November 2021 – moocow in the city

moocowinthecity 2021-11-29 No Comments

Social Work Futures: Beyond Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) has garnered attention over the past several years within the social work field as a way of connecting students with experiences that they may not be able to have in the classroom; and to orient them with the communities that they are likely to serve both in field placement and eventual practice (Huttar & BrintzenhofeSzoc, 2020; Lanzieri et al., 2021; Trahan et al., 2019).

Virtual reality on the surface is an appealing choice of technology to prepare students in a culturally humble way to work with clients or patients on any number of issues, making use of simulations that can provide immediate feedback to learners within the safety of their home or classroom.

While virtual reality might be appealing, especially as a new piece of technology, it is not without its limitations. Virtual reality carries with it a cost – not only for the consumer to invest in the headset and associated software – but for those seeking to develop interventions as well, and the agencies who would like to utilize, adopt, and implement existing intervention or training software to meet their populations’ unique needs.

There also exists little data as to how effective virtual reality is when compared to traditional classroom instruction (Huttar & BrintzenhofeSzoc, 2020). In a systemic review, Huttar & BrintzenhofeSzoc (2020) were only able to find onestudy examining the comparison between virtual reality and in-classroom instruction. There is also a dearth of evidence to how virtual reality compares in the short, medium, and long term, to interventions provided as they currently are.

Beyond cost, are other concerns surrounding accessibility. These include overall accessibility under both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as accessibility for those who are unable to bear the weight of a VR headset due to the natural aging process, or skeletal, or neuromuscular disabilities (Schwartz, 2020). Additionally, finding ways to include those who are blind, or those with neurological diversity concerns that prohibit their use of virtual reality as it is presently implemented remains an open question that has not been addressed (Schwartz, 2020).

While we are years away from the concept of a holodeck, (Star Trek’s ‘magical’ experience room where one’s wildest fantasies can become a reality) progress is being made toward more inclusive VR experiences. There is hope on the horizon. Whether or not it is in the distance remains an open question.

Until these barriers of cost and accessibility are mitigated and resolved not to the satisfaction of the technocrats but rather to the most excluded user, it remains a choice at odds with Social Work’s stated values as espoused in the NASW Code of Ethics. However, we do not have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is a middle, accessible ground, and one likely far more beneficial, far more convenient, and with far more longevity than VR headsets: Augmented Reality (AR).

Augmented reality is, perhaps, a hidden gem overlooked in social work and the helping professions. While many may think of Pokemon Go, or using Amazon.com’s “see it in your room” feature when they hear the term, AR technology is waiting to be unlocked by social workers engaged in technology development. It is waiting to be harnessed as a more meaningful, more accessible (and likely more realistic way) to engage social workers and social work students with their patients and their communities.

Katz et al (2012) were utilizing augmented reality as early as 2012, along with GPS positioning, in order to create applications that assist those who are blind with navigating based upon geolocation and visual landmarks. There are cellphones for the blind, and a variety of options and adaptations across both iPhone and Android devices that reduce barriers for those who are disabled or neurodiverse, which also reduces the cost burden currently associated with VR as it currently stands.

As Katz et al (2012) assisted the blind community to navigate their world, this technology can be utilized to assist students in navigating their communities and populations in safe, meaningful ways where learning and engagement can occur. Not only this, but it can allow students to exist within virtual space and real space at the same time, allowing them to remain oriented to the real world and the lessons they are working to learn in order to make a difference in it.

Social work education has seen the value of providing training to students to brief them on the communities, populations, and agencies that they will be attending to beyond the typical interventions courses. In Israel, Even-Zohar (2020) studied students at the baccalaureate level of social work education. The students were trained on a specific intervention, and sent out into the community to provide the intervention; largely they reported feelings of self-efficacy, and success having seen their work in practice (Even-Zohar, 2020).

