Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as social worker Clea Hopkins on "Touch" on Fox. Photo courtesy of TV Guide.

Social worker Clea Hopkins (actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw) will have an integral role on Fox’s new sci-fi series “Touch,” which will preview Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox, executive producer Carol Barbee said.

“Touch” stars Kiefer Sutherland as Martin Bohm, a widower who discovers his mute son Jake (actor David Mazouz), who is obsessed with numbers and cellphones, can predict the future. Martin realizes his connection with his son could help shape humanity’s destiny.

However, Clea Hopkins will keep the sci-fi series firmly rooted in reality, reminding Martin of his main mission, Barbee told SocialWorkersSpeak.org. She gets involved with the family because Jake has a habit of running away, ending up in odd places such as cellphone towers.

In fact, you could describe the relationship between between Martin, Jake and Clea as a triangle, Barbee said.

“Clea keeps bringing Martin back to, ‘You have a son, he has these issues, and the state has stepped in and no matter what happens out there we need to care of your son,’” she said.

Carol Barbee. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

“Touch” is the brainchild of television producer and screenwriter Tim Kring, creator of the “Heroes,” an NBC sci-fi series that ran from 2006-2010. Sutherland, who was taking a break after the conclusion of his wildly successful run on “24” on Fox, read the script for “Touch,” got excited about the series, and decided he wanted to return to network television to do the project, Barbee said.

Mbatha-Raw, the daughter of a South African doctor, was raised by her mother Anne Raw in Great Britain after her parents divorced.  She has played in the popular, long-running British sci-fi series “Dr. Who” and had a starring role as part of a husband-wife spy team in the cancelled NBC series “Undercovers.”

The pilot of “Touch” will air on Jan. 25 and the series will premiere on March 19. In early episodes Clea will spend a lot of time with Jake and by the second episode viewers will see more of her life outside of work and what motivates her, Barbee said.

The series is set in New York and Barbee said writers researched state child welfare laws and met with New York social workers to help shape the Clea Hopkins character. Barbee is also familiar with the social work profession because she was an executive producer, producer and writer on the CBS series “Judging Amy,” which ran on CBS from 1999-2005.

“Judging Amy” featured Tyne Daley as a child welfare social worker and mother of the main character Amy Gray (actress Amy Brenneman), a family court judge in Hartford, Conn.

Kiefer Sutherland (right) as Martin Bohm and David Mazouz as Jake in "Touch." Photo courtesy of MaxiSeries.com

“It’s serendipitous” that Kring made Clea Hopkins a social worker, Barbee said. “I have experience with the social work profession due to Tyne Daley’s character on ‘Judging Amy.’ I did a lot of research.”

However, Barbee said the staff of “Touch” is willing to consult with additional social workers as the series proceeds. She also hopes social workers take the time to watch the program.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am about the show,” Barbee said. “That’s exciting that we are able to reach (the social work) audience.”

Q: Social workers, please watch the show the preview and tell us what you think about “Touch.”

Social worker Amie Eipers (inset) counseled Justin Raxter on a recent episode of MTV's "True Life." Photos courtesy of MTV and therapist-psychologist.com.

National Association of Social Workers member Amie Eipers offers encouraging advice to a young man who has run afoul of the law on “I’m a Sex Offender,” a recent episode of MTV’s “True Life” documentary series.

“True Life” covers issues teenagers and young adults face, including drug addiction, eating disorders, and sexuality.

In the episode Eipers, MSW, LCSW, who works for Gina Spielman, LCSW and Associates in Naperville, Ill., counsels Justin Raxter.

Raxter was 18 and playing in a rock band when he dated a 15-year-old girl. He was charged with child pornography for having photographs and videos of the girl, although those charges were dropped.

 However, Raxter is required to file as a sex offender for 10 years, his reputation was ruined, and he had difficulty finding work.

Eipers listened to Raxter’s problems and gave him advice on how to overcome this situation. In an earlier SocialWorkersSpeak.org interview, Eipers said she believes laws that target adult sexual predators can be unfair to young people such as Raxter.

