Social Work E-News 
  Issue #158, January 15, 2014
SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS
 
 
REMINDERS:
 
 
Editor's Eye
Hello --

Welcome to Issue #158 of the Social Work E-News! Thank you for subscribing to receive this e-mail newsletter, which is brought to you by the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, SocialWorker.com, SocialWorkJobBank.com, and other social work publications.
 
Happy New Year! It is 2014, and THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is now in its 21st year of publication! I hope your year is off to a great start and that you reach all your goals and dreams for the new year. 
 
We are conducting a Reader Survey for 2014.  Please let us know your thoughts and what you would like to see in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.  The survey is at: http://www.socialworker.com/2014-reader-survey
 
We just published a slideshow showing new social workers who graduated in the past year. You can view it at: http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/education--credentials/2013-social-work-graduates/
 
Please join me in congratulating all 2013 social work graduates—welcome to the profession!
 
Our newest book, Ogden Rogers’ Beginnings, Middles, & Ends: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work, has been getting great reviews. Terry Singer, Ph.D., dean of the Kent School of Social Work at University of Louisville, called it “a gift to all, whether they are starting or ending their journey of service to others.” Hear two excerpts, read by the author! The first is Why not Why, a story about a first session with a client. The other is Killing Brendan, a story of becoming aware of one’s own ability to go to “dark” places, along with the ability to decide whether to act on those dark thoughts. This book is available on Amazon in print and Kindle editions.
 
The Winter 2014 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is HOT OFF THE PRESS! Read articles from the Winter issue now at http://www.socialworker.com! Highlights of the Winter issue include ethics in private practice, becoming a successful field supervisor, what social workers need to know about the DSM-5, the Social Work Reinvestment Act, digital advocacy, mandated reporting, and more. It also features poetry, movie commentary, and two slideshows (slideshows on the website only).
 
 

You can find information about THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER print and digital editions at the new magazine page at http://www.socialworker.com/magazine.
 
Individual articles from this issue are also available on our Web site in Web format. Just go to http://www.socialworker.com and start reading!
 
Don't forget--THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available in a print edition at http://newsocialworker.magcloud.com. You can also purchase all four issues from 2011, 2012, or 2013 in one perfect-bound volume. They are available at:
 
January marks several observances, including but not limited to: National Mentoring Month, National Birth Defects Prevention Month, Cervical Health Awareness Month, National Stalking Awareness Month, National Drug Facts Week (starts January 28), Martin Luther King Day (celebrated January 20, 2014), and more.
 
In honor of Martin Luther King Day on January 20, I invite you to listen to social worker/poet Mozart Guerrier’s poem, Merely a Man.
 
Coming in February: American Heart Month, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, African Heritage and Health Week (February 1-7), National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (February 7), National Donor Day (February 14), and more.
 
You can go to http://www.socialworker.com/Subscribe_to_The_New_Social_Worker and subscribe (free) to receive an e-mail reminder and table of contents of each issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine when it is available. If you are a subscriber to the E-News (which you are reading now), this does NOT mean that you are automatically subscribed to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. They are two different publications. Subscribe to both to get the most advantage.
 
The Social Work E-News has 32,000+ subscribers, and thousands of social workers (and people interested in social work) visit our Web sites. If you like our Web sites, The New Social Worker, and the Social Work E-News, please help us spread the word by using the "Share" button on the right side of this newsletter to share the newsletter with your friends and contacts. Tell your friends, students, or colleagues to visit us at http://www.socialworker.com, where they can download a free PDF copy of the magazine, become one of our 39,000+ fans on Facebook, and more. If you have a social work-related Web site, please feel free to link to us (www.socialworker.com) and let me know about your site, too, so I can check it out.
 
Until next time,
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Publisher/Editor
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®
 
Networking:
(Be sure to click the “like” button on Facebook or “follow” on Twitter.)
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com (search for “The New Social Worker Magazine” under Groups)
 
 
 
 
Words From Our Sponsors
Beginnings, Middles, & Ends
 
FOR YOUR WISH LIST...
 
HOT TITLE: What does a life in social work look like? You might look at it as a series of “sideways” stories! “If life were black and white, we’d have no need for social work.” Read Ogden Rogers’ new collection, Beginnings, Middles, & Ends: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work. Read reviews and interviews with the author at Social Justice Solutions and Social Work Career Development. Listen to an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio. Now available on Amazon.com (print and Kindle), Google Play (ebook), directly from the publisher, and other bookstores. Do you know a social worker or social work student who loves to read? This book is a welcome retreat from academic textbooks and makes the perfect gift for graduation and other occasions.
 
