Now celebrating her 20th year as a qualified social worker, Jean Ritchie won the title at the Scottish Social Services Awards.
Capacity and scale questions greet new BC Builds program
An 18-storey mass timber building that will include 180 units for middle-income households in the City of North Vancouver is among the first three BC Builds projects announced. But both supporters and critics of the program to build middle-income rental housing wonder if it can be sufficiently scaled. Counting all existing and contemplated BC Builds projects, some 4,300 units could become available by 2026.
The Rise of the One-and-Done Family
Laura Wright with her husband Tim and their daughter, Mira.
New study shows growing number of homeless people in Northwest Arkansas
According to Dr. John Gallagher, Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas School of Social Work, he’s seen an increase in counties. Washington County saw an increase of 104 people struggling with homelessness in 2023 compared to 2022. Benton County saw an increase of 42 people.
Mother inspires victim advocate to ‘keep moving forward’: Trailblazers & Trendsetters
Tatiana Roberts graduated from West Virginia University around 10 years ago with a degree in social work. She came back to Dauphin County to work for its Case Management Unit, which provides services in the areas of intellectual disabilities, mental health and early intervention. That difficult job took its toll on her, and one day after a particularly tough case, she knew she had to leave.
CT Senate, then House unanimously approve $17 million for heating and fuel assistance
“What we’re hearing out there is that the need is great,” said state Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, co-chairman of the legislative Human Services Committee. “Due to a shortfall in federal funding — federal funding has returned to pre-pandemic levels — but the need out there has not. There are families out there who are trying to get through the entire winter on only $180 in heating assistance. It is 21 degrees outside in Hartford today, and $180 just does not go very far in terms of buying heating oil or other heating sources.”
Dangerous ‘skull’ tablets on streets
Ecstasy pills that contain about twice the average dosage in NSW are being sold by drug dealers around the state. The MDMA drug is being sold in a tablet with a skull-design and a ‘MYBRAND’ logo on the back. The pills have been found in pink-orange and blue, containing 181 to 216 mg of MDMA.
Social workers to be hired as council ‘unable to meet standards’
The council is to invest £500,000 a year to recruit nine new social workers as it is “unable to meet standards” in assessing social care needs.
Saskatchewan Party MLA’s motels got $384K from social services for client hotel rooms last fiscal year
MLA Gary Grewal’s public disclosure statement shows he is an investor in the Thriftlodge Motel on Albert Street in Regina.
North Carolina School Privatizers Are Subverting Democracy
The deep-pocketed donors powering the GOP’s laser focus on school privatization have always found vouchers to be a tough sell. Perhaps the main reason for this is that, even with organizations like Moms for Liberty working day and night to gin up chaos and controversy around K-12 education, most parents are still fond of their kids’ public schools.
Back in the day, being woke meant being smart
But for GOP lawmakers and conservative talk show pundits, such as DeSantis (above), “woke” is a pejorative word used to describe those who believe that systemic racism exists in America and remains at the heart of the nation’s racial shortcomings.
Opinion: Why does New Hampshire still allow children to get married?
“New Hampshire lawmakers, please protect New Hampshire children by passing SB 359,” writes Lynn Stanley, LICSW, of Concord, the executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, New Hampshire Chapter.
Homelessness encampments in this state would be banned under new bill
A new bill in California aims to ban homeless encampments near “sensitive community areas” statewide. The bipartisan Senate Bill 1011, introduced earlier this month, would ban people from “sitting, lying, sleeping or storing, using, maintaining or placing personal property upon a street or sidewalk” if a homeless shelter is available.
UNICEF, Netherlands sign US$ 4M deal to Protect Children on the Move in Libya
This agreement forms part of the Government of the Netherlands policy to provide targeted support for children on the move including migrant and displaced people that are vulnerable to all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse. Over the next three years the Government of the Netherlands will support UNICEF to enable the protection of thousands of children on the move through service provision and strengthened institutional capacity in Libya.
Toronto’s The 519 welcomes hundreds of 2SLGBTQ+ refugees at special event
The 519, a city agency, hosted “Love in Action: Unity Day for LGBTQ+ Refugees” in honour of Valentine’s Day. Usually, the agency provides services to all members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but on Tuesday, it had its staff focus solely on the needs of newcomers.
Portugal’s approach to the opioid epidemic is a flashpoint in U.S. fentanyl debate
Portugal cut its number of fatal drug overdoses by 80% at a time when drug deaths here in the U.S. were exploding out of control. Now the Portugal model, which focuses more on health care and less on tough crime laws, has emerged as a flashpoint in the debate over how to solve America’s fentanyl crisis.
The Case for Spending Way More on Babies
Holding her infant patients, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha felt a deep sense of frustration. “I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do as a pediatrician,” she told me, describing counseling her patients’ parents about vaccines, a healthy diet, safe sleeping, and car seats. But Hanna-Attisha practices in Flint, the poorest city in Michigan and one in which more than half of children grow up in poverty.
