New Book on Self-care for Social Workers Edited by UK College of Social Work Professor
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 19, 2016) — Social workers and others in the helping professions can be especially vulnerable to burn-out due to the heavy time and emotional demands, responsibilities and the uncertainties that come with helping other people. To meet these demands in a healthy way, self-care is essential.
Justin "Jay" Miller, assistant professor in the University of Kentucky College of Social Work, is one of three social work educators who co-edited a new book published in July by The New Social Worker Press, that uses an A-to-Z format to outline strategies to help the helping professional build a self-care plan with specific goals and ways to reach them realistically.
"Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals" provides, in a compact and structured format, an alphabetized array of strategies, resources, and pointers for engaging in self-care as a core part of ethical professional practice for social workers and other helping professionals. The tone of the book is intended as collegial conversation, while providing a substantive, pragmatic resource. The accessible format is meant for busy professionals who do not necessarily want an academic tome on burnout, but who recognize — experientially — the need to address these concerns.
“It’s amazing that this book started as a class project! With this work, we wanted to create a self-care work, not only for social workers, but for all helping professionals. Self-care is such an integral component of many professional disciplines and we hope that this book can serve as a resource for folks interested in engaging in self-care as a professional practice," Miller said.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu