GUEST POST: The Trod -- A Social Work Student's View

by Shanniel Shakespeare, B.Sc. Social Work


Trod-ding *

I look at my shoes worn, holes and all, and I am amazed at my journey. I have travelled for five years, and my journey is almost at an end. Two more weeks have passed on my practicum site, and I am getting there. I am almost at the point where I am comfortable in my own skin, with my colleagues, with the people who come to me for assistance!! Isn’t that something? God has been good to me! 

Trod-ding

I look at shoes, worn out and ugly, and I smile!! Shoes symbolic of progress, and I am proud of the immense growth I’ve experienced. I astonish myself sometimes at how I quickly acclimate to a new task after hearing instructions once. One thing I love about this experience is the opportunity my supervisor has given me to "feel out" each aspect of the job. I have worked with children in our institutions, and I was also given the chance to work with Adoption and Supervision Order (S.O) cases. So far, it has been super awesome, but it wouldn’t be a true report if I did not reveal that the paperwork is immense and sometimes overwhelming. Progress is a must, so I refuse to let z paper defeat me!

Trod-ding

I look at shoes that walk me into newness of thinking. I look at shoes that hold my feet as I step into an exciting future. I am excited by the support and words of affirmation that my coworkers speak into my life. The colleagues to whom I am assigned have been very consistent in mentoring me and modeling the skills and competencies I will need to do my job effectively.

Trod-ding

I look at shoes and I venture into the unknown; nervously-confident, anxiously-secure.  The last two weeks were a buzz of activity. I was assigned my new cases, and in one day we did three (3) School Visits and four (4) Home Visits. Then we made it back to the office to prepare for a Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) Quiz that our office was spearheading. It is exciting the immense wealth of knowledge that I am gaining and the new forms I’ve been exposed including but not limited to the Special Assistance Request Form and Form of Irrevocable consent.

Trod-ding

I am walking past my fear and nervousness.  I smile as my shoes filled with holes strain out the anxiety I feel when I am about to enter a counseling session. Shoes filled with holes strain out intimidation I feel when I talk to my supervisor or a colleague and I smile!!! I must admit that over the last two weeks I have surprised myself as to how much I have grown. I marvel at how composed I now am when I talk to a client, I make little jokes, listen attentively, and offer my suggestions. 

Trod-ding

I step into my God-given Potential. One of my learning goals was to say yes to the opportunities that arise for me to display my talent and creativity, and I have done just that. I said yes when my supervisor invited me to do a presentation in Clarendon. I said yes when I was asked to do devotion at the CCPA Quiz. I said yes when I was asked to do devotions, a song, and my dub poem at the parenting seminar put on by the agency. I said YES and it felt so good, and as a result, I have resolved to continue doing so. 

And so the trod continues...2013 and beyond!!!

*Word coined

Shanniel Shakespeare is a Spoken Word Artiste/Dub Poet. She is also a Child and Youth Advocate. She has a first degree in social work from Northern Caribbean University. She also is committed to using her God-given talents, creativity, and potential to empower young people to live passionate lives.

Social Work Goes to the Movies: Movies Aren't Just for Off-Hours

by Addison Cooper, LCSW


(Editor's Note: Addison Cooper is the new movie columnist for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER.)

Quick! Name three celebrities who have adopted a child in the last decade.

Easy, right? I thought of Angelina, Madonna, and Nia Vardalos. I’m not sure why Angelina came to mind and not Brad, but, well, now I’ve thought of four. Why do we know this? 

Adoption stories are in our media; their growing presence suggests a growing audience for stories about adoption. Filmmakers see it. In the last few years, adoption has been featured in Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda 2, Meet the Robinsons, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Juno, What to Expect When You’re Expecting and Martian Child, among others. 

In a somewhat cyclical relationship, film is formed by public consciousness and, in turn, forms public consciousness. Filmmakers give audiences what they want (a story) rather than what might be more helpful (thoughtful, thorough information on adoption). People like feel-good stuff. On my “Adoption at the Movies” Facebook page, my two most popular posts were shared over a hundred times each – both of them were pictures with cute captions – easily-digestible, quickly-absorbable pills of heartwarming happiness.  People like that stuff.

Filmmakers are artists and business people; they’re not social workers or unbiased chroniclers of history, and so films sometimes paint unrealistically polarized pictures, drawing from fears and hopes rather than reality. 

Look at adoptions. Adoption is often shown as an uncomplicated process: In Despicable Me, villainous Gru adopts three girls after passing a very superficial screening interview.  In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po wanders into a noodle shop  and is quickly adopted by Mr. Ping. Cornelius Robinson waited in an orphanage; when the right family came along, they were able to just take him. In The Odd Life of Timothy Green, the kid just shoots up from the family’s garden.  Just like that. Simple, quick, painless paths to parenthood. That’s what prospective adoptive parents often want, and sometimes expect. Simple. Quick. Painless.  

