Product Review: trèStiQue Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon

trèStiQue Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon

As previously mentioned, I spent a considerable amount of time at the trèStiQue booth during Generation Beauty and fell in love with the makeup they have to offer. As a frequent traveler and someone who spends very little time applying makeup in the morning, I tend to gravitate towards products that are portable and multifunctional. According the website, "trèStiQue was founded by two industry veterans who believe: makeup should be simple for everyday and quick." This philosophy is perfectly in line with my personal habits!

Lip Crayon unboxed

Today, I'll be reviewing trèStiQue's Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon in Florence Fig and Rose Balm. This item retails on the trèStiQue site for $28, but I purchased it for 15% off at Generation Beauty.

Lip Crayon in Florence Fig and Rose Balm

With their patent pending 2-in-1 system, trèStiQue uses high quality makeup and employs magnets and tools to create a custom makeup pencil you can take anywhere! While trèStiQue's Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon comes with a lip color and a moisturizing balm, you can easily twist off the balm and replace it with a lip brush (sold separately).

Matte Color side in Florence Fig

My favorite part of this lip duo is by far the matte lip color, which is a beautiful neutral pink that enhances my natural lip color. My job's dress code specifically prohibits bright makeup colors, so this is perfect for me! Additionally, the formula glides on smoothly, doesn't bleed, and is pretty moisturizing on its own. If I need additional moisture, I just flip the pencil over and apply the Rose Balm on the other side!

Shiny Balm side in Rose Balm

The balm twists off and can be replaced by a lip brush (sold separately)

The Rose Balm is a sheer pink that can be used over the lip crayon without any color change. I really like how the balm moisturizes your lips and provides shine without the sticky, gooey feeling you get from most lip glosses. I just wish they gave you more balm!

Swatches in sunlight

Swatches under fluorescent bathroom light

My main problem with trèStiQue's Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon is the packaging. When removing the magnetic cap from the matte lip color, I have to be careful not to nick the product itself. Unfortunately, the balm side uses a non-magnetic cap that takes some effort to carefully snap off without touching the product. In fact, the first time I took the cap off the balm, I ended up denting the product.

Dented lip balm :(

The second time, I accidentally broke the product off completely, leaving me really, really sad.

Broken lip balm :(

Fortunately, trèStiQue has a return/exchange policy, so I've e-mailed them and am waiting for a response. As much as I'd hate to part with the beautiful Florence Fig, the broken Shiny Balm is pretty much unusable at this point. Next time, I'll have to be a lot more careful, but trèStiQue should really consider making their products completely retractable to avoid damage while removing the caps!
*UPDATE* I received a response from trèStiQue's wonderful customer service and they are sending me a replacement balm! I am so happy! Thank you so much!

Critiques aside, I highly recommended trèStiQue due to their quality, portability, and simplicity of use! I look forward to trying their other products and vastly lightening my makeup load the next time I travel!

Generation Beauty 2015 Review

After a most enjoyable trip to Disneyland, it was time to meet up with my friend for our second annual trip to Generation Beauty! For last year's recap of Generation Beauty, please go here: Much Needed Self-Care: Generation Beauty 2014

Generation Beauty is a makeup convention sponsored by ipsy which started in 2013 with 1000 attendees (as announced at the start of the event). Since then, Generation Beauty has grown to over 4000 attendees, with an additional convention taking place in the fall in New York. The two-day event starts on Friday night with a special invite-only party for special guests. Following that are two days where attendees have an opportunity to mingle with representatives from various makeup brands and attend mini-panels with their favorite bloggers and vloggers.

As I've mentioned previously, I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to everything makeup related. While I spend more than I'd like to admit on cosmetics, I do not follow any makeup bloggers/vloggers and frankly have questionable makeup application abilities. In fact, my morning makeup routine involves applying sunscreen, quickly drawing on eyeliner (and mascara if I feel like it), and slapping on blush/powder before running out the door to sit in traffic. If I remember, I apply lipstick/gloss once I get to work (in non-patient care areas as per OHSA guidelines).

