Catching Up With THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER

Just a few notes to catch you up with some things that have happened since my last post here in March (Social Work Month).

1. THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER won the 2013 NASW Media Award for Best Magazine/Magazine Article! Thank you to all who voted. You can read the award-winning article on self care and burnout here. Congrats to SaraKay Smullens for this article. And, of course you can read the magazine here.
2. Our Spring 2013 issue came out in April.  You can download it here. Highlights include: Part I of our new series on mandated reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect by Kathryn Krase, the first installment of our new "Turn Up the Tech in Social Work" column by Ellen Belluomini, ethics and texting, learning about learning, continuing education attitudes, what social workers need to know about money, and more.
3. We moved our office! This was a big project and part of the reason that this blog has not been updated during this time.  Our mailing address has not changed, but our physical space has.  I am enjoying the new office quite a bit and still getting settled in.

The Summer issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is coming out this week, so be on the lookout for it! If you have not subscribed yet (it's free), you can subscribe now at this link.

THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is honored to be a finalist in NASW 2013 Media Awards--YOU Can Vote!

I am honored to announce that THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, along with SaraKay Smullens' article in our Fall 2012 issue on burnout and self-care, is among the finalists in the 2013 NASW Media Awards.

The National Association of Social Workers 2013 Media Awards will recognize reporters, bloggers, columnists, television producers, movie directors, and other media professionals who help raise awareness about the social work profession and issues important to social workers.

In 2012, more than 750 social workers and others voted for nominees. Voting is now open for all who wish to vote in the 2013 awards.  You do NOT have to be an NASW member or a social worker to vote!

I am so proud of SaraKay's article, "What I Wish I Had Known: Burnout and Self-Care in Our Social Work Profession," and I thank all the many, many social workers and others who have contributed to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine over its first 19 years.  To be nominated for this award is quite an honor.

Please go to the 2013 NASW Media Awards page to see the complete list of finalists and to cast your vote.  We are listed in the "Best Magazine or Magazine Article" category.  Be sure to hit the "Submit" button at the end of the ballot after you have made your choices!

Congrats to NASW "Restoring Hope" Essay Contest Winners

The winners of the National Association of Social Workers' "Restoring Hope" essay contest have been announced. There are two winners, one social work student and one social work professional.

The student essay by Megan Salisbury, a senior at Arizona State University, focuses on homelessness. She wrote:

For social workers, there are no instant answers. Restoring hope is an act of blind faith and perfectly timed phone calls, and yes, even instant answers from a collaborative partner. It is about finding the means when you are unsure of the way.

Read her essay on the NASW web site.

The social work professional winner is Lauren Anzaldo, MSW, LCSW, CAP. Lauren's essay is entitled, "Conveying Hope to Every Client." In it, she said:

A social worker embodies the words “You are a life worth saving” every time she meets with a client and sits with him in his discomfort. We convey hope when we treat our clients like people, when we let them know that how they feel and what they want out of life is important.

Read Lauren's essay on the NASW site.

You can also now access photos and videos from the NASW Restoring Hope conference on the conference web site.

The Power of the Face-to-Face Conference

I just returned last week from attending, exhibiting, and presenting at the national NASW Restoring Hope conference in Washington, DC.  I network with professional social work colleagues every day online, but this does not take the place of the power of being in rooms full of like-minded people, where in-depth conversations take place, ideas are shared, and new collaborations are begun.

Standing (left to right): Susan Mankita, Kryss Shane, Linda Grobman. Seated: Karen Zgoda

A highlight of the conference was the opportunity to see friends and colleagues face-to-face.  I met up with Susan Mankita, Kryss Shane, and Karen Zgoda, all of whom have been involved with THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER over the years. Being in the presence of these three outstanding women, each of whom is brilliant and funny and a wealth of ideas, would have made it worth it to attend the conference, just in itself. With each of them, I had meaningful conversations that could result in future collaborations.

