"Every man is a volume if you know how to read him."
. . . William Ellery Channing
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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world"
. . . Anne Frank
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The McClendon Center
Washington D.C.
The McClendon Center serves the needs of adults diagnosed with serious
and persistent mental illness by offering friendship, stability,
independence, emotional growth, access to medical care, and linkage to
services in the community.
The Center was founded by the
Reverend Doctor Jack.E. McClendon in 1980 as a mission of the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church and today operates as a separate 501c (3)
organization.
In 2007, the Center had five employees managing
20 clients. Today they currently manage 600 clients with a
staff of 55.
Read More
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Anne Schmidt, MSW
Chicago Coordinator
Social Work p.r.n.
Anne is described by her colleagues as a person who works hard and plays hard, a person who exemplifies the "whole life" concept. Growing up in St. Louis, she attended DePauw University in Indiana graduating with a degree in history because she loved hearing other people's stories. Her adventurous spirit led her to uproot and move to Chicago. Jobs were plentiful, and Anne soon landed a job in the Public Aid Department for the City of Chicago.
Vivid memories of this first job stand out in her mind, such as making a home visit to a single mother raising nine children. She remembers the apartment having only two sheetless mattresses on the floor for the entire family. The Public Aid department had no voice or email system and the phone at times would continuously ring with staff too busy to answer. Ironically, it was this job that made Anne decide NOT to pursue a social work career. However, after spending a summer working at a settlement house in St. Louis, she met an exceptional mentor in social work, Sarah Clardy. Under Sarah's mentoring, Anne reconsidered a career in social work. Anne went on to pursue a Masters in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She has rich, diverse employment experiences in international adoption, child therapy, inpatient psychiatry, medical social work and private practice. Anne still maintains a private practice two evenings a week in addition to her position for Social Work p.r.n., because she finds doing therapy with clients very rewarding.
Two or three evenings a week, she ballroom dances, takes ethnic dance lessons, and especially, enjoys free form rock and roll dancing. Anne is the mother of three grown children. She loves to travel, has a rich social life in Chicago, and has spent time in Italy the past two summers.
Anne infuses the same zest and enthusiasm into her job as the Chicago Coordinator where she has been since 2004.
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Boost the efficiency of your refrigerator
Keeping your refrigerator full, but not to the point of overstuffing, will allow it to run at maximum capacity. To help retain cold temperatures when the fridge and freezer are less full, place a glass or ceramic pitcher of water in the refrigerator. Like using ice in a picnic cooler, this will insulate the interior and keep it cold. Refrigerators/freezers account for about a sixth of all electricity use in a typical American home, and they use more electricity than any other single household appliance.
Source: thedailygreen.com
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Local farmers' markets
Look no further than www.localharvest.org to find the closest farmers' market in your zip code. This extensive website can be used to find local markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area. Their motto is local harvest, real food, real farmers and real community. Check it out!
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Hello and welcome to the Social Work p.r.n.
Quarterly E-Newsletter! Please check out our featured articles and for
more information visit our website at: www.socialworkprn.com
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Beloved Founder/Owner of Social Work p.r.n.
Rememberance
| Tribute to Joan King Upshaw
1929 - 2010
Joan,
loving mother and social work entrepreneur, passed away in Kansas City
surrounded by family members. She died of kidney failure.
Joan
joined the Navy in 1949 where she worked as an air traffic controller
and met her husband, Oda, who was also serving in the Navy. They were
married in 1950 at the base chapel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Joan
transitioned from naval services to motherhood having six children.
After starting her family, she went back to school to study education
administration and graduated from Florida Junior College in
Jacksonville, Florida with an Associate of Arts Degree in 1968. She
and her family relocated to Olathe, Kansas upon her husband's
retirement from the Navy.
The job she loved: Joan
Upshaw
devoted much of her adult life to social work. She received a
bachelor's degree in 1971 and a master's degree in 1973 from the School
of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas. Joan developed a
reputation for compassion while working at the Kansas Department of
Social and Rehabilitation Services; the Department of Health, Education
and Welfare; Osawatomie State Hospital; Johnson County Mental Health;
and Shawnee Mission Medical Center. In 1974, Joan became the Director
of Social Services at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, where she worked
for thirteen years building the Social Work Department.
