One area that we are developing that is brought about by that technology is podcasting! To start, we have incorporated Jonathan Singer’s fantastic Social Work Podcast into The New Social Worker’s Web site. Go to http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Social_Work_Podcast to listen online to these full-length lectures by a social work doctoral student. Recent topics have included developing treatment plans, interpersonal psychotherapy, gestalt therapy, and person-centered therapy. Jonathan would like to hear from you. E-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to let him know what topics you would like covered in future podcasts.

In addition, I have uploaded to our Web site an interview I conducted with Amanda Vos, an Australian social worker who visited me recently. You can hear this interview at http://www.socialworker.com/home/menu/Interview_With_Amanda_Vos/

In the last issue, we published articles by students of professor Lisa Cox at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. In this issue, we feature another of these writings. Read Brianna Bernath-Gorneau’s reflection of her first rape crisis call on page 14.

The Oscar-winning film An Inconvenient Truth and former vice-president Al Gore have brought global warming to the forefront of Americans’ thinking. Is this a social work issue? Bill Whitaker says it is the most important social welfare issue we face, and he tells why and what we can do about it on page 4.

In this issue, you are treated to a “preview” of the new book I am editing with Dara Bergel Bourassa. See page 6 for Kathryn MacLean’s article on her experiences as a student in the Hartford Practicum Partnership Program (PPP). If you are a student interested in working with older adults, the PPP will definitely be of interest to you! See page 7 for additional information about the new book, too.

Your literature review is due next week! What to do? Turn to page 12 for Kathy Black’s excellent overview of this special type of research and writing. Besides knowing how to find and write up sources, find out why you need to cite them correctly and how to avoid plagiarism like the plague.

Do you know which setting is right for you? Jasmine Appleberry (page 20) provides insight into working in an inpatient psychiatric unit, while Sheila Peck (page 24) cautions that private practice is not the right direction to take for everyone, and Ann McLaughlin tells us about international work on page 26.

I must get five e-mails a week asking about online or distance education in social work. Marshall Smith discusses this topic on page 30.

Do you have information you would like to share with The New Social Worker’s readers? Think about submitting an article. Get creative! I’d love to hear from you. Also, I am always looking for photos of social work students and social workers “in action.” Send your ideas or completed manuscripts and photos to me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Until next time—happy reading!

Table of Contents 

Student Role Model: Greta Martin In this issue, Barbara Blank provides a close-up look at Greta Martin, MSW student at West Virginia University. by Barbara Trainin Blank page 3

Ethics: A Social Worker Grandfather Thinks About Global Warming An Oscar-winning film and a former vice-president of the U.S. have brought recent attention to global warming. Our planet is getting hotter. This fact is not in question. What are our responsibilities, as social workers, in regard to this issue? Is this a question of ethics? by Bill Whitaker page 4

Field Placement: Exploring Gerontological Social Work Through the Hartford Practicum Partnership Program A student learns about gerontology through a field placement in which she rotates through three different agencies. by Kathryn MacLean page 6

Vet Social Work Program Counsels Pet Owners, Staff A new program strictly for humans is now available at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital—Michigan State University Veterinary Social Work Services—the first of its kind in Michigan. by Laura Min Mercer page 8

UMB Students Participate in Baltimore Census Count Social work and law students at the University of Maryland Baltimore recently helped count the city’s homeless. by Lori Romer page 10

Research: Considerations in Writing a Literature Review Literature reviews are ubiquitous in academic journals, scholarly reports, and social work education. Conducting and writing a good literature review is both personally and professionally satisfying. by Kathy Black page 12

Rape Crisis Response: Before and After A new social worker reflects on her first rape crisis call. by Brianna Bernath-Gorneau page 14

Self-Analysis: The Story of a Girl The story of a young girl with cerebral palsy illustrates concepts relating to human behavior in the social environment. by Kimberly Holsclaw page 16

Is a Psychiatric Unit the Right Setting For You? The phrase “psychiatric unit,” for many, conjures up horrifying images, such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This article looks at the unit as a nesting place. Is this the career path for you? by Jasmine Appleberry page 20

Private Practice: When It’s Not Right For You Charlene was excited and eager to learn when she signed up for a “How to Start Your Private Practice” class. But by the end of the final session, she had decided she was not ready. Are you? by Sheila Peck page 24

Your Social Work Career: How to Snag a Job in International Social Work International expert Ann McLaughlin returns with more insight into working abroad. In this installment, she tackles the question, “How do I get a paid international humanitarian job?” by Ann McLaughlin page 26

Electronic Connection: Toward a Guide to Distance Education in Social Work There is no easy, “one-stop” way to determine what is available via distance education in social work. In this issue, Marshall Smith discusses what is available, what is legitimate, and how to find it. by Marshall L. Smith page 30

On Campus page 22 Books page 28 Classified Ads page 32 Write for The New Social Worker page 19 Important Notice to Readers page 29 Social Work Podcast page 31