National Association of Black Social Workers select its 14th president

21st December 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Ryan Whirty
Contributing Writer

An executive at Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana was recently elected as the new president of the National Association of Black Social Workers.

Melissa Haley, who works as the director of Supportive Services at VOASELA, earlier this fall was chosen by the membership of the NABSW as the 14th national president of the social workers’ organization.

Haley told The Louisiana Weekly that she has been greatly influenced in her career by the fifth president of the NABSW, the late Dr. Morris F.X. Jeff Jr., a New Orleans native who served in the role from 1986-1990 as part of an illustrious career as a dedicated advocate for civil rights and African-American families. Haley said that her aspirations in her new national role include moving forward with Jeff’s achievements, beliefs and legacy in mind.

“I had the pleasure of knowing [Jeff] quite well, both personally and professionally,” Haley said. “I share his passion for the community and have a commitment to use my knowledge and skills as an instrument for social change.”

Haley’s rise to the top role in the NABSW was a unique one. Earlier in her career, she was elected vice president of the organization and subsequently was named interim president after the resignation of the group’s 13th president, Cheikh Ahmandou Banba Mbackė. Haley then ran unopposed for the president position on a permanent basis, a fact for which she said “was honored and pleasantly surprised.”

Haley said she now hopes to guide the NABSW, an organization with a rich 52-year history, strongly and steadily through the current period of global change and challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the movement for civil rights on a national scale, and other factors that will make 2021 a crucial year for American society.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead NABSW during this challenging time globally,” she said. “I think I am most looking forward to implementing new ideas and innovation to identify strengths and address challenges we are facing currently.”

In addition to the influence of Dr. Jeff, Haley also received a good deal of inspiration and guidance from her father, the late Dr. Fredrick E. Smith, who was a pioneering member of the NABSW and longtime president of the organization’s St. Louis chapter.

Haley has been an NABSW member for 25 years and has worked with the Volunteers of America for more than 15 years. In her current role at VOASELA, she works with vulnerable populations to help provide behavioral-health and permanent supportive-housing services for those in need across 16 parishes. As part of the VOA position, Haley manages numerous programs aimed at individuals and families challenged by mental health, substance abuse, child neglect and abuse, homelessness and disaster recovery.

“We are so proud of Melissa and the wonderful work she does for the most vulnerable in our community,” said James LeBlanc, president and CEO of Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, in a press release. “She continues to identify and develop new programs based on the ever-changing needs of the people we serve. The National Association of Black Social Workers could not have picked a better representative of their organization.”

During her career, and especially with VOA, Haley has focused particularly on veterans’ affairs, including homeless veterans.

“In regard to my role with Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana, I believe that veterans as a group are proud, hard-working community members,” Haley said. “They prefer to find and make their own way whenever possible. It can be difficult for veterans to seek available assistance.

“At Volunteers of America, we understand the pride they have and treat them like the heroes they are. We want all veterans to know that help is available for eligible veterans, and we are here to support them like they’ve done for us unselfishly.”

Haley said veterans are especially struggling from the pandemic and staying healthy. She said they face other challenges, such as obtaining permanent employment and battling the mental and physical challenges caused by extended isolation.

She said she encourages veterans and their families to reach out to the VOA and locate support available to them through the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) program.

Haley said veterans of color and female veterans are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of the pandemic and other widespread health and societal challenges. The VOA emphasizes and works to stabilize the lives of veterans and their families.

“Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana recognizes the need to treat all veterans as individuals,” she said. “We understand that specific populations, including African-American and female veterans, face additional challenges. These challenges have been long-standing and identified in the social determinants of health.”

“Systemic barriers have made it challenging to access equal employment, adequate health care, education and housing,” she added. “The assistance available through SSVF can assist with stabilizing veterans who need housing. We adhere to Housing First best practices and know that once a veteran is stably housed, they can begin to address barriers that will stabilize their household.”

Haley is particularly proud of how much work the Louisiana VOA has managed to help veterans through the SSVF program; initially, the statewide group received $1 million from the SSVF efforts, and currently the state VOA receives more than $2 million a year on a permanent basis.

In addition, the Louisiana VOA has received $4.7 million in funding through the CARES Act, the federal legislation adopted earlier this year to provide assistance to Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Haley said her organization has used the CARES funding “to help prevent veteran homelessness and rapidly rehouse displaced veterans.”

She said the New Orleans area has received a massive amount of support, financially and otherwise, to make great progress in finding stable housing for homeless veterans.

“The New Orleans area has the honor of being the first community in the nation to reach Functional Zero in housing homeless veterans,” she said. “This community effort required multiple stakeholders to demonstrate our commitment to help inform our local heroes of what services are available to them and their families.

“Volunteers of America’s dedication and service to veterans is unwavering and long-standing,” she added. “The New Orleans and statewide support have been tremendous. The community must be aware that funds and services are available to eligible veterans and their families.”

Haley said veterans and/or their loved ones can call the local VOA at (504) 481-3558 for assistance.

Regarding Haley’s new position, although the NABSW is a national organization, she said the group also “has a rich legacy in the field of social work and the New Orleans community.” She said that the organization will focus on overall wellness in 2021; the group’s theme for the year is “Wellness Warriors.” She said the NABSW will focus “on total community wellness including: self-care, mental, physical, financial, spiritual and community wellness.”

Haley is a commissioned agency minister of the VOA and a 2016 Keymaker graduate. A graduate of Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and she earned her masters of social work from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. In addition to her work with the VOA and NABSW, Haley is also an adjunct professor at Southern University New Orleans. Although she’s a native of St. Louis, Haley now lives in New Orleans with her husband, attorney Okyeame Haley, son of civil rights activist Oretha Castle Haley. The couple has two daughters in college.

This article originally published in the December 21, 2020 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.