tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.comments2024-03-25T00:11:55.470-04:00Michigan Girl's CafeMichigan Girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01680355011059008968noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-20423393425459351552017-11-30T01:00:37.863-05:002017-11-30T01:00:37.863-05:00I certainly agree to some points that you have dis...I certainly agree to some points that you have discussed on this post. I appreciate that you have shared some reliable tips on this review.<br />UI UX Design Traininghttp://www.defuzed.in/ui-ux-design-trainingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-9775014079906796462017-09-06T05:58:50.436-04:002017-09-06T05:58:50.436-04:00Hi Michigan Girl's Cafe Team,
My name is Anu...Hi Michigan Girl's Cafe Team,<br /> <br />My name is Anuj Agarwal. I'm Founder of Feedspot.<br /><br />I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Michigan Girl's Cafe has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 50 Social Work Blogs on the web.<br /><br />http://blog.feedspot.com/social_work_blogs/<br /><br />I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 50 Social Work Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!<br /><br />Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.<br /><br />Best,<br />AnujAnuj Agarwalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04664121879863863811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-86064517844748016262017-07-03T02:05:30.404-04:002017-07-03T02:05:30.404-04:00Interesting report!Interesting report!wambuihttp://studentlife.uonbi.ac.ke/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-42903762651747022112017-06-23T03:45:07.267-04:002017-06-23T03:45:07.267-04:00Same for me, btw, where did you get the careers li...Same for me, btw, where did you get the careers linked to blue?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08492460127972306309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-36276389019585111072015-11-25T07:01:44.869-05:002015-11-25T07:01:44.869-05:00I'd like to nominate your blog for a Liebster ...I'd like to nominate your blog for a Liebster Award! You have great content and should be heard. You may have heard of this award, if not... check out my latest post at internationalsocialworker.com Thanks!Jodi Nelanhttp://internationalsocialworker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-81917157580787821922015-08-22T15:13:07.813-04:002015-08-22T15:13:07.813-04:00Do you know anyone who does career coaching other ...Do you know anyone who does career coaching other than the political social worker, Rachel West? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351547453032763338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-22586949697875410402015-08-15T16:07:54.349-04:002015-08-15T16:07:54.349-04:00I am excited to find this blog. I am going into my...I am excited to find this blog. I am going into my second year of my MSW program. My concentration is social change, so I am more policy/administration focused. I chose this path because I want to start a non-profit that provides tangible resources for the homeless population. I also want to start an education focused after-school program. This year, I am extra excited to begin my concentration year. I am also a little anxious about life after graduate school. I rarely find any blogs or groups that have a focus for macro social workers. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to prepare for after graduate school. Thank you so much. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351547453032763338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-63432790349660484302015-04-08T03:01:53.436-04:002015-04-08T03:01:53.436-04:00Thank you for sharing your time, your knowledge an...Thank you for sharing your time, your knowledge and your wonderful blog!!! Thank you., More Blessings and *GOD BLESS*<br /><a href="http://studentdebtcenter.org/services/student-loan-consolidation/" rel="nofollow">Federal Student Loans Forgiveness</a>Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10420271060669487692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-84184377301090955222015-01-26T03:40:31.215-05:002015-01-26T03:40:31.215-05:00Hi Michigan Girl,
I have reached out before, and ...Hi Michigan Girl,<br /><br />I have reached out before, and thought I would try again. I am the founder and Editor of Social Work Helper Magazine, and I would really love to republish some of your older and current articles on Social Work Helper. You can still write under your pseudonym, and you can create an email address to contact me with if you like. I love you contact, and I would like to help share it far and wide. You work will still belong to you and my only benefit is that I get to share your perspective. My email is deona@socialworkhelper.com Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07988520753913060336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-14750018158990947062014-12-20T07:26:10.943-05:002014-12-20T07:26:10.943-05:00My library has a security guard. I wonder if this...My library has a security guard. I wonder if this is to keep certain people out.....I'm in the suburbs in a community that does have poverty so it wouldn't surprise mr if this was the case.Blubtrflygrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11513178415945991947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-25151758009494821742014-08-04T18:00:41.722-04:002014-08-04T18:00:41.722-04:00Really great read. And I love the content you put ...Really great read. And I love the content you put on your blog. I'm new to it, but I will definitely be looking for future posts!Suhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02116979074777994002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-73657083061348415162014-01-29T13:30:41.017-05:002014-01-29T13:30:41.017-05:00Just asking but, will the low income financial aid...Just asking but, will the low income financial aid embrace all races or just African-American?Browncoathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756308155000546641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-43733058242244607012013-12-16T23:18:09.842-05:002013-12-16T23:18:09.842-05:00Hi Michigan Girl,
