Editor's Eye

 

 

Are you or someone you know applying to social work graduate school? The Social Work Graduate School Applicant’s Handbook is now available in Kindle format and print format! Order it from Amazon here for the Kindle edition or here for the print edition.

 

We are currently running a special on the Days in the Lives of Social Workers book series! Get all 4 books (Days in the Lives of Social Workers, More Days in the Lives of Social Workers, Days in the Lives of Gerontological Social Workers, and Riding the Mutual Aid Bus and Other Adventures in Group Work) for $70 plus shipping. http://shop.whitehatcommunications.com/daysinthelivesofsocialworkerssetof4

 

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 at:

 

 

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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

 

Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, CT, has two Social Worker opportunities.    

 

• Outpatient Behavioral Health (Must be bi-lingual in Spanish)  Full-time, 8am-4:30pm Tuesday/Friday, 12:30pm-9:00pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Days/Evenings     

 

• Social Services Per Diem, Days/Evenings 8am-4pm or 3pm-11pm    

 

Responsible for intake assessment, treatment planning, case management, group facilitation, individual counseling, and discharge planning. Bachelor’s degree, MSW from an accredited school of Social Work, current CT license as LCSW, and psychiatric experience required. Must adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics.    

 

Please use the online application at www.stmh.org and click on Career Portal or contact Dot Barrow, Clinical Recruiter, at: (203) 709-3031 or:  dorothy.barrow@stmh.org  

 

Follow us on our Recruitment Social Media pages to learn about our other opportunities. http://www.facebook.com/SaintMarysHospitalRecruitment   https://twitter.com/STMHRecruitment  

 

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

Featured Excerpt

by Addison Cooper, LCSW

 

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from the Summer 2013 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. It is part of the new column, “Social Work Goes to the Movies.” Read the full article at:

It will probably catch you by surprise. Movie studios don’t mention it in their advertising, but they do it. And it can catch you off-guard. One evening, you’ll be sitting in the middle seat a few rows back at your favorite theater, sipping a $6 Coca-Cola and munching on some of the most expensive carbs you’ll ever buy, and it will happen. There, right in front of you—and in front of the world—a social worker will appear on the big screen.

Why are social workers in movies? Well, films mirror real life, and social workers are a part of “real life” for lots of people. Families involved with child protective services, hospital patients, prospective adopters, and many others engage with social workers in their own lives, so it makes sense that social workers would also be depicted on the silver screen.  

What are the cinematic social workers like? Here are some that I’ve encountered lately:

Moonrise Kingdom, “Social Services”—Tilda Swinton’s character obviously cares for her young client, but she seems given to inflexibility. She’s also so identified with her position that she doesn’t even have her own name.

Beasts of the Southern Wild, various helpers—Hushpuppy and her father live in an unsafe environment. When they are discovered, they are forcibly relocated to a safer but sterile and cramped area. The offered help comes across as unwanted, forcible, and chaotic.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Homestudy Social Workers—Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton’s characters are interviewed by social workers who obviously disbelieve their story, but are disinterested enough in their work to tell the family, in effect, “I’m going to listen to you for 60 minutes, but I don’t care what you say.”

Not every movie social worker is portrayed negatively.

Admission, “Woman in Social Service Agency”—Tina Fey’s character visits an agency to contact the son she relinquished for adoption. The social worker is kind and caring.

Meet the Robinsons, “Mildred”—The director of the orphanage is caring and patient. She encourages her charges to keep up their hope while she tirelessly works to find them families.

 

 

Read the rest of this article at:

 

 

Articles from the Summer 2013 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER include:

 

...and much more!

 

Features

NASW-FL expresses our sympathy to the family of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. A Florida jury recently rendered a non-guilty verdict in the trial against his killer, George Zimmerman, under his claim of self-defense and the due process standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Through the civil or federal courts, the merits of the case against George Zimmerman may continue to be debated for some time. However, no verdict or outcome can diminish that the loss of life at a young age is a heartbreaking and tragic event, and we offer our deepest condolences to those who are grieving his death.

 

Although the facts of the case are disputed, there is no denying that the impact of this situation has been felt nationwide, and has pushed issues of race and racism to the forefront of public discourse. Many on both sides of the discussion are feeling angry or disaffected, and Florida social workers may encounter strong emotions among their clients, or may be dealing with these concerns themselves. NASW-FL offers our support to Florida social workers as they confront the important issue of racism in American society, and urges social workers to take leadership roles in community building, facilitating dialogues in our agencies and organizations, and empowering clients to take action on their own behalf.

To assist in those efforts, we refer social workers to the following resources:

Finally, social workers must uphold their ethical obligation to advocate for changes in legislation and policy that will improve social conditions and promote social justice (Code of Ethics section 6.04). NASW-FL commits to continue its legislative advocacy on behalf of Florida residents, and provide the tools for our members to be effective agents for change.

One specific law under scrutiny is Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows individuals to defend themselves without a duty to retreat if they are feeling threatened. Although research on the impact of this law is limited, studies have found that states with Stand Your Ground laws have higher homicide rates than those without such laws, and have identified several areas of racial disparity in the implementation of the law. Both of these issues warrant further investigation to determine causality.

Several bills are being drafted for the 2014 legislative session that will seek to revise or repeal the 2005 Stand Your Ground law. NASW-FL will monitor and review filed legislation, and will follow NASW’s national policy to advocate for “criminal justice policies, statutes, and laws that do not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, class, political affiliation, sexual orientation, nationality, ability, age, or place of residence.”