 
 
 
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER Magazine’s Back-to-School Guide for Social Work Students, edited by Linda May Grobman and Karen Zgoda, is available now! Get this e-book at:  http://www.amazon.com/WORKER%C2%AE-Magazines--School-Students-ebook/dp/B00EZAXVJ8 (Kindle format) or http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/355823 (ePub and other formats). Only $4.99.
 
Check out all of our social work and nonprofit books, social work greeting cards, social work buttons, and more. All of our books and products are available through our secure online store at: http://shop.whitehatcommunications.com.
 
 
You can also download our catalog in PDF format.
 
 
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**Get your textbooks!** Support The New Social Worker while you shop. Follow this link to Amazon.com for all your textbook and other supply needs.
 
Job Corner
Nebraska Families Collaborative
 
Nebraska Families Collaborative is seeking enthusiastic, skilled individuals who have the heart and desire to help children and families through direct case management.   Bachelor’s degree required, Human Services fields preferred. Experience in case management preferred. A reliable vehicle and valid driver’s license are required. You must pass a thorough background check.  
 
Apply online at: www.nebraskafc.org  
 
Equal Opportunity Employer-Affirmative Action W/M/D/V  
 
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Find jobs for new grads and experienced social work practitioners at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s online job board and career center. Post your confidential résumé at http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/resumes/resumes.cfm?site_id=122
 
 
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 at http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/r/jobs/post/index.cfm?site_id=122 for job posting options and SPECIAL offers.  Our audience of professional social workers is active and engaged in the job search, receiving more than 511,000 e-mail job alerts last year and actively applying to open positions. Your jobs will gain additional exposure to our social networks on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.  Also, please note that SocialWorkJobBank.com is part of the Nonprofit Job Board Network. You can post your job to SocialWorkJobBank and get exposure on other network sites for a reasonable additional fee.
 
Job seeker services are FREE—including searching current job openings, posting your confidential résumé/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.
 
There are 1,142 jobs currently posted on SocialWorkJobBank.com. Check it out today.
Featured Excerpt
Social Workers as Mandated Reporters: Do I Have to Be Sure?
by Kathryn Krase, Ph.D., MSW, JD
 
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the Winter 2014 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Read the full article at:
 
Editor’s Note: This article is Part V of an ongoing series.

As a mandated reporter, the law requires that you make a report as soon as you have REASONABLE SUSPICION (or reasonable cause to suspect/believe) that child abuse or neglect is occurring or is about to occur. But what does reasonable suspicion mean, and how do you know you have it?
 
This confusion is completely understandable, especially because most reporters don’t want to jump the gun and be wrong, while simultaneously wanting to do what is right and protect a child in harm’s way. This article will help you by offering a process you can use to figure out if you have reasonable suspicion, thus requiring you to make a report to child protective services (CPS).
 
Am I Suspicious Enough?

    When a mandated reporter, based on his/her training and experience in combination with what the reporter has observed/been told, entertains the possibility that a child is being abused and/or neglected or is in imminent danger of abuse or neglect, she or he has “reasonable suspicion.” It may be enough that explanations provided by a parent and/or child are inconsistent with your observations, experience, and/or knowledge. You do not need to be sure that child abuse or maltreatment has taken place, just reasonably suspicious (Lau, Krase, & Morse, 2009).
 
How Does Reasonable Suspicion Measure Up to Other Legal Standards
 
One way to get a better understanding of “reasonable suspicion” is to compare this legal standard with others that may be more familiar to you. The legal system uses various levels of evidence (otherwise known as standards, burdens, or degrees of proof). The burden of proof required in a legal action is the threshold needed to convince the fact-finder (usually the judge or jury) that an allegation is true.
 
There are different burdens of proof applied in different kinds of cases. The level of proof required in a legal proceeding generally relates to the seriousness of the consequences that a person faces if the allegation is found to be true. For instance, charges that carry mild consequences, such as a fine for a traffic ticket, have a lower burden of proof and therefore are easier to prove than those that carry serious consequences, such as a jail or prison sentence for an assault charge.
 