Generation Beauty appeals to me not only because I get to learn more about makeup, but because I get hundreds of dollars worth of free swag! As someone who tries to live on a budget, I can't help but love free stuff! Here's a rundown of the weekend:

Saturday morning, I show up to L.A. Live to check in and pick up my badge for the weekend. Included with the badge is a tote bag (to hold swag), a sheet of coupons you exchange at each booth for makeup, coupons for Saturday and Sunday's swag bags, and a box of water!

Water in a box!

Upon entering the venue, my friend and I made a beeline to the Bare Minerals booth, one which had notorious long lines last year. We were the last people in line before staff members closed it off, likely for fire code reasons. Typically, the booths with the longest lines offered some service such as makeovers, hairstyling, foundation color matching, and interactive games for prizes. For those considering going to Generation Beauty next year, I highly recommend comfortable shoes and a lot of patience as you will be standing in line most of the day! Another tactic is to bring a friend so you can take turns exploring other booths while the other waits in line!

The inside of L.A. Live, where Generation Beauty is held

Another important item to bring to Generation Beauty is your smartphone (or wifi supported device). Generation Beauty is a social media heavy event, with many companies offering freebies if you tweet/facebook/instagram using certain hashtags. Additionally, if you had the Generation Beauty app, you could check into certain booths for additional freebies (on top of the paper coupons).

Many companies offered freebies for posting certain hashtags on social media. IT Cosmetics gave me a tote bag for posting this pic!

My friend and I spent day one focusing on getting as many free stuff as possible. By the end of day one, I had managed to fill an entire tote bag with makeup, not including a swag bag given to each attendee. It certainly felt like Halloween, but less sugary.

Generation Beauty Day One Haul

Contents of Day One Swag Bag

On day two, I focused more on experiencing the convention than collecting free stuff. I had exchanged most of my coupons by the end of day one, and while Greyhound fortunately allows for a second carry-on bag, I was fast running out of space! Hence, I spent the day getting my hair done at Oscar Blandi and getting a makeover at the Smashbox booth. It's not everyday I get to try out a new hairstyle or have a makeup artist work on my face! Sadly, day two was only four hours long and over way too soon!

Generation Beauty Day Two Haul

Contents of Day Two Swag Bag

 Here are some of my favorite swag from the weekend:

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation

While Too Faced had a really long line that was frequently closed off, the wait was worth it as they color matched you to their latest foundation and have you a full-sized bottle! This foundation doesn't launch until June 15, so it was great of Too Faced to be so generous with their sneak peak.

Jouer Sparkle & Shine Holiday Party Favor

Inside contents minus noisemaker

Jouer was definitely one of the more generous booths of Generation Beauty, giving away two lipsticks, a small box of samples, and this adorable party favor with a mini lip gloss, accessories, and noisemaker (not pictured). I may get a few of these favors to give away as gifts this holiday season!

tre'StiQue Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon in Florence Fig and Rose Balm

Generation Beauty tre'StiQue Booth

One of my favorite booths at Generation Beauty was tre'StiQue, a new company specializing in travel-friendly makeup. As someone who travels frequently, I love the idea of space minimizing multitaskers, especially when it comes to makeup! While technically not a freebie, I got their matte color and shine balm lip crayon for 15% off and hope to try their other products in the future!

Tote Bag from Pacifica Beauty

In an attempt to pack light, I traveled down to Southern California with a small rolling duffel bag. Sadly, it was not enough to fit all the swag I received during Generation Beauty. Fortunately, Pacifica Beauty gave away this sturdy canvas tote which safely held all my goodies during the long bus ride up to the Bay Area.

Generation Beauty is a young convention that is rapidly growing in size. At this rate, unless ipsy decides to implement more stringent capping measures, I anticipate that the event may have to eventually move to a larger venue. I'm excited for Generation Beauty's potential, and hope to continue attending more conventions in the future!

What an busy and eventful week an a half! Now it's time to recover from whatever bug I contracted, make money, and plan my next series of excursions. Yay for summer travel!

(not so) Cheap Social Worker Spends Too Much Money on Disneyland Food (60th Diamond Anniversary Spring Edition)

I usually spend the week after Clockwork Alchemy and Fanime generally feeling down and in the dumps because one of my favorite annual events is done. This year, I decided to temper that sadness by taking a short trip to Disneyland before Generation Beauty! With Disneyland celebrating their 60th Anniversary, I was excited to view the decorations, watch the new shows, and taste more food!

