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Job Corner

FOSTER CARE MANAGER--Albany, OR   Every day, Albertina Kerr helps children, adults and families of Oregon who face mental health challenges and developmental disabilities, empowering them to lead fuller, self-determined lives. We're seeking a Foster Care Manager with strong clinical skills at our Gresham Campus and at our Albany, Ore., office.  The Foster Care Manager is responsible for general oversight and supervision of our therapeutic foster care programs, including the development, implementation, and supervision of foster care programs; supervision of clinicians, case managers, and skills trainers providing services to foster families; provides, training, guidance, and support to foster parents and families as required; establish and maintain positive relationships with foster care providers, oversight and referral partners, agency staff and management, and others; and other and related tasks.  The successful candidate will have a master's degree in social work, marriage and family therapy, clinical psychology, or a closely related clinical discipline, with professional licensure preferred; have at least three years' experience in community based programs for children and families, including supervisory experience; have the ability to relate effectively with clients and families and respond to crisis situations; and be able to meet agency driving requirements.  A pre-hire drug screen and criminal background check are required.  

 

For more information or to apply, e-mail jobs@albertinakerr.org.  

 

Albertina Kerr Centers is an equal opportunity employer.

Features

by Devon Rocha, MSW, LSW

 

Mr. Jones arrives at the same time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 8:30 a.m. sharp. He nods good morning to the same familiar faces, exchanging words about the weather and the price of gas. He gets himself a cup of coffee before taking his seat, where he will be stationed for the next four hours. He has been doing this routine for the past two years, and will continue to do so for the rest of his life. At 68 years old, he has a lifetime of hard work behind him and was able to retire.

 

Yet, during his “golden” years when he would like to be traveling, taking care of his grandchildren, and working in his garden, a substantial portion of his week is tied up for him to receive life-sustaining kidney dialysis treatments. He is almost literally tied up during this time, too, with one arm wrapped in a blood pressure cuff and the other arm stuck with needles to accommodate the cycling of blood in and out of his body, getting cleaned. Mr. Jones must attend his treatments regularly like this because his kidneys do not work as they should. This leaves fluid and toxins in his body that need to be removed, or he will die.

Nephrology (dialysis) social work is within the realm of medical social work but is very unique. The patients vary in age and degree of physical health, come from diverse backgrounds, and have a vast array of need. The work in this setting is both highly rewarding and very challenging.

There are several treatment options for kidney failure, or end stage renal disease. Patients can try to receive a kidney transplant, they can do dialysis at home, or they can go to a clinic for dialysis treatments. I work for a clinic where people come in to receive their dialysis treatments, like Mr. Jones in the above example. The dialysis population I work with encompasses an age range of 29-93, with the majority of these patients in their 50s to 60s. The independently owned clinic where I work is located on the west side of Chicago. The majority of dialysis clinics are owned by one of a few large corporate chains. Our census typically hovers around 85 patients at any given time. It changes with new admissions, the occasional (and very sad) patient death, the even less frequent occurrence of a patient receiving a kidney transplant, and the sometimes extended hospitalization that leads to discharge from the patient schedule.

Per Medicare regulations, every dialysis clinic is required to have a licensed, master’s level social worker on staff as part of an interdisciplinary team. The other team members are the doctor, nurse, dietician, patient care technician, and the patient. Each person brings to the table a unique perspective to help ensure that the patient receives proper care. This is helpful because there is always someone to consult with if a concern comes up about a patient. For example, a patient presenting with depressive symptoms such as poor appetite, insomnia, and lethargy could also indicate a problem with uremia, which is a buildup of toxins in the body. This can happen when the patient does not get “enough” dialysis. The nurse, doctor, dietician, and social worker each contribute from their own foundation of knowledge to the care of the patient, creating a very holistic approach to treatment. The patient, in turn, feeds back to everyone how he or she feels, if there are any concerns about his or her healthcare, and if there are any difficulties in reaching treatment goals.

 

Read the rest of this article at:

 

Additional articles from the Summer 2010 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER include:

 

 

…and more!

 

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition. 

 

The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, which will be administered either by a state or by the Department of Health and Human Services, will provide a new health coverage option for Americans who have been uninsured for at least six months, have been unable to get health coverage because of a health condition, and are U.S. citizens or are residing in the United States legally.

