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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #52, March 17, 2005
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #52 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.
HAPPY SOCIAL WORK MONTH! This month (March) has been designated National Professional Social Work Month by the National Association of Social Workers. This year's theme, "Social Workers. Help Starts Here," invites people to start with social workers when seeking help. It reinforces the point that social workers can connect people to a variety of resources in their community. If you are a social work practitioner, student, or educator, I want you to take a moment right now to give yourself a big pat on the back! You are part of a great profession doing important work. Take pride in your choice to be a part of the social work profession. Also, take this month to congratulate other social workers on the important work they do.
This month is also Women's History Month, the theme of which is "Women Change America." The National Women's History Project has honored many women throughout the years during Women's History Week and Month (see http://www.nwhp.org/whm/all-honorees.html), including Jane Addams. In addition, the Gale Women's History Month site ( http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/whm/) has biographies, activities, a timeline, and other information related to the observance. InfoPlease (http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womenshistory1.html) also has a variety of information related to this topic, including biographies of women in history, eight of which are identified as social workers!
I am including in this E-News an excerpt from my book, DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS. The chapter excerpted is "Social Work Goes to Summer Camp." We often see summer camp as a fun and carefree place for children to spend their summers. It is also a place where much personal growth and development occurs, and children are away from their everyday surroundings, sometimes allowing them to "blossom" and take on a new "camp" persona with new friends. Additionally, it can be a place where emotions run high. Vicki Root tells us about some of her roles as a social worker in such a setting. This is just one example of the many ways social workers' skills and knowledge are being used in a wide variety of settings. For more information on the book, DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS, see http://www.socialworker.com/home/Publications/Social_Work_Books/Days_In_the_Lives_of_Social_Workers/ -- the book is filled with 54 stories, in a similar format to this one, about social workers and the roles and settings in which they work.
It was great seeing so many E-News readers at the Annual Program Meeting of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in New York earlier this month. Thank you to those who stopped by to say hello at my booth in the exhibit hall! And welcome to the new subscribers to the E-News who signed up at this conference. A couple of our online forum (www.socialworker.com/discus) "regulars" stopped by, too, and we had a nice discussion of online forums, social work, and other interesting topics! Be sure to stop by our forum, if you haven't already, and take part in the interactive discussion of the social work "issues of the day!"
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
A Word From Our Sponsor
Features
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
News
On Our Web Site
In Print
Social Work Gifts
Newsletter Necessities
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A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR
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HTTP://SOCIALWORKEXAM.COM
Social Work Exam Prep Review. Prepare right on the Internet!! Multiple choice exam banks, Timed Questions, Secrets to Passing, DSM-IV Terms, Notables, all Online and Interactive. Reveal strengths and weaknesses so you can map your study strategy. Check out our FREE QUESTION SAMPLER!!
Licensure Exams, Inc.
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FEATURES
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SOCIAL WORK MONTH
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has announced the kickoff of National Social Work Month 2005.
The theme for this year's campaign - "Social Workers. Help Starts Here."- invites people to start with social workers when seeking help. It reinforces the point that social workers can connect people to a variety of resources in their community. This year, the Social Work Celebration in March is also the beginning of a multi-year national social work public education campaign to educate people about the breadth and depth of the profession.
According to Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, NASW's executive director, "Kicking off the public education campaign in March 2005 to celebrate Social Work Month is very timely. We hope to expand the perception of who can benefit from the help of a social worker and provide people with good information that improves options for them and their families."
"Many people don't realize that most of the country's mental health services are provided by social workers," she adds. "Even more don't know that social workers can be found in hospitals, schools, community health clinics, and even corporations."
There are approximately 600,000 social workers in the United States dedicated to helping people of all ages, religions, sexual orientations, and nationalities gain access to adequate resources and services.
"Regardless of where a social worker is found-hospitals, clinics, community action programs-they help to make the world a better place," says Gary Bailey, MSW, president of NASW. "March is a time to celebrate the contributions social workers make everywhere."
"Social workers stand up for others-everyone deserves the same basic rights, protections, and opportunities. Social workers are there to make sure that happens," he adds.
