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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #45, August 23, 2004
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #45 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.
The latest news from THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is the redesign of our Web site at http://www.socialworker.com & please visit and take a look around! The new site still has the content previously available, including selected articles from the magazine, as well as information about our publications and services. We have also moved book reviews and information about social work education, both of which were on specialty sub-sites, back to our main site. And we have added some interesting new features-be sure to participate in our polls, which will change periodically, and visit our "News Headlines" page to read up-to-date news relating to science, medicine, and mental health.
Back-to-school season is upon us, and there has been some discussion on our online message board about school social work. How is the No Child Left Behind Act affecting your work as a school social worker? Join in the discussion at http://www.socialworker.com (click on "Discussion Forum" link in the left column).
Hurricane Charley barreled through Florida earlier this month, leaving the area in a state of destruction and crisis, and displacing over 141,000 residents of Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee, Sarasota, Polk, and Osceola counties. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides repairs and rental vouchers in cases of extreme damage to homes. The American Red Cross has been busy providing assistance, including disaster mental health counseling, much of which is provided by social work volunteers. I have included in this issue of the E-News a short article about the Red Cross services, and about how you can help in the disaster relief.
In this issue, you'll also find a variety of short news items. I am often asked by social workers from other countries how they can work in the U.S. A first step is to determine your degree's equivalency to a U.S. social work degree. This determination is needed to qualify for jobs, licensing, admission to U.S. graduate schools, and membership in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) provides a process for reviewing non-U.S. degrees, and I've included information about this in this issue, because I am asked about this so often.
I have also listed some Web sites I've come across lately that may be of interest to you, as well as social work-related announcements.
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
News
On Our Web Site
In Print
Social Work Gifts
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
Newsletter Necessities
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FEATURES
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Red Cross Crisis Counselors Offer Emotional Support
Mental Health Professionals Available to Help Bolster Recovery Efforts in Hurricane Charley's Wake
The recent Hurricane disrupted thousands of lives, left many people without homes, and in some cases, jobless. American Red Cross counselors are seeing the effects of stress in increasing numbers.
"There is no doubt in anyone's mind that Hurricane Charley has caused emotional upheaval," said Susan Hamilton, American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Officer. "As the impact of coping with temporary difficulties and concern for the welfare of family and community continues for the residents of Florida, many of the victims are faced with the extreme stress this disaster caused."
Red Cross counselors are helping people get back to normal as quickly as possible. "In addition to the challenges of picking up the pieces of their lives, many victims are grieving the loss of their homes, possessions, and their usual support systems," Hamilton said.
There are 80 licensed mental health professionals working to meet the needs of those affected. At service centers, these counselors see individuals or families who have disaster-related emotional needs and provide appropriate assistance. The American Red Cross continues to help victims of Hurricane Charley who may have disaster related emergency.
Hurricane Charley Red Cross Relief Facts and Stats as of 8/17/04
Shelters/evacuation centers-253
Shelter population-48,657
Meals and snacks-532.262
Health services contacts-529
Mental health contacts-923
Emergency Response vehicles deployed-126
Red Cross workers deployed-1,481
"We're going to be here helping for the long haul," said Joe Becker, Vice President of Response, American Red Cross. "Thousands of volunteers are helping to meet victims' immediate needs-like providing a safe place to stay, hot meals, and helping with their emotions. Thanks to monetary donations from families and companies to the Disaster Relief Fund, we were able to start helping even before the storm hit."
From August 1 &18, the American Red Cross received $14.7 million in pledges, $4.5 million of which has already been received. The estimated costs for continuing to provide disaster relief to Hurricane Charley victims is around $50 million. This number is an estimate, and may change depending on updated damage assessment figures and the number of people requesting Red Cross assistance. "We're about to enter the peak of hurricane season, and we're asking our neighbors from across the country to make an investment into their own community by donating to the Disaster Relief Fund," Becker said.
For more information regarding Hurricane Charley, visit http://www.redcross.org, contact your local Red Cross chapter, or call the toll-free American Red Cross hotline at 1-866-GET-INFO.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting http://www.redcross.org.
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NEW STUDY SHOWS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION LIVING WITH CO-OCCURRING SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Adults with a substance use disorder in 2002 were almost three times as likely to have serious mental illness (20.4 percent) as those who did not have a substance use disorder (7.0 percent), according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The rate of serious mental illness was 19.0 percent among those with alcohol dependence or abuse, 29.1 percent among those with illicit drug dependence or abuse, and highest among adults who had both drug and alcohol dependence or abuse (30.1 percent).
The new report, "Serious Mental Illness and Its Co-Occurrence with Substance Use Disorders," presents information on the prevalence and treatment of serious mental illness and the association between mental illness and substance use among adults aged 18 or older in 2002.
"The time has come to ensure that all Americans who experience co-occurring mental and substance use disorders have an opportunity for treatment and recovery," SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said. "Clearly our systems of services must continue to evolve to reflect the growing evidence base that promotes integrated treatment and supportive services. Both disorders must be addressed as primary illnesses and treated as such."
The data show that 33.2 million adults aged 18 or older had a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder in 2002. Of these adults, 40.4 percent (13.4 million) had only a serious mental illness; 47.4 percent (15.7 million) had only a substance use disorder; and 12.2 percent (4.0 million) had both serious mental illness and a substance use disorder.
