I’ve finally figured out the acronyms–in a very specific order–that would adequately introduce my social service background. They were phases in my life, but more importantly, phases in my learning.
* MSW = Must Save World (oh, and Master of Social Work)
* CSW = Can’t Save World (or Certified Social Worker, if you must)
* LCSW = Let Client Save World (along with Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I suppose)
I’m Scott Anderson, PhD, LCSW. And from here on out, this will be my blog. Well, really, it’s not “my” blog. I actually consider it to be “our” blog. I believe the collective wisdom of all of us is always greater than the wisdom of any one of us. And I hope this blog will reflec that. I want this blog to become the definitive online resource where you–as a social service professional–can collaborate with others to provide and receive competent, current, and relevant information. If there are changes in government funding that affect social services, I want this to be the place to talk about it. If there’s a pressing social need the world needs to know about, I want this blog to light-up in conversations about that need. By proposing this, I don’t believe I’m in my starry-eyed “Must Save World” mode…perhaps it’s more of a “Let Collaboration Save World” mode. Together we can.
By way of brief introduction, I’ve practiced in various social service areas (e.g., adolescent residential treatment, individual and family counseling, substance abuse, addictions, mood disorders, and adoptions) in various social service settings (e.g., private, faith-based, community mental health). I earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Utah and a PhD in Human Communiation from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘em Horns!) where I taught undergraduate courses. I’ve presented here and there at national and international conferences, and have had my work published in peer-reviewed academic outlets. I have lived (and learned much) in Utah, Hawaii, Argentina, Idaho, and Texas, and I drive a minivan occupied by three small humans and my wife. I like lemon merengue pies, taquitos, and Hawaiian/Latino/Jazz (a la Buble-Nora-Sinatra)/ShowTunes music. And, now, I’m fortunate to be part of ClientTrack.
I’m excited to be with ClientTrack. My interests and experience resonate deeply with the core purposes of ClientTrack: social service, technology, lifelong learning, writing, researching, presenting, contributing, and being part of a group that wants to make a difference in the world. I like that.
Enough about me. What about you? Who are you? What area of social service do you work in? What would you like to see this blog become? What resources could I or we as a community provide in this blog that would be most helpful to you? If this blog could be anything related to social services that you wanted it to be, what would that look like? I invite you to join me in the process of creating what this—the definitive source for social service professionals—will become. I welcome your ideas to start the conversation rolling.
FYI, I hope to make 1-2 new posts weekly about a variety of social service topics–homelessness, AIDS/HIV, mental health, prisoner re-entry, disaster relief, substance abuse, government grants, et cetera–so please check back and become part of the conversation.