Self-Care Strategies

How do we teach new social workers strategies for self-care? Why is it so hard for social workers to take care themselves when they are SO good at taking care of clients?

I have been wrestling with these questions recently as I have seen several students come close to falling apart under the stress of their internship, family problems, financial difficulties, etc. At BPD conference in Arizona last month, I learned how one social work program requires their students to have a self-care plan as soon as they declare social work as their major. What a great idea! They also require their students to update their individual self-care plan every year, so that when their students enter their Field Education experience, they already have an effective self-care plan that helps them succeed in their internship. I think this is an excellent idea and hope that we integrate this into our updated curriculum.

I also have realized how I have NOT done a good job of intentionally following an updated self-care plan. What strategies do I have to insure I am protected from burnout, compassion fatigue, and the other occupational hazards of the profession?

One of my new strategies is to go geocaching. This quote from Geocaching.com summarizes of my new self-care strategy:

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

I started at the end of January 09 and so far have discovered 113 caches! (My husband has over 200!) There are many benefits to geocaching. Here are a few:

1. Gets me out of the house and into the community
2. Takes me on a journey of discovery to places I would not have found on my own
3. Exposes me to amazingly creative geocachers who hide caches in the most amazing places
4. Introduces me to new friends (Wee Willie, TreasureNut, and others)
5. Creates another way for me to spend time with my spouse and best friend!

Geocaching is one strategy in my self-care plan - more are needed. If you want to know more about geocaching, check out this VERY detailed blog.

I'm off to go caching with my hubby. Take care!

P.S. Check out the photos from today's geo-journey

Social Work 2.0

This blog is a place for me to understand, analyze, evaluate, and reflect on the major themes of my professional life as a social work educator. I am trying to model in the digital 2.0 world what it means to be a "life long learner" to my students and colleagues. I also want this blog to be a place where I practice the core skills of mindfulness.

My work on this blog has been inspired by what Michelle Martin shares in her blog "The Bamboo Project." Her goal is to help people like you and me "use best practices and social media tools to construct life-long learning." I love that! Every time I read her blog, I discover so many new ideas! I feel like my head and heart are exploding with the tons of new information and ideas about social media and Web 2.0. It is very exciting and also a bit scary as I realize how BIG the 2.0 world is.

So, what the heck is web 2.0? This diagram was an "ah HA!" moment for me that explains what web 2.0 is all about. It is from Dr Barret's online tutorial Web 2.0 Tools for Lifelong & Life Wide Learning.

Which leads me to my big questions: how can social work practice utilize the 2.o tools for best practices AND how can I as a social work educator utilze web 2.0 tools to help my social work students develop and demonstrate competency as new professionals?? These questions are the heart of this blog.

Finally, I am curious about where social work as a profession is in the web 2.0 world. My simple analysis is that we are way behind the curve. Our clients, especially the younger Milennials, are deeply involved in the web 2.o world, but most social workers are not using those tools in their professional work. They may be Twittering, LinkedIn, or on Facebook for personal reasons, but not for their professional practice. The exception I have found so far is NASW's twitter and facebook, but these are examples of large organizations using web 2.0 tools. How are individual practitioners and social work educators using web 2.0?

Let me know how you are using web 2.0 and join in this discussion about the advantages, disadvantages, and ethical challenges associated with this professional practice in the web 2.0 world.





Credit for Cartoon

Texas State Laws and Rules for Social Workers

This week, I attended a 6 hour workshop given by Vicki Hansen on the rules and laws that govern social work practice in Texas.  We met at the Union Gospel Mission - what a privilege to learn about their important work to serve the homeless in Tarrant County!  Some who drive down Lancaster and see so many homeless people want to roll up their windows and get away quickly.  I appreciated the opportunity to spend time with the dedicated staff 
at Union Gospel Mission and hear about their important work with hundreds of women, children, and men who live on the streets of Fort Worth.  The number of people who depend on Union Gospel Mission EVERY day is staggering.  The call for social justice is staggering here in our town.  If you haven't had the chance and are interested, send me an email and I'll connect you with the Program Director to learn more about their work.  Social Workers are called to serve the most vulnerable and the staff at Union Gospel are meeting that call for service every day, 24/7.  

