In 2009, MASW will continue our work in support of the common good, giving priority to ensuring the following basic needs and basic rights for all people in Missouri. The following priorities were adopted by MASW members at our 108th Annual Conference (October 2008).

Quality Healthcare. All people in Missouri should have access to affordable, quality health care, including mental health services, starting with those who lost coverage due to changes made in the state Medicaid/MOHealthNet program in recent years, and through increasing state support for nutrition assistance programs. These services are basic elements of the common good for all people in our state, and the state should revise its tax code to provide adequate revenue to support the common good.

Decent Housing. All people in Missouri should have access to affordable, decent housing, as well as access to services such as temporary and emergency shelter when the need arises. Increasing revenue for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund will ensure greater availability of affordable housing and of homelessness services. The state should protect people from predatory lending practices that put their homes at risk, and should increase opportunities for people to earn their way out of poverty.

Fair Treatment. All people in Missouri should be treated with dignity and fairness. It is a fundamental element of the common good to extend a helping hand to those who are too often made to feel unwelcome – those subjected to discrimination, those re-entering society from the corrections system, and those who were born in other nations. The state should protect all people from exploitation and injustice, and teach children in our schools how to value others and resolve differences through non-violent means.

Use the buttons at the left of this page to see the priorities for each Task Force.

Updated: 4/26/2007