Dear Reader, Happy Spring! Just as the flowers are starting to bloom outside, this issue of The New Social Worker is blooming with creativity and exciting social work happenings. I’m excited to bring this issue to you! In the last issue, I introduced our new MSW student columnist, T.J. Rutherford. In this issue, T.J. reports on her field placement and setting priorities.
Also in this issue, we have another new columnist—Karen Zgoda has joined us as our new tech expert. Karen’s SW 2.0 column will bring news of how to use all the latest technology to be a better social worker. In this issue, she tells us about CaringBridge, a great free Internet resource.
Speaking of technology, The New Social Worker is now on Twitter and FaceBook. (See page 19.) Also, Karen, T.J., and I are keeping you posted on The New Social Worker’s blog! In between issues of the magazine, you can read our writings and communicate with us at http://blog.socialworker.com.
Barbara Trainin Blank continues her series of articles on creative arts therapies, with a focus on art and photo therapy in this issue. There are a lot of creative social workers out there!
This issue also looks at the very serious issues of self-determination, client suicide, and working as a social worker in one’s own community. And we have career-focused articles on changing career focus from teaching to social work, building a private practice, and looking for a job before you’re quite ready!
We are trying something new with our reviews for this issue. Book and video reviews are being published as a separate supplement to this issue. This is part of our transition to an expanded review section. Look for the special supplement soon!
Don’t forget, if you are looking for a social work job, or looking to hire a social worker, check out our online job board at http://www.socialworkjobbank.com. We have just updated our online résumé system, so you can now upload your résumé in Word or PDF format—check it out!
Until next time—happy reading!
Linda May Grobman
Table of ContentsFeatures Student Role Model:
Ashley Bunnell
In this issue, Barbara Trainin Blank provides a close-up look at Ashley Bunnell, a BSW student at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke.
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 3
Ethics: The Day Self-Determination Died: The Challenges of Implementing Self-Determination in Day-to-Day Life
Self-determination is a term that is talked about a lot in social work. Yet, how do we really “live” self-determination? This essay tells one social worker’s story of grappling with this ethical issue.
by Liz Cameron
page 4
Field Placement: Students Face Client Suicide: A Painful Reality
It has been said that there are two types of therapists: those who have had a client suicide and those who have not had a client suicide, yet. A collective quiet, both in the classroom and in agencies, makes it possible to maintain the safe stance of “it will never happen to me”—a stance that becomes dangerous, if it ever does.
by Mollie Charter
page 6
A Different Kind of Teacher
What if you thought all your life that you wanted to be one thing when you grew up—then, suddenly, you were grown up and realized you wanted to be something different? MSW student Kryss Shane tells how she switched gears from teaching to social work.
by Kristen (Kryss) Shane
page 10
An MSW Student’s Life
In this issue, MSW student T.J. starts her field practicum and learns some lessons about priorities.
by T.J. Rutherford
page 12
Different Strokes: Art and Photo Therapy Promote Healing
In a continuation of our series on arts in therapy, Barbara Trainin Blank explores how art and photography help clients on the road to reaching their goals
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 14
The Need to Inject the Social in Addressing Mechanistic Clinical Misconceptions Found in Long-Term Care Environments
To be old is to be demented, and this statement especially sounds in clarion fashion when dealing with older adults in long-term care settings. Yet, although many take this statement at face value, in reality one must pause with concern about the widespread acceptance of such stereotypes.
by Brian Garavaglia
page 16
Coming Home as a Social Worker: A Recent Graduate’s Experience in Professionally Helping Within Her Community
A recent MSW graduate reflects on her first post-MSW year, working as a social worker in her home community.
by Natasha K. Nalls
page 20
Building Your Private Practice
Practical tips for marketing your services as a private practitioner.
by Keisha Cox
page 24
SW 2.0: CaringBridge: A Valuable Tool for Social Workers and Those With Critical Illness, In Treatment, or in Recovery
In this issue, we introduce our new technology columnist, Karen Zgoda. Her first column provides information about a free online service that helps hospitalized patients and others in treatment to communicate with and receive support from family and friends.
by Karen Zgoda
page 27
An Accidental Job Search
A story of searching for an academic job—prematurely.
by Peter A. Kindle
page 29
Social Work Students Learn About Harm Reduction in Switzerland
Trevor Gates reports on an international experience in which students visited a harm reduction agency in Switzerland.
by Trevor Gates
page 31
Departments Letter to the Editor page 9
On Campus page 22
Classified Ads page 32
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