“This is something that happened to you, not who you are,” she told Raxter in the episode, which was filmed a year ago but began airing this week.

Amie Eipers meets with Justin Raxter. Screenshot courtesy of MTV.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org caught up with Raxter this afternoon. She was in her car in a snowstorm going to pick up her child.

“The response to the episode has been all good,” she said. “Everybody has been completely supportive.”

Eipers last saw Raxter just before the Christmas holidays. She said he is doing well and attending college. In fact, he is lobbying to change sexual predator laws in Illinois so they do not unfairly impact other young people.

To watch the episode on MTV’s Website click here. And to learn more about how social workers help young people overcome life’s hurdles visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Website by clicking here.

"Gen Silent" follow the problems faced by aging LGBT people as they seek care. Photo courtesy of official Website.

Lawrence Johnson cared for his ailing partner Alexandre Rheume for years but the burden became too much.

Still the decision to put Rheume in a nursing home after the interracial couple had lived together for 38 years was heartbreaking for Johnson, who worried his partner would get inferior care because he is gay.

In fact, the staff at some facilities had made Johnson feel uncomfortable when he held Rheume’s hand or fed him. 

“It’s bad enough that you have to put someone in a nursing home,” said Johnson, who in his early 60s is more than 20 years younger than Rheume. “Then to compound the fact there may be prejudices, and the person going into the nursing home might not be treated as well — not in overt ways, but all these subtle things that let you know you’re not wanted.”

Documentary producer and director Stu Maddox and his team looked at the plight of aging LGBT people in their film, “Gen Silent.” The film follows a year in the life of Johnson, Rheume and other aging LGBT people in the Boston area.

Some had been active in the gay community for years but decided to go back into the closet in old age to avoid discrimination or bullying from caregivers or other nursing home residents.

Stu Maddox

Maddox, whose work has appeared on Showtime, BBC and The Learning Channel, said social workers were some of the first to be aware of this dilemma. In fact, “Gen Silent” won the Audience Choice Award at the Council on Social Work Education Gero-Ed Film Festival in 2010 (to read more about that click here).

“We feel like social workers are not only catching up to this but can also make the change for the better, probably more than any other group,” Maddox said.

WATCH “GEN SILENT” THIS WEEKEND!

The makers of “Gen Silent” are offering a special promotion to allow social workers to watch the film for free online this weekend. To learn more click here. You can also learn more about the film and get information on arranging private viewings by visiting the official Website by clicking here.

Social workers are committed to equal treatment for all, including LGBT individuals. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Diversity & Equity Website by clicking here. And to find out more about how social workers help the elderly, visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Seniors and Aging Website by clicking here.

Although most work behind the scenes with little recognition, professional social workers are increasingly showcased in the media with the help of reporters, columnists, bloggers and television producers, film and documentary writers and directors.

This year NASW wants to recognize media professionals who help raise awareness about social work services in communities and critical social issues.

NASW invites you to nominate newspaper articles, newspaper columns, magazine stories, websites, blogs, radio segments, television news programs, network and cable TV shows, commercial films and documentaries that you think best portrayed the social work profession in 2011.

Nominations will be accepted online from January 1 – 31, 2012. NASW members will be asked to vote on the finalists during Social Work Month in March.

Submit as many separate entries as you wish. The winners of the 2012 NASW Media Awards will be announced in April.

If you have questions about nominations or voting please contact Greg Wright at gwright@naswdc.org.  Thanks for your support!

TO MAKE NOMINATIONS CLICK HERE!

Book Cover

Josi was born 16 weeks prematurely to immigrants from Mexico who did not know much English. The scrawny infant was blind and had to wear an apnea monitor the size of a small laptop to monitor her breathing.

To Sue Hall, a social worker who became a doctor to help address biological problems that caused later developmental problems in children, Josi could not be saved. So she recommended her parents pull Josi off baby life support.