The highest burden of proof is found in criminal cases. In most criminal cases, the prosecution must prove that the defendant committed the crime he or she is accused of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” This means that a juror can only vote to convict when the juror has no reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. Any and all jurors can still have doubt, but that doubt cannot affect a reasonable person’s belief that the defendant is still guilty (Kagehiro & Stanton, 1985). This means that before jury members can vote for conviction in a criminal case, they need to be close to 100% sure that the person committed the crime, based on the evidence presented to them.
 
For most cases in civil court, including family or juvenile courts, the standard most often used is “a fair preponderance of the evidence.” Simply put, this standard means that the burden of proof is met when the fact-finder determines that there is more evidence supporting the truth of an allegation as compared to evidence that the allegation is untrue. The fact-finder has to be more than 50% sure that the allegations are true to uphold an allegation under the “preponderance of the evidence standard.” This standard is most often used in Family Court when a judge determines whether a parent is abusive or neglectful.
 
Some states use “preponderance of the evidence” as the burden of proof for substantiating child protection cases after investigation. However, most states use a less rigorous standard of proof—“some credible evidence.” Under this standard, the fact-finder has met the burden when he or she has secured some minimal amount of evidence that is credible, even if she or he has also found evidence that is “incredible.” More simply put, the CPS worker can substantiate an allegation of abuse or neglect based on information from one person he or she deems reliable, even if there is information from one or more reliable people saying something different. Whereas the “preponderance of the evidence” standard requires at least a 50% likelihood of guilt, experts often measure “some credible evidence” at about 35%.
 
Read the rest of this article at:
 
Articles from the Winter 2014 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER include:
 

...and much more!
 
Special Features
 
 
The above is just a sample of the content of the Winter issue. Visit our website for the full list of online articles and to download the full issue!
 
Features
January 20: Martin Luther King Day
 
January 20 marks the official holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Below is a list of a few related resources. I hope you find them useful!
 
Merely a Man—poem by social worker Mozart Guerrier
 
 
 
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Social Workers Talk to Congress About Link Between Poverty and Child Abuse and Neglect
 
Last month, social work and child welfare experts from around the U.S. briefed lawmakers and Congressional staff on the strong correlation between poverty and child abuse and neglect. The briefing was timely, considering U.S. poverty levels have risen in the past six years and January 2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.

The briefing was sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) and co-sponsored by the National Child Abuse Coalition and National Foster Care Coalition in conjunction with the Congressional Social Work Caucus.
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Social Work Caucus, and Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.). co-chair of the Congressional Foster Youth Caucus, spoke at the event, which was moderated by National Association of Social Workers Social Work Policy Institute Director Joan Levy Zlotnik, PhD, ACSW.
 
“This briefing helped educate lawmakers and their staff on how we can protect young people from abuse and neglect and improve the quality of life for children and their families by combatting poverty,” said NASW Executive Director Angelo McClain, who spoke on a panel at the meeting.
Rep. Lee also urged social workers to support legislation that helps alleviate poverty and provides resources to help end child abuse and neglect.
 
“Our time is now, given what has taken place in our country,” she said. “We need to put people first.”
 
Besides McClain, other panelists included Katharine Briar-Lawson, PhD, MSW, dean of the School of Social Welfare at The State University of New York at Albany; JooYeun Chang, JD, associate commissioner of the Children’s Bureau U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Kristen Shook Slack, PhD, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work.
 
Poverty levels in the United States have risen.  Fifteen percent of Americans – or more than 46 million people – lived at or below the poverty level in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 2.5 percentage points higher than in 2007 before the recession began.
The briefing was based around findings from the Institute of Medicine’s recently released New Directions in Child Abuse and Neglect Research report. That study found there is a high correlation between poverty and incidents of child abuse and neglect, but especially neglect.
 
Each year Child Protective Services receive more than six million child abuse and neglect reports and many more go unreported. The IOM report found that more than three out of four of such cases in the United States are classified as neglect.
 
“Families that are grappling with unemployment, hunger, and affordable housing are under tremendous stress, raising the odds children in these families will experience abuse or neglect,” McClain said. “By battling poverty, we can reduce such incidences and help these families thrive.”
News & Resources
Journal of the Society for Social Work Research
 
The Journal of the Society for Social Work Research is an open access, peer reviewed journal.  According to its website, “JSSWR is a peer-reviewed publication dedicated to presenting rigorous, original research on social problems, programs, and policies. By creating a venue for research reports, systematic reviews, and methodological studies, JSSWR seeks to strengthen social work research and advance knowledge in social work and allied professions.”
 
