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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #75, February 13, 2007
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #75 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, SocialWorkJobBank.com, and other social work publications.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, which brings to mind "affairs of the heart." This month is also American Heart Month. Did you know that cardiovascular disease claims the life of about one woman per minute? In fact, heart disease is the #1 killer of both women AND men. In addition, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health, African Americans are 30% more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites, and premature death is higher for Hispanics (23.5%) than non-Hispanics (16.5%). See http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4441 for more information about heart disease and American Heart Month.
This week is Children of Alcoholics Week (see http://www.nacoa.org/) and National Condom Week (see http://www.ashastd.org/news/news_pressreleases_NCW2007.cfm). Also, later this month, is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (see http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=337).
I have attended some interesting social work continuing education events recently, sponsored by the PA Chapter of NASW. A recent workshop on bullying prevention caught my attention, so I went to the 2-hour brown bag lunch session. I learned some very interesting information about this form of peer abuse, which is a prevalent problem in schools today.
Amanda Vos, an Australian social worker, is coming to the U.S. at the end of this month. I first met Amanda a few years back when she wrote to me to ask if she could run a short blurb in this newsletter about her upcoming trip to the U.S., in which she was seeking social workers to interview for a documentary she was doing on social workers' self care. She is now returning to speak at the Mississippi Chapter NASW conference and to travel, meeting with social workers and friends to explore ideas for a new project she is working on. Amanda is a great example of someone who, with use of the Internet and a LOT of initiative, has truly made global connections in the social work world. I am excited about her visit, and maybe I'll report on it in the next issue of the E-News!
Don't forget to check out the Winter 2007 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine! You can read articles from this issue on our Web site now at http://www.socialworker.com, and download the full issue in PDF format at http://www.socialworker.com/home/component/option,com_docman/task,doc_details/gid,2/Itemid,136/ today. You will need the free Adobe Reader to read the PDF magazine. (You can get this at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html if you don't already have it on your computer.)
The Social Work E-News now has more than 22,700 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, help us get the word out, and tell a friend or colleague! And if you need a fast, efficient, and cost-effective way to get a message out to thousands of social workers, then consider advertising.
Coming next month
SOCIAL WORK MONTH!
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
Words From Our Sponsors
Letter to the Editor
Features
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
News
On Our Web Site
In Print
Newsletter Necessities
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WORDS FROM OUR SPONSORS
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BOOKS FROM THE PUBLISHER OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
Order our practical books on social work and nonprofit management, from the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Titles include:
Days in the Lives of Social Workers,
More Days in the Lives of Social Workers
The Social Work Graduate School Applicant's Handbook
Field Placement Survival Guide
The Nonprofit Handbook
Fundraising Online
and others.
Find info about our books at http://www.socialworker.com/home/Publications/ or go directly to http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store to order securely online.
DISCOUNT COUPON: Use code FEB07 to receive a 15% discount on your order at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store from now until the end of February.
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BOOKS, GIFTS, & MORE AT SOCIALWORKER.COM
Social Work Month is coming! Where can you find social work books, office supplies, equipment, and gift items? For your convenience, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER offers an online shop where you can find books from a variety of publishers, and other items, quickly, easily, and securely. You can purchase books, music, calendars, and more. Visit http://shop.socialworker.com/shop today.
For Social Work Month
We also have novelty items, such as teddy bears, mugs, calendars, magnets, postcards, and mousepads especially for social workers, at http://www.cafepress.com/socialworker
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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Dear Editor:
HIV/AIDS is an issue that I'm very passionate about. I have seen many people die from a virus they contracted simply by being human...by coping with life's issues through the only means they knew of (e.g., escape through substance use, sex, etc.). Little did I know during graduate school that the skills I would acquire would end up helping me cope with my own HIV-positive status that was diagnosed shortly after graduate school. The work I do now gives me a greater sense of purpose and, in turn, gives me hope.
I would like to request that we encourage other social workers to promote HIV/AIDS awareness in the senior population (currently 11% of all cases of HIV in the U.S.-- and rising) and the medical professionals who care for them, in the gay community at risk for domestic violence (often, sero-discordant gay couples --one HIV-positive and one HIV-negative--are at increased risk of transmitting HIV as a form of control), and in the gay or straight substance-using community. (Some doctors will not provide antiretroviral therapy for those who use drugs, even though studies show medication regimen compliance is the same as for individuals who don't use substances.) Finally, I think HIV/AIDS awareness in the heterosexual community is still very limited, as many people still believe they are not at risk if they are not gay. Some believe that HIV/AIDS is no longer a concern and that people are no longer dying from the disease.
