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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® Social Work E-News
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Issue #56, July 12, 2005
EDITOR'S EYE
Dear Social Work Colleague,
Welcome to Issue #56 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, and other social work publications.
Summer is officially upon us (in the U.S.), and I find that I am using my sunglasses more and more, especially when I drive. The sun is in my eyes and it is not only uncomfortable, but also unsafe. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has announced that July is UV Safety Month. As social workers work with children in camps and other summertime programs, they need to be aware of and educate their young clients about protecting their eyes. Read more later in this issue of the Social Work E-News.
July is also International Group B Strep Awareness Month. Dubbed "the Jesse cause," after Jesse Keith (who was born with the condition), Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a type of bacterium that causes illness in newborn babies, pregnant women, the elderly, and adults with other illnesses. Most Group B Strep in newborns can be prevented through testing and certain antibiotic treatments. Read more about GBS in this newsletter.
I have been hearing from a lot of social work students and others wanting to know about career possibilities in social work. There are so many different career directions that it can often be overwhelming to try to decide on just one! In fact, many social workers work in a variety of settings throughout their careers. In this newsletter, I have provided some resources for career exploration.
If you are looking for a job right now, check out the listings on our Web site at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com & and be sure to let the employers know that you saw their listings there! If you are hiring social workers in your agency, please let our readership know about your job openings through a listing on SocialWorkJobBank, in the Social Work E-News, or in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.
And then be sure to visit our main site at http://www.socialworker.com to participate in some lively discussion on our forum, read (or write) book reviews on the Social Work Bookshelf, and more!
Until next time,
Linda Grobman, ACSW, LSW
Publisher/Editor
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER®
http://www.socialworker.com
linda.grobman@paonline.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
Words From Our Sponsors
Features
Job Corner/Current Job Openings
News
On Our Web Site
In Print
Social Work Gifts
Newsletter Necessities
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WORDS FROM OUR SPONSORS
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HTTP://SOCIALWORKEXAM.COM
Social Work Exam Prep Review. Prepare right on the Internet!! Multiple choice exam banks, Timed Questions, Secrets to Passing, DSM-IV Terms, Notables, all Online and Interactive. Reveal strengths and weaknesses so you can map your study strategy. Check out our FREE QUESTION SAMPLER!!
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FEATURES
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GROUP B STREP-CAN IT BE PREVENTED?
July is Group B Strep Awareness Month. The Jesse Cause Foundation (http://www.thejessecause.org) is working to raise awareness of GBS, the most common cause of life-threatening infections in newborns.
Group B Strep (GBS) is a type of bacterium that causes illness in newborn babies, pregnant women, the elderly, and adults with other illnesses, such as diabetes or liver disease. It is the most common cause of sepsis (blood infection) and meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining surrounding the brain) in newborns. It is a frequent cause of newborn pneumonia.
Many people carry GBS in their bodies but do not become ill. They are considered "carriers." One of every four or five pregnant women carries GBS. A fetus may come in contact with GBS during or before birth.
Approximately one of every 100-200 babies whose mothers carry GBS develops signs and symptoms of GBS disease. Three-fourths of the cases of GBS disease among newborns occur in the first week of life, and most of these cases are apparent a few hours after birth. GBS may also develop in infants one week to several months after birth. This "late-onset" disease is very rare, and only about half of those with late-onset GBS come from a mother who is a GBS carrier.
GBS carriage can be detected with testing via a culture taken during the 35th to 37th week of pregnancy. A positive culture result means the mother carries GBS, not that she or the baby will definitely become ill. Most GBS disease in newborns can be prevented by giving certain pregnant women antibiotics through the vein during labor.
In spite of testing and antibiotic treatment, some babies still get GBS disease. Vaccines to prevent GBS disease are being developed. In the future, women who are vaccinated may make antibodies that cross the placenta and protect the baby during birth and early infancy.
The above and additional information can be found at the CDC Web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/groupbstrep
The Jesse Cause Foundation Web site (http://www.thejessecause.org) offers information about GBS for medical professionals, expectant parents, and families affected by GBS, as well as information on obtaining an educational brochure about the disease.
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SUNGLASSES-MORE THAN A FASHION STATEMENT
We all know the importance of using sunscreen to protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays, but what about protection for our eyes?
In honor of UV Safety Month, celebrated throughout the month of July, eye doctors across the nation are urging Americans to protect their eyes and those of their children by wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
Sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat are the best defense system for your eyes. To be effective, both must be worn every time you're outside for prolonged periods of time, even when it's overcast.
