It is perhaps not wise for the chair of the Social Media Committee to admit to anything less than complete confidence in using social media, so let’s keep it to ourselves. Between you and me, I have a passingly adequate skill set. I know enough to fake it, until my ineptness outs me.

My grandmother would be aghast that I am about to reveal my age, so if you run into a 90-year-old retiree in Florida who resembles me, keep it to yourself: (cue the whisper) I’m in my 40’s. Members who like me squint into the mirror, noting that we have both a growing population of silvery hairs and an inability to see them, will possibly relate to my media habits. I love seeing baby pictures, even the occasional cat, and enjoy keeping up with family and friends. Some of us promote businesses or ourselves via social media. However, I have come to find that as the social media sandwich generation, my usage is completely unlike those both older and younger. We are excited to offer outreach to all, no matter what your comfort and familiarity with social media.

The Social Media Committee is committed to using our platforms to draw people closer and forge a sense of connection. To that end, we have some fantastic new offerings. We are now on multiple media! Look for us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. If you are using any of those platforms, please connect. Here’s a link to our website where you will find links to our various social media profiles in the top right corner: https://www.gwscsw.org/

We’re working with a wonderful social media consultant (see the Social Media Committee Board Report for an introduction), who is helping us to amplify our voice.

For those who identify as social media-hesitant, we have offerings for you! Stay tuned for a helpful video that will explain some of the privacy settings on social media, as well as an upcoming course on social media, privacy, and ethics.

As always, let us know how we can best serve you! Please write to:  chana@rockcreekcounseling.com

Are you a later-career social worker beginning to think about scaling back?  Have you set a date for your retirement and could benefit from a supportive group with others also actively planning retirement?     Are you already retired and  want to remain more connected?

Consider joining a Clinical Society Senior Seminar

Our Clinical Society has active seminar groups in Virginia, Maryland and D.C that meet monthly, nowadays by zoom.  If you are interested in participating, you are welcome to phone me, Grace Lebow (240-858-4738),  for further detailed information and for any questions.

Group leaders were asked to provide a yearly review of their groups, to give you a sense of the  various ways the groups function.

N.W. D.C. Seminar: Estelle Berley and Carolyn DeVilbuss

Our Clinical Senior Seminar has continued to meet by zoom throughout the past year, usually on a monthly basis.Our group was the first, started by Grace Lebow in 2006.  Estelle Berley assumed leadership and we met at her home until the COVID pandemic required us to meet virtually.  Several of our members have moved away during this time.  Zoom access has enabled one member to join us frequently from her home in Boston.  Currently, eight members remain active with the group.  Most are fully-retired, though we offer CEU’s for members who still maintain their license.  Our discussions are led by rotating leadership, and alternate between non-fiction and fiction books that focus on current social and political issues, as well as more personal topics relevant to our circumstances in retirement.

N.W. D.C NOVA Seminar:  Susan Miller 

My group is starting its sixth year together.  We continue to be a group of nine.  We continue to meet online.  Attendance is excellent.  Satisfaction is high.  Since the beginning of the group six years ago, two members have fully retired.  Four members have cutback.  Three members continue to work full throttle.  

Virginia Seminar: Paula Donovan (in behalf of Rebecca Harrison)

Our group of nine members is now in its fifth year!  When we began, we had a mix of already-retired clinicians, others scaling down, and others still working full time.  In the intervening years we have shared our professional and personal transitions drawing on many of those same capacities that we brought to our social work practice.  Those who were still working full time when they joined the group are now either fully retired or have scaled back significantly.
Our group is precious to each of us.  We moved on-line due to Covid, and these connections continue to help us all a great deal. We would like to thank you, Grace, for this wonderful initiative, which encourages retiring and retired social workers to convene as professional and personal support groups for each other.

