Russ Anthony 411 Promo

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Russ Anthony

My latest video is Russ Anthony 411 Promo. This short (59 seconds) video illustrates some the components of social work technology that make make this so rewarding for me. I have put together a few clips to highlight how social work technology can aid social workers in helping people and making social service agencies stronger. It was also a lot of fun to put together. Perhaps it will also inspire someone to increase their use of technology toward helping others. Feel free to leave a comment and or a suggestion. As always, thank you for visiting RussAnthony411.org!

Jobs Not Cuts Rally – Nashville, TN

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Russ Anthony

Anthony-Denmark Communications uses social work technology to help people in various ways. Producing videos of social events allows others to benefit from viewing activities without being at the location. The latest Russ Anthony 411 release is “Jobs Not Cuts Rally – Nashville, TN“. It captures protestors, near the office of U.S. Senator Bob Corker, speaking out about the lack of job creation and economic policies. The event took place on August 25, 2011. The video shows protestors chanting and waving signs to the supportive motorists as they passed. One of chants in this video sums up the position advocated by the demonstrators: “Corker says, ‘cutback’ and we say ‘fight back!'” Let “Jobs Not Cuts Rally – Nashville, TN” encourage you to do more speak out and stand up for those in need. Your comments and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Improving Tech Support for Community Service Organizations

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Russ Anthony

Social work and Information Technology has existed on separate planes. Sure, any modern public service organization should have access to qualified internal/external IT professionals. Chose the right IT staff that is the best fit for your organization and see employee performance improve with the use of computers and applications designed to meet program outcome measurements. Management will also have access to timely and accurate reports that can be used to tell the organization story to funding sources and governing bodies.

Choose the wrong IT support and see employees frustrated by inappropriate computer equipment that gets in the way of helping to meet program goals. Management would also be frustrated by not being to provide accurate and useful data.

These pointers are applicable to the very small agency that uses IT consultants to large organizations that have a central IT department with IT support personnel also stationed through the agency. For this reason, “IT support” could be an individual, a group, an outside organization or any combination of these.

1) Have a technology plan. Information technology professionals vary in areas of specialty. The key is to find the support with the expertise in the areas that are important to your organization. To do this organization must have a technology plan that describes your current focus and future growth. Then choose IT support that will help you achieve your technology goals. Sometimes agencies cannot control who provides IT support. Even so, having a technology plan will allow community service organizations to stay focused on important areas of need. This approach will not only be a better use of financial resources but will allow IT to spend time on the more critical aspects.

2) Know the difference between support and training. Know the difference between using IT support to address issues related to the installation and maintenance of your technology infrastructure and contacting IT to perform tasks that are found in the help menu, online or classes. This approach will not only be a better use of financial resources but will allow IT to spend time on the more critical aspects.

3) Using a go-between. “IT is IT and social work is social work”, except when organizations employ the use of a social worker technologist to liaison between the two professions. Social work technology involves using a social worker with computer/technical ability to address IT issues – with a social worker’s understanding of how the work is performed. Basic problems can be solved before accessing IT staff for higher level involvement – if needed. This approach will not only be a better use of financial resources but will allow IT to spend time on the more critical aspects.

Does your community service organization lack a solid approach toward using IT support? By considering these three pointers, your community service organization will be able improve your use of computers and technology. However, it starts at the top of your organization where management must show a commitment to do things in a different way.
RussAnthony411.org supports the use of technology by social workers. To see how other social workers are using technology, please also read my blog post for additional resources.

Ten Social Work Technology Beliefs That Bring Hope

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Russ Anthony

I believe that people should have a bigger role in deciding how they are affected by technology including how their personal information is used.

From the age of nine or ten I remember having an interest in electronic devices and media. My older sister would call me ‘The Mad Scientist” as I was taking apart a radio or record player to see how it worked. I am fortunate now that I am able to own the electronic equipment devices as an adult that grew out of my interest as a child. As I have matured, I have seen how technology has hurt and helped people. I want to do more to help. I started Anthony-Denmark Communications and RussAnthony411 in order to carryout beliefs that bring hope for a better tomorrow. Social work technology expresses these core beliefs. These are only ten technology beliefs. Maybe you share some of these or can add your own.

Belief One: Everyone should access to important information in order make informed decisions about how he/she is affected by technology.

Belief Two: People have a right to decide how much personal information to disclose to business or institutions. People should be made aware of how the information is used in easy to read and concise language.

Belief Three: Everyone should take steps to protect his/her own personal information and not to rely solely on the privacy policies created by outside organizations.

Belief Four: Increase access to technology should be made available to those with physical/mental limitations.

Belief Five: Affordable technology should be reachable to the poor and people in remote areas.

Belief Six: Technology can help to preserve the wisdom of older generations as well as maintain connections with distant family members.

Belief Seven: Technology can help people to communicate with each other when personal interactions are impractical, however, technology does not replace human contact.

Belief Eight: Using technology requires a responsibility, to use it appropriately, be considerate of others and to dispose it wisely.

Belief Nine: Technology is to make our lives better. Periodic assessments should be made of personal and organizational uses of technology and the effects.

Belief Ten: Technology should be shared. Organizations and individuals should seek to share equipment and expertise to those in need. This will empower those who receive to reach out to assist others in need.

Technology can do so much to help people. It touches so many parts of our lives that we cannot ignore it. Therefore, let’s do what we can to share the benefits of technology and information with everyone. What can you do?