But what type of sunglasses should you buy? The most important thing is to purchase sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays. The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the darkness of the lens. UV protection can come from adding chemicals to the lens material during manufacturing or from a chemical coating applied to the lens surface. And as for the cost, many $10 sunglasses provide equal or greater protection than a $100 pair. With expensive sunglasses, you're paying for style, frame quality, and options such as scratch-resistant coatings, not protective ability.
In addition to the damage caused by repeated sun exposure over time, you need to protect your eyes from acute damage caused by a single day in the sun. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light reflected off sand, snow, or pavement can burn the eye's surface. Similar to sunburns, eye surface burns usually disappear within a couple of days, but may lead to further complications later in life.
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CALL FOR ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS ON SOCIAL WORK ETHICS
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is seeking articles on social work ethics. Articles should be approximately 1,500-2,000 words in length, and should focus on a specific issue-for example, an ethics article might focus on confidentiality in a rural setting-and provide examples of how the issue might present itself, which sections of the Code of Ethics relate to the issue, and how a social worker might respond to the issue. You might write about a typical-or unusual-ethical issue that you have faced in your particular setting and how you have dealt with it.
If you have an idea for an article, please e-mail editor Linda Grobman (mailto:linda.grobman@paonline.com) with a brief proposal of the topic and what would be covered in your article.
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MY SOCIAL WORK CAREER-WHICH DIRECTION IS BEST?
By Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW
I often hear from new social workers, social work students, and others who want to know, "Which area of social work is best for me?" Of course, this question is impossible to answer for someone else. It takes a great deal of exploration of one's own interests, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and so forth to find the ideal setting or professional role for oneself.
One of the great things about the social work profession is that it offers so many DIFFERENT possibilities! At the same time, this very aspect of social work may be overwhelming at first. You've already done so much soul searching and decided that social work is the career for you. Now, you still have so many choices WITHIN that choice!
One of the first steps, then, in deciding which SPECIFIC area of social work to concentrate on, is to know something about what those areas are. There are some excellent books that I often tell people about when they ask about social work career directions. Each book presents information about the many different fields of practice in social work, but each in a different way. Here are a few of them:
WHAT DO SOCIAL WORKERS DO? (2nd Edition), by Margaret Gibelman, NASW Press, February 2005.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871013649/newsocialwork-20
This excellent book gives an overview of the social work profession, as well as specific information on what social workers do in mental health, children and families, health care, schools, aging, substance abuse, social planning, community organizing, policy practice, and other areas of service. The author (a leader in the social work profession who died last month of cancer at the age of 58) provides background information, examples of social workers' roles, and quite interestingly, sample job listings to give readers a flavor for the types of job opportunities that might exist in each area. The second edition of this book came out earlier this year.
SOCIAL WORK CAREER DEVELOPMENT: A HANDBOOK FOR JOB HUNTING AND CAREER PLANNING (2nd Edition), by Carol Nesslein Doelling, NASW Press, February 2005.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0871013630/newsocialwork-20
As the title says, this book provides a framework for the job search process in social work. Carol Nesslein Doelling, director of career services at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, shares the expertise she has developed in her role as a career counselor to social work students. In this comprehensive handbook, she provides help with developing a résumé, finding job leads, interviewing, evaluating job offers, and managing your career. The twelve appendices cover a wide variety of resources, as well as provide self-assessment tools and sample cover letters, résumés, and interview questions. The second edition was published early this year.
CAREERS IN SOCIAL WORK, by Leon Ginsberg, Allyn and Bacon, 2000.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0205330746/newsocialwork-20
Leon Ginsberg, the author of a variety of social work textbooks, has written a succinct overview of the social work profession in this volume. He covers where the jobs are, what education you will need, salaries and benefits, and legal regulations and credentials. Added to that, he then covers specific settings-government agencies, mental health/health, older adults, children, crime and delinquency services, working in smaller communities, and macro social work careers. He concludes with "Things Social Workers Need to Know That They May Not Have Been Taught in Social Work School" and "Surviving on the Job." He gives sample job application forms and other resources in the appendices.
DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS: 54 PROFESSIONALS TELL REAL-LIFE STORIES FROM SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE (3rd Edition), edited by Linda May Grobman, White Hat Communications, 2005.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929109156/newsocialwork-20
Also available at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store
Okay, I can't give an unbiased review of my own book, so I'll simply describe it and tell you what some others have told me about it. This book consists of 54 first-person accounts, each written by a social worker in a different setting, of what it is like on a "typical" day as a social worker. Each writer-in his or her own voice-takes the reader through a day in his or her life, telling the reader what he or she might do in the course of a day. The writers tell what they like and don't like about their jobs, what it is like to work with the people in their settings, and about some of the rewards and challenges they face. Settings covered in this volume include community and inpatient mental health, inner-city and rural schools, prisons, private practice, HIV/AIDS, hospitals, the military, hospice, public child welfare, community organizing, summer camps, international settings, youth centers, managed care, public policy, and many more. This book is about as close as you can get to actually following around and observing 54 social workers to see what they do. "This is an awesome tool for students to learn about the profession. It helps them find their niche!" said Professor Denise Anderson of Shippensburg University. Complete table of contents is available at: http://www.socialworker.com/home/Publications/Social_Work_Books/Days_In_the_Lives_of_Social_Workers/
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, White Hat Communications, 2005.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929109164/newsocialwork-20
Also available at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store
This book, like DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS, illustrates through first-person narratives that there are no "typical" days in social work, but that professionally trained social workers take on a variety of roles. In this volume, there is more of a focus on macro roles than in the first, although this book also includes "micro"-level stories and illustrates ways in which social workers combine macro, mezzo, and micro roles in their everyday practice. Settings and roles include: working on a national level, program development and management, advocacy and organizing, policy from the inside, training and consultation, research and funding, higher education, specialized roles in the court system, faith and spirituality, domestic violence, therapy and case management, and employment and hunger. ADDED BONUS: Chapter 1 ("I Am Still a Social Worker") tells the story of none other than yours truly (me!). Complete table of contents is available at: http://www.socialworker.com/home/Publications/Social_Work_Books/More_Days_in_the_Lives_of_Social_Workers/
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JOB CORNER
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Social Services Case Managers, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia, U.S.
http://jobs.socialworkjobbank.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=122&jb=710476
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Find more jobs at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's online job board and career center. Both new grads and experienced social work practitioners are included in our ever-growing candidate profile bank, which now includes thousands of confidential profiles/resumes of social work job seekers! We are proud of the fact that this site was chosen as one of 350 (out of 40,000+ employment sites) to be included in Weddle's Recruiter's and Job Seeker's Guide to Employment Web Sites 2004 and 2005.
If you or your agency are hiring social workers, don't forget to post your jobs on SocialWorkJobBank.com. Please check the SocialWorkJobBank "products/pricing" page for job posting options and SPECIAL offers.
All job seeker services are FREE-including searching current job openings, posting your confidential resume/profile, and requesting e-mail job alerts. Please let employers know that you saw their listings in the SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS and at SocialWorkJobBank.com.
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NEWS
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INFORMATION FOR PRACTICE
The June archives of Information for Practice (IP) are now available at: http://www.nyu.edu/socialwork/ip/archives.php
On the main IP site at http://www.nyu.edu/socialwork/ip on a recent day, a visitor could find news stories from around the world (Australia, Brazil, India, Myanmar, Philippines, United Kingdom, United States, and Zimbabwe), in addition to links to new issues of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Workers Online, The History of the Family, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, and Disability & Rehabilitation.
IP's content changes daily. Go to http://www.nyu.edu/socialwork/ip to explore all it has to offer and stay informed on current events that affect you, your clients, and the social work profession.
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BEST INTERESTS E-MAGAZINE FOR CHILD ADVOCATES
Best Interests is an e-magazine for child advocates. Available at http://www.childadvocacy.com, the site offers links to news on foster care, child abuse, and other relevant issues. There are also news items on legislation of interest and upcoming events. Go to the site to find the latest child advocacy news and subscribe to the site's free e-newsletter.
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YOUNG MINDS FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH
Young Minds is a London-based charity for children's mental health. The Young Minds Web site (http://www.youngminds.org.uk/index.php) offers news and information for young people, parents, and professionals. At the site, you can find sample articles from Young Minds magazine, a bi-monthly publication that offers extensive news, analysis, parliamentary coverage, opinion, features, reviews, conferences and appointments.
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ON OUR WEB SITE
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THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's Web site at http://www.socialworker.com includes the full text of many sample articles from past issues of the magazine. On our site, click on "About the Magazine" to find Tables of Contents of the current and back issues, and click on "Feature Articles" to find full-text articles.