The report also indicates that while 47.9 percent of adults with both serious mental illness and a substance use disorder received some type of treatment, only 11.8 percent of these adults received both mental health and substance abuse services.
The report shows that adults with serious mental illness were more likely to be either unemployed or not in the labor force (36.4 percent) than were persons without a serious mental illness. Of the three age groups considered in this report, adults aged 18 to 25 had the highest rate of serious mental illness (13.2 percent), followed by adults aged 26 to 49 (9.5 percent) and adults aged 50 or older (4.9 percent). Overall, the rate of serious mental illness was almost twice as high among females as it was among males.
The report can be accessed at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov.
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NEWS
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INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK DEGREE RECOGNITION AND EVALUATION SERVICE (ISWDRES)
The Council on Social Work Education has announced a new process for evaluating non-U.S. social work degrees and determining whether they are recognized as comparable to an accredited social work degree in the U.S. The new service is called "International Social Work Degree Recognition and Evaluation Service" (ISWDRES) and is provided by CSWE's Office of Social Work Accreditation and Educational Excellence (OSWAEE).
The ISWDRES application and instructions are available on the CSWE Web site at http://www.cswe.org (click on "Accreditation"). First, a screening form and fee are submitted. Once the screening form is approved, the applicant is sent a password and username to access the online application form. Applicants then submit the application, an application fee, and official supporting documents. Once the application is reviewed, a letter is sent informing the applicant whether the degree is recognized or not. This process, once the application and supporting documents are received, takes about 45 days, according to CSWE's Web site.
For details and forms, see http://www.cswe.org under "Accreditation."
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ALSTON/BANNERMAN FELLOWSHIPS PROVIDE SABBATICALS TO ORGANIZERS OF COLOR
The Alston/Bannerman Fellowships (http://www.alstonbannerman.org/) are awarded annually to ten organizers of color who have devoted their lives to helping their communities organize for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice. Fellows receive $15,000 to take sabbaticals of three months or more for reflection and renewal. To qualify for a fellowship, applicants must be a person of color, have more than ten years of community organizing experience, be committed to continuing to work for social change, and live in the United States or its territories. While most fellows have been paid organizers, an applicant's work can be as a volunteer organizer or leader, or involve a mix of paid and unpaid work. The deadline for applications is December 1, 2004. See http://www.alstonbannerman.org/ for full details.
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CALL FOR STUDENT POSTERS-3rd National Gerontological Social Work Conference New York, 2/26-3/1/05
For the first time, there is a special call for student posters for the National Gerontological Social Work Conference. The poster session will provide an opportunity to promote student research around aging-related topics. BSW, MSW, and doctoral students are encouraged to submit abstracts online at http://www.cswe.org/annualmeeting/, where submission details can also be found. Deadline: 9/30/04.
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CornellCARES
http://www.cornellcares.org
CornellCARES is billed as "a geriatric psychosocial Web site." CARES stands for Creating Aging Resources and Educational Solutions. Published by the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, the site includes a directory of New York City-based Medicare mental health specialists, patient handouts on a variety of topics related to aging (health care costs, housing, grief and loss, supportive home services), and an "Ask Dr. Abrams" feature in which a geriatric psychiatrist answers geriatric mental health questions.
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NEW ONLINE SOCIAL WORK JOURNAL
One of our Social Work E-News readers has informed us of a new online social work journal that is available free of charge at http://www.socwork.de
The new journal, Social Work & Society (SW&S), is an "online-only" journal published by the University of Bielefeld Center for Social Service Studies. Each article's abstract is posted on the site, with a link to the PDF version of the full article. The journal includes editorials, articles, social reports, research notes, book reviews, historical portraits, and debates. There is also a discussion forum.
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BPD Seeks Student Volunteers
The Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors (BPD) annual conference is being held in Detroit this year, November 3-7. Student volunteers are sought. For information on the conference and a form for student volunteers, visit the BPD website at http://bpdonline.org
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ON OUR WEB SITE
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We have just launched our newly-designed site!
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 newly-designed 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. Recent discussions have focused on ethical dilemmas, applying to graduate school, school social work, and more.
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IN PRINT
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SUMMER ISSUE AVAILABLE NOW
The Summer issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is available now. Here are some highlights of this issue:
Ethics: Asserting Myself-Do I Dare?
Field Placement: Shaping Your Professional Self in the Practicum
Traumatic Stress and Prostitution: Reexperienced Trauma for Regained Control
A Miracle Among Devastation: My Semester in Zimbabwe
Reflections on Social Work for Graduates
Career Talk: Getting Prepared for the Job Interview
How to Avoid the Crash and Burn
New Technologies Reshaping Social Work: Emerging Issues
and more!
Watch our Web site and the next issue of the E-News for highlights from the upcoming Fall 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. Go to Amazon's magazine subscription store (from Amazon's main page at http://www.amazon.com ) and search for "new social worker."
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 offers an overview of "typical" days in 50 different 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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JOB CORNER
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CURRENT JOB OPENINGS:
Clinical Supervisor, Gerard Treatment Programs, Nationwide U.S.-
http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=122&jb=538277
Family Counselor, Youth Villages, Knoxville, TN-
http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=122&jb=521971
Click on the links above (or copy and paste them into your browser, if they do not show up as links 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 more than 3,900 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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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, send an e-mail message to 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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PRIVACY
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Copyright 2004 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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