Imagine, now, if these students were provided an augmented reality platform similar to that created by Katz et al. (2012). Students could – without VR headsets – take their cellphones into the community, and through the use of augmented reality point their phone – whether they can see or not, regardless of ability or disability – at the bank and see, or hear, or feel an overlay not of floating heads and disembodied cartoon avatars so often associated with VR, but of actual people interacting in a simulated situation, right in front of their eyes, interacting and playing out before them, while they could be fully present in the moment: taking in the sounds, smells, sights, tactile sensations, and more (whatever senses their body affords them). Imagine being able to enter a hospital and be guided around with an augmented reality tour guide, who shows you around, and then lets you have a session, in an actual hospital room (empty) though filled with augmented reality characters portrayed by real actors who can respond and interact with the students based on artificial intelligence.

Augmented reality has much to offer social work, in combining our digital worlds with our physical ones, in connecting students to scenarios where they actually occur, and by widening the tent of social work education to those who have been largely excluded due to their disabilities, and schools of social works’ inability to be inclusive by design, far beyond ‘accommodations.’

Rather than invest in a technology that is unproven, non-inclusive, expensive, and difficult, we should instead turn our attention to what, on the surface, may seem lest robust, but in fact can increase and open our worlds, in a manner far more consistent with our values, than virtual reality can ever hope to achieve.

References

Even-Zohar, A. (2020). Social work students acquiring tools to help families manage their household finances. Journal of Financial Therapy, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.4148/1944-9771.1199

Huttar, C. M., & BrintzenhofeSzoc, K. (2020). Virtual reality and computer simulation in social work education: A systematic review. Journal of Social Work Education, 56(1), 131–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2019.1648221

Katz, B. F. G., Dramas, F., Parseihian, G., Gutierrez, O., Kammoun, S., Brilhault, A., Brunet, L., Gallay, M., Oriola, B., Auvray, M., Truillet, P., Denis, M., Thorpe, S., & Jouffrais, C. (2012). NAVIG: Guidance system for the visually impaired using virtual augmented reality. Technology & Disability, 24(2), 163–178.

Lanzieri, N., McAlpin, E., Shilane, D., & Samelson, H. (2021). Virtual reality: An immersive tool for social work students to interact with community environments. Clinical Social Work Journal, 49(2), 207–219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00803-1

Schwartz, M.L. (2020). Inclusion and equity through universal design vs. ableism and inequality through accommodations. SocialWorkDesk. https://www.socialworkdesk.net/blog/2020/10/20/inclusion-and-equity-through-universal-design-vs-ableism-and-inequality-through-accommodations/

Trahan, M. H., Smith, K. S., Traylor, A. C., Washburn, M., Moore, N., & Mancillas, A. (2019). Three-dimensional virtual reality: Applications to the 12 grand challenges of social work. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 37(1), 13–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2019.1599765

open pasture

moocowinthecity 2021-11-23 No Comments

Jumping Down The Waterfall

When I was emigrating from the United States to Israel I remember the feeling of jumping from a waterfall. I could provide the inertia and forward movement, but the laws of the universe (physics, God, your preferred higher power) would guide me down safely. I had to have faith, courage, and trust.

It led me on an incredible adventure. I saw joy and sorrow, had a few near death experiences. Made family. And learned a lot about leaning into my fears and growing as a person.

I am once again at a major waterfall in life. I have those same fears and concerns I had in my chest when I boarded my plane to what was then my unknown. I once again feel God’s presence holding me, saying “you got this.”

Once again I am being asked to take a leap of faith. Once again I am jumping down the waterfall. Once again into the unknown with only the knowledge that no matter what it will work out.

Journey Podcast

moocowinthecity 2021-11-13 No Comments

S3E3: Bridging the Divide: Practitioners as Researchers and Researchers as Practitioners

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1339411/9543791-bridging-the-divide-practitioners-as-researchers-and-researchers-as-practitioners.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-9543791&player=small

Slides from the Workshop can be found here.

Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to Dispatches from the Social Work Desk! This podcast episode diverges from previous episodes, in that it is a direct recording of the talk I gave this past Friday.

This past Friday I was the invited speaker at the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Association’s 2021 Research Day (part of their annual conference).

It was my honor and privilege to present on how dissemination of research, implementation science and SFBT intersect. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The presentation and the Q&A/discussion after were recorded with permission from all those who participated, and are shared as well. Since there was a great deal of chat in the Zoom chat box I have included it on the webpage for this episode (just click on the link in the information/about and you’ll be taken right to it).

Talk Transcript

Processing Through Otter.ai

Chatbox Content:

15:05:48 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

TO hear about your work

15:05:57 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Seeing ways how I can benefit as practitioner of SFBT research.

15:05:58 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

I echo michelle

15:06:05 From Julio j. Martinez to Everyone:

learn about numbers and social work

15:06:05 From Shaema Imam(inAtlanta)(she/her) to Everyone:

how can I be attached to research and continuous learning even after I finish this MSW

15:06:07 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Curious how you bring research and practice together

15:06:10 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

New ideas for practice and research partnerships

15:06:14 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

How we can do SFBT Research as practioners.

15:06:15 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

how to innovate vs evidence base

15:06:18 From Adam Busch he/him to Everyone:

echo Dominik

15:06:20 From Abi Flanagan (she/her) to Everyone:

Sharing research to clinicians

15:06:23 From cboyer to Everyone:

I don’t often think of myself as a research- but am super intrigued by the idea!

15:06:25 From Mo Yee Lee to Everyone:

Some practical and innovative ideas on the integration

15:06:27 From Karla González to Everyone:

to learn more about how you are bridging the gap!!

15:06:35 From Ray Eads to Everyone:

How to close research-practice gap

15:06:36 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

how to research on my practice

15:06:36 From Julie Dubuc to Everyone:

Happy to discover you!

15:06:37 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Supporting you in your work!

15:06:37 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

how to bring research into practice

15:06:38 From MOnica Rotner to Everyone:

Just want to hear what you have to say!!

15:06:45 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

See more practitioner at this meeting

15:06:50 From Santou Carter to Everyone:

how to research your private practice

15:07:39 From Ray Eads to Everyone:

Amount of time for research to go into practice

15:07:40 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

how far behind practitioners are from research

15:07:40 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Your age?

15:08:09 From Abi Flanagan (she/her) to Everyone:

That’s incredible

15:08:22 From Karla González to Everyone:

OMG!!

15:08:31 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Applies to medical research too, which is scary when you go to your GP

15:08:41 From Karla González to Everyone:

scary

15:16:49 From Aurie Contosta to Everyone:

4

15:16:50 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

3

15:16:51 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

7

15:16:51 From Abi Flanagan (she/her) to Everyone:

5

15:16:52 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

10

15:16:52 From Adam Busch he/him to Everyone:

3

15:16:54 From Christopher Richmond to Everyone:

8

15:16:54 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

10

15:16:56 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

9

15:16:56 From Ray Eads to Everyone:

5

15:16:56 From Steve Langer to Everyone:

9

15:16:58 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

2

15:17:00 From Philippe Koffi to Everyone:

8

15:17:00 From Julio j. Martinez to Everyone:

10

15:17:02 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

4

15:17:05 From TVCC – Kim Benincasa (she/her) to Everyone:

3

15:17:11 From MOnica Rotner to Everyone:

If macro clients then 10

15:17:11 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

8

15:17:20 From Mo Yee Lee to Everyone:

5

15:17:41 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

I want to want to and have started

15:17:42 From MOnica Rotner to Everyone:

Im super interested in the value of this!

