Photo courtesy of Alcohol Abuse Treatment.

What group of binge drinkers  overindulges  most often? You may be surprised to learn it’s the elderly and not college students, according to this article in Florida’s Sun Sentinel.

According to an annual report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors who indulge to the extreme with alcohol do so on average 5.5 times a month, compared to four times a month for people under age 45.

In the article National Association of Social Workers member Stephen Ferrante explained why. Ferrante is coordinator of a social work program on aging issues at Florida Atlantic University.

“They are typically alone and in isolation, often drinking in response to some problem in their lives,” he said.

However, Ferrante said seniors citizens in treatment have more success overcoming drug and alcohol problems than other groups.

To learn more about social workers help the elderly visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Seniors and Aging Website by clicking here. Social workers also help clients overcome drug and alcohol addictions. To learn more click here.

Photo courtesy of the Jewish Daily Forward.

Social worker Dianne Matthew goes to senior citizen centers and country clubs throughout south Florida, preaching about the value of safer sex to the elderly. Her campaign was recently covered in this article in the Sun Sentinel.

Americans over the age of 50 are one of the fastest growing demographics for new HIV infections. That age group is also experiencing higher infection rates of other venereal diseases such as syphilis, the article said.

Elderly Americans are getting more chances to have sex because they are living longer and drugs such as Cialis improve sexual performance in men. However, Matthew said many have missed the lessons on safer sex practices that younger people received.

“You think you’re not going to get pregnant, so why do you need to use condoms?” said Matthew, who is clinical director at Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service west of Boca Raton. ”After 50 years of marriage, you’re not used to this.”

To learn more about how social workers help improve the lifestyles of elderly Americans visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Seniors and Aging Website by clicking here.

Image courtesy of the Star Tribune.

Many parents are unsure how to help children cope with the death of a friend or a friend’s family member, according to this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Remke, MSW, ACHP-SW, remembers her mother would not let her attend the funeral of the mother of one of her fourth-grade classmates. “My mom was afraid it would have been too traumatic for me to attend a funeral at such a young age,” Remke said.

Remke suggested that among other things, parents should tell their children what to expect at a funeral, although this may be difficult if they do not know the family. Children should also be told it is okay to step out of a funeral if they need to, she said.

To learn more about how social workers help clients handle the deaths of loved ones visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Grief and Loss Website by clicking here.

Celebrities such as singer Beyonce look very different before stylists apply makeup, hairstyles and designer clothing. Yet girls mistakenly try to live up to that image. Photo courtesy of INC Now.

The self esteem of girls plummets after age 9 because they feel they do not live up to the idealized images of women in the media, according to this television report on Indiana News Center Now.

National Association of Social Workers member Megan Spinks, MSW, LCSW, who was interviewed for the news segment, said parents should encourage daughters not to focus so much on how they look or what they wear. 

Megan Spinks

“Acknowledge their uniqueness and value them for who they are and what they are versus what they wear and what their appearance is,” Spinks said.

In fact, the news report said actresses, models and singers who appear in the media often have their images molded by an army of cosmetic artists and stylists.

The report flashed before an after images of celebrities, including singer Beyonce. Girls as young as aged 10 are now demanding makeup so they can live up to this image.

The Oprah Winfrey Network recently asked social workers to review “Miss Representation,” a documentary that looks at how the media image of women has a harmful effect on how women feel about themselves and are viewed by men. To read the panel discussion on that movie click here.

Image courtesy of National Center for Fathering.

Not hugging your sons may damage them pyschologically, National Association of Social Workers member Barbara Murray-Lane said in this article in Connecticut’s Hartford Courant.

“It’s a cultural phenomenon,” said Murray-Lane, MSW, LCSW, who works at the Chester Wellness Center. “Parents feel that if they show too much affection to their son, they’ll pay for it somehow.”

Murray-Lane suggested following the lead of your child. If he feels comfortable getting hugged by you, you should be comfortable with it, too.

Social workers often help young people develop and overcome life’s hurdles. To learn more visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Website by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of momlogic.com.

The national Open to Hope radio program interviewed National Association of Social Workers member Sherry Saturno, MSW, DSW, LCSW, about how people struggling with depression and grief can get through the holidays.

Saturno is the clinical director of the Westchester Medical Center Behavioral Health Center in New York. She was also named social worker of the year by the NASW New York/Westchester chapter.

Thanksgiving, Hannukah, Christmas, New Years and Ramadan can be a tough time for people who have lost loved ones, and can actually make them feel anxious and depressed weeks before the holiday arrive.

“The holidays can be such a difficult time for our clients,” Saturno said. “The holidays can actually act as a trigger.”

