Publisher’s Thoughts

Dear Reader,
    I hope you had a great summer and are now in the full swing of the fall season.
    This year is a presidential election year, and I have already heard of many social workers and students (like the ones on our front cover from La Salle University) who have become involved in such activities as voter registration, advocacy regarding the voter ID laws, campaigning for candidates, and the like. As social workers, we have ethical responsibilities to clients, colleagues, practice settings, and the broader society. I encourage you to review the NASW Code of Ethics, and then think about which candidates’ positions are in line with our ethical responsibilities to society. Be an advocate by being involved! Don’t forget to cast your vote this November.
    Over the summer, 1,000 social workers gathered in Washington, DC, for the “Restoring Hope” conference of the National Association of Social Workers. I was pleased to participate as a presenter and an exhibitor. Read my blog post about it at http://blog.socialworker.com/2012/07/the-power-of-face-to-face-conference.html.
    I mentioned previously that I was working with my co-editor, Jennifer Clements, on a new book, Riding the Mutual Aid Bus and Other Adventures in Group Work. (See back cover.) I am pleased to tell you that this book is available NOW. Also, in the coming issues, we will be featuring a series of articles about group work.
    Starting in the next issue, Allan Barsky, the new chair of NASW’s National Ethics Committee, will be a regular ethics contributor to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER. In this issue, we are featuring an excerpt from Barsky’s book, Clinicians in Court.
    In August 2012, Hurricane Isaac headed toward the U.S., leaving fatalities in Louisiana, Florida, and Mississippi. Many feared a repeat of Hurricane Katrina. The American Red Cross was ready with its new digital disaster volunteer program, spreading support and virtual hugs throughout cyberspace. Read about this new program, as well as the new Disaster Distress Helpline, on pages 30 and 31.
    If you are planning to apply to graduate school in social work, don’t miss Robin Wingo’s article on page 18. Also, head over to our new Social Work Graduate School Site at http://www.socialworkgradschool.com!
    Additional articles in this issue address burnout and self-care, homeless education, workplace safety for social workers, time machines in hospice social work, student research participation, and more!
    Until next time—happy reading, and enjoy the changing colors of the leaves!

Linda May Grobman, ACSW, LSW, Publisher/Editor

Student Role Model:
Christine Webb
Meet Christine Webb, BSW student at the University of Indiana at Bloomington.
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 3

Ethics: Clinicians in Court: Thwarting Disclosure
This issue’s ethics article is an excerpt from the book, Clinicians in Court. Treating clinicians often wish they could prevent disclosure of records. Some reasons are ethically justifiable, others not.
by Allan Barsky
page 4

Field Placement: What I Wish I Had Known: Burnout and Self-Care in Our Social Work Profession
Clinicians often feel exhausted at the end of the day, and this exhaustion can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. By engaging in self-care, social workers can assert their rights to be well and reintroduce their own needs into the equation.
by SaraKay Smullens
page 6

Homeless Education: Providing Stable Education for Children and Youth in Transition
Homeless education is a movement mostly known to school-based and child welfare social workers. Guided by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, this form of education seeks to provide parameters for eliminating barriers to school enrollment, attendance, and academic success for children and youth facing homelessness.
by Sonya O. Hunte
page 10

Workplace Safety for Social Workers: A Student’s Analysis and Opinion
Workplace safety is a significant concern for many social workers. What is being done or can be done to address this issue?
by Shannon Alther
page 12

Evidence of Time Machines
Who needs wormholes or cosmic strings when you have a slide trombone and a bag of cotton? Time travel is not just for scientists. Hospice social workers can dabble in time machines, too.
by Rich Kenney
page 14

Being Who We Are, Every Day, Everywhere
When we view being a social worker through the eyes of many we meet, they will say it comes naturally through us, and indeed it does.
by Novia S. Reid
page 16

Your Social Work Graduate School Application: 14 Tips To Help You Get an Acceptance Letter
Applying for graduate school is a big step! Every graduate school’s application process is different. Follow these 14 tips to make your application stand out and be accepted.
by Robin R. Wingo
page 18

Research: 10 Benefits of Student Participation in Undergraduate Social Work Research
Students may feel too busy to take on the burden of another obligation, but a research project is worth the added responsibility. Here are 10 reasons why. 
by Lucas J. Gogliotti, Justin J. Pung, and Suzanne L. Cross
page 20

Social Work Students in Action!
A photo montage of students advocating. 
page 23

International: ABCD in Practice: A Practical Lesson From the Field Placement
A report on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) from a social worker in Ethiopia. 
by Mukerem Mifta Shafi
page 24

Tech Topics: Red Cross Digital Disaster Volunteers (DDVs) Offer Support Through Social Media
In August 2012, during Hurricane Isaac, the American Red Cross piloted the use of digital disaster volunteers to help the Red Cross Social Engagement team provide information and support to online communities. These virtual volunteers work from their homes to monitor and respond to social posts.
by John Weaver, Valerie Cole, and Gloria Huang
page 30

Letters to the Editor    page 19
On Campus    page 22
Reviews    page 28
Classified Ads    page 32