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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #16, May 8, 2002
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #16 of the Social Work E-News. This e-mail newsletter is brought to you by the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and other social work publications.
Electronic communication is a wonderful thing When the Internet first became popular, some people thought that such communication was both impersonal and anonymous. But I have found that, in many ways, it is far from either. It can lead to very productive and ongoing (and very REAL) professional connections. I have co-written a book long-distance through the Internet, published books similarly, and met professional colleagues who have had a lasting effect on my work as a social worker and publisher. One such person I have now added to that list is Amanda Vos. You may remember reading about this new Australian social worker in an earlier edition of this newsletter. Read my article in this edition for more on Amanda....
One of our readers wrote to let me know that April was Autism Awareness Month, along with the other "months" that I mentioned in the last newsletter. I encourage you to raise your autism awareness by visiting the Autism Society of America Web site at http://www.autism-society.org -- here you will find an e-learning course and PDF-format fact sheets about autism, resource listings, and lots of other useful information.
I'm very pleased and excited to announce the availability of Jesús Reyes' book, THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK. If you (or someone you know) is planning to apply to social work graduate school, this is essential reading. See the "In Print" section of this newsletter for details on this book, which includes a Foreword by Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (a social worker!). This book is available now from our Web site and will be in bookstores very soon (it may be in some already).
As always, please let me know if you have social work news to be shared with the now 9,100+ (and still growing every day!) subscribers to this newsletter.
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Publisher/Editor
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®
http://www.socialworker.com
mailto:linda.grobman@paonline.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
News
Feature Article
Calendar of Events
In Print
Job Corner
Newsletter Necessities
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NEWS
Women Want Protection Now!
by Terri Wilder, LMSW
Twenty years into the AIDS crisis and at a time when the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is reaching epidemic proportions, the only public health messages to women about the prevention of HIV and other STDs are "be monogamous" or "use condoms." But for many women, these messages are inadequate or unrealistic at best. At worst, they are life threatening. Millions of women lack both the power within relationships to insist on condom use and the social and economic resources to abandon partners who put their health at risk.
Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, represent a women¹s health emergency. Not only are women at greater risk of acquiring STDs than men but, in most cases, the consequences of contracting STDs are more serious and permanent for women. Today, women are the fastest-growing population with HIV/AIDS, and most become infected through heterosexual contact.
Women need products designed to protect them against HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Research is now underway to develop such products, known as "microbicides" -- substances that could substantially reduce the transmission of HIV and other STDs.
Although microbicides would probably never be as effective as condoms in preventing infection, women who are seldom or never able to use condoms could lower their overall risk of infection by using a microbicide. Moreover, women want microbicides: a recent survey by the Alan Guttmacher Institute estimated that 21 million U.S. women are interested in a microbicidal product. In other acceptability studies conducted in Zimbabwe, Uganda, and South Africa, both women and men expressed willingness to use microbicides.
With sufficient human and scientific resources, a microbicidal product could be available to women within five years. However, large pharmaceutical companies are simply not interested in investing in microbicide development. They are skeptical about whether microbicides would be profitable after the costs of research and marketing are met, because such products would have to be inexpensive to be made available globally. They have also raised concern over issues of liability, since microbicides would promise to offer some protection against life-threatening illness.
Absent leadership by major pharmaceutical companies, a number of universities and small, independent biopharmaceutical firms have taken the lead on microbicide research. However, researchers estimate that it costs up to $50 million to complete research on an existing compound (and twice that to start from scratch with a new compound) -- far more than many of these small companies and nonprofit entities have the capacity to invest.
Public funds are necessary to fill the gaps in the research and development process and to create incentives for greater investment by private industry. There are a number of promising microbicides in development, and we have everything we need to bring a microbicide to market within five years except the money. Congress can remedy that by passing the Microbicides Development Act of 2001 (HR 2405). This bill, introduced by Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD) last June, would make adequate federal research funds available to develop topical microbicides efficiently, without delays in the research pipeline. Senator Jon Corzine (Dem-NJ) introduced similar legislation in the Senate on November 30 as Senate Bill 1752, or S. 1752.
Call your Senators and Representatives now and ask them to co-sponsor this important legislation. Call toll free @ 1-800-648-3516 and ask for him/her by name or E-mail your Representative.
