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
In Defense of the Work Ethic
Wood engraving of workers dyeing hides, ca. 1850.
Anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety – emotions that feel bad can be useful
These types of emotions are unpleasant to experience and can even feel overwhelming. People often try to avoid them, suppress them or ignore them. In fact, in psychology experiments, people will pay money to not feel many negative emotions. But recent research is revealing that emotions can be useful, and even negative emotions can bring benefits.
If psychedelics heal, how do they do it?
Psychedelic treatment rooms, like this one at the University of California San Francisco’s Neuroscape center, are intended to be cozy, calming spaces. How such environs affect treatment efficacy is still a matter of some debate.
Kathy Hochul Comes to the Aid of Shadowy Landlords
After receiving $2.2 million from real estate interests, New York governor Kathy Hochul watered down an anti–money laundering bill, ensuring that information about the shadowy corporate landlords that control a wide swath of Manhattan real estate remains inaccessible to the public. These property owners have been associated with money laundering and other financial crimes, and Hochul’s move means tenants and workers abused by the system continue to have limited ways to seek justice.
Missouri Secretary of State Candidate Promises to Burn Books
In a message posted on Twitter February 6, 2024, Valetina Gomez, a candidate running for Missouri’s Secretary of State, stands poised with a flamethrower in her hands. The text introducing the video explains precisely what viewers will witness were she to be elected: “I will BURN all books that are grooming, indoctrinating, and sexualizing our children. MAGA. America First.”
Mississippi welfare scandal inspires national safety net improvements
Newly proposed federal rules aim to tighten up the national Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and may prevent Mississippi from using the grant to support afterschool programs, some college scholarships and child welfare investigations. But experts question if the changes go far enough.
Kentucky House budget defunds program steering defendants to drug treatment
The Alternative Sentencing Worker Program has been within the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy for more than a decade, now employing 53 social workers across the state…. A late amendment to House Bill 6 last week stipulated no funds could be spent in the next two fiscal years to support the alternative sentencing worker positions.
Pasquale Giorgio asked for help while sleeping rough in Surfers Paradise. The next day he died in a police van
HHS Announces Department Actions to Slow Surging Syphilis Epidemic
Through the establishment of the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic (NSCSS) Federal Task Force, the Department is utilizing its agencies, its expertise, and its stakeholder network to respond to the U.S. syphilis and congenital syphilis epidemic. The actions of the Task Force leverage federal resources to reduce rates, promote health equity, engage impacted communities, and direct resources to support those most impacted.
Listed Partick building just off Byres Road to be demolished
There are plans to refurbish the wider site, which includes the former Church Street Parish School building and a swimming pool block. It has been claimed revamping the school would provide a “modern facility” for the current users, Glasgow’s health and social work services, while it was previously reported the swimming pool building could become a GP surgery.
School of Social Work, Smart Hospital marks one year of collaboration
The decision to build the $76 million home for the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the School of Social Work was made when asbestos was found within the walls of their previous building.
Law enforcement seizures of psilocybin mushrooms rose dramatically between 2017-2022
The data used for the analysis were collected through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas(link is external) (HIDTA) program, a grant program aimed at reducing drug trafficking and misuse administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy(link is external). Though law enforcement seizures do not necessarily reflect prevalence of use, they represent an indicator of the availability of illicit drugs.
What’s sociology? A sociologist explains why Florida’s college students should get the chance to learn how social forces affect everyone’s lives
The boards that oversee the education of hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in Florida’s public colleges and universities voted to reduce the number of students who study sociology on those campuses. They officially removed principles of sociology from the lists of classes that count as core courses that satisfy requirements for undergraduate degrees.
New University of Kentucky Social Work program offers FREE tuition, stipends, job placement
Child Welfare (CW) PREP is a cutting-edge career preparation program. In return for your commitment to child welfare work, the CoSW will supply everything you need to excel.
Wirral Council criticised for some aspects of its children’s services
A report published by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) on February 1 found that while improvements had been made by the council, all aspects of the service require improvement criticising the management of private fostering arrangements and older children under its care, and some decision making for not being “sufficiently robust.”
Class Is Central to Gay Politics
Class dynamics continue to dictate who has access to an unstigmatized gay identity — and to exclude many working-class people from participating in mainstream gay life.