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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #59, October 18. 2005
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #59 of the Social Work E-News. This e-mail newsletter is brought to you by the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, SocialWorker.com, and other social work publications.
Social worker Ginni McCann, LCSW, of Gulfport, MS, has reported to me that there is an ongoing need for mental health workers to address the needs of clients affected by Hurricane Katrina. She states, "This is going to be an ongoing trauma for months. The areas [social workers] might work in are Outreach, Family Services, and Shelter work
. " I spoke to Liz White at the mental health desk in the Mississippi Gulf Coast American Red Cross office this morning, and she confirmed that volunteers will be needed to staff their operation at least through the end of November, and maybe longer if Wilma hits. According to Ms. White, volunteers should call 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) to sign up. From there, you will be directed to your local or regional Red Cross for initial training. The Red Cross will then deploy volunteers and fly them to the affected regions to help. Volunteers are asked to make a 2- to 3-week commitment, but as Liz stated to me, "After 3 weeks, it is important to go back home and rest," from the intensity of the work, although volunteers are welcome back after they have taken a break. So far, 154 mental health professionals, including social workers, have volunteered in the MS Gulf Coast area, and at least 24 are needed at all times in this 5-county area alone.
Do you have a blog? I've come across several social workers' blogs recently. In a quick search this morning, I found a blog about the Pakistan Earthquake (http://www.pakquake.com/), numerous blogs related to Hurricane Katrina, and a blog community for social work students (http://www.livejournal.com/community/swk_students/). Blogging can be a useful tool for social service and advocacy organizations. Read Gary Grobman's article in this E-News to find out more about blogging. If you have a blog that is particularly useful to other social workers, please let me know!
If you are looking for a social work job right now, regardless of your area of interest, check out the listings on our Web site at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com & and be sure to let the employers know that you saw their listings there! If you are hiring social workers in your agency, please let our readership know about your job openings through a listing on SocialWorkJobBank, in the Social Work E-News, or in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.
If you haven't checked out the new digital edition of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine yet, now is the time to do so! See a preview in your browser at http://www.zinio.com/express?issue=105154918 or subscribe at http://www.zinio.com/offer?issn=1073-7871&of=PH1&bd=1&rf=swen and get two FREE issues. See further information in this E-News.
Until next time,
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Publisher/Editor
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®
http://www.socialworker.com
linda.grobman@paonline.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
Features
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
News
On Our Web Site
In Print
Newsletter Necessities
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FEATURES
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Visit the Web site of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) at http://www.ncadv.org to find information on protecting oneself from domestic violence, how to advocate/lobby, programs, resources, research, and other information related to this important issue.
Of particular note, the NCADV site currently includes a listing of agencies nationwide that are providing emergency relief for domestic violence survivors displaced by Hurricane Katrina, as well as an article entitled, "The Impact of Disaster on Battered Women."
Also, the site reports that on October 4, the House and the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act 2005. See http://www.ncadv.org/publicpolicy/ViolenceAgainstWomenAct2005_165.html for further information.
For more information and resources on domestic violence, see the following sites:
Family Violence Prevention Fund: http://www.endabuse.org
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: http://www.ncadv.org
National Domestic Violence Hotline: http://www.ndvh.org/
American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence: http://www.abanet.org/domviol/home.html
Feminist Majority Foundation, Domestic Violence Information Center: http://www.feminist.org/other/dv/dvhome.html
Here are some books on the subject of domestic violence:
Strong at the Heart: How It Feels to Heal from Sexual Abuse
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374372829/newsocialwork-20
Handbook of Domestic Violence Intervention Strategies: Policies, Programs, and Legal Remedies
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195151704/newsocialwork-20
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS ON SOCIAL WORKERS' RESPONSES TO HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is seeking information on how social workers, social work students, schools of social work, and agencies have responded to the recent hurricanes (Katrina and Rita). I am interested in hearing your responses on the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Please send a brief description to me at linda.grobman@paonline.com along with information on who/how to contact for more information on your and others' responses. Also, please let me know if photos are available. I need your submission by November 1, 2005. Thank you!
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Blogging Growing as an Effective Nonprofit Online Stakeholder Bonding Strategy
by Gary M. Grobman, Ph.D.
E-mail, electronic newsletters, Web sites, online chat, message boards-each of these communication innovations was once totally new and a bit peculiar. And they were met with instant suspicion and skepticism by the nonprofit community. Other than by a few "early adoptors," it took many years before the sector embraced each of these online technologies. Even today, the sector as a whole fails to meet its full potential because of its historical delay in adopting unconventional technology, lagging woefully behind its counterpart organizations in the business sector. Why? That's for another article.
