AOSW Connections

This is my first Navigator column as president of AOSW and my first order of business is to say “thank you”—a heartfelt “thank you”—to Penny Damaskos for her leadership this past year and her willingness to mentor me as I prepared to take on this role. While I am somewhat nervous and slightly daunted by the expertise and accomplishments of those who have gone before me, I am reassured knowing Penny remains by my side in her role as Past-President. I only hope I can do as good a job in paving the way as I look to serve as a mentor to our President-Elect, Catherine Credeur. I would also like to thank Penny’s Past-President, Iris Fineberg, who has assured us she will remain an involved and dedicated AOSW member, continuing to bring her wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience to this organization.
 

The AOSW 2016 Annual Conference will be here before we know it! And who doesn’t like the thought of spending time with AOSW friends and colleagues in a great spot like Tampa, Florida—especially those of us who live in the colder climates? In addition to cherished collegial connections, there are so many other things to look forward to about this upcoming conference that we are excited to share!

There's still time to donate to the Silent Auction being held at the 2016 Annual Conference in Tampa.

The new AOSW Career Center is the premier resource for open positions and gaining access to the oncology social work community.

AOSW has received funding from Medivation for a research project focused on identifying the needs of oncology social workers (OSWs) to better provide services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) cancer patients, survivors and their families (broadly defined). This population is understudied in all areas (such as risk factors for disease, disease prevalence, medical and psychosocial care).

“I have lost my breasts and my ovaries. Am I still a woman? Everyone around me says that I should be grateful to be alive. But I feel like I lost everything that is important to me." – A 38-year-old metastatic breast cancer patient

“My erections are not firm after my surgery. I do not want to touch my partner because I do not want him to think that I want to be sexual." – A 52-year-old prostate cancer survivor

“I used to feel a lot of sexual desire and confidence. After my treatment that part of me is gone. I do not feel sexy anymore." – A 26-year-old lymphoma survivor

“My body is covered with scars. I look like Freddie Krueger. How can I show my body to my partner?" – A 62-year-old metastatic liver cancer patient

Over recent years, with mandates from the 2008 IOM Report and the Commission on Cancer, best practices have been rapidly evolving in our world of psychosocial care in oncology. We can all likely identify with the constant effort to implement screening protocols, improve our workflows, and involve interdisciplinary teams in recognizing and addressing psychosocial distress. This is never-ending work, and there are always new methods to test and improvements to make.

I want to share some exciting news: AOSW will offer a “Post-Conference Research Institute” following the 2016 AOSW 32nd Annual Conference in May. This will be a one-day conference for oncology social work researchers and practitioners who want to further their knowledge of research. I’m very excited to be offering this opportunity of a deeper research experience than is available at the conference itself. If you are interested, please consider extending your conference stay for an extra day! You’ll find details in the 2016 Annual Conference Preliminary Program (page 35).

Katherine Walsh, PhD, MSW, LICSW
Professor of Social Work
Westfield State University
Westfield, Massachusetts

The farewell “take care” was a regular part of my departures from visits with family and friends during the holidays. This regional expression conveys much more than a simple good bye. It summarizes that we are giving each other space while still desiring connection. It means we recognize that well-being requires a committed and intentional effort. We support our loved ones in taking care of themselves, even when there is a geographical separation. We are also taking care of ourselves because we are valued in that mutual relationship. My drive home gave me time to ponder how AOSW supports the taking care of individuals’ professional growth and our strength as an organization.