If you're not sure who represents you in Congress, you can find out on the web at http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html. Or you can call your local chapter of the League of Women Voters and they will tell you. Your two Senators represent the whole state.
For more information, readers are welcome to contact the Global Campaign for Microbicides at http://www.microbicide.org or Georgia Campaign for Microbicides Co-chair (Georgia) Terri L. Wilder, LMSW at tlwilder@mindspring.com
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FEATURE ARTICLE
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SOCIAL WORK-A PASSIONATE CAREER
by Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
When it comes to her social work career, Amanda Vos practices what she preaches. Amanda, who graduated with a BSW from University of Queensland (in Australia) in December, believes that social workers (and people, in general) should "find their passion" and go after it. So, naturally, that's what she's doing.
In January of this year, I received an e-mail from Amanda, explaining her plans to travel around the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the world to meet with social workers and record their stories, with the ultimate goal of making a documentary showing that "there is no one way of doing social work." A notice of her plans was put in this e-newsletter, and soon she had made numerous contacts with social workers around the world. She also announced her plans on other social work Web sites and made contacts through them, illustrating the power of electronic communication!
Amanda arrived in the U.S. in March, and just last week, I had the opportunity to meet her. Her passion for learning about social work and hearing social workers' stories is clear. With her video camera in hand, she has been filming her conversations with social workers, for a documentary that "shows the world" what social work is all about.
In between interviews of social workers, Amanda plans to work as a social worker in various countries as she travels. The experiences she encounters along the way will enhance her lifelong career in the profession that she is passionate about-social work.
Think about your own career in social work-did it grow out of a passion about a particular issue? Is that passion still there? Or do you have a new passion? One interesting thing that Amanda and I discussed is that social work is such a varied field, that one can pursue many different passions within this profession. If you have lost your passion for the work you once loved, maybe it's time to seek out new avenues for using your social work skills.
Amanda has a great interest in self-care for social workers, which also relates to the "passion" idea. If you are taking care of yourself (as a person, as a social worker), you can better approach your work with a passion, rather than simply going through the motions. Neglecting your own self-care can lead to burn-out-and loss of the passion you once had for the work you do. Self-care can take the form of physical exercise, pursuing hobbies, and staying mentally and intellectually alert, among other things.
For Amanda, it means following her dreams, maintaining her idealism, finding meaningful work, and more. What does it mean for you (and your career)?
For more information about burn-out, self-care, and passion in your career, here are a few Web sites:
http://www.friedsocialworker.com/socialworkburnout.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/johndweaver/selfcare.html
http://www.absoluteauthority.com/Self_Care/
http://www.career-intelligence.com/assessment/interests/passion.html
Amanda would love to hear from more readers of this newsletter. If you would like to contact Amanda during her travels, she can be reached at amanda_vos@yahoo.com
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Stop by THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's chat room on Sunday and Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Rich Bott, BSW, is doing a great job of hosting the lively discussion of social work issues. Rich has been a regular on our Web site's message board since his BSW student days, and he is a dedicated volunteer chat host!
To chat, go to our home page at http://www.socialworker.com and click on the "Chat Now" button.
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IN PRINT
THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK
Essential Reading for Anyone Who Is Thinking About Getting a Master's Degree in Social Work
White Hat Communications, the publisher of this newsletter, is extremely pleased to announce the publication of THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK, by Jesús Reyes. Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez, a social worker from Texas, wrote the Foreword to the book, saying in part, "My social work education and experiences...have been invaluable to me as an elected official.... Pursuing a career in social work, specifically at the master's level, deserves serious reflection, research and the utilization of as many informational resources as you can find. Mr. Jesús Reyes' book provides you with both general information and specific advice on how to make an informed choice on which educational institution to attend. I urge you to give yourself time to digest the information provided by Mr. Reyes and go with your heart, wherein your strength lies."
In The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook, you will learn about the admissions process from an insider's perspective. You will discover what will help (and hurt) your chances of being accepted to the school of your choice, and you will find tips on deciding which school is right for you.
Read this book and find out:
What factors to consider when determining your interest in a school of social work
What admissions committees look for in an applicant
Whether your GPA and test scores matter
How to gain social work related experience that will help your application
Who to ask for letters of reference (and who not to ask)
What to include in your personal essay
Which schools are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and why this is important
Where to find out about social work licensing in your state.
