2022 Wrap-Up: The New Social Worker’s Top 5 Articles for 2022...PLUS

by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW

It is almost 2023, and it is time for The New Social Worker’s annual “wrap-up.” What a year!

We have just completed the 29th year of The New Social Worker! Amazing. I never imagined when I started the magazine in 1994 all the twists and turns, changes in format and focus (e.g., COVID), people I would meet, and places I (and The New Social Worker) would go. So, we keep going, changing, evolving.

What have social workers been reading over the past 12 months? This year’s top articles list looks at the top FIVE newly-published articles for the year of 2022, based on the number of online page views. The listed articles represent what you, our social work readers, have been reading during this year of continued uncertainty and change.

#1 Top New Article for 2022

Special Report on DSM-5-TR—What Social Workers Need To Know, by Jonathan Singer, Phd, LCSW

On Friday, March 18, 2022, almost nine years after the publication of the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) published the text revision of DSM-5, known as DSM-5-TR. This article, published on March 24, 2022, outlines the key changes that social workers need to know about. This is a must-read for every social worker.

#2 Top New Article for 2022

Social Work Month 2022 - Thank You for All You Do Now and Every Day, by Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW

This was our annual Social Work Month introductory post inviting social workers to join us for the month-long celebration and thanking social workers for their important work. The post featured the Social Work Month theme “The Time Is Right for Social Work.” We introduced a new format this year and featured our first-ever Social Work Month calendar, which included daily links to relevant articles from Social Work Months through the years. Did you miss it? You can still download the PDF calendar and make any month Social Work Month with the gems found in this document.

#3 Top New Article for 2022

988: What Social Workers Need To Know About the New 3-Digit Crisis Line Number, by Jonathan Singer, PhD, ACSW

Another extremely timely article! On July 16, 2022, the new 988 mental health crisis line number went into effect. In this July 17 article, Dr. Jonathan Singer provides details on how 988 works and gaps in services. Another must-read/must-know topic.

#4 Top New Article for 2022

How To Begin Your Social Work Career During the Great Resignation, by Jamie Langlois, DSW, LMSW

New social work graduates should not have to settle. Apply for your dream job and ask for fair pay and work-life balance. Employers need you to apply. This is your chance to set the stage for your future. Jamie Langlois provides 10 important pieces of advice for social work job seekers.

#5 Top New Article for 2022

Have a Daily Dose of Self-Care During Self-Care Awareness Month This September, by Erlene Grise-Owens, EdD, LCSW, MSW, MRE

September is Self-Care Awareness Month. Also, this month in 2022 marked the six-year anniversary of the Self-Care, A-Z blog. In celebration of this anniversary and of September as Self-Care Awareness Month, social workers were invited to deepen awareness and activation of self-care with a downloadable Self-Care Month 2022 calendar. Did you miss it, or do you need some self-care inspiration? The calendar is still available and can be used for ANY month of the year.

Here’s the PLUS...Top Articles for 2022 by The New Social Worker Columnists

I cannot wrap up the year without highlighting and celebrating the important contributions of each of our columnists at The New Social Worker. Here is a brief summary and the top article for each column for 2022.

Ethics Alive!

I want to congratulate our ethics expert, Dr. Allan Barsky, on completing his 10th year writing the Ethics Alive! column for The New Social Worker! This column truly brings social work ethics to life. This year, Dr. Barsky wrote about timely topics such as the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Florida's “Don’t Say Gay” law, Florida’s “Anti-WOKE” Act, anticipatory dual relationships, and more. Here is the TOP (most read) article from his column for 2022.

Ethics Alive! Ethical Conundrums for School Social Workers in Light of Legal Restrictions on Discussing Gender and Sexuality

Your Social Work Career Coach

Jennifer Luna is Your Social Work Career Coach. This year, she wrote about the job seeker’s market, how to decide when to leave your job, and performance evaluations. The top (most read) article from her column for 2022 is:

Step Up and Stand Out! Annual Performance Evaluations for Social Workers

Also, in 2022, Jennifer launched a new video series for The New Social Worker, Conversations on Social Work Careers. In her first year of this monthly series, she interviewed social workers in a variety of careers, including library social work, school social work, animal-assisted therapy, and more. The most watched video for 2022 is:

Conversations on Social Work Careers: The Social Work Job Market in 2022 is HOT!

Social Work Tech Talk

Our new technology columnist Dr. Gina Griffin began her column Social Work Tech Talk in 2022. She writes about useful apps and issues related to technology in social work practice. Here is the top (most read) article from Social Work Tech Talk for 2022.

Social Work Tech Talk: Meditation Apps for Instruction and Self-Care

Vital Topics: Social Work & Film

SaraKay Smullens writes Vital Topics: Social Work & Film. This year, she provided commentary on several popular films and TV series relevant to social workers. The most read article from this column for 2022 reviewed three TV series of interest.

Ozark, The Dropout, and Anatomy of a Scandal—Where Has All the Conscience Gone, Long Time Passing?

Self-Care A-Z Blog

Erlene Grise-Owens’ Self-Care A-Z Blog celebrated its sixth anniversary in 2022! Dr. Grise-Owens, co-editor of The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals, and guest writers write about various aspects of and strategies for self-care for social workers. The most read article was the Self-Care Month article listed in the Top 5 above. The next most read article was for Social Work Month:

Self-Care A-Z: The State of Self-Care—The Need is Great, The Time is Right by Erlene Grise-Owens and Justin “Jay” Miller

What About Social Justice?

Another new column for 2022 is What About Social Justice? by Veronica Hardy. Dr. Hardy has written about race-based trauma and maternal health equity this year. The most read article is:

What About Social Justice? Confronting Race-Based Trauma

Dr. Hardy also completed her video series entitled Vision. Intention, Strategy. Your Social Work Mentor in 2022. This series of 18 videos focuses on a variety of topics to help social workers advance and achieve success in their careers.

Editor’s Picks

The following Editor’s Picks provide additional insight into social justice issues over the past year.

2022: The Whole Year

These top articles show a quick view of what social workers read this year, but there is much more. Want to see what else you may have missed? Click these links for each monthly issue for 2022:

Looking Forward to 2023

Image by Nikin from Pixabay

At the start of 2022, The New Social Worker made some big changes. The biggest change was our move to web publishing format. Each article is tagged with the month and year, so you can click on the tag to find other recent articles.

With this change, we also made some changes to our e-newsletter. Besides combining our former e-news and magazine mailings into one mailing, sent out 1-2 times per month, we also made available specialized e-mails based on your interests, such as ethics, careers, self-care, and technology. You can subscribe to any of these e-newsletters through the subscribe links on our website or at this subscription link.

In 2022, we renewed our emphasis on social work careers and career development. In 2023, we will continue to evaluate the best ways we can bring information to you that will be practical and useful in your social work career. HINT: You may see an increased emphasis on reviews and resources.

I wish you a happy, healthy, meaningful holiday season and new year. I look forward to seeing you in 2023.

Warmly and with appreciation,

Linda