One thing Saturno suggests is that people who grieve around the holidays should start new traditions that help them move forward but also honor the memory of loved ones.

To hear the full interview click here.

To learn more about how social workers help people deal with loss visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Grief and Loss Website by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

Parent should set clear rules for trick-or-treaters, including how much candy they can collect and how much they can eat, assistant social work professor Dorian Traube said in this article in the Los Angeles Times.

“Any time you have an expectation for your child’s behavior, you need to prepare them for that,”  said Traube, who teaches at the USC School of Social Work.

Traube was one of several experts interviewed in the article about Halloween tips. The others included a nutrition specialist and a former dental hygienist.

Social workers help young people overcome life’s hurdles. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Website by clicking here.

Spongebob Squarepants

News reports say recent studies show young children who watch the long-running Nickelodeon cartoon “Spongebob Squarepants” have a harder time paying attention.

However, National Association of Social Workers member Donald Caserta, MSW, said in this WKYC-TV interview that more study needs to be done before drawing that conclusion. Caserta works at the ADHD Center at Cleveland Clinic.

“More research really needs to be conducted before we make any strong statement about children not viewing cartoons,” he said.

To learn more about how social workers help young children in their  crucial first years visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Early Childhood Development Web page by clicking here.

Terri Schmidt

National Association member Terri Schmidt, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, in Illinois is doing a series of articles on domestic violence for Chicago Sun-Times publications.

In one column Schmidt offers excellent advice on how to help a family member or friend who is a victim of domestic violence. The first thing she advises is have an open mind and listen.

“Believe the story that you are hearing, even if it’s difficult. Usually people minimize the abuse they are experiencing. I have never known a client to exaggerate it,” Schmidt wrote.

To read the full column click here.

In this second column Schmidt gives readers a guide to how the Illinois criminal justice system handles domestic violence complaints.

To learn more about how social workers help clients handle domestic violence, visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Domestic Violence Web page by clicking here. You can also read The Social Work Response to Domestic Violence on NASW’s Website by clicking here.

Yet statistics show 80 percent of chronically ill people die in hospitals or nursing homes.

“Too often, their lives have ended in pain and despair, spending their final days in an alienating institutional environment…,” Waldrop, DSW, ACSW, said.

There  is a growing emphasis on allowing chronically ill people to have a “good death,” which may include allowing them to die at home, said Waldrop, who is a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Social Work.

To learn more about how social workers help people at the end of life visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Death & Dying Web page by clicking here. NASW also released Social Work Practice in Palliative and End of Life Care. To read these standards click here.

Photo courtesy of iparents.com.

More grandparents are raising grandchildren and many find themselves financially strained and socially isolated. However, there is assistance available, National Association of Social Workers member Janis Marler said.

“Raising a child at any age can be stressful at times and parenting at an older age bring more challenges,” she said.

Marler offered some great advice to these grandparents in this FoxBusiness article.

Social workers often help families overcome life’s hurdles. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Familes Website by clicking here.

Caylee Anthony

News 12 in August, Ga., talked to National Association of Social Workers member Eve Pearson and other experts to ask how people should handle the aftermath of the Casey Anthony trial.

A Florida court this week found Anthony not guilty of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee Anthony, although many suspect she was involved in the crime and are disgusted with the verdict.

“That leaves us confused and frustrated. Many wonder – then who did do it? And it leaves us a gash in our hearts for this little child,” said Pearson, MSW, LCSW, C-ASWCM.

Pearson said people upset over the verdict should channel their energy in a positive way, including advocating to prevent child and elder abuse. To read the full article click here.

To read more about how social workers help people deal with tragedy visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Grief and Loss Web page by clicking here.

Dr. Maria Baratta on ABC.com.

National Association of Social Workers member Dr. Maria Baratta recently appeared on ABC.com to talk about the signs a person may have an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa.

To watch Baratta on ABC.com click here.

Baratta, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, PhD, author of “Skinny Revisited: Rethinking Anorexia Nervosa and its Treatment” ($26.99, NASW Press), explained that anorexia is a form of extreme self loathing about body image.

A person may have this disorder if they diet to extremes, denying themselves food even though they may be starving. Or they may constantly ask family and friends, “Am I too fat?”

“If you see a person having a granola bar for breakfast, a granola bar for lunch and a granola bar for dinner you know that is not a normal form of eating,” she said.

To learn more about how social workers help clients overcome anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Eating Disorders Web pages by clicking here.

Linda Lipshutz

Emily Minor, a columnist for the Palm Beach Post News in Florida, broke down crying in her doctor’s office because she was missing her previous doctor who had died from leukemia. Nobody bothered to comfort Minor, much less look her in the eye.

