Welcome to the Social Work Self-Care Initiative
The Self-Care Initiative promotes and evaluates the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of social work students. The Initiative was established in 2015 by the Social Work Department’s Self-Care Committee through the sponsorship of a community partner and is an ETSU Foundation Restricted Fund.
The practice of professional social work often takes place on the front lines of working with people in need of some type of assistance. Situations can be challenging and troubling leaving social workers at risk for unwanted consequences. Among others, these consequences include burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma. Whether during their internships or careers, it is likely that social workers will be exposed to difficult and potentially harmful situations.
The goal of the Initiative is to help prepare students for the Social Work profession.
The primary area of focus is developing knowledge and skill in stress management and self-care. The Initiative supports research, intervention, education, and evaluation in this area.
Activities generated by the Self-Care Initiative include:
- Self-Care for Helping Professionals Conference. The 2016 inaugural conference included the following workshops:
- Self-care as an Ethical Imperative
- Contemplative Practices for Self-care
- Health, Laughter, and Storytelling
- Nutrition Essentials for Helping Professionals
- Fitness and Healthy Decisions for Well-being
- Nurturing the Whole Self Through Yoga.
- Self-care activities such as silly hat walks and picnics, carousel rides, disc golf rounds, and an afternoon of mindfulness. At least one activity is held each semester.
- Self-care course – SOWK 4957/5957 – Self-Care for Helping Professionals that includes content on: occupational hazards of the profession, concepts and knowledge bases around self-care, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and a variety of other strategies for promoting personal and professional well-being. The course is taught each Spring semester.
- Scholarship – Self-care committee members have presented nationally, regionally, and locally on self-care. They have conducted research on self-care as well as authored publications on self-care. A research project on how social work students manage stress is currently collecting data.
- Identifying self-care activities & resources – a listing of regional events and locations that offer self-care opportunities is available at: https://www.etsu.edu/crhs/socialwork/self_care_initiative/activities.php
Members of the Self-Care Initiative Committee are:
- Dr. Paul Baggett – baggett@etsu.edu
- Dr. Donna Cherry – cherryd@etsu.edu
- Dr. Dottie Greene – greeneds@etsu.edu
- Dr. Mary Mullins – mullinsmh@etsu.edu
- We welcome you to pursue self-care through the Initiative’s resources and contact us if we can be of help.
- Paul Baggett,
Chair, Social Work Self-Care Initiative - ETSU Department of Social Work
Box 70645
Johnson City, TN 37614
(423) 439-6006