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Editor's Eye
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Dear Social Work Colleagues,
Welcome to Issue #109 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.
December is a month of holiday celebrations, including Chanukah (evening of December 11-18), Christmas (December 25), and Kwanzaa (December 26-January 1). It is also the month that we observe World AIDS Day (December 1—today), National Tolerance Week (December 1-7), Human Rights Week (December 9-15), AIDS Awareness Month, National Hand Washing Awareness Month, and Universal Human Rights Month, among others.
Coming in January: National Blood Donor Month, National Birth Defects Prevention Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
This month’s Social Work E-News is coming to you a little early and will include a round-up of recent social work news items I have come across. This is the last Social Work E-News for 2009, and I want to wish you a very happy new year! It has been great to hear from many of you over the past year, and I look forward to a new year of interaction with social workers all over the world through the E-News, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, our Facebook page, Twitter, SocialWorkJobBank.com, the book club, our Web site’s discussion forum, national and regional conferences, and anywhere else that social workers gather. Have you made a New Year’s Resolution? If so, let me know. If I get enough, I’ll compile a list of social worker’s resolutions for 2010.
Book club update: “The New Social Worker Book Club” has an official group on Facebook. You can join the group at: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?&gid=98840583520 – the club has grown by another 52 members in the past two weeks! Our second book selection was Still Alice, by Lisa Genova. Our online chat discussion of this novel, told from the point of view of a 50-year-old Harvard psychology professor who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, took place on November 17. Thank you to all who attended! This book does an excellent job of pointing out, through Alice’s story, many of the issues that Alzheimer’s patients and their families face. I highly recommend it for social workers who want to gain more insight into these issues. See the book club article below for the next selection, which I hope you will read with me!
You can also go to http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Subscribe/ 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!
In just one month, the Winter issue will be available, so be sure to subscribe now to be notified as soon as it is posted online!
The Social Work E-News has 26,800+ 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! Tell a friend, student, or colleague to visit us at http://www.socialworker.com, where they can download a free PDF copy of the magazine, become our fan on Facebook, participate in discussions, and lots more.
Until next time (and next year!),
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Publisher/Editor
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®
Networking:
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NEED BOOKS OR GIFTS? The publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER has some great books that make great gifts for yourself or someone else. Give the gift of Days in the Lives of Social Workers, The Social Work Graduate School Applicant’s Handbook, or our other social work and nonprofit management titles.
Introducing our newest book title—The Nonprofit Management Casebook: Scenes from the Frontlines, by Gary M. Grobman. This is a new collection of short stories that teach about nonprofit management issues! This book is now available from our online store.
 And now for something really different…social work notecards! The front of the card says: “Social Work! An Awesome Profession.” The inside of the card is blank, so you can write your own note. Congratulate a new grad, thank a field instructor, send a gift to your favorite social worker! Available in packages of 10 cards (including envelopes) for $10.
All of our books and products are available through our secure online store at:
You can even put items on your wish list for upcoming holidays or special occasions!
Use Coupon Code DEC09 for a 15% discount! (Coupon expires 12/31/09.) This coupon may be used on any order with a minimum purchase of $19.00 between now and December 31, 2009, 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. Visit our Amazon-powered store for all your textbook needs. http://shop.socialworker.com
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Is your life’s work developing others’ life-skills?
The Peace Corps is recruiting people experienced in working with at-risk children to become part of a service legacy that dates back to 1961. Add a new dimension to your career in unforgettable locations, and discover innovative ways to apply your workplace, education, and leadership experiences. Youth Development Volunteers work directly with at-risk youth and families, while helping communities, schools, and agencies develop programs to support them. Local partners include orphanages, schools, NGOs, and youth centers in the community in which Volunteers are placed. You’ll take away the satisfaction of knowing your efforts will have a lasting influence abroad while making you stand out here at home. Plus: stipend, benefits package, language and technical training, student loan advantages, transition money, grad school opportunities, and more. Your Skills. Our Jobs. Find out more at http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whatvol&cid=SSYO_TNSW
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LCSW for Private Practice
Ft. Bragg, NC
Friendly, caring, professional LCSW needed for busy private practice near Ft. Bragg, NC.
Must be able to do minimum 35 sessions per week, with 18 of those hours evenings or weekends. Pay is 60% of insurance payments, which starts at $70,000 annually (with current rates at 35 hours per week). Must have 3 years minimum post-licensure experience. E-mail résumé to Ravenccs@hushmail.com.
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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 1,070 jobs currently posted on SocialWorkJobBank.com. Check it out today.