NOVA Seminar: Patti Gibberman and Hannah Craven

We have eight members in our Senior Seminar which is facilitated by Hannah Craven and Patti Gibberman. Our first meeting was in April 2021, and the group has coalesced quickly.  We meet monthly virtually, and interest and attendance have been excellent. We are reading the book Forced Endings in Psychotherapy by Anne Power, and discussing both the book and our feelings about retirement. So far only one member of our group is actually retired. The rest are either contemplating retirement or moving towards retirement.  Everyone is grateful that the Clinical Society has sponsored this type of gathering for the membership.

N.W. D C. Seminar: Marcie Solomon

Our group has been meeting for just under four years.  We began with nine members and have been at six for the past two years, although one of those six is currently on a "leave of absence" due to a major move to a new residence.  At the onset of the pandemic, we chose to double up on the frequency of our meetings, going from monthly to bi-weekly and the group has indeed become increasingly meaningful and intimate.  Until recently we were meeting exclusively via zoom, but we have had a few in-person meetings recently. Zoom does continue to be an attractive option if one of our members is medically unable to attend in-person but would otherwise like to attend.  It is a support group that we all value.

Bethesda Area Seminar: Karen Goldberg

Our group has now been meeting monthly for three years, initially at the Connie Morella Library, now on zoom  We currently have 11 members, eight women and three men.   Since we started, two members have completely retired, three were retired when the group began, three work part-time, one sees a single client, and two are actively transitioning into retirement.  All of the retired or nearly retired members continue to be engaged in service oriented activities, participation in GWSCSW, and/or offering supervision. With the pandemic, we started meeting virtually.  The members have many times commented on how much support the group has been in coping and adjusting to uncertain and constantly unfolding circumstances. More recently, with everyone vaccinated, we have held discussions about meeting in-person, but since two members have compromised immune systems, we are continuing to meet virtually for the time being.  The scope of the group continues to focus on the transition to retirement and moving forward, as well as on life transitions in general, including aging.  We draw on the experiences and wisdom of the members, as well as on other's resources, i.e. books, articles, podcasts, etc. that members suggest.  The group also serves to bring a range of life-building resources to the members' attention.

Grace, I am honored to facilitate a group of such wise and caring members and appreciate your having created the Senior Seminar program.  If you ever are in need of assistance with growing it further, please feel free to reach out.

Silver Spring Seminar:  Judy Gallant and Nancy Harris

We began with two good meetings in the summer, one at each of our houses.  Due to health and other interruptions, we have not yet had a third meeting. Our group hopes to start up again in the spring and will welcome new people to join us.  For more information please contact me, Nancy Harris at nlharris1214@gmail.com

Click here for March 2022 News & Views

Chana Lockerman, Social Media Committee Chair

I was standing at the bus stop for camp the other day, chatting with other parents and looking at the news on my phone. Parents were parking their cars, helping children out, putting on sunscreen and bug spray, making sure that faces were masked and hats on, waving goodbye and blowing kisses as the bus pulled away. Most everyone was dressed for work: dress shirt on the top, bike shorts or comfies on the bottom. It was both incongruous and normal. I too was wearing a dress shirt on top, paired with stretch pants and sneakers. Another parent remarked that they spend the day on the computer and could never imagine heading off to offer a day’s worth of therapy. I laughed because now I’m on the computer too. In fact, before the pandemic, I worked off an old and slow computer, having no need for computerized speed. Now I head home in my work-from-home outfit to sit in front of a computer like everyone else. I’m on a new and faster computer now, with better screen resolution. I’ve finally gotten those reading glasses so I can better see the keyboard and screen (we could use a column about denial to explore my feelings about achieving middle age).

It just so happened that on the day I stood there laughing with that other parent because now I work on a computer too, I saw the announcement from CVS that they would start offering mental health services via their in-store clinics. I tried to imagine myself into the role that those social workers are taking on. It must be an intense and difficult job! There is no way to know who is walking in the door and with what problems and psychopathologies. It feels in keeping with trends toward teletherapy – we are being asked to help people with whom we may have less connection and less resources to help.

