Dear Reader,
Summer is here! With summer comes graduation for many. I decided to do something different this year. I asked our newly-graduated Facebook fans to send me their graduation pictures! On page 21, you will see some of the many who took me up on this request. I was so delighted to see the diversity of grads—twin sisters, a mother with children at her side, a woman 35 weeks pregnant, non-traditional age men and women, and many more. There was not enough room to include all of them in this issue, so if you look on our Web site at http://www.socialworker.com/home/Feature_Articles/General/Recent_Social_Work_Graduates_2011/, you will be able to view a slideshow of those whose photos are featured on page 21, as well as those whose photos came in after the space was filled. Congratulations to ALL social work grads of 2011, and welcome to the exciting world of social work!
This year, the Peace Corps celebrated its 50th anniversary. In this issue, we are featuring a new partnership between the Peace Corps and several schools of social work. Our student role model, Cristen Cravath, is the first MSW student to participate in the Peace Corps Master’s International Program. You can read more about the program on page 14.
The use of social media is gaining attention in the social work world, so we are taking another look at the ethical issues surrounding its use. See page 4. Also, in the technology realm, Karen Zgoda explores the fundraising platform Kickstarter on page 26.
Child welfare is a primary area of social work practice. See page 12 for tips on making home visits, page 22 for a social worker’s personal reflections on aging out of foster care, and page 8 for a child welfare trainer’s perspective on making the workplace (or field placement) work for you.
New areas of practice are always emerging. Two of these are resident services (see page 11) and care coordination (page 18).
Don’t miss Kryss’ lessons learned on her first post-MSW job on page 30!
This issue is filled with these articles and much more. Do you have ideas or experiences you would like to share with our readers? Perhaps you would like to write an article or serve as an expert interviewee for a future issue! Let me know.
Until next time—happy reading!
Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW, Publisher/Editor
Table of Contents - Summer 2011 Features Student Role Model:
Cristen Cravath
Meet Cristen Cravath, MSW student at the University of Maryland and the first MSW student to participate in the Peace Corps Master’s International Program.
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 3
Ethics: Must I Un-Friend Facebook? Exploring the
Ethics of Social Media
Is it possible, or even desirable, to be a “blank slate” therapist in the age of social media? Is it necessary to prevent therapists from using Facebook, any more than it would be to tell them that they can’t go out to dinner for fear of running into a client? What, exactly, is the difference?
by Lisa Kays
page 4
Field Placement: Making the Workplace (or Field Placement) Work for You
Social work students sometimes experience dissonance between classroom instruction and field education. New social workers frequently struggle with what they are prepared to do versus what they are expected to do. What is at the heart of this issue, and what can be done about it?
by Nicholas Rutledge
page 8
Beyond Housing: New Approaches in Community
Services Are an Opportunity for Social Workers
Resident services is an emerging field in the affordable housing industry that aims to keep individuals, families, and seniors stable in their homes. Opportunities exist for social workers in this field.
by Ashley Blake
page 11
Tips for Making Home Visits in Child Welfare
For new social workers, making home visits can be intimidating and even frightening. Yet, many benefits exist to seeing clients in their homes, particularly when working in child welfare. These tips will help you to get the most of out of these home visits.
by Natalie D. Pope and Jennifer B. Hadden
page 12
Featured Article: Master’s International Program Combines Degree With Peace Corps at Four Schools of Social Work
It is now possible to obtain your MSW while serving your country and the world. The Peace Corps and four schools of social work have teamed up to offer the Master’s International Program to MSW students. University of Maryland student Cristen Cravath is the first MSW student to participate in this program.
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 14
Understanding Care Coordination: Emerging
Opportunities for Social Workers
With the passage of healthcare reform legislation in early 2010, care coordination continues to attract national attention as an important component of service delivery.
by Ellen Fink-Samnick
page 18
Congrats Recent Social Work Grads!
A photo montage of 2011 social work graduates.
page 21
Turtles
A personal tale of life in and after foster care.
by Alicia Dela Cruz
page 22
SW 2.0: I Want You To Be Part of This Experience:
How Kickstarter Is Being Used To Build Creative,
Social Projects
A report on two projects that used Kickstarter’s social platform to raise money.
by Karen Zgoda
page 26
Kryss Meets Career: 10 Things I’ve Learned In
My First Post-MSW Job
Now that you have the job, what do you need to know? Here are ten tips to get you started.
by Kristen Marie (Kryss) Shane
page 30
Departments On Campus page 24
Letter to the Editor page 25
Reviews page 28
Classified Ads page 32
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