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.

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.

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.

NASW Plays Key Role in Developing Recommendations

Social workers and other providers caring for individuals with dementia in their homes will find a valuable resource in Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Professionals Working in a Home Setting, released by the Alzheimer’s Association this November in honor of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month.

The document is the fourth in a series of recommendations for health care providers serving people with dementia and part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Campaign for Quality Care. (The first three sets of recommendations address assisted living and nursing home providers.) As one of more than 20 leading health and aging organizations that participated in an extensive consensus-building process, NASW played a key role in developing all four sets of evidence-based recommendations. Individuals in the early stages of Alzheimer’s also helped develop the recommendations.

Noting that approximately 70% of people with dementia or cognitive impairment live at home, the publication emphasizes a person-centered, culturally competent approach to meeting the changing needs of persons with dementia. Topics addressed include home safety, communication and decision-making, physical and behavioral symptoms, family caregiver support, end-of-life care, and provider self-care.

Click here to view Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Professionals Working in a Home Setting and Dementia Care Practice Recommendations for Assisted Living Residences and Nursing Homes.

RELATED RESOURCES

• Find consumer-friendly information and resources on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
• Listen to, or read the transcript of, the Specialty Practice Sections teleconference, Helping Families Face the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Read the Specialty Practice Sections article, Hope and Help in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Specialty Practice Sections

Administration/Supervision
Social Work and the Courts
Committee Members

The National Association of Social Workers is seeking qualified candidates to serve as committee members for two new sections that will launch this year: Administration/Supervision and Social Work and the Courts. Please read the charge of the Specialty Practice Sections for details. Interested applicants must complete and submit a nomination form to be considered for appointment. Applicants must be active NASW members in good standing. Return your form by February 1, 2010 to the Specialty Practice Sections department at sections@naswdc.org.  Remember to include your name, your section of interest and your contact information.