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Article Excerpt: Classroom Comes to Life in HIV/AIDS Field Placement
by Nancy Martin, BSW
(Editor’s Note: In honor of World AIDS Day, I am providing an excerpt from an article from the Winter 2007 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Read the full article at:
My graduation from Stockton’s BSW program is fast approaching. Within a month, I’ll be seeking a part-time job to help with the expenses of my upcoming MSW classes. The piece of paper that I will soon receive signifies to the world that I am academically prepared to enter the field. However, it was my internship experience that reassured me that I am personally, emotionally, and professionally ready to begin the transition from student to social worker. I was fortunate to have an exceptional field experience that served as a living example of a multitude of concepts emphasized throughout the program and relevant to the profession as a whole.
My placement was with South Jersey AIDS Alliance, a nonprofit organization in Cumberland County that provides services to residents living with HIV/AIDS. There, I assisted the Early Intervention Case Manager in performing client intakes; scheduling medical appointments; and helping clients obtain needs such as food, housing, pharmaceutical assistance, and transportation. The application of numerous textbook elements in a real-life agency setting became clear as I witnessed the challenges and the rewards of the profession with each day on the job.
Every Stockton social work class stresses the importance of self-awareness and ethics. These elements came into play immediately at my internship. My social work training taught me that a nonjudgmental, respectful attitude is essential when working with any population. I was well aware, though, of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS that still exists within our society. Exposure is too often equated with “irresponsible” behavior and assumed to be preventable.
Therefore, during my initial interactions with clients at SJAA, I was particularly conscious of my demeanor, tone, and body language to ensure that I was conveying empathy, respect, and acceptance. I also encountered a variety of new terms and expressions related to drug use. I tried to clarify their words carefully so that my lack of familiarity wouldn’t be mistaken for judgment by any of the clients.
A constant attention to confidentiality issues, another textbook theme, was essential in my work there. A person must be HIV-positive to be eligible for SJAA’s services, so even revealing the name of the agency reveals a client’s status. This created the added challenge of making phone calls, faxing paperwork, and making outside referrals without compromising the client’s right to privacy. At times, this could be frustrating. For example, I had to remember to check to see whether or not a client had requested that the agency’s number be blocked from their caller ID before calling his or her home number. There were also times in which I made phone calls on behalf of clients and couldn’t leave messages, because the person calling back would be greeted with the agency’s name.
The issue of disclosure presented another challenge. Several clients chose not to disclose their status to anyone, including family members with whom they lived. This not only made it difficult to contact them by phone, but also affected the type of health-related social support that was immediately available to them. Others chose not to discuss their status with their sexual partners. The first time I heard this, I struggled to understand this decision from the client’s viewpoint. From a social work perspective, this felt like an ethical dilemma, because I could neither protect the other person nor force the client to disclose. This was a valuable lesson in “respecting self-determination,” a critical classroom concept.
I also observed how clients’ self-determination governs their decisions to attend medical appointments, adhere to their medication regimen, or continue to abstain from drug use. Considering each individual’s personal choices deepened my understanding of two other textbook elements, the “person-in-environment” perspective and the need to “start where the client is.”
I met clients from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds and age groups, and in different stages of HIV progression. I saw how the virus affects each person differently, both physically and emotionally. Some clients felt energetic and maintained part-time jobs, while others suffered from debilitating medication side effects or developed opportunistic infections. There were many clients who shared similar present realities, but possessed unique perspectives on their current situations and past experiences.
I marveled at the variety of personal strengths and coping skills that clients had developed. Many clients created new social networks for themselves through regular support group attendance. Some clients relied on drug use to “escape” their situations. One client stopped taking her medications because she believed that her faith would heal her body instead. Personally, I didn’t always agree with the methods that they had chosen. Professionally, though, I understood the importance of viewing each situation from the client’s perspective, not my own.
Read the rest of this article at:
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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER Book Club: Third Book Selection—PUSH by Sapphire
by Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW
I have been asked by numerous people: Will THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s Book Club be reading Push by Sapphire? Well, I have made my decision, and the answer is: YES! Push is our third book selection.
PUSH is THE “must read” book for social workers this season. The current movie PRECIOUS is based on this novel about a 16-year-old girl’s story of physical and sexual abuse. The book is written in first person, in the voice of the main character, Claireece “Precious” Jones. This small book tells a big story that is important for all social workers to read.
You can order PUSH from Amazon.com. The edition I am reading has the title, Precious, on the cover and includes the novel PUSH and a reader’s guide at the end. Order it at Amazon.com.