15:17:45 From Steve Langer to Everyone:

Done it before

15:17:55 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

I’m a professional writer

15:17:57 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

having a good case from start to end, experience in writting, time to do it

15:17:59 From TVCC – Kim Benincasa (she/her) to Everyone:

I see clients, and see how helpful this would be

15:18:02 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Already thinking and writing about clients all the time

15:18:03 From Adam Busch he/him to Everyone:

I’ve read SF case studies in text books and research articles so have a sense of what it looks like. And remember case studies from school

15:18:05 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

I simply see clients

15:18:08 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

We support others in writing

15:18:10 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

I have access and work with Practice communities and have done it before. I get paid to do it.

15:18:16 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

We have video recordings of SF conversations.

15:18:24 From Philippe Koffi to Everyone:

I have support for that

15:18:28 From MOnica Rotner to Everyone:

ive done some videotaped macro sessions

15:18:35 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

2

15:18:35 From Aurie Contosta to Everyone:

I have the base, clients / research, wrote in the past and did it before. What’s scaring me is the once a year/consistent basis. 😛

15:18:37 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

I’m super excited about doing research – looking at SF dialogue

15:18:56 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

I’ve done scary things before!!! 🙂

15:19:22 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

lack of experience, totally not good writer, but 2 because I am interested and very very want some topics to gain more lights

15:19:40 From TVCC – Kim Benincasa (she/her) to Everyone:

Have a conversation with our research department to explore the idea!

15:19:45 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

Make a connection

15:19:48 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

make a commitment

15:19:48 From Adam Busch he/him to Everyone:

listening to this presentation I hope will bump me up 1 🙂

15:19:50 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Start measuring things today

15:19:53 From Steve Langer to Everyone:

Start writing up something I have presented

15:19:53 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

find out what makes a good write up

15:19:56 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

bringing people together that are interested

15:19:57 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

move up on scale, email Dr. Jordan

15:19:57 From Ray Eads to Everyone:

Identify partners in the community

15:19:58 From Abi Flanagan (she/her) to Everyone:

To see examples

15:20:07 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Start

15:20:08 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

Yes, JSFP is a wonderful place to submit your work to make a difference

15:20:12 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

why 10% only?! I will make a note about something I wish to write about

15:20:16 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Start and connect

15:20:53 From Christopher Richmond to Everyone:

Finding connections here with people sharing similar research interests!

15:21:41 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

People will start seeing themselves as explorers of their own work…

15:21:49 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

even more…

15:21:56 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

and they would share that

15:22:05 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

I will write few lines a day at least

15:22:10 From Julio j. Martinez to Everyone:

skipped my coffee

15:22:24 From Brigitte Lavoie to Everyone:

Sending a text to Sara so she could see if that can go in the Journal

15:22:28 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

I would work in a world where the research university would be restructured to support practitioner research

15:22:36 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Excited by range of ideas and practices from colleagues

15:22:37 From Philippe Koffi to Everyone:

I would talk about that idea with mu colleagues

15:22:38 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

I will see TONS of JSFP submissions

15:22:40 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

I would have an idea of what would be valuable to share

15:22:53 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

I would have more conversations about that and be able to encourage others to write more and share their work in a structured way

15:22:55 From Brigitte Lavoie to Everyone:

Let people know what we already know

15:23:23 From Mo Yee Lee to Everyone:

We are all talking enthusiastically about innovative ideas on practice and research.

15:23:49 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

I have no quantitative data. it would be all qualititative.

15:23:59 From Aurie Contosta to Everyone:

The research award committee will have a tough job each year!

15:24:05 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

I will be asking my team about when they would like to write. Ask them what will it take to start ? That will encourage me to get started and take the lead

15:24:14 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

I’d check with the Journal to see if they take little bits of, say, little idea articles.