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WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
To address the absence of information about women in America's schools, the National Women's History Project led a movement to have Congress designate a celebration to recognize women's historic achievements. The goal was to ensure that information about the myriad ways women have changed America would be part of our children's education.
In 1980, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation calling on the American people to remember the contributions of women. By 1987, fourteen governors had declared March as Women's History Month, and that same year, Congress and the President followed by declaring March as National Women's History Month.
This March, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the multicultural women's history movement. Designated by Joint Resolutions of the House and Senate and Proclamations by five American Presidents, March has become a huge opportunity for the nation to recognize women as a force in history.
This year's theme, "Women Change America," celebrates and honors the role of American women in transforming our culture, history, and politics. "Women Change America" also recognizes the 85th anniversary of women in the United States winning the right to vote.
The purpose of women's history is not to idealize women. On the contrary, the stories of women's achievements present a full view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life.
Learning about the extraordinary achievements of women helps diminish the tendency to dismiss and trivialize who women are and what they accomplish. In celebrating women's historic achievements, we present an authentic view of history. The knowledge of women's history provides a more expansive vision of what a woman can do. This perspective can encourage girls and women to think larger and bolder and can give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience.
We know from research and from anecdotal studies that learning the stories of women's success, talent, and accomplishments expands a sense of what is possible for girls and women. Information about women and their successes gives males and females alike a perspective that challenges some of our cultures' most unconscious and archaic assumptions about women.
Thus, women's history becomes a story of inspiration and hope. A story of courage and tenacity. A story of promise, possibility and purpose.
For more information, see http://www.nwhp.org
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"Women Change America" Contest
Consider participating in the Women Change America contest. Design and implement a project at your school, in your community, or at your work site that honors and recognizes the work of women historically and currently.
NWHP Women's History Gift Certificates of $500, $300, $200 for first, second, and third place respectively, as well as five $100 certificates for honorable mentions, will be awarded to the winning schools; libraries; or educational, community, or workplace organizations.
Prizes will be awarded to projects that recognize and honor the extraordinary variety of ways that women on the local, state, or national level are a force in history. Extra points will be given to projects that can be used as prototypes for other schools, communities, organizations, or workplaces.
Project submissions should include a detailed description, the outcome of the project using anecdotal stories or evaluations, and information on how the project could be used to honor and recognize the work of women historically and currently. Include photos or scans, if appropriate.
E-mail or mail:
Molly Murphy MacGregor
National Women's History Project
3343 Industrial Drive, Suite 4
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
ednasmolly@aol.com
707-636-2889
Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2005. Prizes will be announced and awarded on May 1, 2005. All interested groups or organizations are encouraged to participate.
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BOOK EXCERPT
Social Work Goes to Summer Camp
By Vicki Root, MSW, ABD
(Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from Chapter 19 of DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS, 3rd Edition, edited by Linda May Grobman. This is one of the many stories social workers tell about their days in the profession. It represents one example of a unique and innovative way people with social work degrees are using their professional skills in many different settings. Think of all the other possibilities for social workers at summer camps and other "everyday" places.)
I am at summer camp, living in a cabin in the woods with a babbling stream running past the front porch, and little separating me from the outdoors but sheets of plywood painted forest green. I am the social worker at a church camp, nestled in the mountains and orchards of Pennsylvania. I have lived at camp for the past five summers, made possible by a 9-month teaching position in a BSW program that affords me the summer to practice social work in this unique setting. Each week, 100 to 150 campers from grades one through twelve spend the week in residence enjoying many program options. My days begin and end in the peacefulness and tranquility that serve not only to restore my inner soul, but also rejuvenate me for the busy pace of teaching social work to eager students most of the year.
I rouse myself out of bed to prepare for the day, and am reminded of the simplistic living that is a hallmark of camp. Do I really get paid for all this peace and restoration? In the ten weeks I spend at camp, I prepare no meals, wash no dishes, barely drive my car, and am far from a television. Computers, admittedly, have found their way into the offices, but Internet access is hit or miss, at best. While that may sound too rustic for some, it is a welcome respite as I am able to spend some time each day reading, writing, and reflecting on the wonders of nature
.