A Textbook Case of Social Justice Medicine Run Amok
Will ideology trump science? Here, a stockpile of testosterone sits on a shelf in BBH’s kitchen…. she has been carefully dosing the drug given to her 16-year-old because she is fearful of losing care for her son who came out as transgender about four years ago as some states have worked to ban gender-affirming for minors.
Mental health training focuses on barbers, stylists
Gary “Trey” Taylor, a licensed clinical social worker and author who specializes in breaking barriers and stigma surrounding mental health care, will lead the session.
Makings of a social worker: Hubie Jones has lit the way for BU mentees
Thank you for featuring the extraordinary civic leadership of Katherine and Hubie Jones… As one of Hubie’s many longtime mentees, I always enjoy being reminded of his countless contributions. However, I was disappointed that the article did not mention his inspired leadership as dean of the Boston University School of Social Work from 1977 to 1993. As the school’s first Black dean, he shaped that institution for decades to come.
Labour scaling back its £28 billion green pledge will impact UK housing – and public health
Our research project has shown that health should be made a central factor in all national policy and guidance that shapes urban spaces. The World Health Organization recommends explicitly including health in housing policy – and tracking its impact with recognised metrics. UK politicians have largely failed to respond.
Mind and body: We can’t treat primary care and mental health as disconnected systems
In 1954, Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first director-general of the World Health Organization, declared, “There is no health without mental health.” While we have certainly made great strides in behavioral care in the seven decades since Dr. Chisholm’s statement, it often seems as though we have not yet taken his words to heart.
A mock courtroom in Van Nuys will help victims of abuse learn to cope with court
Dignity Health – Northridge Hospital Medical Center, in partnership with California State University of Northridge and the Los Angeles Police Department, celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Family Justice Center… a one-stop facility that provides indispensable services to victims of domestic abuse and interpersonal violence including the grand opening of the “mock courtroom” – an area that will provide child and adult victims the opportunity to prepare for the courtroom environment using a trauma-informed space and the assistance of healthcare and social work professionals.
Grand Rapids-based Arbor Circle partners social work with police work in Newaygo
As a team lead for Grand Rapids-based Arbor Circle’s outpatient counseling program in Newaygo, Nicole Klomp became familiar with the mental health needs of the rural West Michigan community as well as with its police department.
Florida A&M’s School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) now home to Department of Social Work
“The university identified SJGC as a suitable space to temporarily accommodate the Department of Social Work when it was determined that they would need to be relocated from the Benjamin Banneker Building, which is being demolished as part of FAMU’s capital improvement plan,” SJGC Dean Mira Lowe said.
Update on Disaggregation of Alberta Health Services
We encourage all social workers (and all healthcare professionals) to engage with the government at every opportunity to encourage evidence-based and compassionate policies as the government works to disaggregate Alberta’s healthcare system.
NY Boy, 12, Found Dead at Camp for Troubled Youth Slept on Floor as Staff Watched Him Suffer Panic Attack: Cop
Trails Carolina bills itself as a program to help adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17 work through “behavioral or emotional difficulties, build trusting relationships with their family and peers, and achieve academic success”…. Their “wilderness therapy program” was founded in 2008 and they are licensed by North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service.
Number of At-Risk Youth with Intellectual Disability and Autism in the U.S. Foster Care System is Growing
New research estimates nearly 40,000 youth with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities were in the U.S. foster care system in 2016.
Hundreds protest funding axe for vital Ayrshire mental health service
Morven Day Services is under threat after it was announced that East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership ( EAHSCP) had withdrawn funding. The community hub currently supports more than 130 people living with mental health issues in the area.
Joshua Elizondo Becomes a Voice for Foster Youth
Growing up in the foster-care system in Detroit, 27-year-old Elizondo said he had to fend for himself in most areas of his life, but he has used his story to inspire others and to advocate for change. He is now part of Pepperdine’s Horizon Scholars Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting current and former foster youth students in their pursuit of higher education, working as a student assistant.
An eco-social care contract for Europe
Care-oriented societies are more equal and offer a bulwark against the erosion of democracy and social cohesion. Europe is however experiencing care, ageing and ecological crises. We are all undermined by society’s failure to support us to care for and care about each other and our collective world.
Pitt State to offer new Master’s in Social Work degree option
“Bringing a Master’s degree in Social Work program to Pitt State will benefit students, our community, and our region,” said Dr. Kristen Humphrey, Professor of Social Work and director of the program. “There is a demand for social work professionals here and a growing demand for services addressing social problems.”
One year in, are Burlington’s ‘pods’ a success?
Paid for by federal Covid-19 relief funds, the shelter hosts up to 35 guests on a city-owned former parking lot on Elmwood Avenue. It consists of mostly single-occupancy dwellings — standalone modular units about 64 square feet large — supported by a community room, bathroom and laundry facilities.