As we all know, Disney parks generally do not have cheap food. However, compared to other parks, Disney puts effort into providing dishes that are generally of good quality. My hope is that through these food posts, you can make a more informed decision on which foods are worth paying for and what to avoid! Please follow my advice at your own discretion and know that I am not affiliated with Disney in any way, shape, or form except for being a fangirl with a season pass! That said, here are the foods I ate during this trip:

*NOTE* ANNUAL PASS HOLDERS: Don't forget to show your annual pass for an extra 10-15% off! Might not seem much, but that savings can at least knock off taxes!

Day 1 (Arrival Day)

Welcome to Disneyland's 60th Birthday Celebration! Where's my cake?

Lunch/Dinner: Plaza Inn Fried Chicken ($15.99 + tax)

After a long Megabus ride to Anaheim, it was time for a late lunch/early dinner. Having perused multiple blogs discussing Disneyland food and read rave reviews, I opted for the fried chicken served by Disneyland's Plaza Inn on Main Street.

Plaza Inn Specialty Fried Chicken

For $14.99 you get three pieces of chicken (wing, thigh, and breast), green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a biscuit. Drinks are extra, so I just had a glass of water. Honey for the biscuits can be found in the condiments section past the cash register.

In all honesty, the green beans and mashed potatoes reminded me of standard hospital cafeteria food and were forgettable. The biscuit was somewhat dry, and would have been better if I found the honey before I finished my meal. The chicken, however, was cooked just how I liked it, with lots of very crispy skin (my favorite part) and juicy meat. While not the best fried chicken I've ever had, I left Plaza Inn feeling satisfied with my meal and quite stuffed. Given the large serving (as it should be for $14.99), I'd bring a friend, order dessert, and split the fried chicken platter next time.

Snack: Honey Bee Frozen Lemonade from Hungry Bear Restaurant ($5.99 + tax)

Honey Bee Frozen Lemonade

Most Disneyland and California Adventure food establishments have released limited edition food items in celebration of Disneyland's 60th birthday. One such specialty drink is the Honey Bee Frozen Lemonade at Disneyland's Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country.

This beverage is essentially a frozen pink lemonade with whipped cream and a hard candy honey stick. Frozen blended lemonade is one of my favorite forms of hydration at Disney (next to the Dole Pineapple float), so this drink did not disappoint. My favorite part is actually the honey stick, which unfortunately only extends about an inch into the whipped cream. The next time I order this drink, I may have to beg the staff for extras! Disney, if you're reading this, please sell those honey sticks individually because they are delicious!

The worst part of this drink is the $5.99 price tag. If you don't care for the honey stick or whipped cream, there are definitely cheaper frozen lemonade options in the park.

Snack: Matterhorn Macaroon ($1.99 + tax) and Abuelita ($2.79 + tax) from Carnation Cafe

Matterhorn Macaroon and Abuelita

After a magnificent fireworks show commemorating Disneyland's 60th Anniversary, it was time for a late night snack before heading out for the day. Having read many reviews about the Matterhorn Macaroon, I decided to head to Disneyland's Carnation Cafe on Main Street try the cookie. Since it was starting to get chilly outside, I also got a cup of Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate.

Matterhorn Macaroon

Not to be confused with a macaron or French macaroon, the Matterhorn Macaroon is a coconut macaroon shaped to look like the ride with its namesake! This cookie incorporates flavors and textures from both coconut and almond, and is dipped in white chocolate for an extra decadent treat. While I am normally not a fan of coconut macaroons, I loved the Matterhorn Macaroon thanks to the inclusion of almond and chocolate flavors. At $1.99, it's something I would get again!

Abuelita

While I typically love Abuelita, I was greatly disappointment in how the Carnation Cafe prepared this beverage. To me, the drink was watery and tasted as if the hot water pot was not fully rinsed out after being soaped. This could be due to the water quality in Southern California, or the staff actually not rinsing the hot water pot adequately after cleaning it. Don't waste your money!