NEW IN THIS EDITION-93 schools of social work provide tips to applicants and tell the most common mistakes applicants make, and also provide information about their programs!
ISBN 1-929109-08-3
5½" x 8½" softcover
304 pages including index
$19.95 U.S.
For detailed info, including a complete table of contents, visit http://www.socialworker.com/mswguide.htm -- the book can be ordered directly from the Web site, or it can be purchased from any bookstore.
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The Spring 2002 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine has been mailed to subscribers. If you are a subscriber to the magazine, you should receive the Spring issue in your snail-mailbox soon. This issue focuses on cultural competence for social workers. (Please note: subscribing to the magazine is separate from your subscription to this e-mail newsletter--go to http://www.socialworker.com for more info.)
Electronic editions of selected back issues of our quarterly print magazine, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, are now available at InfoPost http://www.infopost.com . Search for "new social worker" to get a complete listing of available issues.
SPECIAL OFFER: The electronic edition of the Fall 2001 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is still available as a FREE sample on InfoPost. Go to http://www.infopost.com to download it! It is a large PDF file (2,643 KB), so it may take a while for the download to complete.
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JOB CORNER
PERSONAL CARE SPECIALIST POSITIONS
openings in New York City, and Newark, NJ.
The Personal Care Specialist is a customer service-oriented position providing "front line" contact for our Health Plan members. Our PCS will work closely with clinical case management staff as well as community-based health and social agencies to address the multiple needs of the older or disabled Medicare beneficiary.
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Perform "front-line" customer care to individuals enrolled in the plan.
· Review the quality of life assessment surveys and assign new enrollees to the appropriate clinical, non-clinical, and or social work intervention.
· Refer any clinical issues to the assigned case manager and follow up where appropriate.
· Serve as a member of the Geriatric Team at regularly scheduled team conferences.
· Coordinate transportation, referral to adult day care, utility assistance, legal assistance or other such services that enhance quality of life or health care delivery.
· Serve as liaison between the health plan, member and physicians.
· Work flexible hours in order to answer any wide ranging administrative (non-clinical) questions, i.e., claims issues, complaints, changing PCPs, and serve as liaison to specific people in respective depts.
· Provide members and physician with information and explanations of the plan benefit design and the various programs offered by the plan.
· Provide members with information on access and availability of the health plan services such as the nurse helpline, customer service helpline, and member grievance and appeal process.
· Provide information and assist members in selecting a PCP, if one has not been selected and serve as a liaison to the PCP when needed.
· Serve as an information resource for community, governmental and county agencies and assist in coordinating these resources
· Perform home visit as needed to develop rapport with members and gain additional knowledge through assessment of members' social and environmental needs.
· Make follow-up telephone calls to member to assure satisfaction with PCP and the plan.
· Maintain daily records to document encounters with new and existing members and track utilization of SVCS.
MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:
· Clinical experience, MSW.
· CSW - NY.
· LSW - NJ.
· Customer service experience is preferable.
· Working knowledge of community-bases organizations and social service agencies.
· Previous experience working with older adults in a health care or community setting.
· Experience in coordinating service for individuals
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential.
· Strong organizational skills (coordinating telephone contacts and home visits.)
· Ability to work independently and task-oriented.
· Ability to work as a team member.
Ability to work well with and have sensitivity towards lower-income senior and disabled populations.
If interested, please contact Lucy M. Magnus, Recruitment Manager/AmeriChoice.
LMagnus@AmeriChoice.com
212-898-7902--fax
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For additional job listings, see our Jobs page at http://www.socialworker.com/jobs.htm. This page is updated continuously!
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NEWSLETTER NECESSITIES
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS is published by:
White Hat Communications (publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® magazine and THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® ONLINE)
P.O. Box 5390
Harrisburg, PA 17110-0390
Linda Grobman, Editor
mailto:linda.grobman@paonline.com
http://www.socialworker.com
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Copyright 2002 White Hat Communications. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this entire newsletter, with all information intact, by e-mail to social work colleagues, students, and others interested in social work, for personal use only. You may also print out this newsletter for personal use. All other uses of this material require permission from the publisher at mailto:linda.grobman@paonline.com
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is a registered trademark of White Hat Communications.
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Editor/Publisher
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
http://www.socialworker.com 