The Unthinkable Mental Health Crisis That Shook a New England College
“It felt like the life of the student body was on our shoulders,” says a member of the Mental Health Committee, a student group.
Duo euthanasia: former Dutch prime minister dies hand in hand with his wife
Dries and Eugenie van Agt, both 93, died as number of couples in Netherlands choosing joint end to life grows Above: On the campaign trail in 1982
Cannabis decriminalisation law was passed without preparing for its impact on society: former ARUC chairperson
The former chairperson of the Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis (ARUC) has questioned the government’s failure to pre-empt the social impact of its decision to legalise cannabis, in a radio interview on Saturday morning. Psychotherapist Mariella Dimech (above), who has extensive experience in the treatment of drug addiction, having spent 21 years working at Caritas, was interviewed by radio host Andrew Azzopardi.
Public pharma for Europe, a game-changer for access to medicines
“It’s time to step up, promote health justice, and meet the real needs of people,” says Alan Silva from the European chapter of the People’s Health Movement (PHM), addressing the need for revolutionizing pharma policies in Europe. A long-time advocate for access to medicines, Silva understands how important it is for Europe to change the way it thinks about research and development, but also production and distribution of health technologies.
Mapping the increase in Macon homelessness is a tall task, even with the latest technology
It may seem like there are more people living unsheltered. But the people who try to help the chronically homeless need more than gut feeling to inform where and how they work. They need hard numbers.
Judges Who Were Consumer or Worker Advocates? Not Many.
Indeed, according to an Alliance for Justice report, Biden’s nominations have been 75 percent women and more than 60 percent people of color. But even with the administration’s commitment to diversifying the bench, professional diversity remains scarce. Judges typically come from private law firms, or from a past profession of litigating corporate issues, or having worked as a prosecutor. Rarely have nominations come from what Alliance for Justice calls the “economic justice” side of the legal system, or from civil rights lawyers, or public defenders. Above: Circuit court judge nominees Nicole Berner, left, and Adeel Abdullah Mangi are sworn in at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee
DART launches Cares program to help homeless riders with mental health issues
“Our social workers are able to do in-person psycho-social assessments meeting needs where they are,” said Kristin Peterson with Parkland Health. “Some people have gotten disconnected from family gotten lost down here and stranded.” Above: One woman was hanging out near the DART bus stop off Elm Street in Downtown Dallas. Wilkinson-McGee was able get her connected to medical care and transportation.
Viewpoint: It’s time to listen to professionals about addiction
BC provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
Commissioner: Modern slavery and trafficking ‘no longer priority it was’ for Home Office
The new Anti-Slavery Commissioner has said her budget will be cut by 5% annually as she acknowledged modern slavery and human trafficking is “no longer the priority that it was” for the Home Office. Eleanor Lyons (pictured), appearing before the Home Affairs Committee for the first time in her new role, described the Government department as “uniquely challenging” in trying to get information from.
Failure to ensure child-welfare workers meet standards a safety risk, professional regulator warns
More than 10 years after the Phoenix Sinclair report recommended child-welfare workers be licensed and registered, many are not, raising concerns about the safety of kids in care. Above: The three volumes of The Legacy of Phoenix Sinclair, Achieving the Best for All Our Children report recommended child-welfare workers be licensed and registered.
Personal and political shaming is running hot, yet it doesn’t work
Accused of collaboration, Simone Touseau carries her baby, whose father was a German soldier, through Chartres in France; August 1944. Her head is shaved as an act of shaming.
Ofsted criticises council over ‘inadequate experiences and progress of care leavers’
The inspectorate handed the local authority an “inadequate” rating in its report after a visit in November last year due to a “deterioration in the quality of practice, and in the experience and progress of children and young people”, particularly those in care.
NSW public service graduate program named best in Australia
Graduate programs like this feed into the skills pipeline necessary to diversify, and rebuild capability across Australia’s public services…. “This year graduates were placed in 28 different agencies and will benefit from three placements over the 18-month duration of the program (graduates in the social work stream will have two placements).” Expressions of interest are open for the 2025 program.
Oaklawn’s South Bend crisis center will be much-needed entryway to psychiatric care
A photo of Oaklawn’s behavioral health crisis center, set to open in March, shows its living-room style layout with 14 chairs and tables for health consultations.
Calgary lost more than 20,000 health-care, social assistance workers in 2023, says StatCan data
The numbers are a stark contrast to Edmonton, which increased its number of health-care and social workers, going from about 108,100 to 124,400 workers. The same data show Lethbridge increased its working population in the sector, going from about 10,500 to 12,700 workers. Above: The downtown Calgary skyline
Sean Harris Died After Social Workers Called Police To His Home. Rockland Activists Want To Know Why They Dialed 9-1-1
Now, after months of rallies in support of Harris’ family, several groups of Rockland activists have sent a letter demanding an investigation into why the CARE Team social workers called police to the home of a 19-year-old in crisis.
The social worker advocating for people with learning disabilities
Elaine James promoting the right to vote in Bradford