Visit the book club group page on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?&gid=98840583520) for more details and to discuss both the book and the movie. I will make an announcement there about a future online chat discussion of this book club selection.
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American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare Formed
After years of discussion among professional social work
organizations—most notably the Saint
Louis Group and the Council on Social Work Education—the American
Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) has been formed, and six
inaugural fellows have been selected. The mission of the academy is to:
- encourage and recognize outstanding research, scholarship, and
practice that contribute to a sustainable, equitable, and just future
- inform social policy by serving as a frontline source of information
for the social work profession, as well as Congress and other governmental
and nongovernmental entities charged with advancing the public good
- promote the examination of social policy and the application of
research to test alternative policies, programs, and practices for their
impact on society
- celebrate excellence in social work and social welfare research,
education, and practice.
The six inaugural fellows are:
- Paula Allen-Meares,
PhD, MSW, chancellor, the University of Illinois at Chicago and professor
emeritus of social work and education, University of Michigan School of Social Work
- Richard P. Barth, PhD, MSW, dean, University of Maryland School of Social Work
- Claudia Coulton, PhD,
MSW,
associate dean for research and training, co-director, Center on Urban
Poverty & Community Development, Case Western Reserve University
- Peter J. Pecora, PhD,
MSW,
professor and senior director of research services at Casey Family Programs,
University of Washington School of Social Work
- Enola Proctor, PhD, MSSW, professor of social work research, associate dean for
faculty, George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St.
Louis
- Barbara W. White, PhD, MSW, dean and centennial professor in leadership, University of
Texas at Austin School of Social Work
Barth was chosen as the academy’s first chair.
He said: “The establishment of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare is a milestone for the profession and will
enable us to better respond to the significant growth in demand for rigorous
analysis that can guide effective human services policies, programs, and
practices. The academy will strengthen social work’s capacity and benefit our
wider society. I am honored to be selected as a fellow and to have a role in
the development of this national resource.”
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HHS to Create a National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently announced plans to establish the nation's first national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
Experts estimate that as many as 1.5 to 4 million LGBT individuals are age 60 and older. Agencies that provide services to older individuals may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the needs of this group of individuals. The new Resource Center for LGBT Elders will provide information, assistance, and resources for both LGBT organizations and mainstream aging services providers at the state and community levels to assist them in the development and provision of culturally sensitive supports and services. The LGBT Center will also be available to educate the LGBT community about the importance of planning ahead for future long term care needs.
The LBGT Resource Center will help community-based organizations understand the unique needs and concerns of older LGBT individuals and assist them in implementing programs for local service providers, including providing help to LGBT caregivers who are providing care for an older partner with health or other challenges.
The Administration on Aging will award a single Resource Center grant of approximately $250,000 per year, pending availability of funds. Eligible entities will include public-private nonprofit organizations with experience working on LGBT issues on a national level. The funding announcement for the Resource Center will be made available on the following Web site:
http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Grants/Funding/index.aspx
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SocialWorkChat.org–A Service of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER and NASW
Connect with other social workers online! THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and the National Association of Social Workers have teamed up with the Social Work Forum to bring you SocialWorkChat.org, an online community of social workers offering twice-weekly online real-time chats on a variety of topics. The chats are held on Sunday and Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Susan Mankita is the manager of SocialWorkChat.org.
Upcoming Chats:
Tonight! December 1, 2009—Open Mike
Sunday, December 5, 2009—Open Mike
Tuesday, December 8, 2009—Private Practice, with Sheila Peck
Sunday, December 13, 2009—Open Mike
Tuesday, December 15, 2009—Guess the Diagnosis
Sunday, December 20, 2009—Becoming a Field Instructor
Tuesday, December 22, 2009—Alternative Treatments
Sunday, December 27, 2009—Self Care
Tuesday, December 29, 2009—New Year’s Resolution Chat
Registration is free! Chats are at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and will last about an hour. Check regularly for chat topics or sign up for e-mail reminders.
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Social Work Student Blogs
There are quite a few social work student blogs, which you can find with a simple search of Google. Here are a few to get you started:
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s Blog
Our MSW student columnist, TJ, writes regularly about how she balances life as an MSW student.
Reflections of an MSW Journey
An MSW student, Sarah, shares her insights.
Overworked and underpaid. Or not paid at all.
An undergrad student blog from NYU’s Silver School of Social Work.