I would love to connect with yo...Hi Michigan Girl,<br /><br />I would love to connect with you reference your thoughts on macro social work practice. You can reach me at deona@socialworkhelper.com. My name is Deona Hooper.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07988520753913060336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-35676438832258732862013-08-19T06:13:11.381-04:002013-08-19T06:13:11.381-04:00This is awesome!This is awesome!Tobyhttp://bestrecumbentexercisebikes.us/2013/08/06/choose-the-exercise-bike/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-43118802938770008792013-04-02T16:03:28.915-04:002013-04-02T16:03:28.915-04:00Bravo. BRAVO! Well said. (and thank you) Gary Bac...Bravo. BRAVO! Well said. (and thank you) Gary BachmanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-85206743888484286662013-04-02T09:33:09.502-04:002013-04-02T09:33:09.502-04:00I couldn’t agree more that our profession suffers ...I couldn’t agree more that our profession suffers from an identity crisis. And I agree that “a neoliberal political ideology” has contributed to that crisis. And indeed, the public stereo-type is a challenge, but so are some of our internal stereotypes. I believe that our rush toward professional validation has been reckless and misguided, and that it is time to take a step back to question our identity and our mission. But my brain almost exploded when you referenced the collection of essays titled “Shattered Image” from Social Impact. <br /><br />Featured in that article is the following statement from the (social work) dean of a very large and powerful university:<br /><br /><br />“All professions have image problems — physicians, lawyers, journalists. Reverence for professions has been dwindling. For social work, there’s a large gap between perception and reality. … It hurts recruiting in the sense that people are concerned about being negatively stereotyped. … But underpaid and overworked represents a lot of professions …”<br /><br /><br />“Most social workers don’t work with the poor anymore, but with the mentally ill, in schools, hospitals, substance abuse, and aging. … The majority of new social work schools are small, rural, or church-related, training foot soldiers. We need that, and I don’t mind supporting that.<br /><br /><br />“But that’s not how we prepare our students. We charge so much, we have to prepare them for something different and more broad. We have a special role as private universities. I’m interested in preparing our students for the exceptional. When we do place them in conventional roles, we train them to do exceptional things. … But others are working at Ernst & Young, in management and consulting, in public policy<br /><br /> … “Private universities have to do training for leadership. If we don’t, we lose the rationale for a certain kind of existence. Once public universities took on the role of public service, private schools had to take on a different role …"<br /><br /><br />As a social work practitioner with 30 years of practice experience, now teaching full time in a small, private, non-profit university, this deans suggestion that she doesn’t mind supporting our “foot soldiers” but that her students must answer a higher calling to justify her schools high tuition rate, fairly makes my blood boil. WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITHIN OUR ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP. And the fascination with everything clinical is a perfect manifestation of this. (Admits this clinically licensed social worker!)<br /><br /><br />Ten years ago when I transitioned from practitioner to full time educator I expected to find a beating heart of altruism and a pervasive passion for matters of social justice. I have been more than disappointed. What I have found is a faint but steady rhythm, sustained by a scattering of faithful, passionate, articulate, and vocal advocates: struggling to maintain a presence in a system, really a series of systems (from our accreditor to our professional organizations to our universities and social institutions,) that largely treats them as an antiquated annoyance.<br /><br /><br />While I can appreciate a role for social workers as “mental health clinicians” I believe that such practice represents a particular professional plateau from which one must be constantly vigilant: cautious of stumbling off a steep and identity rending precipice.<br /><br />I regularly encourage our undergraduate students, particularly those focused upon a clinical career to read Unfaithful Angels: How social Work Abandoned its Mission by Harry Specht & Mark Courtney.<br /><br /><br />OK, gotta go now. A class full of foot soldiers beckons. GaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-21741195304981238592013-03-31T11:06:32.660-04:002013-03-31T11:06:32.660-04:00There are 483 accredited BSW programs and only 223...There are 483 accredited BSW programs and only 223 accredited MSW programs. The opportunity for “advance standing” in a MSW program is very is very attractive. But the profession has done a generally poor job of presenting itself as based upon professional education and the CSWE and universities have generally done a pitiful job of promoting undergraduate social work education. (The MSW as a “fast track” to clinical practice however is a tremendous marketing scheme of its own!) <br />I often teach freshman level “liberal education “courses (aka freshman seminar) and I formally survey students about career interests and general