15:24:47 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

unicorns are scary

15:24:58 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

horns

15:25:27 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

Keep a journal

15:25:27 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

as said – few lines a day

15:25:41 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

email Sara

15:25:44 From Adam Busch he/him to Everyone:

brig this to clinical supervision as a goal to start

15:25:47 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

OOOOh stealing Taylor’s idea

15:25:48 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Sit together with Elfie next week

15:25:52 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

getting material out that we started to work on already

15:25:54 From Christopher Richmond to Everyone:

Reading more SF journal articles and writing out study ideas

15:26:18 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Get out my notes on unfinished articles

15:26:30 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

organize time to write more

15:26:37 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

Keep writing…

15:26:43 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

Love that scaling!

15:26:52 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

Love that “Writing time” idea.

15:26:56 From Brigitte Lavoie to Everyone:

Get an unicorn

15:27:07 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Ask people here to tap me on the shoulder about what my next step will be

15:27:09 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

Be brave

15:27:14 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

to set an intention to get brave about this 😀

15:27:17 From Philippe Koffi to Everyone:

find exemples of research forms

15:27:27 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

in Austria/Switzerland we conduct Research.Meetings where we discuss SF research – in these meetings spreading the idea of the importance of writing

15:27:31 From Aurie Contosta to Everyone:

Partnering with other practitioners

15:27:54 From Karla González to Everyone:

scheduling time to write

15:28:22 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

SF writing retreat

15:28:30 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

find notes about the article I wished to send to Journal time ago

15:28:48 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

SF writing retreat – you can do that online 🙂

15:29:06 From Christopher Richmond to Everyone:

Truth

15:29:13 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Suggest to the SFBTA board that we start an SF practitioner/researcher BLOG on the website

15:29:21 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

love it

15:30:06 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Matt, I really LOVE your presentation! Thank you!

15:30:29 From Sara Jordan to Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His)(Direct Message):

SUCH a wonderful presentation!!! VERY needed for research day

15:30:43 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Awesome presentation Matt

15:30:43 From Katalin Hankovszky to Everyone:

Haha, 2016 we made an SF Research Camp… maybe this would be a good idea to re-try

15:30:44 From Karla González to Everyone:

Matt, you are a rock star!

15:30:53 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

very thought-provoking and encouraging, thanks Matt

15:31:16 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

Where did you get such a brilliant idea for such an inspiring presentation?

15:31:35 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Here is the Virtual Background for Matt’s presentation 🙂

15:32:08 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Wonderful presentation, Mattl

15:32:24 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Look forward to the article

15:32:28 From Aurie Contosta to Everyone:

I love it Dominik!!!

15:32:52 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

LOL Dominik!

15:33:09 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Another reason practice lags research by 17 years, in the medical field, is that most practitioners base most of their work on what they learned in school, and the schools themselves often run on tradition vs research and/or evidence

15:33:21 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

has anyone done research with ADHD brains…. dare I even ask about this here?

15:34:14 From Karla González to Everyone:

Sue we are going to have some time to network in a few minutes!!

15:34:16 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

if I could whip my ADHD brain into shape, I’d find my microscope……..

15:36:32 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

Reading about an evidence based practice does not mean someone can do it. Need different and affordable ways to disseminate through training, supervision, and consultation approaches to speed it up.

15:37:33 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Part of that blog that Jay recommended could be informing about new findings

15:38:33 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Where do we (SF folks) offer the sort of research findings that you can find on, say, the British Psychological Society Digest? A task for the Journal? Or SFBTA website? I’d love to get involved in that!

15:39:56 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

I would love to see you involved in that, Jay!

15:40:25 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Go Jay!

15:40:55 From Brigitte Lavoie to Everyone:

We need for the information to be palatable

15:41:09 From Christopher Richmond to Everyone:

Providing more support (financial and otherwise) to Ph.D. and MA students conducting SF research

15:41:33 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

workshops? seminar based on the research paper, like book club?

15:41:39 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Centralize the research and summarize it regularly where everyone knows where to look – worldwide

15:41:49 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Regular research meetings

15:42:11 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

Research articles should be made available to trainers in a free or low-cost way. This way the research is send directly up-to-date during the training of new practitioners

15:42:11 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Online and presence format that invite a regular exchange

15:42:29 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

What we are doing is open access and summarizing studies is a small step we are already doing it. Open access. Blast it into social media. Practice updates like is being discussed. Make it visual and quick access.