There's the bell-it's time for breakfast. As I walk the short distance from my cabin to the dining hall, I savor the few minutes of solitude in the quiet, serene camp, soon to be flooded with children's excited chatter, their faces fresh from sleep and the (cold) shower. Most are dressed in fresh clothes packed lovingly by their parents, while others test the limits of the counselors' patience by insisting on wearing the same clothes for the third day. The first sounds are beginning to pierce the air. Laughter, running feet (followed by a stern "walk" by a counselor), calling to each other morning greetings-all welcome sounds that tell me it is time to begin another day.
Breakfast is barely served when a counselor brings a child to me. I only have to look at the child's face, see the sad expression, and my experience tells me I have a case of homesickness. As I hear the counselor's version of the night's sleeplessness, crying, and attempts to comfort, the child seems mollified by the fact that I am holding her hand and gently stroking her hair in a nurturing gesture that does wonders for alleviating the sharp pangs of missing home and family. I forfeit my own breakfast (I'll have something later) and take the child for a walk outside to the nearest bench, out of range of the hustle and bustle of the dining hall, and listen to her story. I validate her feelings, and she begins to focus on the day ahead and is easily distracted, becoming engrossed in talking about the skit her group is preparing for "skit night." In a short time, we return to the dining hall and resume the breakfast ritual. Her prognosis is good. She does not display signs of severe homesickness that can result in a call to Mom, Dad, or Grandma to come and take the child home, with the assurance of "maybe next year."
As the morning moves on, I prepare for a meeting with a counselor to discuss a behavior problem with a camper. I look through the files to determine whether the camper was here in previous years, and if there were any particular behaviors exhibited. I also check with the nurse to find out if there are any medical issues noted in the chart, and whether the child is medicated. One of the reasons I am at camp in the capacity of a social worker is the increased use of psychotropic medications by campers. Ten years ago, only a few campers brought medication for psychological disorders, usually Ritalin. Now, psychotropic medication at camp has increased almost 80%, and more heavy duty drugs such as those prescribed for severe depression and bipolar disorder are finding their way into campers' knapsacks. Staff counselors are typically college students in a variety of academic majors and are not trained or experienced with the behaviors and psychological issues children bring to camp. A large part of my summer is spent consulting with staff about how to work with behaviors they see in their campers and reassuring the staff they are not the cause of the behaviors. My background as a school social worker, the bulk of my years of practice, well prepared me for the types of issues I confront at camp. Even though this is not a camp designed for special needs, children bring a plethora of problems with them, and often camp provides the safe environment where issues tend to surface
.
"Vicki, phone call in the office." The camp director comes to find me in the athletic field where I am observing a group of campers and their counselor. It's not easy to be paged for a phone call, since someone has to physically come and find me. Phone calls do not happen often, and I am curious to uncover this mystery.
We reach the office and I am told a parent is on the phone to report that her child's grandmother has suddenly died, and she needs to come and pick up the child in a few hours. The call has been referred to me for advice on how to prepare the child for this devastating news. I speak to the mother and after finding out some background information, we come up with a plan that is comfortable to the mother as to how I will approach the child, what information I will share, and how we will make this as gentle as possible. In these situations, one of the important factors is to try to lessen the connection between the event and the child's camp experience, so the child retains fond memories of camp rather than relate it with a negative occurrence
.
Dinner proceeds without crisis, and I spend time in the office writing notes on the day's activities. Soon it will be time for the evening game of Capture the Flag, and luckily my position does not require me to play rough and tumble physical games with the campers. I unobtrusively observe the game and make mental notes of any potential problem situations. The time is also helpful in monitoring staff interaction, which allows me to be proactive if I see a situation in which encouragement to use a different tactic with a child is appropriate.
The game is enjoyed by all; evident by the joyful cries and reluctance to quit when time is called. As the sun goes down, the campers (and staff) are tired and ready to fall into their cots and dream of the fun the next day will bring. Now free of my official duty, I can relax and reflect on the day. I decide this night to take a walk around the vast grounds of the camp on a trail I know well. I am not frightened or daunted by the night's darkness. Rather, I long for the coolness the night is bringing and the brilliant starry sky that is only visible, I believe, from this particular place on earth.