For information about the journal, author guidelines, online submissions, access to full text articles from the journal, and more, see the journal’s website at http://www.jsswr.org/index.
 
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ACEs Connection
 
ACES Connection is “a community of practice network” that uses trauma-informed practices to prevent ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and further trauma, and to increase resilience. See http://acesconnection.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network for more information.
 
 
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Write for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
 
I am seeking articles for upcoming issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and/or our website. I am especially interested in articles in the following categories:
 
  • field placement
  • practice specialties
  • what every new social worker needs to know about…
  • social work job search/career development
  • social work news items
  • other topics of interest to social work students, new graduates, and seasoned professionals. Some popular topic examples include those related to getting into graduate school, becoming licensed in social work, private practice issues, advocacy, and social worker burnout.
 
Our style is conversational and educational, and articles typically run 1,500-2,000 words for feature articles (considerably shorter for news items).
 
I also welcome submissions of poetry, photographs, illustrations, artwork, videos, audio, and other creative work depicting social work and related topics.
 
Please contact Linda Grobman, editor/publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, at: lindagrobman@socialworker.com
On Our Web Site
WINTER 2014 ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER IS NOW AVAILABLE!
 
The Winter issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available now! It is available to download in PDF format at:
 
 
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s Web site at http://www.socialworker.com includes the full text of hundreds of articles from past issues of the magazine. The current issue is featured on the site’s main page. Articles in various categories, such as field placement, ethics, and technology, can be found by clicking on “Articles” in the top navigation of the site.
 
In addition to the free PDF and Web versions of the magazine, the magazine is available in PRINT at http://newsocialworker.magcloud.com! Order it today!
 
You can also purchase bound volumes for 2011, 2012, and 2013 at Amazon.com. Search for “The New Social Worker” (in quotes).
In Print
White Hat Communications, publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and the Social Work E-News, has published several books about social work. These books make great gifts (for graduation, holidays, or other occasions) for yourself, or for your friends, students, and colleagues in social work!
 
Briefly, those currently in print are:
 
NEW--BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES, & ENDS: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work, by Ogden W. Rogers
 
DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS: 58 Professionals Tell Real-Life Stories From Social Work Practice (4th Edition), edited by Linda May Grobman
 
MORE DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS:35 Real-Life Stories of Advocacy, Outreach, and Other Intriguing Roles in Social Work Practice, edited by Linda May Grobman
 
DAYS IN THE LIVES OF GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIAL WORKERS: 44 Professionals Tell Stories From Real-Life Social Work Practice With Older Adults, edited by Linda May Grobman and Dara Bergel Bourassa.
 
RIDING THE MUTUAL AID BUS AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN GROUP WORK: A “DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS” COLLECTION, edited by Linda May Grobman and Jennifer Clements
 
IS IT ETHICAL? 101 SCENARIOS IN EVERYDAY SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: A DISCUSSION WORKBOOK, by Thomas Horn
 
THE FIELD PLACEMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE: What You Need to Know to Get the Most From Your Social Work Practicum, 2nd Edition, edited by Linda May Grobman
 
THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT’S HANDBOOK: The Complete Guide to Selecting and Applying to MSW Programs, by Jesus Reyes
 
We also publish books on nonprofit management. Want to start your own agency? Check out THE NONPROFIT HANDBOOK: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Run Your Nonprofit Organization (6th Edition) and IMPROVING QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE IN YOUR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, by Gary M. Grobman.
 
 
HOW TO ORDER
 
All of our books are available through our secure online store at:
 
 
You can also download our catalog in PDF format.
VISIT OUR SITES

www.socialworker.com
 
 

IN THIS ISSUE
Words from Our Sponsors
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
Featured Excerpt
Features
News & Resources
On Our Web Site
In Print
Newsletter Necessities
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
 
 
Advertising: To place a job listing, sponsor this newsletter, place a banner ad on our Web site, or advertise in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, e-mail linda.grobman@paonline.com for rates and further information.
 
News: Please send brief social work-related news items to linda.grobman@paonline.com for consideration.
 
 
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Copyright 2014 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
 
White Hat Communications, P.O. Box 5390, Harrisburg, PA 17110-0390 http://www.whitehatcommunications.com