Terms and Conditions

These Terms and Conditions of Use apply to you when you view, access or otherwise use the blogs located at www.socialworkblog.org (the “blogs”). The blogs are owned by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). We provide this blog for general informational purposes only. The information within these blogs may be changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, correct or up-to-date. While we attempt to maintain these blogs on a regular basis, they may not reflect the most current developments within the profession. The opinions expressed at or through the blogs are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the association and its individual members.

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Submitted Blog Postings
You understand and agree that NASW may edit, modify and/or republish the content of your blog. NASW may monitor on a periodic basis user-generated content and reserves the right to remove or otherwise alter content that it deems inappropriate for any reason. By posting, you agree that your blog may be republished by NASW online and in print. You also agree not to provide any defamatory, profane or confidential information or content.

Comment Policy. NASW reserves the right not to post any comment. NASW also reserves the right to remove any and all comments at any time that do not comply with the guidelines contained below. These include comments that use profanity or contain other inappropriate comments or material. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain “signatures” by someone other than the actual author may be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or any other policies governing this site. NASW makes no warranties of any kind with regard to the contents of this site or to any comments posted by third parties. See “Blog Comment Guidelines” below* for additional information.

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Modification of Terms and Conditions of Use. NASW reserves the right to revise these Terms and Conditions of Use at any time by updating this Web page. Your continued use of the blogs constitutes your agreement to comply with such revisions, so you should visit this page from time to time.

*Blog Comment Guidelines

We welcome your participation in blog comment threads. In order to keep the experience a positive one for all of our users, we ask that you follow the rules outlined below. By submitting comments to this blog, you are consenting to the following rules:

1. You agree that you are fully responsible for the content that you post. You may not post content that is libelous, defamatory, obscene, abusive, that violates a third party’s right to privacy, that otherwise violates any applicable local, state, national or international law, or that is otherwise inappropriate. Furthermore, you may not post content that degrades others on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual preference, disability or other classification. Language intended to intimidate or to incite violence will not be tolerated. In addition, by posting material on the blog comments, you represent that you have the legal right to reproduce, adapt, display, and distribute this material to others. NASW will not be held responsible for posted information that may infringe on a third party’s copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights.

2. You understand and agree that NASW may modify and republish the content of your comments. NASW may monitor user-generated content as it chooses and reserves the right to remove, edit or otherwise alter content that it deems inappropriate for any reason. By posting you agree that your comments may be republished by NASW online and in print.

3. You understand and agree that the blog comment areas are to be used only for non-commercial purposes. This blog prohibits any actions to solicit funds, promote commercial entities or otherwise engage in commercial activity through the blog comment function.

One comment

  1. I have an interesting dilemma for my fellow social workers. How to you play both sides of the desk? For the last seven years I worked at a job I loved with elderly and dementia clients. I supposedly sat on one side of the desk and doled out help to those who came in my office. After being hospitalized numerous times during the year for depression I was suddenly out of a job, thinking I might lose my house, and paying exorbitant rates toCobra to keep my heath insurance. Life was bliss. Ha. I recently was hospitalized again and once more told myself I was a patient and needed to take care of myself and not the other patients in the psych hospital. Some things are hard to resist. I was eating lunch with another patient when a staff member pushed a woman up to our table. They slapped her tray of food in front of her and walked away. I waited to see who would come and help her… and waited and waited. I finally pointed out her sandwich which she ignored. Finally I said, “Look you have cheesecake and it’s really good.” I took her fork and put a bite on it for it and handed it to her. She simply took the fork and cheesecake and threw it back down. The woman next to me knew what my previous job was and said,”I’m going to go before she throws food at me.” I joked back, “Can’t you tell that I was good at my job?” as I laughed. It reminded me how thin the line is between being the professional and being the patient. It is a very difficult lesson to learn. I would often want to question other patients about what medications they were on and basically stick my nose in where it was neither appropriate nor wanted. The staff did a pretty good job of not announcing my profession but I did notice I was treated differently. One nurse brought me a book to read on mindfulness and depression while a mental health technician printed off about 50 sheets from a book he thought I would get help from. He made sure I knew that I should buy the book for consumers and not the book for professionals. I was able to talk a different talk at times with the workers when I wasn’t screaming in rage that was due to a medication. Being in the hospital after a hiatus of 15 years showed me how much has changed. As I was in my rage, probably looking like something from Jurassic Park, I demanded to be put in restraints because I was scared I would hurt someone. The nurse told me they don’t do that much anymore. What?! Here I am screaming things I didn’t even understand and I couldn’t voluntarily go into restraints? Instead I was given a low dose of something and someone to watch me. The “crisis” was soon over. I have had time to think of the many things I experienced as a patient and also as someone who knew the system. It may not look like it as a professional , but as a patient we have come far.

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