SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS
  Issue #136  March 13, 2012
SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS
 
REMINDER: Download The New Social Worker magazine FREE at our Web site.
Find or post social work jobs at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com.

 
Editor's Eye
Dear Social Work Colleagues,  
 
Hello! Welcome to Issue #135 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 SOCIAL WORK MONTH! March is National Social Work Month (in the U.S.), and I would like to personally thank and recognize professional social workers around the world during our special month.  During this month, I have been posting daily “thank you” messages to social workers on Facebook.  I have seen a lot of other Social Work Month activity on various social media sites.  In addition, there have been many news articles about social workers this month. I hope this helps to raise awareness about the important work social workers do.  What have you been doing to celebrate this special month?
 
Also this month (later this week), I will be attending the BPD conference in Portland, OR. If you will be there, please stop by my booth in the exhibit hall.  I would love to talk about any ideas you have for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER and show you our publications!
 
March also marks the observance of National Women’s History Month, Save Your Vision Month, National Nutrition Month, Red Cross Month, National Kidney Month, Music in Our Schools Month, and more.
 
Coming in April: Alcohol Awareness Month, Autism Awareness Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Donate Life Month, and others.
 
And…here’s something fun! My book, Days in the Lives of Social Workers, was recently featured in a clue on the TV show, Jeopardy! This occurred on February 27, 2012, just in time to highlight the social work profession just prior to the beginning of Social Work Month. Read about it here: http://www.socialworkersspeak.org/hollywood-connection/noted-social-work-book-became-clue-on-game-show-jeopardy.html
 
The Winter 2012 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available NOW!  Highlights of the Winter issue include duty to warn and protect, delivering unwelcome news, sexualization of young girls, surrender in substance abuse treatment of veterans, social work and reproductive justice/sexual health, Facebook and suicide prevention, New Year’s resolutions, letter to the editor about the Jerry Sandusky case, poetry, book reviews, and more!
 
You can download this issue (and others) of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine in PDF format FREE at http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Downloads/. Please allow time for the download to complete.
 
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!
 
IT'S ALSO IN PRINT! Don't forget--THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available in a limited print edition. Most issues from 2009 to the present are available now at http://newsocialworker.magcloud.com. You can purchase them individually, or purchase all four issues from 2010 or 2011 in one perfect-bound volume.
 
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! Subscribe to both to get the most advantage.
 
The Social Work E-News has 28,800+ 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! You can use 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 13,700+ fans on Facebook, participate in discussions, and lots more.
 
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.)
http://www.linkedin.com (search for “The New Social Worker Magazine” under Groups)
 
Words From Our Sponsors
 
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 or our other social work and nonprofit management titles.
 
Available now—4th edition of Days in the Lives of Social Workers. This collection of 58 first-person accounts of “typical” days in the lives of professional social workers will give you increased insight into the wide variety of career paths available in this diverse field! Includes 4 new chapters, as well as a new appendix on social media, apps, and blogs. Get your copy today! “Everyone who reads this book, whether you've spent a lifetime as a proud social worker, you have received social work services, or you are just curious about the profession, will gain a new perspective and appreciation for the work of these tireless individuals.” --Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, Executive Director, National Association of Social Workers, from the Foreword to the 4th edition.
 
NEW! Interested in starting or running a nonprofit organization? THE NONPROFIT HANDBOOK: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO START AND RUN YOUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION is now in its 6th edition. This book is packed with detailed information that you need to know.
 
Check out our social work ethics book: IS IT ETHICAL? 101 SCENARIOS IN EVERYDAY SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE: A DISCUSSION WORKBOOK, by Thomas Horn, MSW, RSW. This small book asks some big questions about situations social workers face every day.  It is a great tool for students or for more seasoned social workers.
 
It's Social Work Month! Let a social worker know you care with 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, or send a gift to your favorite social worker.. Available in packages of 10 cards (including envelopes) for $10. We also have social work buttons that say "I Am a Social Worker!" Red with yellow lettering.
 
