Government failings have crushed people’s lives and the same thing could happen again unless officials fundamentally change the way they look at people’s constitutional rights, according to the formal report on the childcare benefit scandal.
Sharp rise in use of legal orders for compulsory medication for mentally ill patients
Compulsory community treatment orders (CCTOs) were introduced in Scotland 20 years ago, to offer people with severe mental ill health the chance to get full support and treatment at home as they recovered. A new report from the Mental Welfare Commission showed there has been a 44% increase, from 941 in 2012 to 1,333 in 2022.
As millions wait on food stamp approvals, feds tell states to speed it up
Thousands of residents in Alaska are stuck waiting for food assistance benefits as state officials scramble to clear the backlog. Alaska is one of 32 states that have fallen behind in processing claims for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, due to staffing shortages and a shaky return from pandemic-era procedures.
What American Divorces Tell Us About American Marriages
Lyz Lenz on the Inseparable Histories of Matrimony and Disunion in the United States
Opinion: Austerity and income assistance
James Mulvale is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Manitoba and a research affiliate at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
A Rescue Dog Saved Him From Addiction
The dog that saved Mike Favor’s life was a German shepherd puppy named Honey: 8 weeks old, heart condition, four months to live.
More needs to be done to tackle child poverty in budget, say campaigners
New analysis carried out by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows the financial support available to out-of-work families in Scotland through the social security system is around 40% short of the income needed to meet an acceptable standard of living.
Ofsted inspectors give verdict on Solihull’s children’s services as council says ‘plenty more to do’
Reacting to the report, Cllr Courts said that while they are “on the right track” there is “plenty more to do.” Published at the end of February 2024, inspectors spoke of social workers being “committed to building relationships with families” and detailed management to “ensure that child-focused decision-making is made at the right time for children.”
Woman’s racy side hustle led to pressure to leave university
She was on placement with no money so she started in sex work.
House Bill Would Hide Billions More Dollars in U.S. Weapons Sales
H.R. 6609, the TIGER Act, introduced by Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), would amend the Arms Export Control Act to increase by approximately 66% the thresholds at which proposed foreign arms sales trigger Congressional notification. This comes as defense industry lobbyists push for expedited weapons sales and deliveries…. The current thresholds may already be obscuring as many as 95% of sales, worth billions of dollars. Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) said at the hearing.
Guns in the Family
I have told all these stories before, back when I used to drink, at parties when I was a graduate student, or at dinners with my colleagues later on. I have told them, and laughed along with the others, but with an intensity edged with anger: at my fancy friends for their easy unquestioned sense of superiority; at my emotionally foreshortened childhood and the fact that my father died without me ever really having talked to him; at myself for selling out my father for a few laughs from a bunch of academics, for playing the hick, and for never having been that good at it in the first place.
Researchers call for more abortion studies to be retracted
Dr. Julia H. Littell, a Professor Emeritus at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research at Bryn Mawr College, said that in the post-Roe era, as abortion restrictions increase, pressure has mounted to correct the record on abortion safety. Littell is the lead author of a commentary in the British Medical Journal calling for the retraction of four older abortion-related studies.
Tax Ivy League Endowments, and Fund Public Higher Ed
Massachusetts state legislators are considering a groundbreaking bill that would impose a 2.5 percent annual excise tax on private college and university endowments that are larger than $1 billion. The resulting $2.5 billion raised each year would be more than enough to cover the tuition of every undergraduate student currently attending public colleges and universities in the state.
The Guardian view on the patient-doctor relationship: human connection is part of health
A groundbreaking study shows that having a regular GP helps people stay well. Policymakers should take note
Blind date: ‘She observed that my suit would have been more in keeping with a funeral’
In a Blind date over-60s special, Susan, 70, a therapist, meets Gerard, 68, a retired social worker
Sudbury’s drug consumption site to stay open in March but won’t continue fundraising efforts
Sudbury’s supervised consumption site, also known as The Spot, may close at the end of March. The lack of stable and confirmed funding means almost all its staff have resigned in the past few months, according to Reseau Access Network.
Dear lonely & helpless: Personal & professional reflections as a minority woman
‘Problemista’ review: This funky New York fairytale is an instant comedy classic
Tilda Swinton and Julio Torres play a compelling odd couple in Problemista…. The immigration process is a labyrinthine nightmare, full of loopholes, pitfalls, and ticking clocks. Torres illustrates these grim realities with surreal imagery, like a series of infinitely repeating, interconnected offices that never allow him an escape, hourglasses with sand racing out as the time to secure a visa sponsor runs out, and distraught immigrants who vanish like ghosts in the face of inert social workers.