But her parents, despite their lack of income and English skills, decided to continue care and slowly but surely the little girl began to thrive. Three years later she was attending a school for the blind, walking, and exuberantly singing “Old MacDonald had a Farm” in Hall’s office.

“It was then I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had been 100 percent wrong about Josi’s prognosis,” Hall said. “I could not have been happier.”

Hall writes about her experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit in “For the Love of Babies” ($8.95 at WorldMakerMedia). SocialWorkersSpeak.org talked to Hall about why she wrote the book, why social workers should read it, and the role of social workers in the healthcare profession:

Q: Why did you decide to write “For the Love of Babies”?

Hall: First, I wanted to honor the strength, courage, devotion, and resilience of the many parents I’ve had the chance to interact with.  I have learned so much about life from them.  Secondly, I wanted to focus on the emotional aspects of what has become a very technology-driven field.  At its core, medicine is about connecting with our patients and recognizing their humanity; sometimes we lose sight of this basic notion.  And finally, I wanted to draw attention to the social ills that contribute to our country’s disgraceful performance on measures such as our rates of prematurity and infant mortality, both of which are way too high.  I wanted to change the conversation from “Isn’t neonatal intensive care marvelous, the way we save all those babies?” to “What is it about our social systems that leads to our very high rates of prematurity and infant mortality, and how can we go about things differently to achieve better outcomes for all?”

 Q: Why do you think this is a good book for social workers to read?

 Hall: I think social workers can gain a broad perspective from reading my book:  They will be challenged to think about the social determinants of health including the factors creating a high risk pregnancy, the emotional trauma faced by parents whose babies are in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and some of the ethical issues that the medical team may need to discuss with parents.  I think social workers can do their best to support parents of hospitalized infants when they have  the big picture in mind, and they can also be quite helpful in interpreting parents’ behavior and responses to medical team members who don’t have the social work perspective.  The challenge for social workers is to help parents cope with the enormous stresses they encounter, using their understanding of each parent’s underlying psychological make-up as well as the realities of their social situations.  I tried to interweave all these threads into each of the stories. I also believe that social workers are integral and valued members of the hospital team, and I hope I was successful in portraying them in this light.

Q: You mentioned the role of social workers such as “Janice” several times in the book. Do you think the role social workers play in medicine has been largely overlooked, particularly in the entertainment industry that seems to focus more on doing dramas about doctors and nurses?

Hall: The role of social workers has been minimized by the entertainment industry, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that the entertainment industry doesn’t even have a good handle on how social workers function in a medical setting.  The public needs to see social workers as being right there in the middle of things, taking the time to develop relationships with patients and families and to support them through both short-term crises and long-term, complicated hospital stays.  Doctors and nurses may breeze in and out of the picture, but it’s the social workers who are often left helping parents make sense of it all once the doctors and nurses have left the room.

Q:  What are the biggest challenges you see in the healthcare profession in years ahead? Can social workers help address any of these issues?

Hall: There are several big challenges in healthcare in the coming years.  One is that healthcare is hopefully moving more towards preventive care, with interventions to be increasingly focused on the social determinants of health.  Social workers need to be active voices in their communities, helping to identify how improving access to jobs, finding safer housing, offering better nutritional choices, and increasing access to care can be accomplished on behalf of their patients and clients.  I would also like to see social workers advocate for ensuring that healthcare is delivered in a culturally sensitive manner to all their clients.  And, as the push continues to make healthcare delivery increasingly efficient, social workers can perhaps spend time that physicians don’t have, to support patients and families and encourage their follow-through with care plans that doctors prescribe.  Social workers can bring attention to the issues of the “whole patient,” broadening the focus from simply the medical aspects of a person’s illness.

Q: Do you plan to write more books?