What gives? Are we losing our kindess?

National Association of Social Workers member Linda Lipshutz, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, answered that question in Minor’s newspaper column. People are kind but are so stressed they have no empathy left to give others.

“A lot of people are at the end of their rope,” she says. “They have financial and family worries. They have insecurity about whether they have jobs.

Social workers help people improve their connections to others. To learn more visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Relationships Website by clicking here.

Illustration courtesy of mlive.com.

Before  you open your wallet and give or loan money to a grown child, consider your own finances and don’t over extend yourself, National Association of Social Workers member Susan Guerriero said in this mlive.com article.

You should also assess whether you are enabling the child, making them less likely to be responsible and live on their own, Guerriero said.

“I see a lot of adult children who would prefer to live with mom and dad because it is difficult to live independently,” she said.

Social workers help people improve their relationships with others. To learn more click here to visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Relationships Website.

Illustration by David Wright of the Shreveport Times.

Do have co-workers who borrow your stapler without asking, talk endlessly while you are trying to work, and perpetually kiss up to the boss?

National Association of Social Workers member Carole Pruett, DSW, ACSW, offers advice on how to handle difficult office mates in this article in Louisiana’s Shreveport Times.

For instance, in extreme cases of talking social workers Pruett advises employees to get up and politely guide the chatty person out of their office space.

Social workers are experts at helping people get along with others. To learn more visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Relationships Webpage by clicking here.

Sallie Foley

Americans still struggle with talking about sex, even medical professionals who handle women’s health, National Association of Social Workers member Sallie Foley said.

“A recent study of graduates from an ob-gyn program in Ohio showed that 90 percent of the residents graduating as obstetricians and gynecologists thought that they were going to be asked questions about sex by their patients,” Foley said in this article in Montana’s Missoulian newspaper. “Ninety percent felt that they were unprepared to answer questions about female sexuality.”

Foley, MSW, LMSW, is  director of the Center for Sexual Health at University of Michigan Health Systems. She was in Montana to do a seminar on sexual health for the  National Association of Social Workers Montana Chapter.

“Good sex really means meaningful communication,” Foley said.

Ruth Meyer. Photo courtesy of the Telegraph.

Survivors of  a tornado that struck Joplin, MO need more than food, clothes and shelter. They also need their mental health needs met, National Association of Social Workers Ruth Meyer said in this article in the Telegragh newspaper of Alton, IL.

“In Joplin, I will be there wherever I am needed to provide emergency psychological first aid,” said Meyer, who is retired and volunteers with the American Red Cross.

The tornado that hit Joplin on Sunday leveled part of the city and claimed at least 125 lives. It was the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since record keeping began 61 years ago.

Social workers are experts in helping people deal with stress and grief following natural disasters. To learn more, click here to read the Anxiety Tip Sheet on NASW’s “Help Starts Here” consumer Web site. The tips were written by John D. Weaver, LCSW, BCD, ACSW, CBHE, founding partner of EYE OF THE STORM, Inc., a private consultation and education group practice.

Feather Berkower

A National Association of Social Workers member’s workshop on children and sexual predators helped a juror decide to convict a Colorado high school teacher of sexual assault, according to this article in the Broomfield Enterprise.

Feather Berkower, MSW, LCSW, has trained more than 100,000 parents and children on how to prevent child sex abuse. Broomfield resident Ann Johnnides attended Berkower’s “Parenting Safe Children” workshop.

Johnnides said what she learned at the workshop came to mind when she was on the jury that recently convicted Travis Masse, a Broomfield High coach who was found guilty of having repeated sexual relations with an underage student in 2008 and 2009.

“I think I saw that there was a pattern and I followed along with the testimony of the victim and… I saw that pattern,” Johnnides said.

For more information on how social workers help children, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Web page by clicking here.

Betsy Clark

National Association of Social Workers Executive Director Betsy Clark talked about the valuable services social workers offer society during an interview on the Anita Estell Radio Show (To hear the full interview click here).

Social workers help people in all walks of society, including children, the elderly and veterans, Clark told Estell, who is an attorney, lobbyist, and columnist. They are especially needed in these troubled economic times and to serve soldiers returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Clark said.

Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH, also stressed the importance of Congress passing the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act. That bill among other things would create a commission to develop a long-term strategy to maximize services social workers provide clients.

Anita Estell

“I really believe social work is the profession of hope,” Clark said at the end of the interview. “And I think what social workers do is to help people reframe their hopes when they are facing broken hopes.”

To learn more about the Social Work Reinvestment Act, click here. And to find out more about the services social workers provide you can visit the Web site for NASW’s “Help Starts Here” consumer Web site by clicking here.