Her
work with clients eventually transitioned into her own business,
Joan Upshaw & Associates, now known as Social Work p.r.n. The
Overland Park company provides social work staffing and resources to
organizations and institutions in more than 15 cities. As Founder and
President of Social Work p.r.n., Joan pioneered the field of social
work staffing. Her entrepreneurial drive built Social Work p.r.n., a
nationwide company based in Overland Park, Kansas.
Longtime
colleague Loren Griffith said Joan left a legacy of strong leadership
and administrative skills in the field. She was the quintessential
social worker, he said. "She also was a true clinician," Griffith said. "She could relate well to people at all levels." Her
daughter and chief operations officer for the company, Kim Adams, said
her mother spent years fighting for social workers and emphasizing
their worth. But with her company, she was able to build an environment
that immediately recognized their value, Adams said. Joan believed that her support and her mentorship gave them the energy that they needed to provide services to our clients," she said. No tolerance for intolerance: In
the early 1970s, Joan was outraged when a young white Olathe woman
was institutionalized by her parents for dating a black man. She was so
infuriated that she fought to have the girl released and brought her to
live at her home. Afterward she battled to have others
de-institutionalized and helped pass legislation ensuring rights for
mental health patients. "My mother never got infuriated. She just went to work," her daughter Mindy Upshaw said. "She didn't tolerate prejudice."
The last word: "Joan could make you believe that you
could do anything," Adams said. "She was a dreamer, but not just for
herself. By the end of a conversation, she'd make you believe you
really could do anything."
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Social Work p.r.n. has Grant and RFP writers
| Written by Linda Blank, LSW
Social Work p.r.n. New Jersey Coordinator
As part of the stimulus plan for
economic recovery, the government is awarding grants to businesses in
unprecedented numbers. Organizations can take advantage of this unique opportunity by hiring seasoned grant writers. A professional grant writer knows where and how to find funding resources and, through their work, can contribute to increased programming. Although not traditionally seen as fund
raisers, social workers can make ideal grant writers and be an asset to
organizations in need of funding. Dr. Quartaro, Director of
Gerontology and Social Work at Seton
Hall University
says, "Social workers are not usually seen as grant writers due to the strong
psychodynamic emphasis in the profession." Rachel, a MSW and doctoral student agrees, " Social
workers are viewed as having extroverted personalities, while grant writing can
sometimes be a bit of an isolated existence."
In spite of these stereotypes, social workers have many advantages in the field of grant writing. Read more
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Social Work p.r.n. now on Facebook
| Come visit us on facebook!
We will post job openings, exceptional candidates looking for jobs, and happenings at
Social Work p.r.n.
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Houston Coordinator does relief work in Haiti
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Mark Akerlund, Social Work p.r.n. Houston Coordinator, continued his passion for
disaster work as he traveled to Haiti this past February.
Building
on his previous experience in disaster work with the 2004
tsunami in Thailand, Mark spent 13 days in Haiti split between two
trips.
His role was that of a mental health debriefing team member for those workers on the mortuary team. Read more
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Heat Stress Fact Sheet |
Source: Center for Disease Control
Several hundred deaths occur in the U.S. every year due to heat stroke. Many other deaths occur from other causes as a result of high temperatures. Nearly half of all victims are 65 years and older. Why are the elderly more prone to heat stress?- They do not adjust as well to sudden changes in temperature
- They are more likely to have chronic medical conditions
- They are more likely to take prescription medicines that impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit perspiration
- High energy costs affect seniors with low monthly incomes
- Seniors are less likely to use air conditioning due to the expense
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature losing its ability to sweat and it is unable to cool down. Body temperatures rise to 106 degrees or higher within 10-15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided. Signs and symptoms of Heat Stroke: Body temperature above 103 degrees- Red, hot and dry skin without sweating
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness and faintness
- Nausea
- Confusion and bizarre behavior
Heat Exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and unbalanced replacement of fluids. Signs and symptoms of Heat Exhaustion: - Heavy sweating
- Paleness
- Muscle cramps
- Weakness and tiredness
- Dizziness and fainting
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pulse rate is fast and weak
- Breathing is fast and shallow
How to help with heat stress:- Go to a shady area or air conditioning
- Cool the person with water, a cool shower, or spray with a hose
- Monitor body temperature
- Do not give alcohol to drink
- Seek immediate medical assistance
- Remember that fans are not protective against heat-related illness when conditions reach 90 degrees and 35% humidity
- Visit elderly relatives or neighbors often
All heat-related illnesses
are PREVENTABLE  and YOU can make a difference. |
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