Hall: I hope to break into fiction with my next book, which is a novel exploring several emotional themes in the context of a medical drama, naturally centered on the topic of babies!  In this story, a delivery room disaster rips a family apart, as a woman serving as a surrogate mother to her sister’s baby gives birth.  Those left grieving struggle to come to terms with what happened, to resolve their guilt, and to heal their wounded spirits.  “Such a Special Gift” is a story of love, of loss, and of gratitude for the gifts we’ve been given.

Dr. Sue Hall

Dr. Hall earned a bachelors degree in psychology from Stanford University, a masters degree in social work from Boston University, and an M.D. degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She was a practicing social worker before beginning a 25-year career as a neonatologist. She was formerly associate clinical professor of pediatrics at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and is now in private practice in neonatology in the Midwest.

To learn more about how social workers help clients lead healthier lives visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Health and Wellness Website by clicking here.

Graham Danzer

There are many stereotypes about girls who grow up in the inner city.

However social worker Graham Danzer broke through these misconceptions when he began working with young women from the inner city. He found the girls had feelings and experiences that could give valuable lessons to other social workers, policymakers and the general public.

So Danzer decided to write “My Girls: A Story of Survival and Togetherness in the Inner City,” which is available on NASW Press (click here to learn more).

SocialWorkersSpeak.org talked to Danzer about the book:

Q: Why did you decide to become a social worker and where did you study?

Danzer: I became a social worker because I wanted to influence social policy. I received my masters degree in social work San Francisco State University, completed a three-year doctoral level certificate program in clinical social work at The Sanville Institute, and am currently pursuing a PsyD through California School for Professional Psychology – Alliant University.

Q: How did you come to work with inner city youth, particularly the group of young women in “My Girls”?

Danzer: I came to work with inner city youth through my experience of being one. When I was the same age as the girls who are the subject of my book, I got into some trouble and was involuntarily referred to a couple of different community-based programs not far from where the girls grew up. One program I was in was a non-public school in which there was strict discipline and coordination with juvenile justice providers. I resented the stricter boundaries and direction, though I graduated from that school, transferred back into a public school, received B’s, got into sports, and dated a cheerleader at a private school. In short, that program threw me a life raft, and that life raft showed me that change is possible. After being accepted to social work school some years later, I interviewed for an internship that was not far from where I grew up and I was thrilled to have the chance to give back to a community so close to home and close to the heart. I remember there being a lot of young women, like the girls in the story, who were loud, energetic, defensive, and sometimes chaotic, though only to mask and externalize dying on the inside; which I got to know in my own adolescence by talking to girls who were going through it. I particularly felt this intuition about the young African-American women I knew when I was a teenager. I guess you could say this lead to the development of a soft spot for them. 

Q: What prompted you to write the book?

Danzer: What inspired me to write this book was my experience of bearing witness to what the girls in the story were up against. I found the totality of their suffering to be overwhelming and their stories to be moving. In the end, I just needed to tell someone.

Q: What is it that you came to admire most about the young women in the book? Do you think some of them have good futures despite the hardships they face?

Danzer: What I admired the most about the girls was that they each had their own individual way of keeping their heads up through dark times. They had every excuse to complain and play the victim and yet didn’t. In a way, they could be role models for us all.

Book Cover

Q: What do you hope this book will teach other social workers and policymakers?

 Danzer: The main thing I hope to inform social workers and policymakers about is that, in my experience, these girls suffer immensely and are at-risk for having major problems down the road, including substance abuse, school failure, and criminal justice involvement. These are problems that will affect at-risk teenagers as individuals and are also problems that the larger society will have to deal with, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. My hope was that the girls’ stories would raise awareness of what is really happening in their lives and what little we can do to help that may go a long way. In essence, many hardened teenagers survive by depending on themselves and each other and it will take a lot of persistence and reassurance for them to trust us enough to let us in. My experience was that this happened to a degree with me and the girls, though I had to be very persistent, visible, and involved in the surrounding community. Ultimately, we in the helping professions will need to find the resolve to go get them, particularly the girls that are the hardest to reach. 

Q: Is this a book the general public would enjoy reading and learn from?