Social Work Interns Find a World of Need in Public Libraries
Agny Valle, who will complete her master’s degree in social work this spring, has drawn on her own experience as a child of Mexican immigrants to help Spanish-speaking patrons and created a bilingual workshop on affordable housing at the New Brunswick Free Public Library that offered information on tenant’s rights.
First-of-its-kind study analyzes digital mourning practices of gang-affiliated youth
A new paper co-written by Dr. Desmond Upton Patton, a Professor at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) and Penn’s Annenberg School for Communication, explores the role of images in the online grieving practices of gang-affiliated Black youth.
FSU’s social work program lacks HIV/AIDS education. Two professors are working to change that.
Drs. Erica Campbell and Michelle Bates secured a $55,000 grant for Fayetteville State University to develop simulation-based skills lab and four-week curriculum for social work students serving communities impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Charity wins North Lanarkshire Council contract to provide mental health support services
The £1.9 million contract will see Lifelink operate the Distress Brief Intervention Service with funding from the Scottish Government. Above: North Lanarkshire Council HQ in Motherwell
US Republicans Propose Ban on McKinsey from Federal Contracts Amid National Security Concerns
The implications of a federal contract ban for McKinsey are far-reaching. Federal projects, known for their lucrative contracts, form a significant portion of revenue streams for consulting firms. Being sidelined from this arena could not only dent McKinsey’s financial health but also tarnish its reputation across the global consultancy landscape.
Efforts to fast track Oregon licenses for out-of-state behavioral health workers amid severe employee shortage fall flat
In her thirty years as a social worker, Kimberly Harper has applied for her professional license in four states. Oregon’s process was the most onerous.
Blackfeet bison film to premiere at Big Sky Film Fest
They both went on to study at the University of Montana — Ivy earning a degree in filmmaking and Ivan in social work. Years later, Ivan, now 34, and Ivy, 32, regularly collaborate on documentaries, one of which is set to premiere on Saturday at the Big Sky Film Fest. Narrated by Lily Gladstone, Bring Them Home is an 85-minute documentary following the Blackfeet Nation’s efforts to return buffalo to the reservation.
UT Students Sanctioned for Conduct During Pro-Palestinian Protest
Four students disciplined by the UT-Austin have chosen to accept their punishment for their actions during a pro-Palestinian protest
Dramatic drop in men in mental-health professions bad for everyone
The proportion of male psychologists in North America has been slashed from about 70 per cent to 20 per cent in the past five decades. A similar precipitous decline in the proportion of men has hit social work, an even bigger mental-health field.
Universities Accord: many students could pay less for their higher education … eventually
The review also wants to see financial support for students who have to do work placements to complete their degrees, such as nursing, allied health and teaching. These compulsory placements can be very costly for students. For example, recent research on social work students has found the financial burden of doing these placements can be crippling, with students having to give up paid work, travel long distances and pay for clothing.
UNICEF supports Turkmenistan in introducing new Medical Social Worker profession to address the needs of children and families
Today marks the completion of the 8-month course Foundations of Medical-Social Work with a Focus on Social Inclusion of Persons with Disability organized with support of UNICEF for the first batch of new graduate specialists on Medical-Social Work.
The UK government aims to stop publishing stats on homeless people’s deaths – here’s why that’s a problem
The UK government claims that these statistics are “experimental” and that “further development work” is needed to bring them up to “national statistics status”. As part of its consultation, which closes on March 5 2024, the government is looking for feedback on “the relative importance” of these statistics.
True North social worker breaks world record
Ian Bell, 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron True North social worker and powerlifter, lifts weights at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Feb. 16, 2024.
Indiana Bill Threatens Faculty Members Who Don’t Provide ‘Intellectual Diversity’
In an echo of last year, state lawmakers in different parts of the country are pushing bills that would diminish tenure protections and target diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Indiana’s Republican-dominated state Senate wants to do both at once.
RMHP announces $500K matching contribution for CMU social work grads
After the Grand Junction City Council’s pledge of $500,000 of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to help graduates of Colorado Mesa University’s Masters of Social Work (MSW) program repay their loans, Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP) on Wednesday announced it would be making a matching contribution to the school for the same purpose.