 
 
All of our books and products are available through our secure online store at:
 
 
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.
 
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!  Order it from Amazon at:  http://amzn.to/qq8B9ohttp://amzn.to/qq8B9o

 
Job Corner
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 480,000 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 1,100 jobs currently posted on SocialWorkJobBank.com. Check it out today.
 
Features
How My Field Placement Showed Me Why I Wanted to Be a Social Worker
by Katie Ullman
 
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from an article from the current (Winter 2012) issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. Read the full article at:
 
 
People often ask, “Why social work?” It is almost inevitable that a social work student will be asked to answer this question multiple times during his or her social work education. Of course, many people will answer with something along the lines of “wanting to help people.” Personally, I have always hated this question. I knew I wanted a career in social work, but I could never find the words to fully explain why. Becoming a social worker was something that just seemed right, an unexplainable feeling that this is what I am supposed to do. Having a feeling is great (especially in this field), but I needed a more definite answer. I needed a universal answer I could tell to salesclerks, my 80-year-old grandfather, and potential employers. So how do you capture your passion for social work in words? I struggled with this question for a long time, and it wasn’t until the end of my field placement that I finally understood what social work actually means to me.

My first official field placement was at Families Moving Forward, a supportive program to assist families experiencing homelessness. This field placement was everything I could have hoped for: an amazing field instructor, friendly staff, meaningful work, support, independence, and my very own caseload. The abundance of knowledge I obtained during my placement was something for which I will forever be grateful.

As my hours were coming to an end, I began to invest less of myself at my internship. As many social work students understand, I was juggling far too many things to finish school. Papers, tests, work, field placement, family, friends were taking a toll on me. I was on a race to the finish line, counting hours until I could breathe again. It was in the midst of this chaos that I finally began to answer the infamous question, “Why social work?”

My last case started out seeming ordinary. Little did I know Mary would have such an influence on me. Mary was a hardworking single mother who came to Families Moving Forward seeking shelter. She was a delight to be around and was a breath of fresh air to the emergency shelter program. Mary had an associate’s degree and was considered highly employable. I would often find her diligently working on the computer to find housing programs and applying to new jobs.

In one of our case management meetings, Mary shared with me the devastating news—she had been diagnosed with cancer and needed to be treated with chemotherapy and radiation immediately. My heart broke for this woman; being homeless is one thing, but having to go through a serious illness while being in a shelter seemed like cruel and unusual punishment. As social workers know, when it rains it pours. A series of unfortunate events followed as Mary began treatment. As her case manager, I felt completely powerless. What could a social work student such as myself have to offer someone facing cancer in a homeless shelter?
 
Read the rest of this article at:
 
 
Articles from the Winter 2012 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER include:
 
Infusing Social Work and Reproductive Justice To Advocate for Women’s Sexual Health, by Nicole Clark
 
Facebook and Suicide Prevention, by Linda May Grobman
 
Duty To Warn, Duty To Protect, by Steven Granich
 
How My Field Placement Showed Me Why I Wanted To Be a Social Worker, by Katie Ullman
 
I Am Not Sure How To Tell You This: Delivering Unwelcome News, by Misty Wall
 
3 Components of Turning Passion Into a Successful Social Work Career, by Sonya Hunte
 
Sexualization on Young Girls in Entertainment, by Heather Dawley-McClendon
 
When to Surrender: A New Definition for Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment, by Heidi Peck
 
A Social Worker’s Resolutions, by Kryss Shane
 
…and more!
 
 
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RAISING AWARENESS
 
Social Work Month
National Association of Social Workers—http://www.socialworkers.org
International Federation of Social Workers—http://www.ifsw.org
 
Red Cross Month
American Red Cross—http://www.redcross.org
American Red Cross on Twitter—http://twitter.com/redcross
 
Women’s History Month
Women’s History Month—Library of Congress-- http://womenshistorymonth.gov/
National Women’s History Project-- http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php
 
National Kidney Month
 
 
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March in National Women’s History Month

Women's Education - Women's Empowerment is the theme for National Women's History Month 2012.
 