The online revolution continues unimpeded, with or without the participation of nonprofit organizations. New models of online communication will develop that will help nonprofits achieve their vital missions if they take advantage of these innovations.
As I write this, another relatively new online communications model, blogging, is sweeping the online communications world. Short for "Web Log," the blog is changing the way individuals and organizations communicate to a degree rivaling the impact of Web sites. According to Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, there are at least ten million of them, with a total readership of more than 35 million Americans. The Technorati blog search engine (http://www.technorati.com) now boasts that its search engine can find 17.5 million blogs. To compete, Google launched a new search engine in September specifically tailored for this emerging medium (http://blogsearch.google.com).
The nonprofit sector, with limited exceptions, appears to be on the sidelines, missing an opportunity to take advantage of what blogging has to offer.
What are Blogs?
A blog is a Web page that consists of a frequently updated journal or diary by an individual. The style is typically informal and personal, usually including links to additional online resources. Each entry is in reverse chronological order-the latest entry is placed on top. Each dated entry has its own Web address (called a "permalink"), making it easy for other blogs and search engines to link to any particular entry (rather than to the entire blog). Previous entries are archived on the blogger's site. There is a process that permits viewers to add their comments to each entry, which can be seen by all viewers. Many blogs have an RSS (for Really Simple Syndication) feed, which allows viewers to subscribe to blog updates by using an RSS reader, thus eliminating the requirement to visit each blog site individually to obtain access to updates of their favorites.
In the nonprofit context, a blog might include the daily musings of an executive director of an advocacy agency, sharing her thoughts on a news development of the day, adding links to online articles that have come across her computer screen about that news, commenting on how her organization's stakeholders will be affected, providing some insight into some of the internal debate within her agency about how to deal with it. Unlike in a typical news article or editorial, though, she might also comment on her child's potty training, include vacation pictures, or link to the blogs of her friends and colleagues.
Why Nonprofits Should Consider Blogging
Blogs serve many purposes for a nonprofit or social service organization. If they are interesting or provocative, they draw readership-not only from the general public, but from the media and political leadership, as well. And these site visits often translate to new and more productive current donors, volunteers, advocates, and friends. They often give more of a sense of a vibrant, active, dynamic, and HUMAN organizational life than a print newsletter/annual report or a Web page that is more like a sterile brochure than an organic, flourishing online community. Because of the ability for viewers to comment, the feedback is often invaluable to bloggers. And, according to a September study sponsored by America Online (AOL), nearly half of bloggers do so because they find it to be therapeutic.
Cautions
Of course, there are some disadvantages. The advice I always give to "never put anything in an e-mail that would make you uncomfortable seeing on the front page of the New York Times" applies to blogs, as well. To date, hundreds of employees have been fired for what they have written in blogs, for anything from bad-mouthing their organization to disclosing confidential or proprietary information to writing denigrating comments about coworkers. Many organizations have formal, written blogging policies, spelling out what types of posts are inappropriate. And many other organizations have simply banned them.
Bloggers need to be vigilant to monitor all comments, routinely deleting "comment spam" and inappropriate comments.
Examples of Nonprofit Organization Blogs
Point your browser to: http://www.omidyar.net/group/compumentor/ws/nonprofit_blogs/ for a directory of some nonprofit organization blogs, organized by mission category. Among some to check out for ideas on how the concept works and might add value to your organization's Web site are-
Democracy in Action: http://blog.democracyinaction.org/
Vermont Nonprofit CommunIT: http://cvnp.typepad.com/blog/
Michael Gilbert's Nonprofit Online News: http://news.gilbert.org/
How to Do It?
Setting up a blog is simple and inexpensive. The method that requires the least technical proficiency is using a service such as Blogger (http://new.blogger.com) or Typepad (http://www.typepad.com). Blogger is free. At the moment, Typepad, one of the most popular services, offers a 30-day free trial with a fee starting at less than $50/year. Each service has its advantages and disadvantages.
You can install blogging software on your organization's server for use by the network (e.g., using Grey Matter http://www.noahgrey.com/greysoft or Radio UserLand http://radio.userland.com), or on each individual computer, and there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to each of these methods. Grey Matter is open source software, which means it is free and can be customized by your organization. Radio Userland can be licensed for under $40/year and offers a free trial.
For a discussion of server-installed choices, visit Blog Software Breakdown at: http://www.asymptomatic.net/blogbreakdown.htm
Conclusion
Blogs are perhaps a reflection of a change in popular online culture as much as an advance in online technology. In one form or another, blogs have been around since Web sites. What is different is the informality of posts, and the willingness of individuals to "let their hair down" and show their vulnerability.