Danzer: The public would appreciate the straightforward, raw emotion and action of this story. There is no rhetoric, no happy ending, no censorship – just the truth. My hope is that my readers will feel this inside when they read and get a little sense of what these girls are up against and maybe even consider responding a little more gently and sensitively to young and suffering African American women in the future. In particular, I have attempted to show that their acting out behavior may suggest that we find a way to take care of them as if they are physically sick rather than scolding them as if they are choosing to behave badly. As demonstrated in the text, this did not lead to a happy ending as is typical in big screen movies. However, competent adult responses to children’s behavior may leave at-risk girls with a positive experience of mental health professionals, which may help them be open to intervention in the future when they might be in need of more help. Furthermore, this positive experience is likely to be shared with their peers and others in the community, as will help social policy and reconstruction efforts operate within the community rather than as outsiders.

NASW Press offers a variety of publications of interest to social workers, including books, journals, brochures and NASW News. To learn more click here. And to find out more about how social workers such as Danzer help young people overcome life’s hurdles visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Website by clicking here.

Call Richmond and sister Rebecca Schaper. Photo courtesy of "A Sister's Call" Website.

Call Richmond disappeared in 1977 and his sister Rebecca Schaper did not hear from him for 20 years. Then Call suddenly reappeared, homeless and suffering from severe paranoid schizophrenia.

Schaper’s husband Jim and two daughters were at first hesitant to let this gray bearded, scruffy, bear of a man even visit their Atlanta home, afraid his mental illness could drive him to violence.

But Schaper decided to do everything she could to get Call on the path to recovery. Their journey is recorded in her soon-to-be-released documentary “A Sister’s Call.”

Schaper, 57, a photographer, learned to use a digital camcorder so she could record her interactions with Call, 60, who lived a few hours away in Greenville, S.C.

The film is brutally honest, never sugarcoating the sexual abuse, suicide and mental illness that plagued the seemingly idyllic middle class Greenville home where Call and Rebecca grew up in the 1960s and 70s.

The film is a rollercoaster ride. Up until the last minute viewers are left wondering whether Call will find balance in his life or sink deeper into mental illness.

“I can’t explain it,” Schaper said. “I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to do a documentary. It was a leap of faith. And Call feels like this film is his purpose, too.”

The film shows the travails people who have mental illness and their caregivers experience. Call had problems finding the right mix of medications as well as housing. At one point in the film Schaper’s daughters questioned why she was giving so much attention to her brother and not immediate family.

“I was really hurt,”Schaper said. “But how can you turn away from a brother or sister who needs help? How can you turn your back?”

The film also demonstrates the help social workers provide. At one point a frustrated and almost burned out Schaper turns to a social worker named Cathy to help her and Call navigate the social service system so he could get the help he needed.

In "A Sister's Call" Call Richmond had trouble finding the right mix of medication to control his mental illness. Photo courtesy of "A Sister's Call" Website.

Other social workers and caseworkers who were not filmed were also helpful, Schaper said. In fact, Schaper said social workers are able to arrange the best care possible when they work as a team with people with mental illnesses, their family or caregivers.

“There were a couple of them — they were great,” Schaper said. “I’m telling you they were a godsend.”

Schaper and her production team plan to finalize “A Sisters Call” before Christmas. They have submitted the film to more than 60 film festivals around the country and also are trying to get as many community screenings as possible.

Schaper hopes the film will prompt the public to become more open about mental illness.

“People who have issues in their family and are open and want to learn more will gravitate to this film,” she said. “I wanted to help stop the stigma. Fear is the lack of knowledge.”

To learn more about Schaper’s film visit the official Website of “A Sister’s Call” by clicking here. And to learn how social workers help people struggling with mental illness visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts here” Mind and Spirit Website by clicking here.

Emily Watson in "Appropriate Adult." Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times.

British actress Emily Watson will again play a social worker in “Approprite Adult,” a British made-for-television that will premiere in the United States on the Sundance Channel on December 10.

The film is based on true events.

