Hello! Welcome to Issue #134 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.
The new year of 2012 has begun! I am very excited to be working on some great new projects this year. I will be sure to keep you informed of them throughout the year. I hope you have some exciting new things in store for the coming year, too.
January marks the observance of National Birth Defects Prevention Month, Cervical Health Awarenesss Month, Blood Donor Month, Poverty in America Month, National Glaucoma Awareness Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and more.
Coming in February: Heart Month, National Wear Red Day (Feb. 3), National Donor Day (Feb. 14), and others.
And…Social Work Month (March) is just around the corner!
Reminder—be part of a new book! One of those new projects I am working on in 2012 is a GROUP WORK edition of my DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS books. I am co-editing the book with Jennifer Clements, associate professor of social work at Shippensburg University in PA, in collaboration with the International Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (AASWG). Are you a social worker who works with groups? Do you have a story you would like to share with other social workers and future social workers? See the call for submissions in this newsletter! We want to hear from YOU. The deadline is in just a few days--January 15, 2012.
NEW--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!
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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 or our other social work and nonprofit management titles.
NEW! 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.
Get ready for 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, send a gift to your favorite social worker, or wish someone a happy holiday or special occasion.Available in packages of 10 cards (including envelopes) for $10.
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Features
3 Components of Turning Passion Into a Successful Social Work Career
by Sonya O. Hunte, MSW
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:
It is no secret that social workers are often described as passionate. The question becomes: How can one turn that passion into a successful and fulfilling career? Many social workers desire a career that is not characterized with “burnout” but with true joy. Personal passion has to be defined, directed, and cultivated to have career success. The three major components of building a successful career—defining vision, seeking mentorship, and participating in professional development—can assist in building a career that fuels your passion or help sustain you!
1. Define your vision.
Defining your vision can be a challenging task. Vision forces us to think about the life we want and its components. The keys in creating a vision are to have goals, steps, and timelines. Most of us have done this with our clients when creating family and treatment plans. A fun way of creating goals is to create a vision board. Vision boards are usually large poster boards containing a collage of words and pictures that come together to create a story in future tense. For example, a vision board can include a picture of your dream home, the words of an inspirational song that provide you with motivation, the names of two countries that you plan to visit within the next two years, and a picture of the building that houses the agency for which you aspire to work. Vision boards are not permanent, in that they can be edited and updated as often as you see fit. The vision board should be placed in an area where you can view it daily. I usually create a new vision board every other year. For me, 24 months allows room to work toward my goals at a reasonable pace.
Some people may find that a detailed checklist works better. Checklists can be divided into categories such as entrepreneurship, professional learning, work objectives, special projects, volunteerism, debt management, and family. The checklist should include reasonable timelines for each goal listed. If you are saying to yourself, I need help to even break down what I visualize for my life, there are books available on this phenomenon. Those books are usually located in the self help section of most bookstores.
An experienced mentor will also aide in the creation of reasonable aspiration setting and attainment.
SAMHSA Announces New Working Definition of “Recovery”
A new working definition of recovery from mental disorders and substance use disorders was announced in December 2011 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The definition is the product of a year-long effort by SAMHSA and a wide range of partners in the behavioral health care community and other fields to develop a working definition of recovery that captures the essential, common experiences of those recovering from mental disorders and substance use disorders, along with major guiding principles that support the recovery definition. SAMHSA led this effort as part of its Recovery Support Strategic Initiative.
The new working definition of Recovery from Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders is as follows:
A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.
“Over the years it has become increasingly apparent that a practical, comprehensive working definition of recovery would enable policy makers, providers, and others to better design, deliver, and measure integrated and holistic services to those in need,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. "By working with all elements of the behavioral health community and others to develop this definition, I believe SAMHSA has achieved a significant milestone in promoting greater public awareness and appreciation for the importance of recovery, and widespread support for the services that can make it a reality for millions of Americans.”
A major step in addressing this need occurred in August 2010, when SAMHSA convened a meeting of behavioral health leaders, consisting of mental health consumers and individuals in addiction recovery. Together these members of the behavioral health care community developed a draft definition and principles of recovery to reflect common elements of the recovery experience for those with mental disorders and/or substance use disorders.
In the months that have followed, SAMHSA worked with the behavioral health care community and other interested parties in reviewing drafts of the working recovery definition and principles with stakeholders at meetings, conferences, and other venues. In August 2011, SAMHSA posted the working definition and principles that resulted from this process on the SAMHSA blog and invited comments from the public via SAMHSA Feedback Forums. The blog post received 259 comments, and the forums had more than 1,000 participants, nearly 500 ideas, and over 1,200 comments on the ideas. Many of the comments received have been incorporated into the current working definition and principles.
Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA has also delineated four major dimensions that support a life in recovery and ten guiding principles of recovery.
For further detailed information about the new working recovery definition or the guiding principles of recovery,visit: http://www.samhsa.gov/recovery/
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Ohio’s First Elder Abuse Shelter To Be Located in Cincinnati Area
To combat a growing problem, Cedar Village Retirement Community is launching the first elder abuse prevention shelter in Ohio and one of the first in the nation.