knowledge about career issues. Very few incoming freshman have any accurate knowledge about what social workers do and the range of practice opportunities. And quite often their knowledge of social work is based upon hostile stereotypes: “socialists taking children away from families practicing conservative values and giving money to support welfare moms.” Many of our own graduates only learned about the opportunities in the social work profession as 2nd and 3rd year students taking elective courses or from the occasionally sympathetic and attentive psychology or sociology faculty who actually recognizes a misinformed / misdirected students interest, beyond their own discipline. (Actually, at our university where class sizes are rarely greater than 15, psychology is the second largest major after business. We work very close with our psychology faculty: about 50% of our students started out in psychology.)<br /><br />I often meet transfer students from larger universities or junior colleges who in two years of schooling never once met with an academic or career advisor.<br /><br />I sincerely appreciate the perspective you are offering and the transitions you are suggesting: but from my practice experience that spans 30 years, my logic suggests we should be strengthening our academic requirements (including field requirements) rather than lowering them to meet the competition from other academic disciplines and modalities. I mean, there are accredited social work degrees now being offered almost entirely online! Look, we are often dealing with peoples very lives here! <br /><br />One observation about field education though, is that we could and should strengthen our field experiences: our field instructors are often unappreciated and poorly supported (by the schools)for the amount of (VOLUNTARY) effort they contribute to the educational process. And in some programs, many filed instructors are NOT even social workers themselves. Field education is a remarkable paradox: in some programs it is the heart and soul of their educational process. In other programs it is that annoying requirement that is tolerated as an opportunity to charge students for academic credit with minimal faculty effort. <br /><br />But I don’t even remotely expect to see increasing standards happening. Academia (and the real world) is an increasingly competitive environment; it seems to me that quality education is suffering in this realm. (“You can get a degree from us in 3 semesters while wearing your pajamas.”) As a matter of fact the new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) from the CSWE have in some ways LOWERED the standards of social work education: for example allowing schools to determine lesser standards for faculty qualifications-particularly at the BSW level. <br />OK, enough for now. Gary<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-21317020597895670052013-03-30T20:18:50.979-04:002013-03-30T20:18:50.979-04:00Thank you for your response. I appreciate the insi...Thank you for your response. I appreciate the insights that you share about undergraduate social work programs. My undergraduate alma mater did not provide a social work program (in fact, I think most selective colleges and universities do not provide undergraduate social work majors). But I was able to major in a related major (social policy) and enroll in coursework that exposed me to social welfare issues. <br /><br />The 900 hours of field instruction is extraneous because other social change professions (that have less academic requirements yet pay a higher starting salary after graduation!) do not require such rigorous internship requirements. While 500 hours sounds doable at the BSW level, many incoming MSW students (such as my case) are expected to obtain at least 900 hours within their graduate program. This sends the message that social workers are expected to do more with less (and for free with little to no reward). Why would a prospective student want to endure that kind of field experience when other similar fields (i.e. public policy, public health, law, etc.) offer placements and internships that can be completed in 1-2 semesters? If CSWE addresses this issue by reducing the number of required hours in the field, it will positively affect recruitment and outreach by sending the message that social work is not an under-appreciated profession. Many low- and middle-income students are sensitive to finances. Graduate and professional students can no longer rely on subsidized loans to financially pay for their education. If these students have to rely on food stamps just to get through an MSW program (field placements are often unpaid), then this profession is in deep trouble. Michigan Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01680355011059008968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-18935560816453454582013-03-30T17:19:33.641-04:002013-03-30T17:19:33.641-04:00This is an important issue and I appreciate your r...This is an important issue and I appreciate your raising it. I would suggest that while social work could (SHOULD!) do better with recruitment, part of the issue is an UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGE recuritment issue. (And I will admit that I'm just thinking out loud here: consider it, expanding the discussion..)I teach in a BSW program in a small liberal arts university. We have a significant ly large number of minority, (African American, Hispanic, and male, and international /refugee) students in our "open" courses. (the number often exceeds 50-60%) But most of those students are pursuing business or other professsional degrees of some sort.<br /><br />In my experience, many African American students in college active seek to distance themselves from sterotypes, thus pursuing business, or medical or other careers that establish some distance from anything associated with "social welfare." <br /><br />Many social work programs though, do reflect the numbers you describe. Particularly at the graduate level.