AOSW Connections
Editorial Team
Editor-in-Chief
Amy Colver, MSSA, MA, LISW
Editor
Katherine Easton, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
AOSW Communications Director
Brittany Hahn, LCSW
Managing Editor
Patricia Sullivan
Contribute Today!
To submit a story or information for inclusion in a future issue of AOSW Newsletter, contact Amy Colver or Katherine Easton on the list above.
2025 Themes
February: Workplace & Culture
May: Therapeutic Techniques
August: Palliative Care
November: Caregivers
December 2018
Volume 4 | Issue 6
President's Message
Vision, Connection and Integration: The Future of AOSW
On Vision
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
– Japanese proverb
Committee Updates
Vision, Connection and Integration: The Future of AOSW
On Vision
“Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.”
– Japanese proverb
Research Report: Oncology Social Work Intervention Index - Developing an Instrument
Recent changes in cancer care standards have led to increased distress screening in oncology social work. This has had many positive outcomes; screening itself, however, without effective follow-up services is not enough.
Education
Parent and Caregiver Support in Pediatric Oncology Care: Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Parent-to-Parent Program
Children’s Mercy is one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the Midwest. Located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, it is a thriving hospital that is constantly changing and growing to meet the unique needs of the continuously expanding population of Kansas City and the surrounding area. Patients come to Children’s Mercy not only for the routine bumps and bruises of childhood, but also for the specialists who are advancing medicine every day.
Clinical Content
Parent and Caregiver Support in Pediatric Oncology Care: Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Parent-to-Parent Program
Children’s Mercy is one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the Midwest. Located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, it is a thriving hospital that is constantly changing and growing to meet the unique needs of the continuously expanding population of Kansas City and the surrounding area. Patients come to Children’s Mercy not only for the routine bumps and bruises of childhood, but also for the specialists who are advancing medicine every day.
Helping Each Other, Helping Ourselves. Self-Care as a Team-Based Approach
It is well documented that burnout in medical providers is common (Chen, 2012) and even higher in oncology (Whippen & Canellos, 1991). Self-care is a critical component to sustain a career in the medical field or helping profession. What is less well documented is self-care as a team-based approach. Research supporting a team-based approach for self-care is primarily found in the fields of organizational and industrial psychology. The suggestions offered here come from personal experience in working as an oncology social worker as part of both a medical team and a larger psycho-oncology department within a hospital system. I hope these suggestions will act as a springboard for other departments or groups to explore group self-care practices, in addition to individual self-care approaches.
Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy in a Psychosocial Oncology Practice
Oncology social workers move up and down the dial of intensity from crisis counseling to the mundane taxi voucher. While we may be rushed, we want to be especially attentive to our patients’ deeper, emotional needs and their strong desire to cope.
SIG Updates
Parent and Caregiver Support in Pediatric Oncology Care: Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Parent-to-Parent Program
Children’s Mercy is one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the Midwest. Located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, it is a thriving hospital that is constantly changing and growing to meet the unique needs of the continuously expanding population of Kansas City and the surrounding area. Patients come to Children’s Mercy not only for the routine bumps and bruises of childhood, but also for the specialists who are advancing medicine every day.
Research Report: Oncology Social Work Intervention Index - Developing an Instrument
Recent changes in cancer care standards have led to increased distress screening in oncology social work. This has had many positive outcomes; screening itself, however, without effective follow-up services is not enough.
Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy in a Psychosocial Oncology Practice
Oncology social workers move up and down the dial of intensity from crisis counseling to the mundane taxi voucher. While we may be rushed, we want to be especially attentive to our patients’ deeper, emotional needs and their strong desire to cope.
Research
Research Report: Oncology Social Work Intervention Index - Developing an Instrument
Recent changes in cancer care standards have led to increased distress screening in oncology social work. This has had many positive outcomes; screening itself, however, without effective follow-up services is not enough.
Member Spotlight
AOSW Fellows
AOSW will be celebrating its 35th conference in 2019. While we have no way of knowing all the lives our organization has touched, the careers it has launched or the social change it has affected, we do know that it is a privilege and honor to be a part of this legacy of service. At our 2018 conference in May, 24 of us were honored to be recognized not only as past presidents but also as members of the Inaugural Class of AOSW Fellows. The opportunity to continue to give to our profession and AOSW in this capacity is one we take humbly and seriously. As we all know, leadership is about the greater why, and finding a new way to contribute and lend our institutional history is an exciting prospect.