 

Created under the Affordable Care Act, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is a transitional program until 2014, when insurers will be banned from discriminating against adults with pre-existing conditions, and individuals and small businesses will have access to more affordable private insurance choices through new competitive Exchanges. In 2014, Members of Congress will also purchase their insurance through Exchanges.

 

“For too long, Americans with pre-existing conditions have been locked out of our health insurance market,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  “Today, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan gives them a new option – the same insurance coverage as a healthy individual if they’ve been uninsured for at least six months because of a medical condition.  This program will provide people the help they need as the nation transitions to a more competitive and fair market place in 2014.” 

 

The Affordable Care Act provides $5 billion in federal funding to support Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans in every state. Some states have requested that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services run their Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. Other states have requested that they run the program themselves.  For more information about how the plan is being administered where you live, please visit HHS’ new consumer Web site, www.HealthCare.gov.

 

“Health coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions has historically been unobtainable or failed to cover the very conditions for which they need medical care,” said Jay Angoff, Director of the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (OCIIO) which is overseeing the program.  “The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is designed to address these challenges by offering comprehensive coverage at a reasonable cost. We modeled the program on the highly successful Children’s Health Insurance Program, also known as CHIP, so states would have maximum flexibility to meet the needs of their citizens.”

 

In order to give states the flexibility to best meet their needs, HHS provided states with the option of running the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan themselves or having HHS run the plan.  Twenty-one states have elected to have HHS administer the plans, and 29 states and the District of Columbia have chosen to run their own programs. 

 

“The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is an important next step in the overall implementation of the Affordable Care Act,” said Richard Popper, Director of Insurance Programs at OCIIO.  “We have been working closely with the states and other stakeholders to make sure this program reaches uninsured Americans struggling to find coverage due to a pre-existing condition.” 

 

The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan will cover a broad range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care, and prescription drugs.  The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan does not base eligibility on income and does not charge a higher premium because of a medical condition.  Participants will pay a premium that is not more than the standard individual health insurance premium in their state for insurance that covers major medical and prescription drug expenses with some cost-sharing. 

 

Like the popular Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Pre-Existing Condition Plan provides states flexibility in how they run their programs as long as basic requirements are met. Federal law establishes general eligibility, but state programs can vary on cost, benefits, and determination of pre-existing condition. Funding for states is based on the same allocation formula as CHIP, and it will be reallocated if unspent by the states.   Unlike CHIP, there is no state matching requirement and the federal government will cover the entire cost of the Pre-Existing Condition Plan.  Although it took more than 6 months for a small number of states to establish their CHIP programs, it is anticipated that every state will begin enrolling individuals in the Pre-Existing Condition Plan by the end of August.  

 

To learn more about the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan and options available to residents of your state, visit www.HealthCare.gov.

 

An informational pamphlet on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan can be found at: http://www.healthcare.gov/center/brochures/PCIP.pdf.

News & Resources

 

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.

 

 

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.

 

Go to http://www.socialworkchat.org to register and participate in the chats and other features of the site.

 

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Clinical social worker and psychotherapist Annette Baran died July 11 in Santa Monica, California, at age 83.  Baron was co-author of THE ADOPTION TRIANGLE, the 1978 book that revealed the effects of sealed and open records on adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents and served as a catalyst for the open adoption movement. Baron had worked for decades as an adoption social worker, arranging thousands of closed adoptions, before encountering a birth mother who wanted to meet the prospective adoptive parents. Seeing their interaction changed the way Baron thought about adoption.  She began to see that there was something “pretty good” about the openness she saw in this situation.  She joined in researching this issue with UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Arthur Sorosky and Reuben Pannor, another adoption social worker.  Their research resulted in the book THE ADOPTION TRIANGLE.  Baran and Pannor later wrote another book, LETHAL SECRETS: THE SHOCKING CONSEQUENCES AND UNSOLVED PROBLEMS OF ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION, in which they advocated for a child’s right to know the identity of his or her donor.

 

Read more:

 

Annette Baran obituary from the LA Times

 

View an interview with Annette Baran on YouTube

 

THE ADOPTION TRIANGLE--on Amazon.com

LETHAL SECRETS--on Amazon.com

 

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The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has released a set of educational guidelines specifying the specialized knowledge and skills that social work practitioners need to effectively serve military personnel, veterans, and their families. Directly addressing CSWE’s 2008 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), this guide seeks to increase specialization, certification, and other curricular offerings in social work programs that address military cultural awareness and service-related disorders.