But there were many more highlights.  Here are a few:

1.  Keynote addresses:  These are informative and inspirational speeches that are usually given at the beginning and end of a conference, to tie the theme of the conference together for all attendees.  These were held in a ballroom large enough to hold all 1,000 conference attendees.  The theme of the conference, "Restoring Hope," ran through the various keynotes throughout the 3 1/2 days of the meeting.  After a Monday morning introductory speech by NASW Executive Director Elizabeth Clark, the attendees heard Bob and Lee Woodruff speak.

Bob and Lee Woodruff

Bob is a journalist who was injured in an explosion while providing news coverage in Iraq. Bob and his wife Lee spoke candidly about his traumatic brain injury and his recovery from this injury. They have a very nice back-and-forth style of presenting, and they provided a very human face to the issue of TBI.

2.  Sharing with other professionals:  I submitted an abstract, which was accepted, to do an individual presentation entitled, "That Was Awesome! Hope Through Live Music at the Bedside During Illness and End of Life."

Roberta Gastineau, Christina Risley-Curtis, Linda Grobman

Through this presentation, I had the opportunity to share with social workers my passion for using live music at the bedside to provide a therapeutic, healing, peaceful environment in hospital, nursing home, and hospice settings. I became certified as a Certified Music Practitioner several years ago, and I wanted to let social workers know about this practice and how they can use this with their own clients by referring them to certified practitioners and/or become certified themselves.

The format of the presentation was a panel with two other presenters.  The conference planners did an excellent job of matching three presentations that were different, yet complemented each other.  Roberta Gastineau did a humorous reading on social work and ethics, and Christina Risley-Curtis presented on the importance of animals in social work, including assessing clients' relationships with animals, as well as using animals in therapy. It was a pleasure to meet and present with these two innovative social workers.

3.  Entertainment:  On the conference agenda for Tuesday night was a special performance by the Capitol Steps, a wonderfully zany musical comedy troupe that "puts the mock in Democracy."

Capitol Steps

Laughing is great for self-care, which as we know, is crucial for social workers!  The political satire of Capitol Steps was just what the doctor ordered for this group of social workers.

4.  Exhibiting and more networking:  When I go to a social work conference, I am often there as an exhibitor, as was the case at this one.

Linda Grobman and Carmela Isabella, who wrote a chapter in MORE DAYS IN THE LIVES OF SOCIAL WORKERS about her incredible experience as a BSW intern in Hillary Clinton's office.

From my perspective, this is a great opportunity for me to let social workers know about THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER, the books we publish, and our other resources.  From conference attendees' perspective, where else can you go and find all things social work in one big room AND have the opportunity to meet the people who have created these resources, ask questions, and maybe take a few goodies home?  Think of the exhibit hall as the "center" of the conference--a place to meet up with people, get information, network, and make connections.

I have just touched the tip of the iceberg.  Much of the "good stuff" that happens at conferences occurs outside of the educational sessions, during informal conversations, in the exhibit hall, at receptions, or even at a political comedy performance.  Not to mention that you can learn a great deal from the variety of excellent workshops, presentations, and symposia--and be energized and inspired by the keynotes and just being in a place with so many like-minded folks with whom you can share ideas and make connections.

What are your best conference experiences?

Professional Associations

There have been lots of conversations in the past months about Unions and Professional Associations. Sometimes they stem from the political issues of voting on whether to curb the abilities of Unions for public service workers, sometimes from students who aren't sure whether spending the bit of money they have on a membership is worth the cost, and sometimes from those who are job seeking and wonder whether they ought to attend a meeting.

Where do you all stand? Are you members of NASW? Do you have other Professional Associations? Do you encourage others to join? Why or why not?

Occupy Wall Street

Just wondering what you all are hearing/feeling about the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, which are taking place throughout the USA and the world.



