CONFERENCE PAPERS AND AGENDAS, 1915-1986

Summary: Papers and agendas from the Council's annual conference. Document types include conference programs or agendas, copies of papers delivered, and published and unpublished conference proceedings, some of which have annotations.

Of particular interest are the conference papers, which reveal issues of concern to social workers during this period, as well as describing the work of various agencies and programs and the effect of legislation. Speakers included state and federal officials, heads of private agencies and volunteer groups, clergy, and academics. In the 1920s, topics included the relationship between basic industries (farms, factories, and transportation) and social welfare; community standards for social service, health, and recreation programs; and child welfare. In the early 1930s, topics included public health, mental hygiene, industrial disease, prisons, foster homes, migratory children, and unemployment. Of particular interest is a paper on mental health and the foreign born in relation to case work (1930). In the late 1930s, social work education, the impact of the federal Emergency Relief Administration, and the effects of the Social Security Act (1935) were frequently discussed.

In the 1940s, the influence of the Second World War can be seen in papers on the costs of government, the problems of prostitution and alcoholism at military bases, and the difficulties of displaced persons. In the 1950s, topics included the treatment of children in hospitals; the care of the chronically ill, aged and developmentally disabled; housing; and standards for social workers. In the 1960s, important concerns were the Aid for Dependent Children program, which became the responsibility of the counties in 1960; juvenile delinquency; mental health; rehabilitation of the elderly and disabled; and prisoners' services. Of particular interest is a paper on the adoption of African-American children (1960). Conferences were initially held yearly in November or December, but in the 1960s were moved to late April or early May. An additional conference on child welfare was held in spring 1931.