For the nonprofit community, blogs provide another mechanism to improve interaction with an organization's stakeholders, enhance the bond with donors, and create a dialogue with outsiders while giving them an inside look at what the organization is trying to accomplish. The technical tools are easily accessible, and I encourage you to at least take a blog for a test drive and verify that the benefits to you and your organization are substantial.
Gary M. Grobman, Ph.D., writes for Contributions Magazine and the Pennsylvania Nonprofit Report, specializing in technology and nonprofit advocacy issues.
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JOB CORNER
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CLINICAL DIRECTOR.
Nexus, a multi-state nationally recognized leader in residential and community-based treatment for youth with behavior and emotional issues, seeks a seasoned professional to play a pivotal role at Mille Lacs Academy, located in Onamia, Minnesota. This key individual will direct and supervise the management and development of four residential treatment programs and a group home. Responsibilities will also include insuring compliance with policies and regulatory requirements, supervision of clinical staff, performance management and staff development. The ideal candidate will possess a Masters in Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related discipline and will have a minimum 5+ years direct experience with this client base, preferably in a residential setting. Previous supervisory experience required. To explore this career opportunity, send resume to: Nexus, PN/Human Resources, 4050 Olson Memorial Hwy, Suite 450, Mpls. MN 55422; fax to 763-551-8676; e-mail to HR@nexustreatment.org. For more information and to download our employment application, visit our Web site at http://www.nexustreatment.org EOE.
Director of Professional Services-Behavioral healthcare organization providing residential treatment & special education to emotionally disturbed adolescents & their families is recruiting a Director of Professional Services (DPS). The DPS is responsible for oversight of program operations within the residential, clinical, educational, training & nursing departments. Masters in Social Work, Educational Psychology or advanced degree in behavioral healthcare field with 10 years related experience including residential treatment of BD/ED adolescents. Knowledge of treating sexual behavior problems, fire setting & educational theory important. Competitive salary & excellent benefits. Send resume to: Deputy Director, P.O.Box 222, Swansea. MA 02777
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Find more jobs at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's online job board and career center. Both new grads and experienced social work practitioners are included in our ever-growing candidate profile bank, which now includes thousands of confidential profiles/resumes of social work job seekers! We are proud of the fact that this site was chosen as one of 350 (out of 40,000+ employment sites) to be included in Weddle's Recruiter's and Job Seeker's Guide to Employment Web Sites 2004 and 2005.
If you or your agency are hiring social workers, don't forget to post your jobs on SocialWorkJobBank.com. Please check the SocialWorkJobBank "products/pricing" page for job posting options and SPECIAL offers.
All job seeker services are FREE-including searching current job openings, posting your confidential resume/profile, and receiving e-mail job alerts. Please let employers know that you saw their listings in the SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS and at SocialWorkJobBank.com.
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NEWS
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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN OCTOBER-NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY THIS FRIDAY
In the United States, more than 211,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. Significant progress in mammography technology is helping physicians diagnose the disease earlier, and the sooner breast cancer is detected, the more likely the patient will survive the disease. As a result, breast cancer survivors make up the largest group of cancer survivors.
Mammography screening is the single most effective method of early detection. Therefore, an annual mammogram is recommended for women over 40. A clinical examination by a health care professional should be done yearly. Women can take charge of their breast health by performing a breast self-exam every month and understanding their personal risks of the disease-and reporting any breast change promptly to their health care provider. Special populations at risk for breast cancer include minority and older women. African-American women have a higher breast cancer death rate than women of any other racial or ethnic population.
The third Friday in October (this Friday) has been designated as National Mammography Day. To find a breast imaging facility, contact the National Cancer Institute at 1-800-4-CANCER.
Throughout the year, low-cost or free mammography screening is available to women who are over 40 and underinsured or uninsured. For more information, contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 1-888-842-6355 or visit the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) offers several ways to promote the early
detection of breast cancer. See the Web site at http://www.nbcam.org for ideas and information.
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NEW BOOK: BREAST CANCER: DAUGHTERS TELL THEIR STORIES
BREAST CANCER: DAUGHTERS TELL THEIR STORIES presents the results of a qualitative study done by Julianne S. Oktay, LCSW, Ph.D., professor and director of the doctoral program at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. This book, released in July of this year by the Haworth Press, examines daughters' experiences through four phases-the period prior to the mother's illness, the period during the mother's illness and treatment, the period following the mother's death (if she dies), and the long-term impact. From this study, recommendations are compiled for providing or improving services for daughters.