In the last Tech Talk column, we learned about the prevalence of new practice models for members, often technology-based. Today we’re asking how to support our members in the new reality. Please write in with your questions, thoughts, and meditations on the new and quickly evolving practice models and how we can support each other toward success and fulfillment.

In the meantime, I’ll show up with my crazy but normal outfits, pop on those reading glasses, and look forward to sharing ideas with you. Laughs about teletherapy also appreciated.

Chana Lockerman

My transition to full-time teletherapy in March 2020 was abrupt. A symptomatic individual came into the building and that was the turning point for my practice. I shut the office down in an instant, emailed afternoon clients that their sessions would be online, and hurried home to shower. There was no time to take stock or think it through. I saw clients in-person that morning and haven’t since.

It was easier than expected to make the change.  I was already seeing a very small number of clients via teletherapy. I already had the platform and know-how. I’ve also been teaching online since 2018, and so was familiar with (dare I say skilled in) building rapport in the virtual space.

Even with my previous experience, online therapy was exhausting. But then something happened. I got used to it. I even started to like it. Online work even began to feel fun. I found myself thinking back on the many home visits of my home-based therapy days. So much could be accomplished with the client in their own environment! And I was comfortable in my environment, in my comfy pants, in my house, with my dog at my side. I surprised myself in wanting to keep this going, imagining one or two days in the office, with the rest of my working days happening at home.

I was curious to find out if my feelings and experiences were similar to others’, so I set out to survey our members about their own teletherapy experiences. I was also curious about plans for future use of teletherapy after the pandemic crisis subsides. The results were overwhelmingly positive: 95% of respondents plan to use teletherapy after Covid. Two thirds of respondents will use teletherapy for at least 50% of their practice, some for much more. Survey respondents used words like “blessing”, “surprisingly effective”, and “I love it” to describe their positive experiences. Many felt that teletherapy removed barriers in accessing care.

There were respondents who shared negative feelings about teletherapy. I hope they find that this write-up honors their points of view as well. Some used words like “frustrated” or “mixed.” Like any intervention, there will be those for whom it is not a good fit, therapist and client alike. I hope we can talk more about holding space for those who prefer in-person therapy in an increasingly online world.

For those looking to continue with teletherapy in the longer term, there are some needs that were identified. These include insurance coverage for teletherapy, better internet connections, better devices, and cost-effective HIPAA-compliant platforms. Many also identified interstate licensure as a major issue. See the Legislative Branch’s report for more information about the amazing work being done to create an interstate compact for social workers!

For me, the opportunities feel endless. There have been challenges, to be sure. Just as I have a window into clients’ lives, they have a window into mine. It has been positive for clients to see that my life is no different from theirs. Clients will ask, “What’s that sound?” and I’ll have to explain that my dog is chewing on the doorframe or my child is downstairs belting out songs from Frozen II. Clients laugh. Laughter is, after all, the best medicine.

The Committee is actively seeking new members! If you would like to help out, have ideas for future Tech Talk columns, or just want to connect, please email chana@rockcreekcounseling.com .

Do you have that ZOOM burnout but need connection?  Below are some gathering ideas where you can connect with other colleagues on remote activities.  If you are interested in hosting a gathering for other GWSCSW members we would love to co-host the event.  

Watch movies together using Zoom

Zoom offers a screen sharing feature, and it actually works well for watching movies. This has considerably expanded the number of Nicolas Cage movies available to us, which increased the quality of our lives.

Schedule a Zoom meeting with your crew, as always. The host of the movie night should legally acquire the movie ahead of time and be ready to play it. When the time comes, hit the Share screen button, then make sure the Share computer sound and Optimize Screen Share for Video Clip buttons are both checked.

Play games together online

• Board games can work surprisingly well online. Board Game Arena offers a wide variety of free games you can play in your browser. 

• Party games can also work well. Jackbox is probably the most common example, and for good reason: it's fun. Some of the games are trivia, some are opportunities to make jokes, but all of it is low pressure. In person, the game is played using a combination of a TV screen and everyone's individual phones. 

