The evening world., 1922-05-01

=
S.sa-2SS.SSs@rrS-.-. .SSs@rrS-.-. swollen jaw and
some learning, and because we have
confidence that these persons are ade-
quately trained. If it is true for these
professions, It is Just as true for social
work. 1t "pays" to have your COM
munity in good social, moral and phys
ical health, aside from any of the
tdealistic arguments for having it so.
"But how can community troubles
reach me or my family in our Sc
piuded homer" Mr.. Citizen asks. In
\ hundred ways.
Your child goes to school with others
where he can catch diseases or learn
things about life from the "poor
Smiths" that you would give worlds
to undo. Mr.. Smith went to the
State Hospital for the Tubercular yes
kerday where you are paying his bills
through taxes. The community prop
periy equipped could have saved his
health. Young "Jim Jones" is being
sent to the State Reform School to-
morrow where you pay more bills. A
mental test and proper handling could
have salvaged "Jim" two years ago.
Now it's probably too late and we will
be giving him a postgraduate course
at Sing Sing in another five years,
paying more taxes. A public play
ground and proper recreation would
have broken up the activities of the
youthful "Blue Devil Gang that got
your timekeeper's payroll last week.
Innumerable everyday examples there
are of why it "pays" to do preventive
work in your community instead of
paying dearly for the damage after it
In done.
\ More and more communities are
Drealizing this to-day and there are not
enough well trained social workers to
meet the demand.
Judgment, sympathy, vision and
initiative are some of the qualities the
social worker needs. These are the
spokes in his wheel of professional
progress, but without adequate train
ing as a hub to this wheel he will
never make the grade" Porter r.
Lee, Director of the New York School
Of Social Work, says philosophy,
knowledge and skill are the three es-
sential ingredients of this training.
Philosophy may be acquired by re-
Election, knowledge by study, and
slxill only by practice. The admission
TO this school, as to most other grad
nate schools of social work, calls for
a college degree or its equivalent. and
the student who has majored in the
social sciences in college Is preferred.
Courses are one or two years in length
at q nominal tuition.
why should you have training
Tackle some specific social problem
without II and then answer the ques-
Aion yourself. You are a green pro-
patton officer. The Judge turns over
d young culprit of twelve years &c
you for two months probation, with
Nour recommendation for the dispo-
sition of the case at the end OF that
time. You've got to find out why
young Billy Is a delinquent. 1t may
'be he Is a mental defective, or IL may
, be he Just has too much pep and no.
body knows how to release his ener-
Ries into the right channels.
Maybe he has had some life expert
ef,ces that have made him 'wise" anc
hard. or perchance his family mis-
treat him and will sooner or latel
make a criminal out of him. You are
asked to make a decision about tha
bow that will affect his whole life
YOU want to base your answer OF
Facts, not guesswork. Without train
xng and experience you can't do 1t.
The profession of social work can b.
Roughly divided among several fields
NThe FIRST is the one where the worke
lis dealing with individuals, or fam
lilies. one by one. Here you will f1n'
the visiting teacher, the medical socia
Eservice worker, the probation officer
Nkhe family social worker, and as man.
1as thirty four additional kinds.
Next comes the field that has to d.
with group work instead Of individual
This includes settlement work, clubs
community organization, Boy Scou
kWork, &C. Social research, a thir
kneld, IL also coming into its own. l
Nyou ask your Legislature to pass
NbIil. and you are wise, you will do thi
mot on the basis Of few sporadic In
,stances you might cite them, but o.
the more stable ground of havln
fBtudied the whole situation. In maxim
isuch social surveys the researc
Afworker is In his proper element.
Under the heading of social wor
also come institutional work. publ