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HHS Launches New Blog: Health IT Buzz
Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS' National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, announced the launch of Health IT Buzz, a new blog that will allow readers to learn more about health information technology (Health IT) and provide a space for consumers, providers, policymakers, and technology experts to share their ideas and concerns regarding health IT. The blog is available at http://healthit.hhs.gov/blog/onc.
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Two Online Communities of Interest
Two new online communities have been launched that are of particular interest to social workers in the UK. They are:
In the UK, social work has received a great deal of media and government attention in recent months, much of it negative. One of the criticisms Ed Balls, British Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, made was that social work did not have a strong professional voice. A new online community for everyone involved in social work and social care has been developed partly in response to the recognition of this need. Social work author Neil Thompson is the developer of Social Work Focus, a new interactive Web site. “I hear so much talk these days of social work having lost its direction and there being no sense of solidarity among the people involved, so I felt I had to do something to help pull people together,” said Thompson.
Well-being Zone is a new Web site designed as an interactive experience for everyone interested in and committed to well-being. The site is based on the idea of “Getting WISE about well-being,” with WISE spelling out:
Workplace well-being ¦ Individual well-being ¦ Social well-being ¦ Environmental well-being
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15% Discount Available on Continuing Education
YOU DESERVE CREDIT! Now you can get it. Keep up with your profession (and get credit for it) with THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER has partnered with CEU4U ( http://www.ceu4u.com/tnsw) to provide online testing, so you can receive continuing education credit for reading your favorite magazine. Take THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER courses or ANY courses at http://www.ceu4u.com/tnsw and automatically receive a 15% discount.
Continuing education credit is available for the Winter 2006-Fall 2008 issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER (2 hours/credit per issue).
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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES & ETHICS CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM
The Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, a free, online, peer-reviewed journal published by the publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, now offers continuing education credit. Beginning with the Spring 2007 issue of the journal, you are able to read selected articles and then take an online exam and receive continuing education credit. See http://www.socialworker.com/jswve/content/view/57/52/ for complete details of this program.
CE credits for the Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics are offered in cooperation with CE-Credit.com. To see a complete listing of the 600+ courses that CE-Credit.com offers, go to: http://www.socialworker.com/cecredit.html
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Fall 2009 ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER IS NOW AVAILABLE!
The Fall 2009 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is now available to download in PDF format at:
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. Past issues can be found under “Magazine Issues” on the top 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.
Current articles from the Fall 2009 issue now online include:
• Student Role Model: Joan Edwards (available in PDF version only)
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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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS FALL ISSUE AVAILABLE NOW!
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 (with occasional special issues), in full text, online at: http://www.socialworker.com/jswve
The Fall 2009 edition is available online now at:
Articles in this edition include:
Moral Philosophy and Social Work Policy
Why Addressing the Over-Representation of First Nations Children in Care Requires New Theoretical Approaches Based on First Nations Ontology
What Is Our Ethical Duty? Social Work Education and Plagiarism
A Conceptual Framework for Considering Informed Consent
Following in Jane Addams' Footsteps
The Ethics Docket: An Exercise in Ethical Decision Making
Letter to the Editor: Limits of a Code of Ethics
Book Review of Teaching Social Work Values and Ethics: A Curriculum Resource. 2nd ed.
Book Review of Ethical Decisions for Social Work Practice 7th edition
Book Review of Hospice and palliative care: The essential guide (2nd Edition)
Book Review of Guide to Caregiving in the Final Moments of Life
Book Review of Diversity, Oppression, and Change: Culturally Grounded Social Work
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* Browse our hand-picked selection of social issues posters at THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s 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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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: 54 Professionals Tell Real-Life Stories From Social Work Practice (3rd 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.
THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT’S HANDBOOK: The Complete Guide to Selecting and Applying to MSW Programs (2nd Edition), by Jesus Reyes
THE FIELD PLACEMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE: What You Need to Know to Get the Most From Your Social Work Practicum, edited by Linda May Grobman
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 (5th Edition), by Gary M. Grobman.
HOW TO ORDER
All of our books are available through our new secure online store at:
http://shop.whitehatcommunications.com
You can also download our catalog in PDF format at:
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IN THIS ISSUE
Words from Our Sponsors
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
Features
News & Resources
On Our Web Site
In Print
Newsletter Necessities
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VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE
All of our books are available through our new online store
Use Coupon Code DEC09 for a 15% discount on your order of $19.00 or more! (Coupon expires 12/31/09.)
You can also download our catalog in PDF format.
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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
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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 for rates and further information.
News: Please send brief social work-related news items to Linda for consideration.
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Copyright 2009 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.
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