Speak up for those unable to speak for themselves, social work students are told at Lead Day 
Dr. Katharine Byers talks to social work students at the State HOuse during Lead Day
Feb. 18, 2009 – Chanting “Two, four, six, eight, social workers advocate,” hundreds of social work students from across Indiana descended on the State House Wednesday.
The students, including those from Indiana University School of Social Work, were in Indianapolis to attend the 10th annual Social Workers Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (Lead).
The students spent the morning at the Sheraton Hotel where workshops were held on a number of issues like poverty, children and families, political action.
The event allows students to learn about the legislative process and to visit the State House to see where the legislature meets.
Legislators were not immediately available to speak with the students as they assembled in the north atrium of the State House, but Dr. Katharine Byers, the program director of the BSW program on the Indiana University Bloomington campus reminded them of the importance of Wednesday’s visit to the State HOuse.
“Those in policy class know how important the budget is and how critical it is to the provision of services for people who can’t be here to speak up for themselves: the single mom struggling with two jobs and trying to make ends meet; the family whose home was just foreclosed and both parents are looking for employment; the child with disabilities who needs a variety of social and medical services,” Byers said.
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“Those folks can’t be here today, so its really up to us to speak out about how important it is to fund things such as Medicaid, food stamps, to provide services for older people so they can stay in their homes as long as possible, and not have to go to a nursing home which cost more for the state in the long run,” Byers noted.
“So we are here to try and raise our voices and make sure the people in this state are seen as an important investment. We’ve heard a lot in the economic stimulus discussion about investing in infrastructure. I think one of our most important investments is in our human infrastructure,” Byers said.
Legislators need to be told that “ if we don’t invest in the people in this state, by providing education, by providing social services, by making sure people have equal access and are treated equally under the law ….we will lose in the long run.”
For more information contact Rob Schneider, Indiana University School of Social Work at (317) 278-0303 or at robschn@iupui.edu | 