Good night, Main Street!

Day 2


Breakfast: Free Hotel Food!

Hotel Breakfast Food

Even though my parents typically bring a rice cooker and various canned meats when we go to Disneyland, I still attempt to book hotels with hot breakfasts included. Since I'm usually in a hurry to get to the park in the morning, I like the idea of not having to worry about food prep and clean-up. For this trip, I lucked out because I managed to get a heavily discounted room at a place that serves delicious hot breakfast food!

Snack: Cream Cheese Pretzel from Pretzel Cart next to Star Tours ($4.75, no tax, no annual pass discount)

Cream Cheese Pretzel

In my previous Disney food post, I raved about the cream cheese pretzel and stated that I would get my own next time. Well, next time is here, and the cream cheese pretzel is as delicious as ever! At this rate, it may even replace the churro as my go-to snack!

Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

While I purchased this pretzel next to Star Tours in Disneyland's Tomorrowland, I believe there is another cart that sells them along the path leading to It's A Small World in Disneyland's Fantasyland.

Lunch: Chili Cone Queso from Cozy Cone Motel ($7.49 + tax, no annual pass discount)

Chili Cone Queso

Hungry for lunch, but not wanting a large meal, I headed over to California Adventure's Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land to try out their Chili Cone [sic] Queso. For $7.49 + tax you get a large bread cone filled with beef chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese and corn chips. For those of you who don't like chili or don't want to deal with bloating issues, there's also a bacon macaroni and cheese option and a new chile verde!

Chili Cone Queso side view

Biting into the bread cone

The Cozy Cone Motel does a great job with their chili, and the corn chips provide added crunch and flavor. While the bread cone is generally flavorless, lacks absorbency (for good reason), and has the texture of a flattened loaf of bread, I will admit that it's leak-free and makes for a great conversation starter. Overall, the Chili Cone Queso was a satisfying meal and I look forward to trying other cones in future visits!

Snack: Red's Apple Freeze from Cozy Cone Motel ($4.69 + tax, no annual pass discount)

Red's Apple Freeze

After finishing the Chili Cone Queso, I wanted something cold and refreshing to drink for dessert. I ordered a cup of Red's Apple Freeze, which consists of blended frozen apple juice, marshmallow syrup, and mango-passionfruit whipped cream.

Cozy Cone Motel

On mistake I made was not stirring the marshmallow syrup into the blended frozen apple juice, as my first sip resulted in a mouth full of syrup! After mixing, the concoction tasted somewhat like frozen caramel apple cider. I didn't really care for the mango-passionfruit whipped cream, though, as it tasted like flowers to me. Not sure if I'll order this again, but I'm glad I was able to try it!

Snack: Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus from Bengal Barbeque ($4.19 + tax)

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus and a cup of water

After eating so many bread and sugar-filled substances, I started craving vegetables. Hence, I headed over to Bengal Barbeque in Disneyland's Adventure to try out their Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (I never said I wanted healthy vegetables). As I was ordering, I spoke to a cast member named Mike who commented on the greatness of my Citi Forward Credit Card (which gives you 5x reward points for restaurant purchases). If you're out there, Mike, know that you're awesome and have great taste in credit cards!
 

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

The bacon-wrapped asparagus consisted of chopped asparagus individually wrapped in bacon, grilled, and served with a lemon slice. I especially liked that they chopped the asparagus before wrapping and grilling because it makes it so much easier to eat than a whole asparagus stalk.

While I'd probably order this again, I feel like two orders are needed for an adequate meal, and I'd hesitate to pay $8.38 + tax for something I could easily make at home.

Souvenir: Dinoco Oil Can Sipper w/fountain drink included from Cozy Cone Motel ($10.19 + tax, no annual pass discount)

Dinoco Oil Can Sipper

I spent a good amount of time debating whether to get the Dinoco Oil Can Sipper or Mickey Balloon Popcorn Bucket. In the end, I figured that I could actually use the sipper more often to keep water at work (and confuse/amuse my coworkers). It also helped that I'm a big fan of dinosaurs, and the brontosaurus logo looks similar to the logo on my favorite gas station. Yes, it's my favorite gas station because of the dinosaur (and the fact that the prices are typically the cheapest in my area).