Some movies highlight fears that the process will be brutal. In Martian Child, the social workers monitoring Dennis’ adjustment to David’s home are intrusive, distant, and judgmental. The Greens undergo an interview with disinterested, scornful social workers.  It’s uncomfortable and frightening, but that’s what prospective adoptive parents often fear. Demanding, insensitive social workers.  

And that’s just covering the process of adoption. Movies also touch on adoptee identity, birth family reunification, grief, loss, and infertility with varying degrees of accuracy. Movies aren’t the same thing as training. But they’re not all bad. Here’s why:

• Film provides an insight into public thought. Sure, adoptions aren’t actually as easy as movies make them look – but people wish (and maybe think) that they are. Social workers aren’t generally as callous and officious as movies portray us – but people fear (and maybe think) that we are. Movies provide some hints as to what your future clients might be thinking.
• Movies have a much broader appeal than training videos. People watch, absorb, connect with, and remember movies. Even when movies are inaccurate in their portrayals of important issues, they can aid conversation. Social workers can use familiar stories to illustrate processes (Juno found adoptive parents through an advertisement, met with them, processed her decision with friends and family, but ultimately made her own choice), or  to introduce conversations on important topics (Kung Fu Panda 2 portrays the painful effects of keeping an adoptee’s history a secret from them). Films can also help families process their own grief. Families often find it difficult to confront their grief about infertility, but films like What to Expect When You’re Expecting and The Odd Life of Timothy Green show characters struggle with the emotional impact of infertility. Some prospective adopters who have gone through infertility treatments might be able to talk about the feelings that a character might have had before they’re able to talk directly about their own experience.
• Movies can help parents develop empathy for their kids. Parents without adoption experience might connect with Po as he wonders why his history was hidden from him, and might decide to be open with history to ensure that their child doesn’t have that struggle.
• Some movies get the important issues right. Timothy Green refuses to keep secrets. Mr. Ping eventually tells Po the history of his adoption. The infertile couple in What to Expect process their grief and move into what seems likely to be a healthy adoption. With a social worker’s insight, Netflix becomes a powerful resource.

What films have you seen that can help you better understand, engage, and serve your clients?

Addison Cooper, LCSW, is the movie columnist for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine. See his first column, "Does This Movie Make My Attitude Look Big?"  He also operates the adoption movie review website, “Adoption at the Movies” at www.adoptionlcsw.com. He worked as a foster care/adoption social worker in Southern California for seven years, and is now a therapist in private practice in Springfield, Missouri. Find him on Twitter @AddisonCooper.

Summer 2013 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is available now!

As we continue our 20th year of publication of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine, exciting things are happening!

The Summer 2013 issue of The New Social Worker magazine is now ready to download! It is available, free of charge, in PDF format, directly from The New Social Worker Web site. Or you can buy The New Social Worker in print.

I am happy to announce that in the Summer 2013 issue, we are starting another fun new column in The New Social Worker! Social Work Goes to the Movies is the latest addition to our regular line-up. It is written by Addison Cooper, LCSW. Addison blogs about adoption in the movies and will be bringing his insight into all things social work on the big screen to our pages!

We are still so thankful to all of our fans who voted for THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER magazine and SaraKay Smullens' article on burnout and self care in the social work profession for the 2013 NASW Media Award for Magazine/Magazine Article! It was such an honor to be chosen for this recognition along with all the other winners.

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Download the Summer 2013 issue of THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER

The Summer 2013 issue is hot off the press! Highlights include the NASW Code of Ethics and social work obligations, what students need from their field supervisors, breaking boundaries with empathy, ER social work, a first group work experience, becoming a therapist, mandated reporting (parts II and III), social work at the movies, federalism and social welfare policy, Internet as a career killer, poetry, book reviews, and more!

• Download it here (free download)!
• Purchase it in print here!
• Purchase the full 2012 volume here (all 4 issues from 2012 in one volume)!

TIP FOR READERS
Did you know that when you read THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER in PDF format on your computer, you can click through to items as you read about them? Most URLs and e-mail addresses throughout the magazine are clickable. Give it a try!

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Read It on Our Web Site

Articles from this issue are also available on our Web site (http://www.socialworker.com) in Web format.

Here are some highlights from the Summer 2013 issue:

• Student Role Model: Cheryl Hershey (in PDF and print version only)
• Ethics Alive!: In Compliance: The NASW Code of Ethics and Other Social Work Obligations
• Field Placement: What Students Need From Their Field Supervisors: A Student's Perspective
• Breaking Boundaries With Empathy: How the Therapeutic Alliance Can Defy Client/Worker Differences
• The Greek Fisherman--Or The Right Stuff and Everything Else
• Getting My Feet Wet in Group Work (in PDF and print version only)
• How I (a Macro Social Worker) Became a Therapist (and Fell in Live With It)
• Making the Tough Call: Social Workers as Mandated Reporters--Part II: Whose Responsibility Is It? Reporting in the Workplace
• Making the Tough Call: Social Workers as Mandated Reporters--Part III: You Made the Decision: Now What Do You Do? (in PDF and print version only)
• Social Work Goes to the Movies: Does This Movie Make My Attitude Look Big?
• Keep Calm and Advocate: A Social Work Month Idea (in PDF and print version only)
• Federalism and Social Welfare Policy: The Case Study of TANF
• Turn Up the Tech in Social Work: Don't Let the Internet Be a Career Killer
• Accessing Apps: School Social Work (in PDF and print version only)
• Poetry (in PDF and print version only)
• Book Reviews

...and much more!

