Dear Reader,
It’s 2008! This issue marks the beginning of our 15th volume of The New Social Worker!
As we begin our 15th year and I reflect back, many thoughts come to mind:
The New Social Worker started as an idea in my mind, and it came to fruition as a result of the support of my family and many social work educators and others who supported my vision.
This is the fifty-third issue of The New Social Worker to be published!
- We have moved from a quarterly print magazine to a completely electronic, free access format.
- As each issue has come off the press (or the computer), I have been as excited as when I saw the first issue.
- Through the contributions of many social work students, faculty, practitioners, and other writers, the content of the articles has always been top notch and on the cutting edge of what is happening in the profession.
- I have met some incredibly wonderful people through my role as the publisher and editor of this magazine.
- I think the social work profession is a great one, and I love to share ideas with new people coming into the field.
- Our Web site started in 1995 and continues to grow every day.
This issue continues the tradition of great articles by great writers, sharing great information with you! It includes articles on compassion fatigue, putting yourself in the driver’s seat of your field placement, community social work, how not to panic when your client talks to dead people, protecting the protectors, untangling intercultural knots, mentoring, and how students can teach their teachers about new technology innovations.
Speaking of which, we are now on Facebook! Visit The New Social Worker’s page at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=6689018002 and become a fan. We are just beginning to explore ways to use this platform to communicate and network with you.
If you have some ideas you would like to share with our readers, I would love to hear from you. (See below.)
Until next time—happy reading!
FEATURES Student Role Model:
Christina Michels
In this issue, Barbara Trainin Blank provides a close-up look at Christina Michels, BSW student at Central Michigan University.
by Barbara Trainin Blank
page 3
Ethics: Compassion Fatigue: Being an Ethical Social Worker
Burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue are not exactly the same things, and it’s helpful to be able to distinguish among them. There are several sections of the Code of Ethics that apply directly to these topics.
by Tracy C. Wharton
page 4
Field Placement: Taking the Wheel: Put Yourself in the Driver’s Seat of Your Field Placement Experience
As social work students, most of us approach our field placements with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Where do I want to go? What setting will be a good fit for me? These and other questions floated around in Lyndal’s mind until she took the wheel and approached Amanda to be her field supervisor.
by Lyndal Greenslade and Amanda Vos
page 8
There’s a Place for “Us”—How Community Fits Into Social Work
Despite the different demands between the micro and the macro spheres, the fact that they are studied under the social work umbrella indicates that certain core professional skills pervade the entire field of the social work milieu.
by Mordecai Holtz
page 12
Poetry: My Life is in Your Hands (From a client’s perspective)
A poem about a client’s struggle.
by Stephanie Griffey
page 17
How Not to Panic When Your Client Talks to Dead People
Your client tells you that she just talked to her mother, who died two years ago. What do you do?
by Michael Sanger
page 18
Protecting the Protectors: Am I Really Safe?
Reflections on the death of social service worker Boni Frederick.
by Justin Miller
page 20
Untangling the Intercultural Knot With an African Colleague
Mukasa and Ann were stalled at an interpersonal intersection. They were mired in their own perspectives and having a hard time understanding the other’s position. Ann reflects on how this knot got untangled and led to greater intercultural understanding.
by Ann McLaughlin
page 22
Horseshoe Farm Tutoring and
Mentoring Program
Students and faculty at the University of Alabama started a tutoring and mentoring program that has become a vital partnership with the local community.
by Carroll Phelps and Jamie Bryars
page 25
Electronic Connection: Teach Your Teachers
Many social work educators have been on the “cutting edge” of new technology, but today’s generation of students have literally grown up with the ever-changing technological landscape. Now, it is time for the students to teach their teachers about the newest innovations.
by Marshall L. Smith
page 28
DEPARTMENTS Letter to the Editor page 7
On (and Off) Campus page 24
Social Work Around the Map page 26
Books page 30
Classified Ads page 32
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