Last month, NASW Specialty Practice Sections (SPS) and NASW Press teamed up to present the inaugural Meet the Authors BookChat™, showcasing Narratives of Social and Economic Justice. The Webinar enjoyed an overwhelming response from NASW members. The Webinar provided participants with an online slide presentation, a short video, and a question-and-answer session with the authors. The full audiotape of this discussion is available here.

The release of Narratives of Social and Economic Justice in 2009 had been awaited with much anticipation by gerontological social workers, among whom Roberta Greene’s work in the field of resiliency is widely known and admired. Coauthored with Harriet L. Cohen, John Gonzalez, and Youjung Lee, the book is a masterful addition to Dr. Greene’s impressive oeuvre. The book answers the call from social work educators for academic resources that deal with cross-cutting issues and cover a broad spectrum of domains and specializations—gerontological social work, social policy, health, mental health, and social justice.

A companion to Dr. Greene’s earlier Resiliency: An Integrated Approach to Practice, Policy, and Research, Narratives of Social and Economic Justice thoroughly elucidates the theoretical underpinnings of resiliency-based practice and makes a compelling case for its ascendancy as a model for building strong families and communities.

Given such a warm reception, it should come as no surprise that Narratives of Social and Economic Justice has been nominated for The Professor Robert W. Hamilton Book Author Award. This coveted award is presented annually to the best book-length publication by a staff or faculty member of the University of Texas at Austin.

About the Authors

Dr. Greene is professor and Louis and Ann Wolens Centennial Chair in Gerontology at the School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin. She is the author and coauthor of numerous publications, including Foundations of Social Work Practice in the Field of Aging: A Competency-Based Approach (NASW Press, 2007), Social Work Practice: A Risk and Resilience Perspective (Brooks/Cole, 2007), Contemporary Issues of Care (Haworth Press, 2007), Resiliency: An Integrated Framework for Practice, Research, and Policy (NASW Press, 2002), and Social Work with the Aged and Their Families (Aldine de Gruyter, 2000).

Dr. Cohen is associate professor in the Department of Social Work, Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth. She has published in numerous journals and is a coauthor of Foundations of Social Work Practice in the Field of Aging: A Competency-Based Approach (NASW Press, 2007).

Dr. Gonzalez is assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, University of Texas–Pan American. A former Council on Social Work Education Minority Research Fellow, he has authored and coauthored a variety of publications on older Latinos and mental health services and older adults overcoming oppression.

Dr. Lee is visiting assistant professor, Department of Social Work, Binghamton University, State University of New York. She has published on issues of minority family caregiving and the resilience of minority older adults.

Although the National Institute on Aging predicts 70,000 social workers will be needed by 2020, a study by the NASW Center for Workforce Studies found that only 9% of licensed social workers in the United States identify aging as their primary practice area. A 2008 report of the Institute of Medicine underscored the need for gerontological social work education and training.

The John A. Hartford Foundation responded to this shortage by developing the Geriatric Social Work Initiative (GSWI) in 2000. GSWI uses several strategies to promote social work expertise in aging:

• Funding and career development support for junior faculty members
• Dissertation grants and professional development opportunities to doctoral students
• Infusion of gerontological content in social work curricula
• Advanced field placements for students specializing in aging

The John A. Hartford Foundation’s 2009 annual report celebrates the 10^th anniversary of GSWI and is devoted solely to this social work program. Visit www.jhartfound.org/pdf%20files/JAHF_2009_Annual_Report.pdf to read the report and www.jhartfound.org/blog/?cat=34 to view the Foundation’s blog devoted to geriatric social work.

Related Links

NASW Center for Workforce Studies
National Study of Licensed Social Workers (2006)
http://workforce.socialworkers.org/studies/natstudy.asp

Institute of Medicine
Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Healthcare Workforce (2008)
http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12089

Meet the Authors Book Chat
Narratives of Social and Economic Justice

Join us for this informational session and chat with the authors of Narratives of Social and Economic Justice. This NASW Press book provides insight and skills that social workers need to effectively combat racial and ethnic disparities and promote optimal human development.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET
Free

Book excerpt

“Residences often find themselves in a double-bind—unable to access services because their homes do not meet county building codes …. Many houses have been built without indoor bathrooms or plumbing, and housing inspectors will designate these as “substandard” or “dilapidated,” so the house cannot pass inspection…(p. 137).”