Until now, police, social service agencies, hospitals, and other organizations in Southwest Ohio have not had appropriate places to refer victims of elder abuse. But with the creation of the Shalom Center for Elder Abuse Prevention, Cedar Village in Mason, OH, will serve as a safe harbor.
The Shalom Center will care for abused seniors, aged 65 and over, from Hamilton, Warren, Butler and Clermont counties. Services will include medical, nursing and therapy services if needed; meals; legal services; social work; pastoral care; and social, recreational, and educational programming.
Individuals will be accepted for admission for an emergency stay of 90 to 120 days. Upon admission, the care team will begin working to plan for a safe discharge to the least restrictive alternative. Abuse victims will be cared for in Cedar Village’s nursing home facility, which has 162 beds.
Cedar Village also will help to teach the community about detecting and preventing elder abuse. “We will be working with community agencies, law enforcement, hospitals and more to build the collaborative network we will need to educate our community, gain and manage referrals, and make this program effective,” said Carol Silver Elliott, Cedar Village’s CEO and President.
For decades, many communities have had shelters for victims of domestic violence. But those shelters do not fully meet the needs of older adults who are victims of abuse, even though the issues may be similar.
The movement to create shelters for victims of domestic violence has been fueled by survivors. “Because our seniors cannot create safe harbors for themselves,” Elliott said, “we need to do it for them.”
About a half-dozen shelters for elder abuse victims exist in nursing homes around the U.S. — including in Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Georgia. The first opened six years ago in New York City.
Research indicates that more than one in ten elders may experience some type of abuse. Only one in five cases is reported. Annual estimates range from 700,000 to 3.5 million victims in the U.S.
Elder abuse is defined as intentional or neglectful acts by a caregiver or “trusted” individual that led to, or may lead to, harm of an elder. Abuse includes physical abuse, neglect, emotional or psychological abuse, verbal abuse and threats, financial abuse and exploitation, sexual abuse, and abandonment.
Elder abuse often is not reported because many victims are afraid or ashamed about it or fearful their abuser will “get in trouble.” Some don’t know where to turn. Others feel guilty or are in denial.
News & Resources
REMINDER: CONTRIBUTE TO NEW BOOK ON GROUP WORK—SHARE YOUR STORIES WITH OTHER SOCIAL WORKERS!
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Deadline for Submissions: January 15, 2012
Submissions are currently being sought for a group work edition in the DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS book series.
The group work edition is being co-edited by Linda May Grobman, publisher/editor of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, and Jennifer Clements, associate professor of social work at Shippensburg University, and is being developed in collaboration with the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, an International Professional Organization.
Each chapter is to be written by a professional social worker with a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree in social work. The editors’ goal is for the book to include narratives of social work with various types of groups (therapy, psychoeducational, self help, support, task, etc.) and groups within a variety of settings/populations/issues. Each chapter will describe a day in a social worker’s life, focusing on working with groups.
To inquire about our interest in a particular group work topic, or for other information, please contact Linda Grobman atlindagrobman@socialworker.comor Jennifer Clements atjaclem@ship.edu.
Please feel free to pass this along to colleagues you know who may be interested in submitting a chapter. Thank you!
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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.
MICA Publishes one-of-a-kind International Community Arts
Research JOURNAL
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) announces the recent publication of the MICA-sponsored Community Arts Journal: Cultural Practice, Research & Higher Education, the only online journal of its kind dedicated to the community arts field. The journal’s mission is to advance the practices and principles of the community arts field by providing a platform for inclusive dialogue and documentation linking academia and community. In this year’s journal, emphasis was placed on the historical aspect of organizations and collectives, from several regions around the world, working on projects in community arts settings.
The full publication of Community Arts Journal: Cultural Practice, Research & Higher Education is available to read, at no charge, on the MICA site at http://www.mica.edu/community_arts_journal. Previous volumes of the journal, titled Community Arts Perspectives, can be found online at the Community Arts Network.
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NACSW’s 62nd ANNUAL CONVENTION AND TRAINING CONFERENCE—Call for Workshops
The North American Association of Christians in Social Work (NACSW) announces its 62nd annual conference, entitled "Renewing Our Hope: Gateways to Change." All participants are encouraged to submit proposals for workshop and poster presentations that contribute to the growth of social workers in the ethical integration of spirituality, faith, and social work practice.
All potential presenters are encouraged to contact Jane Hoyt-Oliver (jholiver@malone.edu) with questions or to discuss ideas for workshop proposal submissions.
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Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health (SASH) Call for Proposals
Do you have something to say about the therapeutic future of sex addiction? Are you doing alternative or innovative treatment techniques or interventions? Art therapy? Music? EMDR? BDT? Psychodrama? Spiritual Interventions? Do you have thoughts about how technology will positively or negatively affect your practice? What are you doing with research about sexually relevant topics? Strategies for improving policies for clients? Or other timely topics for shaping the future of the field of sexual addiction?
Submit your proposal for the 2012 SASH national conference in San Antonio, Texas, to be held September 19-22. Proposals will be accepted through Monday, February 27, 2012, via e-mail to sash@sash.net.
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15% Discount Available on Continuing Education
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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. 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
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
Go to the journal Web site athttp://www.socialworker.com/jswveto 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. Seehttp://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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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, 2ndEdition, 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
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Linda Grobman, Editor
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