(for those needing a quick overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_Wall_Street )
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The NASW President has written the following letter on this topic:


10 Things Social Workers Have In Common With The Occupy Wall Street Protests
Robert Schachter, DSW, LMSW
Executive Director
National Association of Social Workers,
New York City Chapter (NASW-NYC)
October 11, 2011

A lot has been going on three blocks from the NASW-NYC office at Zuccotti Park, located at Liberty Street between Broadway and Church Street, since the middle of September. At its core it is an encampment of protesters but has also become a destination for support demonstrations, including a recent 10,000 person march of union members, community groups and ordinary New Yorkers.

Inspired by the Wall St. protest, similar encampments have been springing up in cities throughout the country including San Francisco, Washington, DC, Seattle and Los Angeles. It is common for the media to ignore demonstrations, even when they are massive, so it is noteworthy that they are paying attention.

According to the website, occupywallstreet.org, Occupy Wall Street “is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions.” As stated on the site, “The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1% . . .”.

What exactly the objectives are may depend on who is being quoted or what news coverage is reflecting, but it is reasonable to discern that the demonstrators are determined to hold financial institutions and corporations, as symbolized by the phrase “Wall Street”, accountable for the current financial crisis that began in 2008 and the growing economic inequality in the United States.

While there are likely to be differences about the best way to seek change, there can be little doubt that many Americans, and New Yorkers more specifically, share the concerns of the protesters about the impact of the economy on individuals and families, the lack of accountability for the crisis, and the prospect of any beneficial change in the near future.

For social workers, the worsening economic conditions of the past three years have only added to the significant challenges faced by the communities that the profession serves. Whether explicitly articulated by Occupy Wall Street or not, the following 10 points reflect common realities that the protesters, New York’s communities, and the social work profession have collectively experienced:

1. The country has been experiencing the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression in the 1930s, caused in part by extraordinarily risky investment practices that put major financial institutions at risk of collapse, with world-wide impact.

2. The federal government has been far more willing to bail out the financial sector than to help low income people and a vulnerable middle class. Attempts to tighten regulations on risky investments are being resisted by the financial sector and by many in Congress.

3. The United States has engaged in two enormously costly wars in the Middle East without raising revenues to pay for them. The total cost over the past 10 years has been estimated at $2.5 trillion.

4. The President and Congress agreed to cut $2.5 trillion in programs over the next 10 years, with more cuts being considered. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other important social programs are being targeted.

5. We now have the highest poverty level in US since 1993, with 46.2 million people living in poverty in 2010, or 15% of the population. This is up from 11.7% in 2000. In New York City the poverty rate is 20%.

6. Unemployment in the US is over 9%, and this number is much higher when those who have given up looking for a job is considered. Joblessness wreaks havoc on individuals and families, both economically and in terms of mental health, including the experience of sustained stress and depression.

7. New York’s lawmakers passed a budget in the Spring that includes $10 billion in cuts that fall disproportionately on low income communities, including a $2.85 billion reduction in Medicaid. Proposals to raise significant revenues through taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers were rejected.

8. Nationally, health insurance premiums rose 9% in the past year in spite of passing a national health reform law, a law that assures higher profits for insurance companies. The number of uninsured is now 49.9 million.

9. The principles of democracy are undermined by the influence of corporate wealth in the political arena, resulting in both major parties being dependent on their contributions, making the possibility of significant change less likely to come from electoral politics (as important as this is). That the US Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of unlimited corporate spending on campaigns is further evidence of the threat to electoral democracy.

10. The social work profession itself is at risk as services and social work jobs are cutback for communities that are suffering from the current economic conditions. Given the current state of politics today, with a focus on cutbacks with no new revenue, the social work profession will be significantly challenged while the need for services increases.

The bottom line for us is that the real needs of people are not being addressed. And there are a lot more issues involved than what has been enumerated above.
There come times when protest and demonstrations play a critical role when other institutions are not up to the task, as evidenced by what has been unfolding across the Middle East. If Occupy Wall Street continues, it can prove to be a valuable moment for our future.

Social workers will make their own decisions as to whether to join with the protesters and the demonstrations that may continue. Demonstrations carry certain risks, even when the intention is to be peaceful, but those risks are often necessary to seek change.

Please weigh in with what you see happening with these issues and Occupy Wall Street.