ONCOLOGY SOCIAL WORK AUSTRALIA

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Joanne Petrovic

Newsletter

Number 5

February 2005

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We are well into 2005 and, I wonder what happened over the last 12 months starting with OSWA launching its web page and itself on Australia Day 2004 and culminating in an inaugural conference in November of last year. On reflection, a lot has happened but rather than focus too much on the past 12 months will begin to look toward the future.

The first ever specialist conference for oncology social workers was held to coincide with the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia’s (COSA) conference in Canberra . Our having such a conference back to back with COSA was done with the express intent of enabling social workers to get to both. The measure of demand for such an event was demonstrated by 50 people who registered for the 11/2 day conference.

Opening welcomes from the Chair Victoria Jones , COSA President, Steve Ackland and the Chair of the Canberra COSA Conference, Desmond Yip. There was also a written letter from the President of the Association of Oncology Social Work, Katherine Walsh-Burke (see attached).

Victoria Jones opening the conference

The overseas speaker was Jim Zabora, Dean of the School of Social Services at Catholic University of America. A specialist in the field of psychosocial services to those living with a cancer. Jim presented on a Problem Solving model of care.

Jim presenting on "Problem Solving Models of Care"

The other speakers were Carrie Lethborg, Cate Burns, Jan Pascal, Greg Deacon, Lucinda Daly and myself. The high calibre of the presentations

demonstrated that there is a high quality of work being done by oncology social workers in Australia .

Carrie presenting

Thank you to Victoria Jones for chairing the conference and all those that assisted in the organistation. Also thanks to Eileen McNally for representing OSWA in the COSA organising committee.

Attendees at the conference

This year the COSA Conference will be held in Brisbane and Jane Whelan will represent OSWA on the organizing committee. We will look to the Brisbane oncology social workers to assist with organizing a stand-alone OSWA conference and will be seeking support from membership nationally to assist in organizing it.

In addition to the two conferences there was an undertaking to move OSWA forward and develop a more formal framework as a professional organization. To assist in this end, could all social workers who have not yet filled out the Social Work Census please do so? We are trying to gather evidence of the importance and experience that oncology social workers have.

Last year applications were sought for those interested in participating in the Australian-American Exchange Oncology Social Work Program. The Victorian Oncology Social Work Group originally started up this exchange as a pilot project in 1999. It was opened to the N.S.W.’s social workers in 2002 and last year became a national program. Carol Quayle was the candidate who went last year and has coordinated the application process. We are delighted to say that two people will be going this year. Annette Polizis from N.S.W. and Sarah Foster from Victoria . Annette works at Westmead Hospital and specializes in Bone Marrow Transplantation. Sarah is employed at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in the areas of general oncology and haematology. Both will attend the annual Association of Oncology Social Work conference in Austin , Texas . They will then go to Cancer Care which is a community-based service of over 50 social workers based in New York . This will also involve visits to some of the acute hospitals in the area. Then to Washington to spend time at the Catholic University of America as well as participating in a range of service visits. Annette may go to Boston to Beth Israel Deaconess and also may visit another Bone Marrow Transplant program in Los Angeles . We wish them well for the trip to the States in May of this year.

For this year the focus will be:

The consolidation of OSWA into a more formal organization.
Hopefully an affiliation with the Association of Oncology Social Work which is international but based in the States.
The development of a research focus with the assistance of Kate Burns from A.C.T.
Finalisation of the specialist social work course.
A number of other projects that will further promote oncology social work.

Being a ‘grass roots’ organization your suggestions and participation are always welcome. It is just a matter of following some of the leads that are provided on the listserve about this year’s activities and who is coordinating them. Or equally feel free to contact me.

I will continue to keep you all up-dated about progress and look forward to a great year and continued participation in OSWA at whatever level.

In June this year the Rural Social Workers will also be having their bi-annual conference. It looks to be an event well worth attending. registration forms and program for this conference can be found on our conference page of on the link to their page above.

And just to remind you of who are your State representatives.

N.S.W

Angela Cotroneo

(02) 95153787

angela.cotroneo@email.cs.nsw.gov.au

Victoria

Lily Obradovich

(03) 9496-5000

Lily.OBRADOVIC@austin.org.au

Queensland

Pam McNeil/ Tania Goodman

(07) 36368747