Organizational Analysis in the Human Services: An Interview with Commissioner Bill Waldman

by Brad Forenza, MSW, PhD

(Editor's Note: I am pleased to introduce the first installment in our new column, A Bird's Eye View: Exploring Macro Trends, which incorporates Dr. Brad's Super Awesome Social Poli-Cast. Welcome Dr. Brad Forenza!)

Bill Waldman

Commissioner Bill Waldman

     Greetings, and welcome to this monthly column, dedicated to linking social welfare policy and practice. Most, if not all, columns will be accompanied by a podcast episode, created specifically for social work students and The New Social Worker audience.

     In this inaugural episode, I am privileged to interview Bill Waldman, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services. Commissioner Waldman, a trained social worker, is a bit of a New Jersey institution. He rose from the ranks of front-line “caseworker” to become a cabinet-level member of three diverse gubernatorial administrations: Kean (a Republican), Florio (a Democrat), and Whitman (a Republican). That’s not an easy feat to make happen, or to sustain.

     In his role of Commissioner, Waldman oversaw services for people with disabilities, people suffering from mental illness and/or addiction, and families involved with the state’s child welfare system. He also oversaw contracting for service providers (nonprofit, for-profit, etc.) helping to treat some of New Jersey’s most vulnerable residents. To this end: As you listen,  and as the new academic year commences, and social work students find themselves exploring their myriad field placements for the first time, consider what the commissioner has to say about the implementation of programs and services through these various sectors. There might be more similarities and differences than one initially suspects.

     Happy listening!

Brad Forenza, MSW, PhD, is an associate professor at Montclair State University and a recognized scholar of social policy. His research foci pertain to youth development, primary prevention, and civic engagement. His academic career is accentuated by direct social work practice at youth and family development agencies, program evaluation for clients in the human services, and public policy analysis at the state and federal levels. He regularly publishes and presents his work in national and international forums. His original, public scholarship also extends to the organization of practice-oriented events and panels, the production of documentary film and a social welfare podcast, and the authorship of practitioner interviews and many policy speeches.