Our online discussion forum/message board is a place for open discussion of a variety of social work-related issues. Join in our discussion at http://www.socialworker.com (click on "Discussion Forum" in the left menu) -- you do not have to be a registered user to participate, but registering allows you to use some additional features of the message board.
Be sure to check out the Social Work Bookshelf and continuing education offerings available at http://www.socialworker.com, or go directly to http://www.ceu4u.com/tnsw for continuing education offerings.
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JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK VALUES AND ETHICS-SPRING 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 second edition, Spring 2005, is available now. Go to http://www.socialworker.com/jswve and click on the link for Spring 2005-Vol. 2, No. 1.
Go to the journal Web site at http://www.socialworker.com/jswve and sign up for a free subscription, and you will be notified by e-mail when each issue is available online.
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IN PRINT
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SUMMER ISSUE OF THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER AVAILABLE NOW
The Summer issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine is available now. If you are a subscriber to the print magazine, you will receive your copy shortly, if you have not already. Here are some highlights of this issue:
Ethics and Countertransference in Addressing Suicidal Ideation: Reflection on a Family Intervention
The "No-Comfort" Zone
Words From the Wise: Recent and Soon-to-Be Graduates Speak on Field Placement
10 Things Every New Social Worker Should Know About Teens Who Self-Injure
Grief and Loss: How Future Social Workers Can Address Death on Campus
Making a Difference
Safety First: Paying Heed To, and Preventing, Professional Risks
Career Talk: The Burnout Test
and more!
See our Web site at http://www.socialworker.com for more details about this issue.
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SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER MAGAZINE
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER can be ordered directly from our online store at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store -- where you will also find the social work and nonprofit management books we publish.
Subscriptions to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER are also available through Amazon.com. To order your subscription from Amazon.com, go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007B01P/newsocialwork-20
Visit http://www.lulu.com and find instant downloads of selected back issues of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. Buy a single issue or a whole collection.
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NEW EDITION AVAILABLE: THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK
THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK, by Jesus Reyes, is now available in its second edition. Published by White Hat Communications, publisher of The New Social Worker, the book offers advice on choosing and applying to MSW programs in the U.S. and Canada. The book is presented in three parts: 1) what to look for in a graduate school, 2) what schools look for in applicants, and 3) resources for applicants. The handbook, written by a former admissions director, provides insight into such issues as writing the application essay, what to do when an applicant's undergraduate academic record is "less than perfect," and more. Especially useful is the "In Their Own Words Section," in which graduate school admissions representatives give "tips for applicants," "common applicant mistakes," and specific information about their schools.
Order the new edition now from our online store at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store -- it is also available from Amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929109148/newsocialwork-20.
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SOCIAL WORK GIFTS
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Do you need a unique gift for someone who is interested in social work, a colleague, or a student? Here are some ideas:
Subscription to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine--$15 for 1 year (to U.S. address)
Books-DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS and MORE DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS offer an overview of "typical" days in a wide variety of social work settings! THE SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE SCHOOL APPLICANT'S HANDBOOK is a great gift for anyone who is thinking about social work graduate school.
"I Am a Social Worker" Buttons-Red buttons with yellow lettering. Stock up on them and give them to your fellow classmates, colleagues, interns, or new graduates.
These items and more are available at our online store at http://www.whitehatcommunications.com/store
We also have specialty items (social work mugs, teddy bears, and more) at http://www.cafepress.com/socialworker -- you won't find these ANYWHERE else!
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NEWSLETTER NECESSITIES
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To change the address for your subscription, please unsubscribe your old e-mail address and then subscribe your new one.
To see previous issues of this newsletter, go to the public archive page, located at:
http://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/pubarchive.php?lindagwhc
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® SOCIAL WORK E-NEWS is published by:
White Hat Communications (publisher of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® magazine and THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER® ONLINE)
P.O. Box 5390
Harrisburg, PA 17110-0390
Linda Grobman, Editor
linda.grobman@paonline.com
http://www.socialworker.com
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Advertising: If you would like to place a job listing or sponsor this newsletter, e-mail linda.grobman@paonline.com for rates and further information. We also now offer banner advertising on our Web site.
News: Please send brief social work-related news items to linda.grobman@paonline.com for consideration.
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PRIVACY
Your subscription e-mail address will only be used to deliver this e-newsletter and to occasionally inform you of updates from its publisher. Your e-mail address will not be given to anyone else or used for any other purpose as a result of your subscription to this newsletter.
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Copyright 2005 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.