 

NASW-FL welcomes your response to these events and this statement, and would like to hear how this situation has impacted you or your clients. Please visit the NASW-FL Facebook page or e-mail naswfl@naswfl.org with your feedback.

 

 

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Breastfeeding rates have continued to rise over the past decade, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percent of babies breastfeeding at six months increased from 35 percent in 2000 to 49 percent in 2010.  The percent of babies breastfeeding at 12 months also increased from 16 percent to 27 percent during that same time period. The data show that babies who started breastfeeding increased from 71 percent in 2000 to 77 percent in 2010.

 

“This is great news for the health of our nation, because babies who are breastfed have lower risks of ear and gastrointestinal infections, diabetes, and obesity, and mothers who breastfeed have lower risks of breast and ovarian cancers,” said CDC Director, Tom Frieden, M.D. M.P.H.  “Also, breastfeeding lowers health care costs. Researchers have calculated that $2.2 billion in yearly medical costs could be saved if breastfeeding recommendations were met. It is critical that we continue working to improve hospital, community, and workplace support for breastfeeding mothers and babies and realize these cost savings.”

 

Hospitals are an important setting for supporting breastfeeding mothers and babies. The CDC reports that the percent of hospitals implementing key maternity practices that keep mothers and babies together after birth has also increased. The percent of hospitals reporting newborn babies that ‘room in’ with their mother at least 23 hours per day increased from about 30 percent in 2007 to 37 percent in 2011. The percent of hospitals where most newborns were skin-to-skin with their mother after birth climbed from about 41 percent in 2007 to more than 54 percent in 2011.

 

“The period right after a baby is born is a critical time for establishing breastfeeding,” said Janet L. Collins, Ph.D., director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. “Rooming in and skin-to-skin contact help ensure that mothers and babies stay together and are able to start and continue breastfeeding. These are meaningful steps hospitals can take to support mothers and families and help improve breastfeeding rates.”

 

For more information about CDC’s effort to improve hospital practices to support breastfeeding, visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding. The 2013 Breastfeeding Report Card, is available at www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.

News & Resources

 

Dr. Frank Ochberg, founder of Gift From Within and renowned trauma expert, testified at the sentencing of Ariel Castro in Cleveland, OH. Castro pleaded guilty to 937 counts and was sentenced to life plus 1,000 years in the kidnapping, imprisonment, rape, and torture of three women in his Cleveland home. View a video clip of Ochberg’s testimony at: http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/308869/3/Psychiatrist-explains-where-the-survivors-go-from-here

 

Gift From Within has posted 8 new webcasts featuring Dr. Ochberg. They are available at: http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/webcasts.html

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How a Digital Bullying Button Can Help Social Workers Tackle Cyber-Bullying: http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2013/aug/09/digital-button-help-manage-cyber-bullying

 

Life’s End: Hospice Social Workers Are Guides in Dying Process: http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/life-s-end-hospice-social-workers-are-guides-in-dying/article_abcc1f4e-ee24-11e2-9bd6-001a4bcf887a.html

 

Children Waiting a Year To Be Given Social Worker: http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0722/464024-hiqa-social-worker/

 

Social Worker in Need of Kidney Learns To Accept Help, Too: http://www.news-record.com/life/article_63d95672-efc6-11e2-85ba-0019bb30f31a.html

 

 

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You can now view, rank, and discuss the nine films selected for the Council on Social Work Education 2013 Virtual Film Festival. The festival’s student-produced films focus on areas such as cross-cultural adoption, disability, LGBT issues, refugees, sexual abuse, and suicide. The winner of the Virtual Ovation Award—the top-ranked film of the festival, as determined by the audience—will receive a $500 prize.

 

See http://cswemovingpictures.blogspot.com/2013/07/participatingCSWEVFF.html for more information. The festival will run through September 6.

 

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Foster Focus is a monthly magazine dealing exclusively and entirely with the foster care industry.  The core of the magazine are seven monthly featured sections, Anonymous Faces, Ask a Pro, Editor’s Notes, Family Adventures, Guest Speaker, What Do They DO? A nonprofit profile, Alumni Perspectives and Lawmakers. Accomplished doctors, attorneys, and psychiatrists and New York Times bestselling authors make up the writing staff for Foster Focus. A range of stories and subjects are covered.

 

 

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I am seeking articles for upcoming issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. I am especially interested in articles in the following categories:

 

 

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, 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

 

The Summer 2013 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. Past issues can be found under “Magazine Issues” in the right column of the page. For selected full-text articles from issues prior to Spring 2006, click on “Feature Articles Archive” on the left side of the page. The magazine is also available for FREE download in PDF format.

 

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 and 2012 at Amazon.com. Search for “The New Social Worker” (in quotes).

 

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 the “Forum” link).

 

 

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The Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics is a free, online, peer-reviewed journal published twice a year, in full text, online.

 

The journal’s archives from 2004-2012 can be found at: http://www.socialworker.com/jswve

 

Beginning January 1, 2013, the Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics is published by the Association of Social Work Boards. See http://www.jswve.org.

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 or other occasions) for yourself, or for your friends, students, and colleagues in social work!

 

Briefly, those currently in print are:

 

 

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.

 

 

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, 2^nd 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.

 

 

All of our books are available through our secure online store at:

 

You can also download our catalog in PDF format at:

VISIT OUR SITES

www.socialworker.com