One thing that has been on my mind in my nearly 30 years in oncology social work is how I have been able to develop and maintain strategies for avoiding burnout or compassion fatigue. We all know it is essential to develop strategies for self-care both in the moments of stress and while we are …
From the President-Elect: What Can We Learn From Our Patients? Read More »
It is so humbling to be writing to you as president of AOSW. What an honor to serve in this role! I am struck by the idea that my articles in 2018 focused on various aspects of leadership and now that I am leading this organization, I’m thinking primarily about service. In my search to …
Like many of you 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. An admirer of AOSW icons becomes an icon herself.
Diversity and inclusion, engagement and career development support. These are the areas I am focused on during my presidency.
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 …
In Memoriam: Kimberly Lawson, DSW, MSW, LCSW, BSW, FAOSW Read More »
“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 …
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.
I’m writing this article after attending our 35th annual conference in Tucson, Arizona. I have many reflections. As someone who hasn’t spent much time in the Southwest, I am still in awe of the sheer beauty of a desert landscape! My vocabulary has expanded to include words like saguaro cactus and javelina. I now know that Tucson is considered an …
"I had a professor who told us, 'If you [as an organization] are not financially solvent, you cannot do all of those great things you want to do.'"
Congratulations to our newly elected Board members: President-Elect, Bill McDermott, MSW, LCSW Education Director, Heather Goltz, PhD, LMSW, MEd Director-at-Large, Linda Mathew, MSW, LCSW-R, OSW-C We extend a warm welcome and look forward to working with you. Speaking of elections, in the world around us it’s that time of year in an election cycle when …