Featuring:

•  Roberta Greene,PhD, MSW
•  Harriet Cohen,PhD, LCSW
•  John Gonzalez,PhD, MSW
•  Youjung Lee,PhD, MSW

This event is sponsored by NASW Specialty Practice Sections and NASW Press.

CEs will not be offered for the Meet the Authors event. *

To register please email sections@naswdc.org and provide us your name, you will be emailed a confirmation.

Phone Instructions:

· Toll free: 1-866-237-3252
Toll: 1-719-457-1018
Participant Passcode:  945159

· URL:  http://www.MyEventPartner.com/NASW26

*No CEs will be provided for this book chat.

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, the most significant child welfare reform legislation in more than a decade, has made significant improvements aimed at improving outcomes for children and youth who have spent time in foster care or at risk of child welfare involvement. A number of the Fostering Connections’ provisions are designed to promote the well-being of older youth in foster care. One of these provisions includes mandating the development of a transition plan no later than 90 days prior to the youth’s 18^th birthday, or older if the state chooses to extend care beyond 18.  Do you feel prepared to develop these mandated transition plans in partnership with the young people you work with? If so, can you share some ideas on your approach?

NASW has launched a new web education course for members titled An Advanced Course in Ethics and Malpractice Risk for Social Workers. The new NASW WebEd course is free to members and offers 3.0 continuing education credits to social workers who complete and pass the test. NASW developed this course to take social workers beyond a basic understanding of the NASW Code of Ethics. This advanced course will identify steps in making ethical decisions by incorporating the application of an ethical decision-making framework and by providing information and tools for managing risks.

The NASW Assurance Services, Inc. (ASI) has funded the development of this course created by the NASW Office of Ethics and Professional Review in partnership with the NASW Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and the Social Work Ethics and Law Institute, a program of the LDF. The course can be accessed at www.naswwebed.org.

Addressing the Health Concerns Affecting Rural and Underserved Communities (1.0 Free CE Credit)—June 16, 2010

Social workers practicing in rural and underserved communities often see the affect that rising levels of chronic disease have on individuals and families. Learn about and get involved in community-level initiatives to address the implications of poor health in these communities. Learn more about this webinar and register here.  NASW Specialty Practice Sections members only.

To learn about Sections membership, visit www.socialworkers.org/sections

Draft available for public review and comment. Family caregivers constitute the foundation of care for older adults but often provide such care at risk to their own health and well-being. Social workers across practice settings play a critical role in supporting family caregivers at the individual, family, group, community, and organizational levels.

To view the standards and submit comments, visit www.socialworkers.org/practice/aging/standards

Please consider the following questions as you review the standards:

1. How applicable are the standards to social workers across practice levels, professional roles, and practice settings?
2. How relevant are the standards to the experiences and needs of family caregivers of older adults?
3. Are the standards easy to understand? Are there any concepts that need to be clarified?

NASW Specialty Practice Sections held a webinar providing an overview of recent research studies of compulsive hoarding in older adults, discussing ethical and legal issues, and new developments in knowledge and skills for practice with older adults who hoard. Specialty Practice Section members can view the webinar in its entirety.

Presenter(s):

• Barbara A. Soniat, Ph.D, MSW

Moderator(s):

• Chris Herman, MSW, LICSW

Excerpts from the webinar

“Where do you draw the line, when is it more than clutter?  Hoarding is an obsession or excessive acquiring.  When you have an obsessive acquiring or excessive acquiring coupled with difficulty discarding materials, that results in inability to use the space for its intended purpose…”

“We have recently seen a lot of attention from the media, and as well as in clinical and research literature about hoarding.  The severity of hoarding behaviors range from mild to severe, at its most severe level, we’ve seen hoarding result in serious injury and in some instances death of people…”

Questions Raised:

1. What causes hoarding?
2. Is there a connection between hoarding and anxiety disorders or OCD?
3. Why does hoarding seem more prevalent in older adults?
4. What treatments have proven successful with persons that hoard?

