It is very easy for those of us who have any privilege to think that we can speak on an issue, but this is often where we misstep. The opportunity for people in positions of privilege to speak and write with words that contain microaggressions is frequent, especially if those of us who have privilege do not acknowledge that privilege. Acknowledging out own biases can be difficult, but doing so without a defensive response is one way to help in this moment.

Just as you would not ask extremely vulnerable patients such as those who are in extreme pain, those experiencing extreme existential suffering, or those who are vulnerable in other ways to participate in a research study, do not expect black, indigenous, and people of color to teach you about diversity, equity, and inclusion if you are a white person. As one person put it: “That is the oppressed teaching the oppressor." While there may be opportunities to learn in webinars and other formal settings, for white social workers, it’s important to remember that some of our friends and acquaintances may be emotionally exhausted right now, beyond what you are feeling, and you will need to respect that when reaching out to them.

During the last SWHPN Summit we had an open networking session where Karen made an excellent point about language and how she does not like to be put in a box. She didn’t suggest that anyone else follow her lead particularly, she just suggested that we all think critically about the language that we use for ourselves and for others. As we know in this field, language can be fraught. A “difficult family” can be code for many things, particularly when race or ethnicity are applied. When we’re talking about language such as "cultural competency", "white fragility", "anti-racist", it is important for us to explore what these terms mean to us, as well as to unpack what they may mean to others and to examine why we may want to use them, if at all. Before the last SWHPN Summit, a SWHPN member reached out to ask if “Cultural Competence” was the name we wanted to use for the Summit right now and my honest answer was, “I don’t know." Being open to discussion without defensiveness and without taking things personally but recognizing that there are deeply emotional issues around these issues is an important part of how we face up to making changes in our organization.

4: keep your ethics in check
I have seen several posts now on NASW discussion boards, Twitter, and various listservs where social workers have harkened back to our professional ethics and values. Recently, social workers Lauren Schmidt, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C, Daphne Lindsey, LICSW, Elizabeth Julian, LICSW from Seattle Children's reached out to express their disappointment that SWHPN had not posted any resources exploring the intersection of racial inequity and COVID-19. This was after their colleague Arika Patneaude, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C, EMMHS had reached out to express a similar disappointment a few weeks back. All of this is to say that we should be doing better, and they are right: this is in our bones as social workers. Here are just two of our core values that we should be turning to right now (and really, always) as we engage in conversations about inequities across all intersections:

• Value: Social Justice
• Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.
• Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers' social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. 

• Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person
• Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.
• Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008).

SWHPN is ethically obligated to educate about social justice and to speak on the dignity and worth of each and every one of our members, as well as each and every one of the patients and families that we serve, as well as those who we do not yet serve but who are eligible for our service. In truth, we recognize the dignity and worth of all persons, and we would like to work together with our members to highlight the work we are doing to improve our work in showing that we do care about these ethics, as well as in highlighting the incredible resources that are out in the world.

Here are a few recent resources we're drawing some learning from; we know there are many more and hope you'll submit those here.

• Code Switch: Why Now White People: in this episode, hosts Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji discuss theories for why the country, and specifically white people, appear to have responded to George Floyd’s killing when so many others have gone unanswered.

• Income emerges as major indicator of coronavirus infection, along with race: this Washington Post article describes who is getting sick in the pandemic. This won't be surprising information to medical social workers, as poverty is a social determinant of health and a lever of power, but it will be important to note, especially for our patients who live in places of intersectionality.

•  COVID-19 Guidance for Higher Risk Populations

• National Association of Social Workers's Code of Ethics (2008)

• Suggested by social workers Lauren Schmidt, MSW, LICSW, APHSW-C, Daphne Lindsey, LICSW, and Elizabeth Julian, LICSW at Seattle Children's:
• COVID-19 Health Equity Resources from the University of Vermont
• The American Public Health Association's COVID-19 Health Equity Resource Page

To our members, we ask that you make a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion both with your colleagues and with your patients. If you’re white, commit to listening to colleagues and patients who are hurting. Tell us when we make a misstep (and when it doesn’t take too much energy). This is going to be a difficult period of change and I can’t promise we will be perfect; but I can promise we will try as hard as we can, and that we will try to apply the above principles.

Allie Shukraft, MSW, MAT, APHSW-C | SWHPN Board Chair