So, what did I learn about Texas laws and rules and social work?  First, Vicki Hanse

n, Executive Director for the NASW Texas Chapter, did a great job of showing us the multitude of laws and rules t

hat govern social work practice in Texas.  It is mind-blowing and nearly mind-numbing.  But, she accomplished her goal which was to make us aware of these laws and rule and how to "keep  up" so that we reduce our risk of getting in trouble.  As a social work educators Dr Tracy Diets and I became acutely aware of our responsibility to my students and field instructors to help them understand their responsibility to know the rules and laws that govern professional practice of social work.  Based on all that I learned from Vicki's workshop, I strongly encourage any social worker who hasn't already attended this vitally important workshop to do so as soon as possible. Buy the book Texas Law for the Social Worker:  A Sourcebook - it is VERY helpful.  Next, I remind everyone that Vicki Hansen will be giving this workshop at the NASW Texas Conference in October.  Sign up now and check out Vicki's presentation.  The feedback from past confrences showed that Vicki was one of the top rated presentations at the conference.  

Social Workers in have to follow countless rules and laws.  Keeping up to date with that information is essential to reducing risk and managing ethical challenges.  

 

What kind of teacher do I hope to be?

L. Dee Fink's book Creating Significant Learning Experiences sums up my ongoing challenge to be an effective, caring, and competent professor of Social Work. In the chapter "Creating Significant Learning Experiences," Fink cites William Campbell and Karl Smith's comparison of "old and new paradigms" for college teaching (New Paradigms for College Teaching, 1997). Their list struck me as a good tool for me to use to evaluate if I am the kind of teacher I hope to be. This comes from page 19 in Fink's book - (I have made a copy and posted it in my office to remind me of what I am striving to achieve in my classrooms).

1. Knowledge
1. Old - Transfer from faculty to students
2. New - Jointly constructed by students and faculty
   
2. Student
1. Old - Passive vessel to be filled by faculty's knowledge
2. New - Active constructors, discoverer, transformer of knowledge
   
3. Mode of Learning
1. Old - Memorizing
2. New - Relating
   
4. Faculty Purpose
1. Old - Classify and sort students
2. New - Develop students' competencies and talents
   
5. Student Growth, Goals
1. Old - Students strive to complete requirements, achieve certification within a discipline
2. New - Students strive to focus on continual lifelong learning within a broader system
   
6. Relationships
1. Old - Impersonal relationships among students and between faculty and students
2. New - Personal relationships among students and between faculty and students
7. Context
1. Old - Competitive, individualistic
2. New - Cooperative learning in classroom and cooperative teams among faculty
   
8. Climate
1. Old - Conformity, cultural uniformity
2. New - Diversity and personal esteem; cultural diversity adn commonality
   
9. Power
1. Old - Faculty holds and exercises power, authority, and control
2. New - Students are empowered; power is shared among students and between students and faculty
   
10. Assessment
1. Old - Norm-referenced (that is, grading on the curve); typically use multiple choice items; student rating of instruction at the end of the course
2. Criterion-referenced (that is, grading to predefined standards); typically use performances and portfolios; continual assessment of instruction
   
11. Ways of Knowing
1. Old - Logical-scientific
2. New - Narrative
   
12. Epistemology
1. Old - Reductionist; facts and memorization
2. New - Constructivist; inquiry and invention
   
13. Technology Use
1. Old - Drill and practice; textbook substitute; chalk-and talk substitute
2. New - Problem solving; communication; collaboration; information access; expression
   
14. Teaching Assumption
1. Old - Any expert can teach
2. New - Teaching is complex and requires considerable training

I hope that my teaching style reflects the New Paradigm outlined by Campbell and Smith.