TODAY news - Mar 20, 2003 - Graduate School news

Thursday, March 20, 2003 TODAY

Graduate School news

University social work celebrates National Professional Social Work Month

Fay Aldridge, an MSW student, receives the Student Social Worker of the Year Award from Steve Thompson, MSW, an almunus from the department of social work. The award includes $500 as well.

On March 13, the Loma Linda University department of social work held a celebration of National Professional Social Work Month. In a completely student-organized and driven event, four special guests presented a panel discussion on different areas of social work. The festive event was held in Collins Auditorium at Drayson Center.

Students and faculty shared in the evening’s festivities, all focused on the theme of preserving rights and strengthening voices. W. Augustus Cheatham, MSW, vice president for public affairs of Loma Linda University Adventist Health Sciences Center, presided as master of ceremonies.

Presenters included Teri Self, MSW, child welfare services manager from San Bernardino department of children’s services; Phyllis Ratelly, LCSW, from San Bernardino County department of behavioral health; Pam Bailey-Shimizu, MS, CEO of First Nations Indian Center; and Janlee Wong, MSW, executive director of the California chapter of the National Association of Social Work.

A panel discussion from the presenters made up the evening’s main event. Ms. Self talked about the best practice philosophy being embraced by the county’s children’s services department. Focused on a

family-centered approach, it provides an opportunity to let families involve themselves with their therapy.

" It’s about a collaborative approach to working with these families to strengthen and preserve them," said Ms. Self.

Ms. Ratelly reinforced the empowering message of all social workers.

" We’re the ones who can do the job," she said as she discussed the evolving model adopted by social work.

Ms. Bailey-Shimizu made a powerful presentation on the effectiveness of social work in making change.

Janlee Wong, MSW, executive director of the California chapter of the National Association of Social Work, challenged the group to strengthen their own voice and the voices of those around them.

" If you want something done in this country, you just need enough voices," she commented. "We need strong voices." The First Nations Indian Center focuses on showing new perspectives to children by finding answers to their problems and then investigating the causes to prevent them in the future.

" That’s what this is all about," says Ms. Bailey-Shimizu. "Giving the kids a chance."

Mr. Wong expressed the foundation of social work in his presentation.

" Society is only as strong as its weakest member," he said. The broad range of social work to protect and preserve rights entails protecting everyone’s rights.

" One voice is a whisper, 10,000 voices is a roar," Mr. Wong said. "When people don’t feel they count, that’s when they become depressed and reach out in violence, substance abuse, and mental illness." Mr. Wong challenged the group to strengthen their own voices and the voices of those around them.

At the close of the event a special award presentation was made. An alumni committee chose Fay Aldridge as the student social worker of the year .

“ This is really unexpected,” Ms. Aldridge shares. “I’m happy about it!”

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Social work internships provide a bridge

Ilda Praggastis, a second-year social work intern from LLU, is completing the development of a new research-based assessment tool specifically designed for the pediatric liver transplant program.

Ilda Praggastis is a second-year master of social work intern from Loma Linda University’s Graduate School. She plans on graduating with her MSW in June. And she is extremely appreciative for her internship.

" I never would be able to connect the book knowledge to clinic practices without the internship," says Ms. Praggastis. The internship program the Graduate School has with Loma Linda University Medical Center allows MSW students a chance to integrate knowledge from the classroom into the clinical environment through hands-on experiences provided by the internships. And as Ms. Praggastis says, "In this profession, you need experience."

Ms. Praggastis’s first year was spent under Chris Neighbors, MSW, LCSW, director of the social work department (then social worker for the liver transplant program), in the clinical setting of the liver transplant program. The second year of her internship has been focusing on policy, though she splits her time between policy and the clinical setting in psychiatry.

The research Ms. Praggastis is currently working on is the development of a new assessment tool for patients. It is specifically designed to help conceptualize and support the pediatric liver transplant program. While still in the proposal stages, the assessment is a comprehensive instrument to view the patient from a wholistic approach.