15:42:46 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Keep talking, doing more of what’s working, supervising.

15:42:58 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

A lot of researchers offer their own papers on ResearchGate, even when the journals are not open.

15:42:59 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

Brigitte is so lovely

15:43:11 From MaríaAmelia Barrera to Everyone:

I agree regular research meetings

15:43:15 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Plus also keep doing the excellent work the research committee is doing in continuing the work that Alisdair McDonalds started with the research list

15:43:43 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Lovely idea! Thanks Brigitte

15:43:43 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

https://www.sfbta.org/current-research

15:44:00 From Pamela King to Everyone:

As a 25 year practitioner I don’t feel competent to do research. I would love to partner with a researcher

15:44:01 From Jay E. Valusek to Everyone:

Matt: wonderful stuff!

15:44:14 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Loved this – thanks Matt. Thanks everyone

15:44:14 From Brigitte Lavoie to Everyone:

Really good food for thoughts

15:44:14 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Thank you!!

15:44:16 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

Thank you for presenting Matt!

15:44:17 From TVCC – Kim Benincasa (she/her) to Everyone:

Thank you so much for this presentation. You have me thinking….

15:44:17 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Thank you Matt!

15:44:19 From Centrum Terapii CTK to Everyone:

Matthew, I have a comment rather than a question. I want to thank you for what you said about the value of writing about individual cases sudiers and not just statistical studies.in my mind i have two barriers: i am not a researcher nor am i anglophone. what you said makes a difference.

15:44:20 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

Thank you SO much!!!

15:44:30 From Cynthia Franklin to Everyone:

Thanks Matthew!

15:44:36 From MaríaAmelia Barrera to Everyone:

Thank you!!!

15:44:38 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

So excellent Matt

15:45:08 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Where can I get that unicorn backround??

15:46:04 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

Here is SF research list made by the EBTA as a continuation of Alasdair MacDonald:http://u0154874.cp.regruhosting.ru/evaluationlist/

15:46:28 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing that, Andreea!

15:46:56 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

I learn more about different application of SF. get some connection. Seeing some friends.

15:47:44 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

PAAAAM!!!! 🙂

15:48:17 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

This has filled my heart and head

15:48:18 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

You can access the SF Research list directly from the EBTA site here, at the end of the page: https://www.ebta.eu/taskgroups/

15:48:19 From Shaema Imam to Everyone:

As a master’s student I am star-struck to see so many writers of the journal articles I read all in one spot :-)! You all seem really kind and welcoming! It is inspiring!

15:49:31 From Andreea Żak to Everyone:

https://www.ebta.eu/taskgroups/ – on the sf research taskgroup

15:49:32 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Those ORS/SRS scales are great

15:50:12 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

N=1 IS ALSO OKAY

15:50:17 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

N=YOU is Also okay!

15:50:46 From Pamela King to Everyone:

That is inspiring Jay, Thanks!

15:50:57 From Michele Orr she/her – Australia to Everyone:

Yeah Jay !

15:51:20 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

There are so many levels of research, RCT is great, but there’s so much more 🙂 Awesome work Jay!

15:51:34 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Yes, so inspiring what you say!

15:52:33 From Sue Lickorish to Everyone:

is there some basic format that we amateurs could use as a template, even for our N=1 work?

15:53:18 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

I love that question, Sue!

15:53:29 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Excellent question – and I bet the journal could make one

15:53:31 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

😀

15:54:37 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Here you’ll find their email addresses: https://www.sfbta.org/research-committee

15:55:27 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

It is a mystery and rocket science to me…. so the template and guide will be helpful to feel less overwhelmed.

15:55:40 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Keiko we can work together!

15:55:42 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

🙂

15:55:50 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

A case study template or a practice note template is a great idea!