Dinosaur logo at my favorite gas station. See the resemblance?

After finishing up the oil, erm, root beer from my sipper, I was pretty stuffed. Hence, I spent the rest of the day watching shows and going on rides. While I wanted to try the special 60th Anniversary Chocolate Cake, I lost track of time and the restaurants closed! Will have to try again next time!

Carthay Circle Restaurant decorated for the occasion!

Day 3 (Blockout day)

Breakfast: Free Hotel Food! I love biscuits and gravy!

Lunch: Gumbo Ya Ya from Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express ($7.99 + tax)

 

Gumbo Ya Ya

Unfortunately, I my season pass was blocked out on day 3, so I spent the morning exploring Downtown Disney before catching the bus to my friend's place. For lunch, I ordered gumbo from Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, the quick service version of the more expensive Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. Described on the menu as a "rich Roux-based Soup, Chicken and Andouille Sausage", I'm sure this gumbo is identical to the one served inside, except in a plastic takeout bowl at a fraction of the price. Don't forget that the Disney annual pass discount also applies to all Downtown Disney restaurants!

Goodnight, Sleeping Beauty Castle!

As usual, I was sad to leave Disneyland, especially since I am now blocked out until mid-August. However, my family (who all requested shirts) were excited to see my pictures and have every intention of making a trip to Disney before the end of this year. In fact, since coming home I've already booked a family room for November so we could see Diamond Anniversary themed Christmas decorations! I can't wait!

Summer Kickoff: Clockwork Alchemy and FanimeCon 2015

Thanks to convention scheduling, I spent the past week and a half at Clockwork Alchemy/FanimeCon in San Jose and Generation Beauty in Los Angeles. Between the two conventions, I also spent several lovely days at Disneyland. While I hope to post about Generation Beauty and Disneyland in the next few days, today I will talk about one of my favorite weekends out of the year: FanimeCon and Clockwork Alchemy!

FanimeCon, also known as just Fanime, is a fan-run anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention which takes place annually on Memorial Day weekend. Started by a small group of anime fans 21 years old, FanimeCon has since grown to become one of the largest anime conventions in North America with an attendance of over 20,000 people.

I first attended FanimeCon when I was in graduate school six years ago. While I've since been to numerous anime and culture conventions (including WonderCon, Star Trek Las Vegas, Comic-Con, and Generation Beauty), Fanime remains close to my heart due to its welcoming environment and enthusiastic attendees. As a cosplayer (aka "someone who dresses up for conventions"), I've never received more support and positivity as I have at Fanime and Clockwork Alchemy.

Clockwork Alchemy started in 2012 as a concurrent convention inspired by Fanime 2011's popular steampunk theme. While steampunk and Japanese pop culture seem to see an odd pairing at first glance, the two actually compliment each other quite well, with attendees on both sides learning more about both genres. While I initially spent most of my time on the Fanime side, I was lured by the offer or tea and cookies and ultimately ended up as a staff volunteer for Clockwork Alchemy.

Tea and cookies!

Since I spent most of this year working on the Clockwork Alchemy side, I will spend the rest of this post discussing my favorite parts of the convention! For more information about Fanime, please check out their website!

Clockwork Alchemy takes place at the San Jose Doubletree, with round-the-clock shuttles transporting attendees to and from the San Jose Convention Center (where Fanime takes place). I've always viewed the San Jose Doubletree as the perfect place to have a steampunk convention, as the lighting and color scheme compliment the various decorations and light fixtures staff members put up for the weekend. 

Artist's Room

My favorite part about Clockwork Alchemy is its interactive nature. For instance, they have various panels where you learn how to make your own goggles or alter a corset pattern. For those with young children, there are staff members who host game rooms and arts and crafts tables. In the "War Room", there are various self-defense classes, a shooting range (using nerf guns), and opportunities to fly mylar airships. For those wanting a snack, there is a tea room with staff members who serve tea and cookies in fine china. Like I said previously, Clockwork Alchemy won me over with the tea and cookies.

