions counseling, vocational counseling, advocacy, and psychoeducation around HIV/AIDS issues. My second field instructor, Dr. Martha Bragin, supervised me at the Children’s Aid Society PINS Mediation and Diversion Project in Brooklyn. We provided parent-youth mediation and planned short-term treatment to families diverted from family court due to status offenses related to truancy, acting out behaviors, violence, substance abuse, and family distress. When I look back on my 34 years in social work, I still vividly remember the extraordinary education and support that I received from Patti and Martha. They provided the key foundations for my professional development.
When I began work at Einstein, I had no prior experience in addictions work. I had also recently arrived in New York, fresh from Canada, born in a small prairie town, and possessing more good intentions than actual social work knowledge and skills. Patti, true to the social work value of “respect,” met me where I was and did not judge me or question whether I was ready to work in this field. Patti allowed me to see clients right from the start of my placement. She showed faith in my abilities, while also providing me with sufficient guidance and support. Patti offered clear guidance about how to approach each interview. I spent hours writing process recordings, reflecting on my use of skills, theory, and self. Patti helped me identify what I was doing well, as well as where I needed to take corrective action. I remember one occasion when I missed a child protection issue. Patti helped me appreciate the depth of the concern. She patiently and skillfully coached me through the process of reporting the client to protective services, while still maintaining a trusting work relationship with the client. Throughout the placement, I felt that I could trust Patti. She was always there to help me help my clients—and to help me grow as a beginning social worker.
Martha taught me not only through supervision, but through observation and co-counseling. I marveled at how she connected with clients from diverse cultures, tuning in, building rapport, and accurately assessing the family’s motivations and concerns. Martha helped me understand how social workers could help individuals and families from a micro perspective, while also assessing and responding to macro concerns, such as poverty, discrimination, and social justice. I particularly remember how she coached me through a crisis intervention phone call with a client who was threatening suicide. Martha helped me understand how to draw from a range of theoretical perspectives, including family systems, psychodynamic theory, and developmental theories. Martha taught me about the importance of interprofessional collaboration and managing conflict within the organizational context. Martha challenged me to explore my own thoughts, feelings, and biases. Supervision was often challenging, but very supportive and purposeful.
The title of this article comes from the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” by John McRae, a tribute to World War I soldiers passing the torch to the next generation of soldiers. As social workers, we value the process of supervision throughout our careers. We owe our supervisors and mentors a debt of gratitude for the time, passion, skill, vision, and wisdom that they pass along to the next generation of social workers. Thank you, dear Patti and Martha, and also, to all the other wonderful social work mentors.
Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD, is Professor of Social Work at Florida Atlantic University. His book authorships include Social Work Values and Ethics (Oxford University Press), Conflict Resolution for the Helping Professions (Oxford University Press), and Clinicians in Court (Guilford Press). He writes the “Ethics Alive” column for The New Social Worker.