Although women now outnumber men in American colleges nationwide, this reversal of the gender gap is a very recent phenomenon. The fight to learn was a valiant struggle waged by many tenacious women — across years and across cultures. After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a safeguard for democracy created opportunities for girls to gain a basic education. However, that education was based largely on the premise that, as mothers, they would nurture the minds and bodies of the (male) citizens and leaders. This idea that educating women meant educating mothers endured in America for many years at all levels of education.
The equal opportunity to learn, which today is taken for granted, owes much to Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments. Passed in 1972 and enacted in 1977, this legislation prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. Its enactment has served as the primary tool for women's fuller participation in all aspects of education from scholarships, to facilities, to classes formerly closed to women. It has also transformed the educational landscape of the United States within the span of a generation.
 
Each year National Women's History Month employs a unifying theme and recognizes national honorees whose work and lives testify to that theme. This year we are proud to honor six women who help illustrate how ethnicity, region, culture, and race relate to Women's Education - Women's Empowerment.

The 2012 Honorees are:

·         Emma Hart Willard, Women Higher Education Pioneer
·         Charlotte Forten Grimke, Freedman Bureau Educator
·         Annie Sullivan, Disability Education Architect
·         Gracia Molina Enriquez de Pick, Feminist Educational Reformer
·         Okolo Rashid, Community Development Activist and Historical Preservation Advocate
·         Brenda Flyswithhawks, American Indian Advocate and Educator
 
The stories of women's achievements are integral to the fabric of our history. Learning about women's tenacity, courage, and creativity throughout the centuries is a tremendous source of strength. Knowing women's stories provides essential role models for everyone. And role models are genuinely needed to face the extraordinary changes and unrelenting challenges of the 21st century. National Women's History Month, designated by Joint Resolutions of the House and Senate and Proclamations by six American Presidents, is an opportunity to learn about and honor women's achievements today and throughout history.
 
For more information and resources to commemorate multicultural women's history and to celebrate Women's Education - Women's Empowerment, visit, WWW.NWHP.ORG or http://womenshealth.gov/heartattack/ 
 
News & Resources
Write for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER
 
I am seeking articles for upcoming issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. I am especially interested in articles in the following categories:
 
  • social work ethics
  • field placement
  • practice specialties
  • news of innovative social work practice
  • technology
  • what every new social worker needs to know about…
  • other topics of interest to social work students, new graduates, and seasoned professionals
 
Our style is conversational and educational, and articles typically run 1,500-2,000 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
 
 
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Aging Well—Free Training

Aging Well: Older Adult Mental Health Training is a free training that describes how older adults or caregivers can detect when something is not right in their own or their loved one’s life, and how following with appropriate screening, diagnosis, and treatment can lead to aging well. Aging Well seeks to make the case that mental health issues are no different from physical health issues.
 
The AGING WELL program of BHETA is a County of San Diego Mental Health contracted program of the Academy for Professional Excellence, a project of SDSU School of Social Work
 
For more information, contact: Kellie Scott MSW, (619)594-3753, kscott@projects.sdsu.edu
 
This program is available as a free one-hour e-learning course at:
 
 
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CALL FOR ABSTRACTS—4th Conference on Recent Advances in the Prevention and Management of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity
 
The 4th Conference on Recent Advances in the Prevention and Management of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity, to be held in October 2012 in Halifax, NS, provides a forum for authors to present their work in an interactive setting. Posters are ideal for presenting
scientifically based investigations, clinical case studies, and demonstrations of community projects. Posters are intended to provide attendees with a forum to connect with each other and to engage in discussions about their work.
 
For Trainees Only
 
Up to four abstracts submitted by trainees will be chosen to be presented as oral presentations. Please indicate on your abstract submission whether or not you are a trainee (i.e., undergraduate student, health professional intern, graduate student, research fellow) and your presentation preference: Poster Presentation Only or Poster or Oral Presentation.
 