<br /><br />My particular passion is undergraduate social work education: this is the foundation of the profession. We require one internship of 450 hours. Student with the BSW are often able to enter MSW progams with advance standing and thus only have to complete an additional 500-550 hours in field. Personally, I would hate to see these hours reduced. <br /><br />I beleive that the real issue in reaching out to and successfully recruiting minority students (including men) is to do so at the undergraduate level rather than the masters level. The funny thing is that in schools, various majors often COMPETE for students: often by perpetuating sterotypes and denegrating other disciplines. "You'll never make money doing that..." <br /><br />That said, the numbers in our BSW social work program are more reflective of national demographic averages - except with regards to males. In our current senior SW classes, 20% are African American which is almost double the demographic rate in this state and greater than the national rate. Our senior class is also 25% male which is significantly higher than the national average for social work programs, but no-where near reflecting the national demographic. (But next years senior class males will be below average again.) This years class includes 20% military veterans. (mostly but not exclusively male) and next years senior class is 20% military veterans, 1/2 of whom are female. Our BSW students are also older than average. (range 22-54,average age is 32, most common age is 29. Most are married and 50% have children. 2/3 of our graduating seniors are going on directly into MSW programs. GaryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-58177338967645228322013-03-02T07:55:24.760-05:002013-03-02T07:55:24.760-05:00Looking forward to reading your upcoming posts! Th...Looking forward to reading your upcoming posts! Thanks for sharing. This comes at a great time when I've felt overwhelmed with everything going on at work.......even losing a little "hope" myself. Just reminded me again of why I do what I do, and that I need to tune out everyone else but my clients I serve.Blubtrflygrlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11513178415945991947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-14343690739706509872013-01-09T06:50:10.874-05:002013-01-09T06:50:10.874-05:00Unfortunately, education is no longer a great equa...Unfortunately, education is no longer a great equalizer. It's an investment where you either make gains or losses based on what you study and what you do when you leave school. Unfortunately, if you have $60K in a debt and a degree in a non-STEM field, you WILL have some hardships.<br /><br />Students these days definitely need more guidance when it comes to their major/career choices. They need to do math and know exactly how much their education will cost, and whether their potential earnings will be enough to pay back their loans without undue hardship. I knew going into my MSW program that I would be making little money as a social worker. Thus, I opted for a public school with more affordable tuition and budgeted my money according. Unfortunately, a lot of students these days don't get the memo until it's too late, and they're buried in loan debt the rest of their lives.Burned Out Social Workerhttp://socialworkburnout.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-88116912559507456592012-11-13T12:31:30.426-05:002012-11-13T12:31:30.426-05:00Thanks for this, I had no idea there were social w...Thanks for this, I had no idea there were social workers working in Congress!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17638311012930489475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-22394029792280910842012-11-12T01:59:38.131-05:002012-11-12T01:59:38.131-05:00Hi Michigangirl,
It's a great blog, and you d...Hi Michigangirl,<br /><br />It's a great blog, and you deserve the recognition.Deona Hooper, MSWhttp://www.socialworkhelper.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-70402393636633748422012-09-24T13:49:37.214-04:002012-09-24T13:49:37.214-04:00I would love to see college students leverage thei...I would love to see college students leverage their political muscle and try to change the rules for food stamps.<br />I applied for food stamps about two months ago and was told I was ineligible because I did not have a part-time job.<br />As a graduate student, it's very tough for me to squeeze in a part-time job on top of 20 hours of graduate classes.<br />I was lucky enough to get a job this month and I'm worrying a lot less about paying for food but I shudder to think what life would be like if I hadn't obtained this job.<br />Unfortunately, I don't work enough hours to receive food stamps but oh well.<br /><br />I also think more students are going hungry because their student loans don't go as far as they used to. Normally one could live fairly decently off a student loan refund check. That isn't so.<br />The cost of tuition is constantly rising but student loan limits (at least for federal loans) have stayed the same.PensiveFashionistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11336102105425606108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6058445984944061388.post-17232227864908661682012-09-19T08:48:11.558-04:002012-09-19T08:48:11.558-04:00The student body at my undergrad university was pr...The student body at my undergrad university was pretty good at addressing this. We had a food bank as well as a by-donation place to get a healthy lunch with leftovers to take home. People also frequently did personal challenges of eating on $5/day (aka the food stamp challenge) and writing about their experiences.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com