Student puts up anti-Machine posters in social work building
Social work, hip-hop unite
From left Dr. Anthony D. Greene, director of the African American Studies Program and sociology associate professor at College of Charleston, and from the University of Texas at Arlington Social Work Associate Professor Dr. Jandel Crutchfield, History Assistant Professor Dr. J. Anthony Guillory, Social Work Adjunct Assistant Professor Dr. Pamela “Safisha” Hill, and Dr. Jason Shelton, sociology professor and Director of the Center for African American Studies pose for a photo at CAAS’ 12th Annual Conference
MSW student applies social work practices on campus
Kerrigan Link, a current Master of Social Work (MSW) student at Illinois State University (ISU), is on the path toward becoming a school social worker.
Germany legalises cannabis, but makes it hard to buy
A ferocious debate about decriminalising cannabis has been raging for years in Germany, with doctors’ groups expressing concerns for young people and conservatives saying that liberalisation will fuel drug use.
How to choose a trustworthy mental health app in a market bloated with options
We’re seeing reports that, for all their promise, mental health apps might not be all they’re made out to be. With questions being asked about the need for regulation, is it possible that these apps are doing more harm than good?
Many Americans Believe the Economy Is Rigged
I wonder why.
Founding Dean of School of Social Work Inabel Burns Lindsay, a Social Justice Champion and Innovative Leader
“This is truly a win for our students.” – SSU Associate Dean For Social Work Beth Massaro
Philly mayor might consider these lessons from NYC before expanding stop-and-frisk
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker says she supports the constitutional use of stop-and-frisk to reduce crime in the city.
Social workers attend to rape allegations at Shongweni crèche
Research shows older adults with a history of stroke at high risk of pandemic-induced depression
“People who have experienced a stroke are already highly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression,” said lead author Andie MacNeil, a research assistant at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work (FIFSW). “Unfortunately, the pandemic caused so many disruptions to care for stroke patients, which has major implications for the physical and mental well-being of this population.”
Social worker changes undermined engagement with children later convicted of violent crimes – review
Inquiry into cases of seven young people charged in relation with deaths of three others finds six had history of involvement with social care marked by significant practitioner turnover
The complicated connections between weight loss drugs and mental health
With the rise of GLP-1s, our menu of treatment options increased, but so have questions about whether these medications can help patients’ mental health or hurt it…. While we wait for more data to clarify the relationship between GLP-1s and mental health, it is crucial for endocrinologists — who prescribe most of these drugs — and psychiatrists to work together to address the tangled connections between body weight and mental health.
What Happens When We Stop Remembering?
SHIFTING BASELINES is the idea that each successive generation will accept as “normal” an increasingly degraded and disorganized ecology, until at some point in the future, no one will remember what a healthy ecology looks and feels like. Absent any personal or societal accounting of migrating butterflies, winter snowfall, or spawning salmon, future generations will have tolerated so many small losses in population, abundance, and habitat that eventually they won’t know what they’re missing. Worse, they may not even care.
Guest Opinion: Lee is the choice for US Senate
Barbara Lee understands our struggles because she’s lived them. She escaped an abusive marriage with her two sons, and for a time she lived on public assistance. Child care was unaffordable, so she had to bring her boys with her to classes at Mills College. What’s more, Lee persevered to lift her family out of poverty because she was able to move into housing, and through a Housing and Urban Development Department program she was able to purchase that house and graduate from Mills and then receive a degree in social work from UC Berkeley.
Use of pepper spray at Rikers Island is skyrocketing, even on suicidal detainees: report
The city Board of Correction found chemical agents were used 2,972 times during the first 10 months of 2023, a 50% increase from the same period of 2018, despite the jail population shrinking by about 2,000 people over the last five years…. The report found that officers pepper-sprayed a detainee “who was engaged in self-harm with a ligature around their neck” on eight occasions in October alone, instead of following protocol and cutting down the item used in the hanging attempt.
Children’s services ‘improve but problems remain’
A new report said too many children in care were still waiting for plans about their future to be sorted out, and many had to deal with multiple changes in social workers.
Children’s services leaders in England call for national ‘plan for childhood’
The government’s failure to prioritise the post-pandemic needs of children in England was a “massive missed opportunity” that would leave many thousands of youngsters “left behind”, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) said.