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
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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
February 2019
Volume 5 | Issue 1
President's Message
Around AOSW—Service
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 explore my simultaneous feelings about being a servant and a leader, I came across the work of Robert K. Greenleaf. He coined the term “servant leadership.” Referred to as a philosophy, a concept and even a model, servant leadership has appeared in the literature since the early 1970s.
From the President-Elect: What Can We Learn From Our Patients?
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 living our lives. Every day our work is to educate and empower people with cancer and their supporters to cope and find the best quality of life possible.
Committee Updates
Membership Director's Report—Results From the 2018 Membership Survey
“Throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
~Dale Carnegie
From the President-Elect: What Can We Learn From Our Patients?
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 living our lives. Every day our work is to educate and empower people with cancer and their supporters to cope and find the best quality of life possible.
Clinical Content
Radiation Therapy SIG: Specialized Networking & Education
Hello! I came on board as the Radiation Therapy SIG Co-Chair in 2016 after attending a great AOSW conference in Tampa. I was very excited to find a group of fellow oncology social workers who practiced in the radiation therapy field. For those of you who do not know, the Radiation Therapy SIG provides specialized networking, the opportunity to share specialized professional expertise, education for the oncology community and fosters support for those of us practicing in radiation therapy settings. A lot of this is done through online forums, annual meetings at the AOSW conference and by making connections with oncology social workers in the radiation therapy setting.
Youth, Families and Cancer SIG: New Co-Chairs, New SIG Name and New Directions
We are excited to introduce ourselves as the new co-chairs of what was previously called the Children and Cancer SIG. We thought an important first step was to define the SIG and rename it to clarify the population—kids and teens who have a loved one with cancer (as opposed to children and adolescents who have a cancer diagnosis). We believe this population was well represented in the AYA SIG within AOSW, as well as with APOSW.
SIG Updates
Radiation Therapy SIG: Specialized Networking & Education
Hello! I came on board as the Radiation Therapy SIG Co-Chair in 2016 after attending a great AOSW conference in Tampa. I was very excited to find a group of fellow oncology social workers who practiced in the radiation therapy field. For those of you who do not know, the Radiation Therapy SIG provides specialized networking, the opportunity to share specialized professional expertise, education for the oncology community and fosters support for those of us practicing in radiation therapy settings. A lot of this is done through online forums, annual meetings at the AOSW conference and by making connections with oncology social workers in the radiation therapy setting.
Youth, Families and Cancer SIG: New Co-Chairs, New SIG Name and New Directions
We are excited to introduce ourselves as the new co-chairs of what was previously called the Children and Cancer SIG. We thought an important first step was to define the SIG and rename it to clarify the population—kids and teens who have a loved one with cancer (as opposed to children and adolescents who have a cancer diagnosis). We believe this population was well represented in the AYA SIG within AOSW, as well as with APOSW.
Book Review
Book Review: "A Cancer in the Family," by Theodora Ross, MD, PhD
Dr. Theodora Ross shares and explores the scientific and human nuances, challenges and hopes in the world of cancer genetics. An oncologist, Ross was diagnosed with melanoma and learned she has a hereditary cancer mutation. She weaves her personal experience to accentuate the rich content and information that can benefit patients, family and professional caregivers when faced with cancer or the increased probability of cancer due to heredity.
Member Spotlight
Membership Director's Report—Results From the 2018 Membership Survey
“Throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
~Dale Carnegie
Member Spotlight Krista Nelson, LCSW, OSW-C, BCD, FAOSW
I have worked as an oncology social worker at Providence Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon, for 21 years. Currently I have two distinct roles. I work as a clinical oncology social worker with the Transplant and CAR-T team, and coordinate a program for kids who have a significant adult in their life with cancer and participate in research. I also work half-time for my health system in the Department of Compassion as a program manager, creating curriculum and programing to help create a compassionate and resilient workforce. This includes group interventions and individual skill building in areas of self-compassion, gratitude, compassion and mindfulness with the goal of connection. Providence has allowed me to grow and expand my career in a variety of ways, and for that I am grateful.