15:55:52 From Heather Fiske (she/her) to Everyone:

Could be a regular lunch meeting at the conference—Come along and talk to some researchers

15:56:01 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

YESSSS

15:56:20 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

ignorance and “dumb questions” is the start of all research

15:56:21 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

Love Heather’s idea!!!

15:56:26 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

I like this idea Heather… and wonder if this could be also a thing for like an online lunch meeting or so

15:56:30 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

SFBTA Research Committee: https://www.sfbta.org/research-committee

15:56:34 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Yes Elfie!

15:56:36 From Keiko Yoneyama-Sims to Everyone:

Matt we need to connect

15:56:48 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

I would love a quarterly (or monthly) brief meetup

15:56:51 From Matthew L. Schwartz (Buffalo, NY; He/Him/His) to Everyone:

Keiko YES 🙂

15:56:52 From Pamela King to Everyone:

Heather, great idea, could even be a breakout tomorrow.

15:58:10 From Mo Yee Lee to Everyone:

Heather, I really like your idea, plus we can have lunch together:)

15:58:12 From Julie Dubuc to Everyone:

I’m far from being a searcher. This afternoon made me appreciate in a very high way the importance of the researches in the SFBT ecosystem. Thank your very much.

15:58:12 From Dominik Godat to Everyone:

Yes, that would be a wonderful open space session tomorrow

15:58:47 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

What if we had a special journal issue dedicated to practitioner research/articles?

15:59:21 From Pamela King to Everyone:

Taylor, love that idea.

15:59:23 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

Yes, we can have a planned special section of an issue dedicated to this

15:59:32 From Elfie Czerny to Everyone:

Awesome!

15:59:35 From Pamela King to Everyone:

Yes Sara

15:59:36 From Sara Jordan to Everyone:

Taylor, email me if you would like to head that up

15:59:56 From Taylor Yates she/her to Everyone:

Oh I have given. Myself work! Sure!

open pasture

moocowinthecity 2021-11-12 No Comments

Can’t do. Can do.

Yesterday on the treadmill for my stress test I initially had some very negative thoughts. It was Veterans Day. While I’m not a veteran of the US, I was an NCO in the IDF.

I, in my younger years, have hiked the highest mountains in the Negev Desert, mountains in Northern Israel. I completed basic training and the NCO course. I loved hiking and backpacking and travel.

My nickname in almost any job has always been the Energizer Bunny. Though, since I woke up nearly fully paralyzed a few years ago, I feel like the Energizer Bunny who’s had the battery removed from his back.

So I was on the treadmill, out of breath, and in pain having little to do with my heart and mostly having to do with my Rheumatoid Arthritis and my Myositis.

It took five years to get those diagnoses down. Two misdiagnoses (one in Buffalo, and another at the illustrious Mayo Clinic until blood test would reveal what was going on.

And as my back was in pain and my arms were hurting and my joints were screaming from something I used to be able to do with a 60+lb trekker pack – well before my army days – I felt awful and like a failure.

That is until the social worker voice in my head said “you aren’t a failure. You don’t have to meet any physical expectations. You are Disabled. It’s okay to lose old skills and learn new ones. No, you couldn’t do what you used to, but your old you couldn’t do what you do now.”

I felt a wave of gratitude come over me as my heart continued to beat through my chest and the EKG machine attached to me continued to print…and I realized that the sum of my experiences is who I am now, and I would be a whole new person tomorrow, adding in todays experiences.

So often we let that negative voice of what we can no longer do through. Instead, before me opened a path of all the things I can do now that I couldn’t do then. From homeless to homeowner. From drifting to vocation and calling. From confused to having an identity.

Friends, normalize and validate these thoughts. Breathe. And then look ahead of you, because tomorrow you’re going to be able to do things you weren’t able to do today. You might not be able to do things you did yesterday. That’s the adventure. That’s the journey.