War Room

Ever see a real telegram machine? Clockwork Alchemy has a fully functional one, and you can use text messaging to send paper telegrams to your friends in the convention. The messages are printed out using an automated typewriter and hand delivered by a volunteer runner who shouts "Telegram for..." with the perfect booming voice.

Telegram room

For those of you who enjoy big band, swing, ska, and even goth music, Clockwork Alchemy hosts two nights of dancing, with daytime ballroom dancing classes. If you're like me and hate dancing, there is plenty of space to simply sit and listen!

Live Music and Dancing

As always, my least favorite part of Fanime and Clockwork Alchemy is when it ends and San Jose returns to "normal". I have every intention of returning next year, and am already planning out potential cosplays and craft ideas. My hope is to continue attending Fanime and Clockwork Alchemy in the years to come. Since Clockwork Alchemy is such a family friendly event, I'll probably take along any future offspring I have as well! Can't think of a better way to kick off the unofficial start of summer!

Product Review: Tom's Black Camila Ballet Flats

Given the amount of time I spend standing and walking at work, I should ideally be setting aside more money on better footwear. However, I'm so bad about replacing my shoes that I've been wearing the same Target flats to work for two years (occasionally alternating a 4 year old pair of Clark's boots and another pair of Aerosoles boots I "borrowed" from my mom). Despite my high pain tolerance when it comes to all things footwear, I figured something needed to change given recent foot and leg soreness after work.

During a recent trip to Disneyland for a friend's bachelorette party, my friend fell in love with a pair of Toms another friend was wearing. During a midday run to the mall to get my friend a pair of her own, I tried on the shoes to discover that they were indeed pretty comfortable. On top of that, I learned that the benefit of buying Toms shoes is that for each pair purchased, the company donates a pair to a child in need.  However, I decided to hold off as I didn't have suitcase space, the internet had better prices, and I wasn't 100% on board with the aesthetics.

Upon coming from from Disneyland, I found out that Toms had ballet flats (which are more my style) on sale and purchased a pair of my own.  Here are my thoughts so far:

The shoes are pretty cute and go with almost anything. I anticipate replacing my Target shoes with these as my go-to flat for work. However, if you're expecting thick leather, then you might be disappointed as the shoe is made out of a soft, thin leather attached to a canvas liner.  Another nit-pick I have is that the right shoe bows out, revealing a little of the leopard print liner. I don't mind so much, as that tends to happen with most flats I own. On a more positive note, I'm glad that Toms replaced the blue tag on the heel with a black one!  That means I can now get away with wearing these shoes for dressier events!

Size-wise, this shoe runs a little big, though they probably won't stretch as much as the original Toms. I'd suggest going down one size from your usual, and if you're between sizes I'd go down one size from your larger measurement. When trying on the ballet flats for sizing, I found that my original size fit and was really comfortable, but when I started walking I noticed that the only thing keeping the shoe from falling off was the heel elastic.  Next time, I might go up half a size from what I purchased because I added some foam inserts from the drugstore to avoid "Toms stink", which made them fit rather tightly, though not enough to warrant an exchange.

In terms of comfort, these shoes are initially not as comfortable as the original Tom's.  This is mostly because of the smaller toe box which rubs up against my pinkie toe.  However, I expect this to stretch out as I break in the shoe and not cause me and further problems other than the lack of arch support. In fact, when I went shoe shopping last Friday, I found these pair of Toms to be just as comfortable - if not more so - than brands that cost 2-3 times as much!

Overall, I would not pay $89 for these shoes. Thankfully, I managed to get these shoes on sale and paid significantly less while still allowing a child in need to get a pair of shoes.  I'll probably purchase from Toms again for casual/travel shoes due to their comfort, but for the sake of my future leg health I may have to rotate in brands with more arch support for my work shoes in the future.

If you're interested in trying out Tom's shoes, here's a coupon: $5 off any $25 TOMS purchase with code SPRING15 in the promo code section at checkout on TOMS.com! Valid through 5/31.[affiliate link]

Santa Clara County Social Worker Reclassification: Fight for Title Protection!