" When you’re finished with these two instruments, you have a good view of your client from five focal points," says Ms. Praggastis. Those points include the biopsychosocial, spiritual, and cultural areas often overlooked. Ms. Praggastis got the idea to develop the assessment from her intern experiences.

" Part of what a social worker does is hands-on," she smiles. Being able to understand what the patient is going through helps to anticipate behaviors, which leads to the delivery of better care for them.

" It’s a profession that requires very good psychosocial skills and uses them to help people guide their canoe through the rough water," remarks Ms. Praggastis. And even though her research sprung up from her clinical experience, her education is what prepared her to do it.

" The reason I was able to do this was because of the education I got from Loma Linda University," beams Ms. Praggastis. "It’s one fine education."

The internship experience bridges the education and clinical application because of the collaboration between the University department of social work and the Medical Center’s department of social work. Together they provide opportunities for research, continuing education, and internships.

Students like Ms. Praggastis get the benefit of shadowing a professional social worker and learn firsthand how to facilitate support groups, give presentations for staff education, and work in a multidisciplinary team.

" What I like about [Loma Linda] is the team—I feel valued and that my opinion is sought and respected," says Ms. Praggastis. As a therapist, the social worker is an integral part of the health–care delivery team. This is largely because of the wide scope social work encompasses.

" I didn’t know what a social worker did until I went to school for it," laughs Ms. Praggastis. But still there are many who don’t realize that social workers offer much more than just information and resource referrals. Any social worker can be found doing numerous activities including assessments of family dynamics and strengths, therapeutic and crisis interventions, grief counseling, helping patients adjust to their diagnosis and illness, advocacy, supportive counseling, and addiction services.

" I love what I do," says Ms. Praggastis. Her internship has given her the chance to meld her academic understanding of what it means to be a social worker with the daily clinical realities of social work. From this fusion came her research idea for the new assessment tool.

Bridging between the academic and clinical worlds, the internships provide the best of both worlds in social work. They give students the chance to see what the power of social work can do for patients.

And for many like Ms. Praggastis, being able to better help patients is the best place any bridge can take you.

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National Professional Social Worker’s Month

"The Power of Social Work: Preserving Rights and Strengthening Voices" is the theme for the 2003 National Professional Social Work Month campaign. As this year marks the 20th annual (official) celebration of the social work profession, the National Association for Social Workers (NASW), has chosen a theme that underscores the commitment social workers make in improving all communities through legislative advocacy, service delivery, research, and education.

Social workers preserve rights by leading efforts to enhance human well-being. They shape programs and policies that strengthen individual lives and improve society.

Social workers strengthen voices by empowering those who are often unheard. Every day, the quality of life for millions of people is improved as they learn to use their own personal power to build brighter futures for themselves and their families.

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Social work from a student’s perspective

Aaron Spore is earning his master’s degree from Loma Linda University’s department of social work.

When someone tells you they are a social worker, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Someone who has something to do with welfare? Someone who takes children away from their parents?

Generalities and assumptions such as these seem to be quite common. For others, social work is so obscure there is no association at all with any sort of specific skill or duty.

Social workers may now find themselves saying, "I do a little of everything.” However, this doesn't really help people to understand what they actually do. As a social work student, I have realized that social work entails an extensive knowledge base, which is problematic when attempting to define the scope of the profession. A traditional definition of social work is: The social work profession promotes social change, problem-solving in human relationships, and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance wellbeing. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at points where people interact with their environments.

The fact is, social workers are psychotherapists, policy makers, health-care professionals, and much more. Social work is a profession of many faces. Social workers must have a commanding knowledge of everything from drug side-effects to resources within the community to governmental policies.

So the next time you meet a social worker, talk to them about their profession. It entails far more than child welfare and economic concerns. It looks at problems from an ecological perspective. That means working with individuals, small groups, families, as well as organizations. Social workers also lobby to change laws, promote user-friendly company policies, and work in a variety of settings.

When you see a social worker, find out the specifics of what their particular job entail. Be prepared to learn a lot!

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Thursday, March 20, 2003 TODAY