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Networking and Our Other Sites

Network with us!

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Visit our sites!

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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.

GUEST POST: Staten Island in the Wake of Superstorm Sandy…

 by Sheila Linden, LMSW, with Rita Ruel

Sheila Linden, LMSW

Note: In March 2010, Sheila Linden, LMSW, a licensed social worker for 30 years, joined VNSNY CHOICE, a subsidiary of Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Sheila was recently recognized among just 64 of VNSNY’s 18,000 staff members to receive an ESPRIT Award, the organization’s highest honor. Chosen to speak at the awards ceremony, Sheila shared her experiences helping VNSNY CHOICE members and others while volunteering at Tottenville High School in Staten Island, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Here is the text of her speech:

Even if Superstorm Sandy had never taken place, tonight I would have no shortage of unique and inspirational stories to share about the VNSNY CHOICE members I’ve had the privilege of working with during the past few years.  Collaborating with such an exceptional group of professionals, my VNSNY CHOICE colleagues, has made my experiences even more rewarding…  Here are just a couple of examples: 

Working with Sally, a brave, resilient 79-year-old member, we rid her home of repeated bedbug infestations and -- more recently – I supported her as she underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments. 

Or, the case of 95-year-old Helen, whose dementia and episodes of wandering had alienated her family – except for her grandson, John. John loyally struggled to care for Helen, then broke down in tears and needed much consolation when his grandmother finally moved to a nursing home with a dementia unit, for her own safety.

I feel honored and humbled to be acknowledged by my dedicated co-workers, and feel grateful for their indescribably warm, helpful support.  I have been a social worker for three decades, but the past several years spent on the VNSNY CHOICE team in Staten Island have made me wish that I joined this organization long ago.

Superstorm Sandy has been the latest, unforgettable chapter.  After losing power in my own home in Staten Island, I volunteered to help out at the evacuation center at Tottenville High School.  Among the evacuees there, I was surprised to find my member, Dorothy, and her husband, Henry. Their home was so damaged by flooding that its foundation cracked, and it was uninhabitable.  Dorothy has multiple co-morbidities, including dementia and hypertension. She has suffered a stroke, needs oxygen 24/7 due to chronic COPD, and is in a wheelchair.  Until just a few months ago, her husband and primary caregiver, Henry, was an adjunct professor of finance at NYU. Now he is undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  The Red Cross and clinicians at the evacuation center were managing to keep Dorothy and Henry medically stable, in spite of the extraordinary circumstances, but no immediate/safe plan was in place once the shelters began to consolidate.  

Once I found Dorothy and Henry, I checked in with them nearly every day. Extensive rounds of negotiations began, with various agencies and facilities, with the couple themselves, and with their sons in New Jersey and Staten Island. One of their sons is disabled, and both were going through their own problems in the wake of the hurricane. Several days went by, and the best outcome I could obtain, to keep the couple from being transferred to yet another evacuation center, was to get Dorothy admitted into a long-term care facility. However, the couple refused to be separated, even temporarily! Just when it looked as though moving Dorothy by herself could not be avoided, their son Michael succeeded in getting them a new apartment in Staten Island. Since then, I have made a number of visits to their new home, to ensure that their needs are being met. 

After all the destruction and pain that Hurricane Sandy has wrought in our area, our city, and my Staten Island, I barely have words to say how meaningful it has been to use my training and experience to help members like Dorothy and Henry come through this ordeal safe, alive, and together.   As you know, some other vulnerable people in our community were not so lucky.

I will never forget the ordeal that I shared and the help I was able to provide to Dorothy, Henry and their family – for in all our communities, there are so often complicated, complex issues which impede upon a safe care plan.  This experience will surely stack up among the most memorable experiences of my life.

Happy Social Work Month 2013!

Happy Social Work Month, everyone! THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER is celebrating Social Work Month this year by posting inspiring stories of social work on our site.  You can read the first installment, "Why I Love Being a Social Worker," here.

We will post more stories throughout the month. You can follow these by going to our main page and scrolling down to the section, "Social Work Month 2013."

For more information on Social Work Month, check out NASW's Social Work Month page. This year's theme is "Resilience Weaving Advocacy."

There is still time to send in your story to be posted on THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER's site! Send 300-500 words to Linda Grobman, editor, for consideration.