Note: For more information on the book from which this was excerpted, see http://www.socialworker.com/home/Publications/Social_Work_Books/Days_In_the_Lives_of_Social_Workers/ or go to Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=newsocialwork-20&path=ASIN/1929109156
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JOB CORNER
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CURRENT JOB OPENINGS:
LSW/LCSW, Nevada Children's Center, Las Vegas, NV
http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=122&jb=715521
Senior Program Associate (Child Welfare Programs), Casey Family Services, New Haven, CT
http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=122&jb=728157
Click on the above link (or copy and paste it into your browser, if it does not show up as a link in your e-mail) to see the full detailed listings for these jobs at SocialWorkJobBank.com.
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.
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 requesting 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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CALL FOR PAPERS
The Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc. (AASWG), is celebrating its 27th International Symposium devoted to furthering education for and practice with groups. It will be hosted by the Minnesota chapter of AASWG in Minneapolis on September 29-October 2, 2005.
Each year, the conference attracts several hundred dedicated groupwork practitioners, educators, and administrators from around the world. It is an opportunity for learning, building relationships, and promoting groupwork in the profession. The symposium focus for 2005 is Bridges of Hope Over Troubled Waters.
If you are interested in giving a presentation, please see the Call for Papers at http://www.AASWG.org. Presenters are encouraged to offer paper or workshop sessions that elaborate on the role of groupwork in building bridges across ages, cultures, sexual orientations, race, abilities, gender, and communities. The deadline for abstract submission is March 24, 2005. For more information, please contact Carol Kuechler
(cfkuechler@stkate.edu) or Pam Russ (pam.russ@co.hennepin.mn.us), co-chairs of the abstract committee.
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CALL FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is seeking articles on social work ethics, social work field placement, and social work career issues. Articles should be approximately 1,500-2,000 words in length, and should focus on a specific issue-for example, an ethics article might focus on confidentiality in a rural setting-and provide examples of how the issue might present itself and how a social worker might respond to the issue.
If you have an idea for an article, please e-mail editor Linda Grobman (mailto:linda.grobman@paonline.com) with a brief proposal of the topic and what would be covered in your article.
The magazine is also looking for outstanding students to feature in the Student Role Model section. If you would like to suggest such a student, please e-mail Linda Grobman with the student's name and a brief description of what makes the student a role model for others.
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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 sample 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) -- you do not have to be a registered user to participate, but registering allows you to use some additional features of the message board.
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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS-SPRING ISSUE AVAILABLE
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 second edition, Spring 2005, is available now. Go to http://www.socialworker.com/jswve and click on the link for Spring 2005-Vol. 2, No. 1.
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IN PRINT
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SPRING ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER AVAILABLE SOON
The Spring issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine will be available soon. If you are a subscriber to the print magazine, you will receive your copy in early to mid-April. Here are some highlights of this issue:
My Social Work Beginnings
Field Placement in a Congressional Office
Poor Mothers, Mothers Who Work
Communication Skills for the Social Work Interview
Networking as an Effective Job Search Strategy
Career Spotlight on School Social Work
Malware, Spyware, Adware, and Phishing: Oh My!
Helping Teenagers Make Waves
and more!
See our Web site for more details about this issue.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER MAGAZINE
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.
Subscriptions to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER are also available through Amazon.com. To order your subscription from Amazon.com, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007B01P/newsocialwork-20
Visit http://www.lulu.com and find instant downloads of selected back issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. Buy a single issue or a whole collection.
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SOCIAL WORK GIFTS
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Do you need a unique gift for someone who is interested in social work, a colleague, or a student? Here are some ideas:
Subscription to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine--$15 for 1 year (to U.S. address)
Books-DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS and MORE DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS offer an overview of "typical" days in a wide variety of social work settings! THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK is a great gift for anyone who is thinking about social work graduate school.
"I Am a Social Worker" Buttons-Red buttons with yellow lettering. Stock up on them and give them to your fellow classmates, colleagues, interns, or new graduates.
These items and more are available at our online store at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store
We also have specialty items (social work mugs, teddy bears, and more) at http://www.cafepress.com/socialworker -- you won't find these ANYWHERE else!
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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
linda.grobman@paonline.com
http://www.socialworker.com
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Advertising: If you would like 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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