Look for a complete review of this book in an upcoming issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.
See more information or buy this book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789014521/newsocialwork-20
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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER'S NEW DIGITAL EDITION
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As we announced in the last Social Work E-News, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® has teamed up with the digital magazine specialist Zinio to deliver a great new digital version of the magazine, available online all around the world. Without leaving the comfort of your home or office, you can get an exact electronic replica of the full version of the print magazine, on your computer screen, with the same great content.
Easy storage, immediate access, flipping pages, searching, zooming, linking, note taking, and other interactive features will add a whole new dimension to your reading experience!
HOW IT WORKS: You will be provided a link to download your digital magazine. If you have not done so already, you will be prompted to download the FREE Zinio Reader software. Then, you will be ready to download the full magazine. Open it in Zinio Reader and start taking advantage of this new, interactive reading experience.
Ready to take a look? Here are three ways:
1. Try it! Go to http://www.zinio.com/express?issue=105154918 to see a preview (nothing to download).
2. Download a FREE sample of the Summer 2005 issue at: http://www.zinio.com/offer?issn=1073-7871D&of=ZF01&bd=1
3. Subscribe! As a special introductory offer to our Social Work E-News subscribers, you can subscribe for one year and get TWO FREE issues. So, you will get SIX issues for a low $9.99. You can take advantage of this offer and download your first issue today at http://www.zinio.com/offer?issn=1073-7871&of=PH1&bd=1&rf=swen
Get more details at http://www.socialworker.com/digitaledition
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ON OUR WEB SITE
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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's Web site at http://www.socialworker.com includes the full text of many articles from past issues of the magazine. On our site, click on "About the Magazine" to find Tables of Contents of the current and back issues, and click on "Feature Articles" to find full-text articles.
Our online discussion forum/message board is a place for open discussion of a variety of social work-related issues. Join in our discussion at http://www.socialworker.com (click on "Discussion Forum" in the left menu).
Be sure to check out the Social Work Bookshelf and continuing education offerings available at http://www.socialworker.com, or go directly to http://www.ceu4u.com/tnsw for continuing education offerings.
Need books? Find all your social work textbooks, professional reading material, and office items at our online shop, in association with Amazon.com, at http://shop.socialworker.com/shop.php
Want some meaningful decorations for your office or other area? Browse our hand-picked selection of social issues posters at http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Poster_Store/ or search for your own. (In association with Posters.com.)
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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS-FALL ISSUE AVAILABLE NOW
The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics is a free, online, peer-reviewed journal published by the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. It is published twice a year, in full text, online at http://www.socialworker.com/jswve
The Fall 2005 edition is available now!
Go to the journal Web site at http://www.socialworker.com/jswve to read this issue. You can also sign up for a free subscription, and you will be notified by e-mail when each issue is available online.
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IN PRINT
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FALL ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER AVAILABLE NOW
The Fall issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is now available in print and in digital format. Highlights include:
ISM and IST: Effective Tools for Cultural Awareness
Learning to Dance
Surviving College and Moving Toward a Balanced Life: Strategies for Social Work Students
International Social Work I: Poverty is a Grind (First of a 3-part series)
My Professional Life as an EAP Social Worker
Career Talk: Transferable Skill Extraordinaire: Suicide Intervention
Electronic Connection: The Digital and Ethical Mindset of Social Work Students
and more!
See our Web site at http://www.socialworker.com for more details about this issue.
This issue is available NOW in our new digital format. Order a subscription at http://www.zinio.com/offer?issn=1073-7871&of=PH1&bd=1&rf=swen and download the Fall issue TODAY.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER can be ordered directly from our online store at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store -- where you will also find the social work and nonprofit management books we publish.
For our NEW digital format, see the article earlier in this newsletter, or go to http://www.socialworker.com/digitaledition
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NEWSLETTER NECESSITIES
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To unsubscribe, follow the "unsubscribe" link in this newsletter. To change the address for your subscription, please unsubscribe your old e-mail address and then subscribe your new one.
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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
linda.grobman@paonline.com
http://www.socialworker.com
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Advertising: To place a job listing or sponsor this newsletter, e-mail linda.grobman@paonline.com for rates and further information. We also now offer banner advertising on our Web site.
News: Please send brief social work-related news items to linda.grobman@paonline.com for consideration.
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PRIVACY
Your subscription e-mail address will only be used to deliver this e-newsletter and to occasionally inform you of updates from its publisher. Your e-mail address will not be given to anyone else or used for any other purpose as a result of your subscription to this newsletter.
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Copyright 2005 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: linda.grobman@paonline.com
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