SHERRY E. SHOWALTER, MSW, LCSW

EDUCATION

• 1992-1994: Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Va. Master of Social Work
• American University, Washington, D.C.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Sept. 11, 2001: Disaster Relief Mental Health Specialist providing crisis intervention and trauma support to rescue workers and family in Pentagon/New York.
• 1998-Present: Private Practice, Northern Virginia. Maintain a private practice in Northern Virginia providing individual, group work, seminars and workshops. Utilizing a gestalt of traditional social work practice with holistic healing techniques. Specialization: trauma, crisis intervention, loss, grief, growth, health, transition issues. Including but not limited to ritual, storytelling, spirituality in order to facilitate therapist and client working together toward health and healing. Office located in Vienna Virginia and making home calls for sessions if appropriate.
• 1996-Present: Speaker: National/Local Tailoring programs; workshops, presentations, seminars, keynote addresses to fit the needs of participants, health care organizations, business, communities, universities. Specializing in loss, grief, end of life issues, chronic illness, sorrow, relationships, humor, storytelling, ritual, diversity.
• 1995-Jan. 2001: VNA Community Hospice/Hospice of Northern Virginia Arlington, Virginia. Bereavement Care Coordinator 1995-1997 - Acute Care Medical Social Worker 1997 to January 2001. Responsible for creating a comprehensive bereavement program for a young hospice, facilitating weekly support groups, public speaking, community education and in-service trainings to communities and businesses. Provide social work services to Hospice patients and families, assisting them with end of life issues at the acute care unit in accordance with the mission and vision of Hospice and Palliative Care of Metropolitan Washington. Work within an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, chaplains, volunteers, and dieticians to best serve the needs of patients and families. Facilitate community referrals when appropriate. Conduct psychosocial assessments; facilitate funeral planning, coordinate discharges to home/nursing homes/alternate placements from the ACU, document assessments and psychosocial components of interdisciplinary care to patients and families in the medical record to provide an official record of patient care services. Provide crisis intervention utilizing counseling expertise with individuals and families. Work closely with insurance company case managers and home care teams to provide continuity of care for patients and families.

PUBLICATIONS

• Showalter, Sherry. "Not My Family." May/June 2001 Healing Ministry, Weston Ma.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Stepping Into Spring: Rituals, Renewal and remembering.". 2000 {unpublished}.
• Showalter, Sherry. "How To Weather The Holidays In The Winter of Your Grief.". 1999 {unpublished}.
• Showalter, Sherry. "O.J.G. On The Job Grief." 1998.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Healing Hearts - Growing through Loss.". 1999.
• Showalter, Sherry. Contributing Author: "The Courage To Laugh." (A. Klein), Oct. 1998.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Baby Janice's Passage." Healing Ministry Vol.5 #4 July/August 1998.
• Showalter, Sherry. Living With Grief "Looking Through Different Eyes: Beyond Cultural Diversity." Hospice Foundation of America 1998.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Now I lay Me Down To Sleep: Remembering Walter, A Child Preparing To Die." The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. Sept/Oct. 1997.
• Showalter, Sherry. "The Forgotten Mourners: Adults Who Have Lost a Parent." (unpublished).
• Showalter, Sherry. "When a nurse is not enough: Why the hospice interdisciplinary team may be a nurse's best gift." The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care July/Aug 1997.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Walking With Grief: The Trail of Tears in a world of AIDS." The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care March/April 1997.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Walking With Grief: The Trail of Tears in a world of AIDS." Healing Ministry March/April 1997.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Coping With Losses." The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care Sept/Oct 1997.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Hospice: Humor, Heartache and Healing." The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care July/Aug 1996.
• Showalter, Sherry. "Grief in the Workplace." OPM Bulletin, The Office of Communications, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Washington, D.C. 1996/1997.

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

• More Than Words Can Say: November 1998, 20th Annual NHO Symposium, Dallas, Texas.
• Radio Interview for National Hospice Month: October, 1998, WUST Radio Station.
• The Commonality of Grief, October 1998, 8th Annual Good Grief Conference, Sponsored by MCV, Richmond, VA.
• CFC Kick-Off ~ Department of Defense, Sept. 1998.
• The Psycho-Social-Spiritual Needs of Professionals, July 1998, Northern Virginia Funeral Directors Annual Meeting, Fairfax, VA.
• Coping With Losses, June 1998, 1999, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Pediatrics.
• Chronic Sorrow, Multiple Losses: March 1998, OPM, Wash. D.C.
• National Hospice Organization, October 1997, Town Hall Meeting Enhancing Care for Native Americans, Atlanta, Ga.
• Support Group Facilitator Training: Feb. 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000; Children's' National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
• Grief In The Workplace; U.S. Postal Service, Washington, D.C., U.S. Army, Dept. of Defense, 1997, 1998.
• Virginia Commonwealth University: School of Social Work, guest lecturer.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

• National Hospice Organization
• National Association of Social Workers
• American Red Cross Disaster Relief/ Mental Health Specialist

AWARDS

• 2001 Award Recipient of the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals: Psycho-Social-Spiritual Caregiver