It's no secret that I am a huge proponent of social worker title protection. As I've mentioned on this blog in past posts, I strongly believe that lack of national title protection is why social workers are underpaid, because this allows non-social workers to take social worker jobs and hence depress our wages.  Never mind the potential for disaster when you have non-social workers attempting to perform social work tasks.

Hence, I was infuriated when I received an e-mail informing me that a local Bay Area county is considering reclassifying social worker jobs to allow for individuals with masters degrees in counseling, psychology, and gerontology. Last I checked, an individual needed a nursing degree to be called a "nurse", and a law degree to be called a "lawyer". For me, it makes absolutely no sense that someone without a social work degree can be called a "social worker".

Hours later, I had penned a letter which has since been e-mailed to Santa Clara County's Board of Supervisors. Below is an except from that letter.

I am writing to you today to express concern regarding the revision of job specifications for Social Worker II and Social Worker III positions as proposed by the Santa Clara County's Employee Services Agency.

In the hospital setting, we have rules and regulations in place so that various disciplines do not function outside their respective scope of practice. Therefore, when a nurse is treating a patient, the patient can safely assume that whoever is treating them is a nurse with a nursing degree. To allow someone to call themselves a nurse without the requisite education is dangerous and potentially deadly. The same goes for physicians, pharmacists, physical therapists, nutritionists, and social workers.

To become an MSW, one must go through a rigorous program that involves extensive field training and specialized coursework in social theory, policy, advocacy, ethics, research, and evidenced-based practice methods. Social work is unique because it is a profession founded on the principles of social justice and the idea of systems theory/"person in environment", which looks at how an individual is shaped by factors such as community, culture, government policies, and socioeconomics. While other professions choose to focus on what is ailing an individual, social workers employ a multidisciplinary strengths-focused approach to empower individuals to overcome whatever obstacles they face in their lives. Social workers take pride in their title and do not appreciate it when those without the requisite education refer to themselves as “social workers”. While California currently does not have social worker title protection laws in place, such legislation is actively being pursued by the California branch of the National Association of Social Workers.

At work, I am most frequently called to de-escalate and resolve situations the rest of the hospital staff cannot handle. This is due to my ability to see a patient as a person instead of a medical diagnosis that must be treated. In my short career as a medical social worker, I’ve witnessed all too often patients unfairly misunderstood, stigmatized, and brushed aside due to their situations (i.e. poverty, mental illness, history of drug use, etc.). What’s heartbreaking is that the culprits are medical professionals who believe they can replace a social worker through applied medicine and psychology. This reinforces my belief that we not only need more properly educated social workers to serve as patient advocates, but more public education on the roles and capabilities of a social worker. There is much more to social work than diagnostics, therapy, and the "baby snatcher" stereotype.

To consider non-social work degree holders for the title of "social worker" is an insult to the thousands of individuals who possess graduate degrees and passed rigorous licensure exams.  From a financial standpoint, the money spent on training sessions for non-social workers to get them on par with social workers can be better spent on recruiting and retaining qualified social workers.  Furthermore, such action is unethical and deceptive to the Santa Clara County residents, as you are allowing these individuals to receive services and interventions from a “social worker” who does not have a social worker graduate degree. I’m sure people would similarly be angered if they received services from “nurses” or “doctors” without respective nursing and medical degrees.

Ultimately, this proposal is detrimental to the community, costly to the County of Santa Clara, and diminishes the social work profession’s ability to help those in need. Therefore, I urge you to reconsider this proposal. Furthermore, I encourage you to reach out to groups such as the National Association of Social Workers and San Jose State’s School of Social Work to learn more about the social work profession, establish rapport, and potentially come up with a resolution that works for everyone. Unlike other counties and states who employ non-social workers, Santa Clara County is special because it recognizes the value of the social work profession in serving one of the nation’s most diverse populations. Please do not take a step backwards for the sake of filling vacant slots.

As social workers, we know that we have unique and specialized skills that set us apart from other professions. Hence, for the sake of the people we help, we cannot allow a government institution to steal our title and give it to someone else. If you care about the social work profession, I ask you to help us and reach out to Santa Clara County's Board of Supervisors and fight for title protection. How can we help others when we cannot advocate for ourselves?