Did You Know?
Hoarding only affects 1% of the population.

Written by Ayisha Jones, NASW intern.   She is a studying to receive her MSW this year.

Do you have access to fresh fruit and veggies? Are you within walking distance of a grocery store or does your local transit provide easy access to organic food and super markets? If you answered yes to these questions, chances are you are not living in poverty. Recently I have been overcome by the reality of nutritional neglect within low-income, urban communities. The effects of poor nutrition on pre-natal early childhood development as well as academic achievement are documented. Poor nutrition is also directly associated with cognitive delays, poor school performance, behavioral challenges with children. However, the connection between inadequate nutrition and lack of access to healthy food choices is often overlooked. Many urban communities are flooded with liquor stores, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants, and many residents who receive food stamps are often unaware that food stamps can be used at organic food markets and farmers markets.

I recently signed on to support and participate in a community organization project in West Baltimore. I was surprised to find that one of the local concerns was transportation and access to proper nutrition in the poor communities. I drove about 5 miles down a major street in the middle of the community and saw one grocery store that was filled with processed food ads in the window. However, in that same proximity I saw several gas stations, liquor stores, fast food chains, and fried chicken and Chinese food restaurants.

According to Bon Secours hospital in Baltimore, MD the extended stays required for many patients stemmed from malnutrition. The consumption of processed food often leads to hypertension, malnutrition, high cholesterol, diabetes, and adult and childhood obesity. Preventative health care relies heavily on proper nutrition and cannot be successful without it. Medication and weekly doctors’ visits will not help a chronic condition such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol unless accompanied by proper nutrition and exercise. Nutrition is such a major part of life preservation that some of the issues affecting children and families living in poverty can no longer be ignored. What action can we take as social workers to remedy this problem?

Explore Fellowship Opportunities for Social Workers in Aging and Health

Applications Due April 2010

NASW is pleased to advise its members of two fellowship programs, unaffiliated with NASW, for professionals specializing in aging and health care.

Practice Change Fellows: Leaders in Geriatric Care

The two-year Practice Change Fellows program provides leadership training, individual mentoring, structured peer feedback, and funding to support each participant in developing leadership skills and content expertise that will enhance care for older adults. Fellows complete a project aimed at implementing a new geriatric program or service line integrated within their organization, allowing them to remain at their full-time jobs throughout the two-year program.

Social workers, nurses, and physicians who hold a leadership role in a health care delivery organization (including long-term care residences), health-related institution, or community-based organization—and who have both direct responsibility for geriatric services or aging-related programs and enough seniority in their organizations to have decision-making authority and be able to effect change—are eligible to apply. (Eight social workers have been selected as fellows since the program’s 2007 inception.)

The Practice Change Fellows Program is funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the John A. Hartford Foundation and is administered by the Division of Health Care Policy and Research at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, in partnership with the National Council on Aging. Please visit www.practicechangefellows.org for an application and more information, including a schedule of informational teleconferences in February and March. The application deadline for the 2010 award cycle is April 7, 2010.

Health and Aging Policy Fellows

The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program offers practical experience and professional mentoring in health policy development and implementation on behalf of older adults. Fellows may complete one of two tracks:

• A residential track that includes a nine-to-12-month placement in Washington, D.C., or at a state agency. One of these placements will be completed in partnership with John Heinz Senate Fellowship in Issues of the Aging

• A nonresidential track that includes a health policy project in the fellow’s own community and brief placement(s) throughout the year at relevant sites

Social workers and other clinical professionals with practice experience in health and aging and a desire to be involved in health policy at the federal, state, or local level are eligible to apply. (Two social workers have been selected as fellows since the program’s 2008 inception.) Applicants may be at any career stage, and previous experience in policy is not required.

The Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program is supported by the Atlantic Philanthropies and is administered by the Columbia University Department of Psychiatry in collaboration with the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program. Please visit www.healthandagingpolicy.org for additional information. The application deadline for the 2010–11 year is April 15, 2010.