I love receiving your e-newsletter and catching up on the latest social work issues. Keep up the good work.
Best,
Terry Davis, MSW
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FEATURES
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WOMEN'S HEART DISEASE
By Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW
What is the #1 killer of American women? Many people are surprised to learn that the answer is: heart disease. One in four women dies of heart disease, and heart disease can also lead to a decreased quality of life, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
The organization started its "The Heart Truth" campaign in 2002 to give women a "wake-up call" about their heart disease risks. Women of color, especially African American women, are disproportionately affected by heart disease, and the NHLBI began its Women of Color Initiative in 2005 to inspire women of color to reduce their risks of heart disease.
The red dress is a symbol of the Heart Truth campaign. On the first Friday in February, the organization promoted "Wear Red Day" to raise awareness of heart disease in women and ways to reduce risks.
See the Heart Truth Web site at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/index.htm
Another initiative to address women's heart health is the Sister to Sister: Everyone Has a Heart Foundation's National Woman's Heart Day, which is taking place this Friday, February 16. Free Woman's Heart Day Health Fairs will take place in Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.
The Sister to Sister Foundation was founded by Irene Pollin, MSW, a psychiatric social worker in the Washington, DC area who has dedicated her career to chronic illness, after the heart-related deaths of two of her own children. Pollin is also owner, with her husband Abe Pollin, of the Washington Wizards basketball team, among other things.
Since 2000, the National Woman's Heart Day health fairs have provided free health screenings for thousands of women.
See http://www.sistertosister.org for more information and locations of the health fairs being held this Friday.
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BULLYING
By Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Bullying is a form of peer abuse. It is not "kids being kids," and it is different from fighting. It is one person (or more) trying to exert power over another through repeated direct or indirect, physical or emotional, abuse. These are some of the things I learned when I attended a recent workshop on bullying and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a program that provides training to school personnel and others to put into place a change in the schools' environment to stop bullying.
Anti-gay bullying is a serious problem. According to Mental Health America, 78% of teens report that youth who are gay or thought to be gay are teased or bullied in their schools and communities. According to one study, teens hear anti-gay slurs at school about 26 times a day, or every 14 minutes. Four out of five gay and lesbian teens feel that they do not know one supportive adult at school.
The School Social Work Association of America adopted a resolution on bullying in July 2003. According to this resolution, "Bullying can no longer be passed off as a normal aspect of childhood or as behavior victims should be encouraged to ignore. The consequence of this type of faulty thinking has resulted in violence, including lethal violence, which has become far too commonplace in our nation's schools." The resolution goes on to say that bullying occurs in both boys and girls, and that students have a right to a safe and secure learning environment. The resolution encourages Congress and the Department of Education to address bullying. See the complete statement at http://www.sswaa.org/members/resolutions/bullying.html
Bullying doesn't just happen between kids. Adults can be bullies, too. In fact, some of the adults who work in schools and other settings with kids are bullies themselves. Bullying affects victims, perpetrators, and bystanders.
For more information on bullying, see the following resources:
Books
Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds) by Dan Olweus -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-0631192417-Bullying_at_School_What_We_Know_and_What_We_Can_Do_Understanding_Childrens_Worlds.html
The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-006001430X-The_Bully_the_Bullied_and_the_Bystander_From_Preschool_to_High_School_How_Parents_and_Teachers_Can_Help_Break_the_Cycle_of_Violence.html
Bullying Prevention Handbook: A Guide for Principals, Teachers, and Counselors -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-1879639440-Bullying_Prevention_Handbook_A_Guide_for_Principals_Teachers_and_Counselors.html
You Can't Say You Can't Play -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-0674965906-You_Cant_Say_You_Cant_Play.html
The Responsive Classroom Series-Off to a Good Start: Launching the School Year -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-0961863668-Off_to_a_Good_Start_Launching_the_School_Year_The_Responsive_Classroom_Series_1.html
Web Sites
Olweus Bullying Prevention Program -- http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/
Stop Bullying Now: Take a Stand, Lend a Hand -- http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/index.asp
Bullying.org & http://www.bullying.org
Bully Online & http://www.bullyonline.org
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Overhauling the Image of the Social Worker (article excerpt)
By Susan C. Westgate, LGSW
As social workers, we are all conscious of the fights that we must fight-the forces that we can and cannot control, the political powers that seek to diminish the spirits of our clients, and the social stigmas attached to the issues that are essentially the meat of our work. However, we must also seek to confront and hold true to our professional roots regarding issues within our own system of functioning, such as: steadfast adherence to ethical standards, working to empower vs. enable our clientele, and seeking to expand upon the image of the social worker.