Guidelines for Submission
 
  • Outline how your work is related to the conference objectives
  • Abstract summary (400 words or less) must be submitted online at interprofessional.ubc.ca or by e-mail to jo.ipce@ubc.ca in Word Document format (.doc)
  • Submission Deadline: Friday, March 23, 2012 (to be considered for an oral presentation if you are a trainee).
 
For poster abstracts, the deadline has been extended to Friday, May 18, 2012.
 
See the full call for abstracts, including abstract formatting guidelines, at:
 
 
 
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Social Work-Related News Headlines
 
Here are several recent news stories that may be of interest to social workers:
 
1)    Social Workers Give Voice to the Voiceless. This letter to the editor at http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2012/03/social_workers_give_voice_to_t.html discusses National Social Work Month and how social workers help people overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges.

2)    Dead Serious: MSU Offers New Course on “Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse.” http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/02/dead_serious_msu_offers_new_co.html Michigan State University School of Social Work is offering a new online course called "Surviving the Coming Zombie Apocalypse — Catastrophes and Human Behavior" this summer. According to Glenn Stutzky, the instructor and creator of the course, "We are using the idea of a zombie apocalypse to attract attention to the important research and science on the topic of Catastrophes and Human Behavior.”
 
3)    NYC Social Workers Want Protection on the Job. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/NYC-ACS-Social-Workers-Assault-Felony-Bill-State-Legislature-141845153.html  Workers in NYC’s Administration for Children’s Services are seeking a state law that would make it a felony to assault them while they are on the job.
 
4)    Best Jobs 2012: Social Worker.  http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2012/02/27/best-jobs-2012-social-worker  Social work has been named one of the best jobs for 2012.
 
On Our Web Site
Winter 2012 ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER IS NOW AVAILABLE!
 
The Winter 2012 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 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” 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.
 
Individual articles from the Winter 2012 issue now online include:
 
Infusing Social Work and Reproductive Justice To Advocate for Women’s Sexual Health, by Nicole Clark
 
Facebook and Suicide Prevention, by Linda May Grobman
 
Duty To Warn, Duty To Protect, by Steven Granich
 
How My Field Placement Showed Me Why I Wanted To Be a Social Worker, by Katie Ullman
 
I Am Not Sure How To Tell You This: Delivering Unwelcome News, by Misty Wall
 
3 Components of Turning Passion Into a Successful Social Work Career, by Sonya Hunte
 
Sexualization on Young Girls in Entertainment, by Heather Dawley-McClendon
 
When to Surrender: A New Definition for Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment, by Heidi Peck
 
A Social Worker’s Resolutions, by Kryss Shane
 
…and more!
 
 
In addition to the free PDF and Web versions of the magazine, the magazine is now available in PRINT at http://newsocialworker.magcloud.com!  Order it today!
 
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

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 2011 edition is available online now at:
 
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.

Get continuing education credit for reading selected articles from the Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics. Several new courses are now available.  See http://www.socialworker.com/jswve/content/view/57/52/ for details.

CE credits for the Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics are offered in cooperation with CE-Credit.com. Low pricing! The basic price per credit hour is $6.97. Buying course credits in multiple-credit packages can give you a significant savings. To see a complete listing of the 800+ courses that CE-Credit.com offers, go to: http://www.socialworker.com/cecredit.html 
 
 
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SHOP ON OUR WEB SITE
 
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* 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.
 
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, 2nd Edition, 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 (6th Edition), 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 at:
VISIT OUR SITES

www.socialworker.com
 


IN THIS ISSUE
Words from Our Sponsors
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
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
lindagrobman@socialworker.com
http://www.socialworker.com
 
 
Advertising: To place a job listing, sponsor this newsletter, or place a banner ad on our Web site, e-mail lindagrobman@socialworker.com for rates and further information.
 
News: Please send brief social work-related news items to lindagrobman@socialworker.com for consideration.
 
 
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.
 
 
© 2012 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.
White Hat Communications, P.O. Box 5390, Harrisburg, PA 17110-0390 http://www.whitehatcommunications.com