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In preparing for my interview on CSSW’s SOCIAL WORK LIVE show, I thought I’d go over the Code of Ethics to identify the passages relevant to advocacy, and specifically those relevant to talking to members of the media. I think it’s very clear that the Code of Ethics comes down on the side of transparency and accountability---that is, on the side of collaborating with journalists when we can ensure that our clients’ participation is voluntary and informed.

Peers are certified individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges who utilize that experience—in concert with additional training—to support others with similar issues. The peer workforce can often be found in clinical contexts working alongside nurses, psychiatrists, and social workers, but their role in psychiatric settings is being hotly contested.

Having them at the neighborhood level would allow the city’s most intractable local riddles to be solved by those on the ground.

1,400 words for Common Edge, March 2017.