It is an undeniable reality that much of the population has a limited view of what a social worker is and what a social worker does. Many people believe us to exclusively be nonprofit case managers, to work only with families and children, to be the entities that divide families vs. unite them, and to be professionals within a field rampant with high turnover and even higher burnout. We must reflect on these commonly held images and discern what they mean. Furthermore, we must determine together what it means to be a social worker.
This full-text, free article appears in the Winter 2007 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Read the rest of this article at: http://www.socialworker.com/home/Feature_Articles/Professional_Development_%26_Advancement/Overhauling_the_Image_of_the_Social_Worker/
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Tackling the Graduate Admissions Process With a Graduate Education Action Plan (GEAP) (article excerpt)
By Felicia L. Townsend, MBA
http://www.socialwork.dom.edu
Are you considering applying to graduate school but you just don't know where to start? The pursuit of a graduate education is a financial and personal investment. It's important for students to make an informed decision before committing to an advanced degree of study like a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. It's almost like purchasing a new car.
The average car buyer will visit several dealerships before making a final purchase. The same strategy should apply to selecting the MSW program that will fit your needs.
This full-text, free article appears in the Winter 2007 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Read the rest of this article at:
http://www.socialworker.com/home/Feature_Articles/Professional_Development_%26_Advancement/Tackling_the_Graduate_Admissions_Process_with_a_Graduate_Education_Action_Plan_%28G.E.A.P%29/
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Have you downloaded The New Social Worker's free Social Work Toolbar yet? Do so, and you'll never be more than one click away from our SocialWorker.com and SocialWorkJobBank.com sites. Go to http://SocialWork.ourtoolbar.com to get your own unique Social Work Toolbar for your Web browser!
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JOB CORNER
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HEAD COUNSELOR - Kippewa For Girls in Monmouth, Maine
Kippewa, located in a beautiful lakeside setting, is a summer camp for 140 girls and 50 program staff. This makes for an intimate setting where warm friendships and caring relationships are key. The major role of the Head Counselor is responsibility for and implementation of camper and staff adjustment to camp, to one another, and to group living. Pre-camp planning and a leadership role in counselor orientation training are required. Qualifications: camp staff supervisory experience or related experience; experience in the coordination and management of a residential camp staff is desired. Bachelor's degree, preferably in social work, psychology, or related field is required; MSW or Masters Degree desired. Very competitive seasonal salary includes private quarters, board, and laundry.
Visit www.kippewa.com to take a tour and to complete our online staff application. Contact: info@kippewa.com or call 800 -547-7392 (800-KIPPEWA) with your questions.
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Camp Chi, a co-ed residential camp, serves children in 4th-11th grades in a beautiful setting in Wisconsin. Camp Chi is owned by the JCC of Chicago.
Village Advisors provide counseling and support services to children and help to ensure that camp provides a positive, enriching community where campers can build self-confidence, self-esteem, independence, and strong group relationships. Responsibilities include assisting campers struggling with adjustment to camp, intra-group relationships, and other emotional challenges; communicating with parents; and training staff.
Social workers and school counselors with camp experiences are encouraged to apply. Must have clinical experiences with children and desire to work with children in a camp setting. Village Advisors must be available June 17-July 13, 2007 OR July 15-August 10, 2007 plus training dates. (Opportunities for full-summer employment available.) Competitive salary and great perks, including modern staff housing and tuition waiver for children.
Please complete an application at http://www.campchi.com or e-mail resume to info@campchi.com.
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Find more 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. We are proud of the fact that this site was chosen as one of 350 (out of 40,000+ employment sites) to be included (for the third consecutive time) in Weddle's Recruiter's and Job Seeker's Guide to Employment Web Sites 2007/2008.