Bake or cook together

Find a relatively straightforward recipe, make sure everyone has time to buy the ingredients, then hop on a call together and try to make it. This is a fun way to connect and share cooking/baking tips! D

Do a Virtual Walk together

Start a video call and go for a walk outdoors, chat and explore each other's outdoor areas.

By Chana Lockerman

With gratitude to Tech Tips for many years of service, the Social Media Committee celebrates this column’s retirement. We’re excited to announce a new column that reaches beyond the “how-to” perspective of Tech Tips and explores the dynamic relationship between technology and social work, and how social workers interact with technology in our ever-changing world.

Years ago when Tech Tips was born, many GWSCSW members were first working out how to integrate technology into their social work practice. We’ve come a long way since this column first helped to manage email, electronic medical records, and what we now consider the basic technologies of the mental health field.

Our new column is here to serve you, so it’s only right that you name it! Please submit your suggestions to name our new column to chana@rockcreekcounseling.com.

A few years ago, I wrote an article for the Newsletter entitled "Enough Already," or "Why I Don't Accept Insurance." My life has taken an interesting turn since that time.

The article was written when I was in the full flower of my practice, with the phone ringing often enough that it seemed that there was some kind of stream that was feeding it. Along with fee-for-service clients, I was buoyed by referrals from an Employee Assistance Program, which helped me keep my hours full.

The first hint that something was happening was when the EAP referrals dried up. Calls and emails did not elicit any explanation for why this was happening. I assumed that I would have heard if there had been a complaint, but there was only that eerie quiet that comes with non-response.

I began to lose clients organically, either through their improvement or by moving away. Over time, the spaces in my schedule became longer. Also, some clients went on a bi-weekly schedule, with my agreement, so they became half-time work. I will admit to some sense of panic, initially.

I had raised my rates every summer and I did not pay particular attention to my website or the search engines to which I subscribed. As a result, there is a readiness on my part to blame myself, to look at this as my hubris playing out. There is truth to that, I am sure, but it also coincided with an unexpected spike in my blood pressure.

What has followed is a reexamination of my priorities and a willingness to step away from anything that insists on a commitment with which I do not want to engage. As a result, I have made quite a few people unhappy, but I have discovered that I have room to decide on what I want to do next. This article is part of that effort, as well as making contributions to the editorial page of the Baltimore Sun.

I have reapplied for credentialing with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, which seems happy to have me back. I applied to opt back in with Medicare, but I have to wait until my opt-out period is over in 2020. I was surprised at my comfort with taking insurance again. Perhaps it is because, in part, it is more in keeping with social work ethics.

The concept of thriving has transformed to having what I need and perhaps a little more, although having a little more than that would be fine. I am finding my voice with my articles, so I do not want to be so busy that I forego that time.

Now I walk a mile and a half and meditate for 20 minutes every day. I am focused on developing my local community. Sorry, folks, but I only drive to DC when I absolutely have to. I am at peace with where I have landed, and the phone does ring often enough that I am sure that my bills will be met. I believe that all of this has made me a better therapist, welcoming the engagement rather than being desperate for it. There may be another evolution yet, but at 71 years-old, it will have to be incredibly compelling.

Chana Lockerman

In January 2018, the new NASW Code of Ethics came into effect. The new Code includes 19 revisions that address the changing world of social work practice and technology. This column is going to address one of the revisions, a “reminder” to social workers that clients can learn about their social worker’s personal information through Internet searches and social media.

To protect your private information on social media accounts to the extent possible, set your privacy filters to the most private settings that you can. Remember that information, even shared in private groups, is not private. Consider limiting the amount of information you share about yourself using a social media platform. Remember that once information is out on the Internet, it often cannot be taken back.

There is so much information out on the internet, including information about each of us. You can do an internet search on yourself and see what information comes up. Chances are that your clients will see this same information if they try to learn about you using online resources.

While we often cannot control the information that is available about us online, we can try to find out what is available, limit the information we put on social media, and remember that the internet is a public forum.