Publisher's Thoughts: Fall 2013

Dear Reader,

    We are nearing the end of our 20th year at THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER! Recently, I was going through some old files and was reminded of the beginnings of this magazine I started in 1994 with little more than an idea and a great deal of enthusiasm.

    I ran into a friend the other day who said, “When you told me 20 years ago that you wanted to start a magazine for social workers, I thought that was kind of crazy. But I thought, ‘Go for it!’” And that I did.

    The Internet was hardly a commonplace thing at the time. In my old files are letters (the old fashioned snail-mail kind) and faxes. There are e-mails, but publishing electronically was not an option in those days.

    Communication methods and publishing have certainly changed in those 20 years. What has not changed a great deal is the general purpose of the social work profession and the need for social workers to feel supported in their work and their careers.

     This year, THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER was recognized as the “Best Magazine” in the 2013 NASW Media Awards. SaraKay Smullens (author of the award-winning article in our Fall 2012 issue) and I will be going to Lancaster, PA, in October to accept our awards. It is gratifying to know that this “crazy” effort of mine to support social workers and social work students in their budding careers has made a difference.

    Along the way, I have met many wonderful colleagues from all over the world and have been fortunate to “discover” some gifted and talented writer/social workers who have been motivated to share their wisdom with our readers. I am especially grateful for all the people who have contributed to the magazine in any way. Thank you!

    In this issue, we continue our tradition of providing material on ethics, field placement, technology, and other topics of interest to new social workers. We continue our series on mandated reporting and our new movie column. There is also an emphasis in this issue on supervision and student projects.

     On page 25, you will find a short excerpt from Ogden Rogers’ new book, Beginnings, Middles, & Ends. Ogden is one of those social worker/writers who stood out to me from the very beginning (his first article in THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER appeared in 1995), and I am so excited to see his book launch! Also, check out our new Back-to-School Guide (see page 22.)

    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!

Linda May Grobman, MSW, ACSW, LSW

Publisher/Editor