AOSW Connections

“Saying no to stress is often the best way to say yes to sanity and joy.”

 Have you ever had something happen “accidentally” that turns out to be a serendipity? That is, you found some unexpected value or agreement you were not expecting?

Looking at SWON on March 18 was the beginning of a serendipity for me.

Mindfulness is a hot topic in today’s world. Even if you aren’t sure what it is, most of us are familiar with the concept of mindfulness. You may have heard about it in school, on television, at a doctor’s office or on a podcast. Yet, it is often hard to articulate the meaning of mindfulness.

The Special Interest Groups or “SIGs,” as they are commonly called, are an integral part of the structure of AOSW. The SIGs’ purpose is to share information and resources related to their subspecialty areas in oncology social work with other SIG members.

Did you know that significant changes were made to the NASW Code of Ethics in 2018? For the first time, NASW has included significant language about the use of technology in social work practice. I would be remiss not to give credit to our profession for being the first to outline ethical recommendations for the use of technology in the delivery of services. That being said, it is essential that we understand the guidance The Code provides for ethical practice. I thought it important to use this space to unpack some of the information for AOSW members.

Many people living with advanced breast cancer describe the moment they learned of their diagnosis as “truly devastating.” Patients can feel betrayed by their bodies or angry. Some second guess treatment decisions they made when initially diagnosed. Coming to terms with a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer is very individual and affects each patient differently.

Few of us get the opportunity to reflect on the life contributions of another oncology social work professional, but we will attempt to provide that for Dr. Kimberly Lawson. The picture will be incomplete because Kim recently died from a refractory form of endometrial cancer. Although many of the initial disease factors seemed favorable, the disease was relentless. She completed frontline chemotherapy but the disease recurred shortly thereafter. She enrolled in two clinical trials, viewing the treatments with hope, but the disease continued to progress. Throughout this period, she continued the pursuit of her DSW, telling few of the personal challenges she faced. Like so many with a cancer diagnosis, she simply wanted to be viewed first as an individual and not as a disease.

Not enough inclusive materials have been written and presented about the unique issues LGBTQ face in the health care system, and there are no specific or standard practice guidelines.

This book is written for a variety of practitioners, and specifically focuses on an inclusive approach to working with LGBTQ patients and their significant others in end-of-life care.

Crystal Fields-Burdick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Oncology Social Worker. Her professional focus has been exclusive to psycho-oncology.

They say the second year of a three-year committee term is the “sweet spot”—and I am having fun! It’s the time period when you feel that you finally “got this” and are ready to roll up your sleeves and get some work done. Reflecting on my initial goals for Research and Knowledge Development Director, one really resonated with me—to strengthen the research presence within AOSW and fuel the committee with additional energy and passion.

It’s an exciting time in the education arena of AOSW. Not only do we continue to provide webinars for our members, but we have also been asked by Pharmacyclics, An AbbVie Company, to partner with them and produce patient- and caregiver-focused webinars for those living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

I have been and continue to be inspired by so many of the leaders I have encountered since I first joined AOSW in 1992. In this issue I am delighted to interview one of those very inspirational people, Lisa Marquette Porat, who is currently the chair of the new AOSW Fellows Program.