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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Articles Sought for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is looking for social workers to contribute feature articles on ethics, field placement, and practice issues. Articles should be about 1,500-2,000 words in length and should be geared toward social work students and those new to the profession. We are also looking for social workers who would like to review books for us. Please submit articles or queries to Linda Grobman, editor/publisher, at linda.grobman@paonline.com
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FYI
The need for gerontological social workers is increasing. See http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/2006/SWsupply.pdf -- The Supply and Demand of Professional Social Workers Providing Long-Term Care Services: Report to Congress.
The Council on Social Work Education is now accepting proposals for its 53rd Annual Program Meeting, to be held October 27-30, 2007, in San Francisco. The deadline for proposals is April 27. See http://www.cswe.org for details.
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BOOKS RECENTLY RECEIVED IN THE OFFICE OF NEW SOCIAL WORKER
We receive a variety of newly-published social work-related books at our office. Here is a listing of some recently received:
ADHD Grown Up: A Guide to Adolescent and Adult ADHD, by Joel L. Young, M.D., Norton Professional Books, January 2007 -- http://shop.socialworker.com/shop.php?k=0393704688&c=BooksGeneral
Abandoned in the Maze, by Michael Berg, Bedside Books, 2006 -- http://shop.socialworker.com/shop.php?k=abandoned+in+the+maze&c=BooksGeneral
Information Technology and Evidence Based Social Work Practice, by Judith M. Dunlop, Ph.D., and Michael J. Holoski, Ph.D., (Editors), The Haworth Press, 2006 -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-0789034050-Information_Technology_And_Evidence_Based_Social_Work_Practice.html
Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding, by David F. Tolin, Randy O. Frost, and Gail Steketee, Oxford University Press, 2007 -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-0195300580-Buried_in_Treasures_Help_for_Compulsive_Acquiring_Saving_and_Hoarding.html
Married With Special Needs Children, by Laura E. Marshak, Ph.D., and Fran Pollock Prezant, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, Woodbine House, 2007 -- http://shop.socialworker.com/BooksGeneral-1000-1890627100-Married_with_Special_Needs_Children_A_Couples_Guide_to_Keeping_Connected.html
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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. The current issue is featured on the site's main page, with links to current full-text articles. The last several issues can be found under "Magazine Issues" on the top right column of the page. For full-text articles from issues prior to Spring 2006, click on "Feature Articles Archive" on the left side of the page. The current issue is also available for free download in PDF format.
Current articles now online include:
Classroom Comes to Life in HIV/AIDS Field Placement
Cultural Competence in a Field Placement as a Victim Witness Advocate
Six- and Seven-Year-Old Children and Their Families
Overhauling the Image of the Social Worker
Tackling the Graduate Admissions Process With a Graduate Education Action Plan (G.E.A.P.)
Playing Nice, and Other Lessons From the Field: The First 18 Months
Handwriting vs. Keyboarding, Fountain Pens vs. PDAs
and more!
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 http://www.ceu4u.com/tnsw for online continuing education offerings.
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SHOP ON OUR WEB SITE
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* Want some meaningful decorations for your office or other area? Browse our hand-picked selection of social issues posters at THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's Poster Store at http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Poster_Store/ or search for your own. (In association with AllPosters.com.)
* Social work specialty items: Visit http://www.cafepress.com/socialworker for our unique social work teddy bears, mugs, calendars, custom postage stamps, and other items.
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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS-FALL 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 Fall 2006 edition is available online now.
Go to the journal Web site at http://www.socialworker.com/jswve to read this and other available issues. 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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WINTER ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER AVAILABLE NOW!
The Winter issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is available! Highlights of this issue include:
Student Role Model: Amal Elanouari
Classroom Comes to Life in HIV/AIDS Field Placement
Empowerment Through Group Process
Cultural Competence in a Field Placement as a Victim Witness Advocate
Overhauling the Image of the Social Worker
Tackling the Graduate Admissions Process
Playing Nice, and Other Lessons From the Field
and more!
See our Web site at http://www.socialworker.com for more details and full-text articles from this and previous issues, and to download this issue free of charge in PDF format.
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NEWSLETTER NECESSITIES
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To see previous issues of this newsletter, go to the public archive page, located at:
http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/pubarchive.php?lindagwhc
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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, sponsor this newsletter, or place a banner ad on our Web site, 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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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 2007 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
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is a registered trademark of White Hat Communications.