-Russ

Water Technology

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Russ Anthony

With the summer weather coming on, a lot of folks are taking to the water. This is Anthony-Denmark Communications’ first public service announcement video warning people of the dangers of using technology in the water. As always please read the instruction manual. Hey, its dangerous out there people.

Five Steps for A Social Work Technologist

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Russ Anthony

Many social workers are adept in using technology to improve the lives of their clients and agencies. If you are a social worker that enjoys using technology, this is encouragement to consider becoming a social work technologist. While it may not be an official position, it is a needed position in many organizations. Here are five realistic things you can do to become a social work technologist in your workplace:

1) Talk to coworkers and colleagues about your tech skills and share information. Share experiences about using technology from your department or agency with others. Be a source of support. Gain support and learn from others.

2) Let your boss/supervisor know that you have an interest in serving clients through the use of technology. Give examples or suggestions to improve the use of the computer network or changes to the client data base. Be realistic and practical for a better chance of a positive outcome.

3) Focus your intent to use technology around improving the lives of customers and/or improving the success of the organization. Most social agencies are over burdened. Look for ways that can have benefits towards clients or save the organization time/money.

4) Get noticed. Put your technology skills on display. Not in a selfish way, but in a manner that gets the higher-ups in your agency to expand their view of what social workers can do. Especially, if you work in an environment where the executives graduated from school before the Internet or personal computers.

5) Do your job. While this may seem obvious, you will be in a better position to state your case for becoming involved in your agency’s technology efforts if you are maintaining your caseload or primary work responsibilities. Demonstrating transferable skills such as organization and attention to detail will serve you well.

Doing these five things will put you on the road to becoming a social work technologist. From there, your mission will be to help others to take the same steps. I look forward to hearing about the technology efforts other social workers have made and are making. This site bears the phrase, “The Home of Social Work Technology”. I know that others are doing similar work from what little I have encountered. I do not know how large of a number there is of other technology-skilled social workers. However that number will surely increase as the younger social workers enter the workforce. By strengthening social work technology today, we can do our part to see that social work is being performed by social workers in the future.

Advancing Social Work Technology

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Russ Anthony

Now is the time for technology-minded social workers to mobilize and unite. A call is being made for Social Work Technologists to improve the lives of clients by advancing our technical skills. For those looking for extra credentials, there is no exam or certification. However, you will be armed with skills that are greatly needed in the workplace for many social workers. Social workers everywhere need to stand on their keyboards and shout it out on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, etc. that we can be trusted to use technology to serve our clients. For too long we have stood by and watched while computer and information technology professionals have directed the course of direct services to customers. (This is not written to antagonize those professionals but to work toward a better partnership for the welfare of the recipients of social and human services).

Social workers know how to use technology to improve the lives of people and society. Yet, the very nature of a social worker’s job can be severely altered by a computer analyst without a clear concept of the work being done. This is not the fault of the tech department but an indication that the powers that be see social workers as lacking these needed technology skills. If we are not careful, every step from intake to case closure will be automated without input from the staff who know the clients.

This is not a selfish plea about saving social work jobs but a plea nonetheless to motivate and encourage social workers everywhere to take a stand and realize that many of our agencies can better if social workers utilized technology in the performance of job duties. Our clients will be that much better off.

Spiritual Technology Advice: Keep Your Oil Lamps Trimmed

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Russ Anthony

( The use of The Bible passages in this post is to show how wisdom through out the ages has applicability to technology life in 2011. These verses are repeated with respect and reverence).

If you are surfing the Internet for downloads, making a copy of a flash drive file or using wireless in your home or business read this verse from the New Testament and apply it to your use of technology.

Matthew 25: 1-13

¹ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour”. (NIV)

Always Be on Guard

Regardless of what your web browser claims, there is no real “safe search” setting. If you want to truly be free of identity theft hackers – pull the plug on the Internet. Even then you may have previously, and unknowing, downloaded a virus or trojan that is hiding in your computer just waiting for the opportunity to strike. For every identity theft program or firewall setting there is a crook somewhere whose sole purpose is to find a weakness in that program or setting. Life lesson: the security companies and the hackers have a shady backroom, cigar-filled, you-scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours, underhanded agreement. They make work for each other. Some times it is obvious. You know, when the warning comes on your screen, ” You have a virus!! Click here for our virus protection program”. They should know, they created the virus too. In the 40’s we called this the Mafia and extortion. Even the honest security companies know that if they cured “computer cancer” today they would be out of a job tomorrow. Viruses and worms are good for business.

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil…”

I do not mean to paint the picture that all is lost. There is something that you can do. If you are going to be on the Internet, the time to get a virus protection program is before, not after, a virus is detected. Repeat, the time to get a virus protection program is before, not after, a virus is detected. Sure the cards are stacked against the uninformed Internet user – just don’t be uninformed.

Here are some things you can do:

Learn about net security. There are plenty of useful web sites where you can find this information. You can start by making a point to checkout information from your internet provider. Just be sure that you also use other sources by doing a web search. Do not rely on one source for your information.
Establish ground rules for children you are using the Internet in your household. Monitor what sites they visit. Talk among others in your household or office about web security.
Prevention + pro-activity = protection. Do not got out to buy your oil (virus protection program and knowledge about web security) only to find out that is too late. However, if you suffer damage from such an experience – treat it as a lesson learned. Be better prepared in the future. Talk to other Internet users about what you have learned.

Keep watch because you do not know…. That’s always been good advice.

By the way, admitting that something is hard to do is not a substitute for trying to do it.

Russ