Exciting news from NYC!

  Ko Phangan, Thailand
Saturday, July 19, 2008

Eric wrote to me on my facebook wall: "You're on an island in Thailand!  Why are you on facebook?"  Good question!  I know I've blogged excessively.  But, it's so surprisingly easy to be connected anywhere I go, and I know that if I don't blog about every few days, I'll forget things.  PLUS, when I get to check my email, I get wonderful pieces of news, such as this:

from Jennifer Herman <JHerman@>   
2:32 am (16 hours ago) 
to katie.mchugh@ 
date Jul 19, 2008 2:32 AM  
subject SW Field Work Placement   mailed-by   

Hi Katie--
My name is Jennifer and I am the Program Coordinator for the Women's
Project @ Beth Israel Medical Center.   I received your resume for your
first-year field work placement.

We are a harm-reduction program that provides individual and group
counseling services to women who are living with HIV disease. We also
have an outreach/education component to the program that works with
people who are at-risk of HIV infection within several of the in-patient
and outpatient substance use programs at our medical center.

I have attached our brochure for your review.

Your voice mail indicates that you are returning to the US mid
August--when will you be arriving in NYC?  I am interested in talking
with you about our program and your experience in greater detail.

Thanks--Jennifer

Jennifer Herman, LMSW
Coordinator-The Women's Project
Department of Medicine
Beth Israel Medical Center
212-
jherman@

One paragraph from their brochure:
"We offer individual supportive counseling, group counseling, case-management, health education, and risk-reduction counseling. Women meet with our Licensed Social Workers for individual and/or group counseling sessions, develop an individualized service plan and set goals related to their physical and emotional health.
Women connect with their peers for mutual learning and support within our group counseling/education sessions.
Group topics include:
HIV transmission risk
HIV/AIDS disease progression
Medication and side effect management
Condom use/safer sex practices
Relapse Prevention
Relationships and Sexuality
Healthy Living
Opioid Overdose Prevention"

I'm sooooooooooo excited at the prospect of this placement!  Lots of things to look forward to when this trip has to end!