 

The 2008 EPAS is the directive that baccalaureate and master of social work programs are required to follow to attain and maintain accreditation with CSWE. The 2008 EPAS identifies 10 competencies that compose social work practice at the generalist practice level.

 

Military social workers serve both personnel in and out of uniform—including but not limited to the armed forces, branches of the U.S. Department of Defense, veterans of all eras, noncombatant uniformed service members, and those participating in federal disaster relief and humanitarian missions. Specific agencies served by the military social work field are the Department of Homeland Security, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

 

CSWE’s guide to advanced military social work practice contains many educational components specifically designed to improve the health and well-being of military personnel, veterans, and their families.

 

Launched in early February, CSWE’s advanced practice in military social work education initiative strives to bridge the gap between the number of available prepared practitioners and the demand for social services among military personnel and their families. The initiative, cosponsored by the University of Southern California School of Social Work’s Center for Innovation and Research on Veterans and Military Families, began with of a group of 36 experts from various social work higher education, professional associations, and military backgrounds.

 

Read the full set of Advanced Social Work Practice in Military Social Work guidelines (PDF) or consult the self-reported list of universities with military social work curricula.

 

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Child Welfare Learning Center Online

 

One of the newest resources on the redesigned Child Welfare Information Gateway Web site, the Learning Center builds child welfare knowledge with concise and easy-to-use educational resources and training tools for professionals, faculty,
and students.

 

The Learning Center includes:

 

 

Visit the Learning Center at www.childwelfare.gov/learningcenter

 

 

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Social Services “First Response in Eliminating Health Disparities”

October 16-17, 2010

Hyatt Regency, Wichita, Kansas

 

Health disparities are readily identified in the social services professions and public health offices in the U.S. Although great progress has been made in identifying disparities, interconnections accessing care, culturally relevant messages, the roles of social service professions and public health, social and political ties, we are now engaged in addressing ELIMINATION of health disparities in the U.S.

 

The “Roots of Change” conference is dedicated to exploring a “first touch” approach in eliminating health disparities by providing a forum that tackles a myriad of complex health problems for those living in poverty.

 

The organizers of the conference are seeking abstracts that detail:

 

• Current roles and issues of social services professionals in health care for minority and underserved populations;

• Newest methods of reaching disadvantaged populations through electronic and wireless communications;

• Effective public and private collaborations for integrative complementary medicine;

• Strategies for elimination of disparities by geographic, cultural, and racial/ethnic characteristics;

• Provider influences on educating and empowering urban/rural communities;

• Cultural competency, stereotyping, linguistic challenges, and other barriers to service delivery.

• Mobilizing the Messages: Strategies to Be a Part of the Health Disparities Solution

 

Submission Method

Abstracts must be submitted electronically through the conference e-mail address at abstract@ladyoffreedom.org or via mail 2700 E. 18th Street – Ste. 261, Kansas City, Missouri 64127 no later than August 27, 2010. An e-mail confirming receipt will be sent to the submitter. This must be included with the submission.

 

Confirmation

Abstract submitters will be notified of whether the abstract is accepted or rejected by September 3, 2010. If the abstract is accepted, the submitter will receive a request to confirm availability to attend the conference and make the presentation. Information will be included on the type of presentation format, date, and time in subsequent communications.

 

Presenter’s Responsibilities

• Presenters are responsible for all expenses related to participating in the conference, including transportation, registration fee, lodging, and meals.

• Presenters are strongly encouraged to furnish handouts for 300-500 conference participants.

 

 

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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 selected issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER (2 hours/credit per issue).

 

All of these issues can be downloaded free of charge in PDF format at: http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Downloads/

 

 

 

Go to http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Continuing_Education_Program/ for complete details on THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s Continuing Education Program.

On Our Web Site

 

The Summer issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available now!  The Summer 2010 issue 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 Summer 2010 issue now online include:

 

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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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 Spring 2010 edition is available online now at:

 

This is a special edition on social work research ethics.  It is also the first edition in a new PDF format.

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: 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.

 

All of our books are available through our new secure online store at:

 

You can also download our catalog in PDF format at:

VISIT OUR SITE

www.socialworker.com

 

 

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