Publisher's Thoughts Winter 2015

Dear Reader,

    The new year, 2015, is upon us! Thank you for joining us as we see what is in store for our 22nd year of publication.

    In the last issue, we introduced our new column, “Achieving Racial Equity Through Social Work.” This series continues on page 17 with a look at undoing racism. If you watch the news, you know that there are many examples in the headlines of the last couple of years that illustrate how much work we still have to do in this area. As social workers, our Code of Ethics mandates that we be involved in this work. This column provides a framework for thinking about, talking about, and taking action on these important issues.

    Families are complicated. Many new social workers want to work with families but find this to be a challenge. Mercedes Samudio (page 6) provides a list of do’s and don’ts to help you get started. Ellen Belluomini (page 28) also provides some guidelines for working with parents and their digital native children.

    If you are interested in international social work, there is a way to do this work without leaving the U.S. Michele Kelly explains what is involved in refugee resettlement work in her article on page 14.

    Communicating concisely and clearly is an important skill for social workers. We think about our verbal communication with clients and co-workers, but written communication is just as important. Natalie Ames helps social workers think about readability of their writing on page 10.

    In the area of career advancement, Valerie Arendt looks at job interview skills on page 8, and Susan Mankita provides ideas about thinking like a social worker to pass your licensure exam on page 26. This issue also features articles on becoming a social work academic (page 18) and getting accepted to an MSW program (page 23). And don’t miss Addison Cooper’s movie column.

    Enjoy the articles, and then go to our website and share them with friends, colleagues, and classmates.

    To subscribe to THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER’s Social Work E-News and notifications of new issues of the magazine, go to the “Subscribe” link on our website at http://www.socialworker.com. (It’s free!)

    Until next time—happy reading!