Raise Your Voice Blog | Nicole Clark Consulting

3 Apr, 2013

Tackling Teen Pregnancy Prevention: A Comparison of Solutions

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:08:47-04:00April 3rd, 2013|Categories: Research & Evaluation|Tags: activism, Youth|0 Comments

(Image from Teens in New York City Protection+ app, by of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)

Since the New York City Human Resources Administration launched its “Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You?” campaign aimed at lowering the city’s teen pregnancy rates a month ago, the campaign (and its ads that are now featured at city bus stops and inside the subways) has been under fire locally and nationally. I’ve been one of those vocal opponents of the messaging of this campaign, and together with the New York Coalition for Reproductive Justice, the No Stigma! No Shame! Campaign began in response to the HRA.

This week, I happened to notice a local news report on a new phone app developed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, aimed to not only reduce the numbers of teen pregnancy in the city (which has dropped to around 30% within the past decade) but to also show teens where to go for information on birth control, condoms, and testing.

Piquing my interest, I downloaded the app to test it out. I also signed up for the HRA’s texting game by texting “NOTNOW” to 877877 to compare the two. I don’t have to tell you that the outcomes were VERY different.

Here are my observations: (more…)

27 Mar, 2013

Is Social Media Causing Your Activist Burnout?

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:07:57-04:00March 27th, 2013|Categories: Self & Community Care|Tags: activism, self care|0 Comments

(Image source)

There are many benefits to using social media to engage in activism: there’s no cost, it’s readily accessible to many, it’s instant, and you can get the word out about what’s happening in your community.

But what about those moments when you see something on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or other networks you participate in, and you immediate react, and not in a good way? You can feel your body begin to tense up, your breathing becomes deeper, a slight headache starts to form, and your fingers start firing off status updates or tweets.

You may believe that you’re at your activist best when this happens. You’re passionate, enraged, and ready to take action. However, while using social media can be fun, educational, and a great way to mobilize others around your cause, it can also lead to feeling overwhelmed and burned out.

I’ve had multiple conversations with activist friends, spanning a wide array of social justice causes, and they tend to share the same sentiment: They want to make their voices heard to as many people as possible, but it often comes at the price of taking the time out for self care. They feel overwhelmed because they feel pressure (directly or indirectly) to have something to say in order to show their knowledge and leadership. They feel the pressure to always be on. They also feel guilt when they want to take a break from social media, especially when something crucial is happening in their movement.

Is the use of social media affecting your ability to be not only effective in your activism, but also to be mindful of your self care? Here are 4 ways to make sure you’re still socially engaged but also keeping activist burnout at bay.

You might be thinking, “Well, I know this stuff already.”

That’s good. But are you doing it?:
(more…)

20 Mar, 2013

Ask Nicole: “Is a Career as a Reproductive Justice Social Worker Possible?”

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:06:04-04:00March 20th, 2013|Categories: Public Health & Social Work|Tags: Ask Nicole, reproductive justice, Social Work|0 Comments

Do you have a question that other Raise Your Voice community members can benefit from? Contact me and I’ll answer it!

I recently received the following question from a young woman who is currently studying social work at an undergraduate university:

Hello! I just found your website, and I am blown away; you’re living my dream life! I’m currently one year away from graduating with my [Bachelors degree in Social Work], and am looking at different options for where to go next. Thinking about the future is scary!

Before flipping through your site, I had never heard the term “reproductive justice field”, but that’s what I want to work in, in a nutshell. But, “reproductive justice” isn’t on the list of social problems that we generally acknowledge in class, and sometimes I feel like I can’t pursue this topic that excites me so much with my social work degree.

So my question is, where do I go from here? I’ve been looking at different grad school programs, and there are so many different options! Do you think that a concentration in public policy would be more helpful than a general practice degree? Do you have any tips for actually finding employment in the “reproductive justice field”? I’ve interned with [pro choice organizations] and am looking into starting a pro choice group on my campus next year; but I’m looking for a sign that any of this can work beyond college.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Oh, and thanks for being awesome!

Since March is National Social Work Month, I was really excited to receive this question. A degree in social work is one of the most diverse degrees one can obtain. There are many people in various social justice movements and in many career fields that are social workers. As a social worker, you use your skills of engagement to analyze, discover, and develop strategies to work with individuals, agencies, and communities in ways that are holistic and empowering.

Generally, most people are surprised to find out that I’m a social worker. When I’m asked, “What do you do?”, it’s the first thing that I mention. They’re even more surprised at the career I’ve developed and the experiences I’ve had throughout the years. Though I’ve been in the reproductive justice (RJ) field much longer compared to social work, the skills and theories I learned as a social worker student serve to enhance my work in RJ.

I’ve broken down the question above into four separate questions to tackle: (more…)

12 Mar, 2013

Sign On to Support the “No Stigma! No Shame!” Campaign

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:05:05-04:00March 12th, 2013|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: reproductive justice, Youth|0 Comments

Last week, I shared my thoughts on a teen pregnancy prevention campaign launched by the Department of Social Services of the New York City Human Resources Administration called “Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You?” . A few days later, I met with some amazing women here in New York City, as members of the New York Coalition for Reproductive Justice . We spent overly 2 hours venting our frustrations, brainstorming ideas, and coming up with demands and solutions that will help (and not harm) teen mothers living and parenting in New York City.

As I mentioned last week, there is nothing wrong with getting teens to think about what they could potentially face if they were to become a young parent, but it should not be at the cost of shaming, blaming and stigmatizing their peers who have chosen to parent.

Based on that amazing evening of frustration, strategy, and insight, we have decided to launch the No Stigma! No Shame! campaign. Read our letter and sign on to show your support for our campaign. (The sign on information is included after the letter!) (more…)

5 Mar, 2013

The Problem with ” Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You? “

By Nicole Clark, LMSW|2021-08-19T18:04:33-04:00March 5th, 2013|Categories: Equity & Justice|Tags: reproductive justice, Youth|0 Comments

The New York City Human Resources Administration recently launched “Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You?”, a teen pregnancy prevention campaign aimed to curb the rates of teen pregnancy in New York City. My initial reaction to the ad campaign, was “Wasn’t there a new report announced last month that teen pregnancy rates in New York City has fallen considerably? Are these ads in connection with that, in order to decrease the rates even more? Also, why is this campaign developed by the Human Resources Administration and not, say, the Department of Health, especially given the difficulties many households in New York City have in even accessing resources from the HRA?”

According to the New York City Office of the Mayor, more than 20,000 teens in New York City become pregnant each year. While this sounds like a lot, the New York City Department of Health recently released data showing that teen pregnancy rates have steadily declined by 27% over the last 10 years. A key reason? Access to condoms, birth control, and emergency contraception. The city has recognized the steep cost of gaining access to birth control, and by increasing access to birth control in schools (and instituting a mandated comprehensive sex education curriculum) teens are more likely to utilize birth control options. Another key reason for the decline of the teen pregnancy rate in New York City: Support from New York City parents.

So, why does “Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You?” have the potential to impede the efforts the city has made with reducing teen pregnancy rates? (more…)

Tackling Teen Pregnancy Prevention: A Comparison of Solutions

Is Social Media Causing Your Activist Burnout?

Ask Nicole: “Is a Career as a Reproductive Justice Social Worker Possible?”

Sign On to Support the “No Stigma! No Shame!” Campaign

The Problem with ” Think Being a Teen Parent Won’t Cost You? “

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