Watson portrays real-life Janet Leach, a social worker in training who becomes an “appropriate adult” for serial killer Fred West. In Great Britain, an appropriate adult is a social worker, parent or guardian who accompanies a minor or vulnerable adult to police interviews.

West told Leach  gruesome details of some of the murders he and his wife committed that she could not share with authorities due to privacy rules.

But the charming West also developed an intense relationship with Leach. In Leach maintained this friendship after the police interviews ended and even visited West in prison and did his laundry.

West committed suicide while in custody in 1995. He was charged with 12 murders as well as rape, abduction and child cruelty.

“It’s so bizarre,” Watson said about Leach’s relationship with West in this Los Angeles Times Interview. “I can’t understand it.”

Watson also starred as social work heroine Margaret Humphreys in the film “Oranges and Sunshine,” which was released in the United States this fall. SocialWorkersSpeak.org met Humphreys at the October New York City premiere of that film. To read about that click here.

Roberts ended up interviewing Matz for additional scenes in the film, which premieres in Chicago tonight. To read more about their meeting in a Medill Reports article click here.

Judith Matz

Matz, MSW,  is an ideal choice to be included in Roberts’ film because she is a leading expert on eating disorders. Matz is director of the Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating, Inc. and co-author of “The Diet Survivor’s Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance and Self-Care” ($12.95, Sourcebooks Inc.) and “Beyond a Shadow of a Diet: The Therapist’s Guide to Treating Compulsive Eating” ($37.50, Routledge).

“In the film, I talk about why people should stop blaming themselves when they gain the weight back from dieting, and how anyone who can break the yo-yo diet cycle is a diet survivor,” Matz said in the Medill Reports interview.

Matz and other social workers in 2010 commented on the recent rash of weight loss TV shows and  whether such programs are beneficial or exploitation. To read that discussion click here. And to learn more about how social workers help clients live healthier lifestyles visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Health & Wellness Website by clicking here.

Holly Resnik and Don Forston in "Another Night Before Christmas" at the Theatre at the Center in Muncie, Ind. Photo courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Divorced social worker Karol Elliot is burned-out and has closed herself off to love, family and the Christmas spirit.

However, on Christmas Eve she feeds an old man who turns up at her door dressed as Santa Claus. Is he the real thing or just delusional?

That is the premise of “Another Night Before Christmas,” a two-actor play from playwright and actor Sean Grennan that has been playing in theaters across the country since 2007.

 The play is running at the Theater at the Center in Muncie, Ind. until Dec. 18. This Chicago Sun-Times review praises “Another Night Before Christmas,” saying it follows the footsteps of that perennial holiday favorite “Miracle on 34th Street.”

 However, Grennan’s play is sharper, hipper, and funny and sends a more adult message about redemption and the true meaning of Christmas, Chicago Sun-Times reviewer Betty Mohr wrote.

Why did Grennan make a social worker one of the main characters?

Grennan told SocialWorkersSpeak.org that he has friends from college who are social workers. He decided an ideal character to convey the message of restored hope in his play would work in that profession.

“It’s a very necessary job that is underpaid and overworked,” Grennan said. “Karol Elliott is a wonderful person with a good heart who keeps trying.”

Sean Grennan. Photo courtesy of Playbill.com.

“Another Night Before Christmas,” is a holiday offering that has played in Minneapolis, Dallas, San Jose and other cities with different pairs of actors, Grennan said. In the Muncie, Ind. version, veteran actress Hollis Resnik plays Karol Ellis and Don Forston portrays the old man who could be Saint Nick.

Forston also played this role when “Another Night Before Christmas” premiered in Kansas City four years ago, Grennan said.

Grennan, who has appeared in the film ”The Untouchables” and TV series ”Law & Order: Criminal Intent,”  hopes social workers will catch the play when it comes to their city.

“It’s not a real reach to write a positive portrayal of social workers,” he said.

To learn more about “Another Night Before Christmas” visit its official Website by clicking here.

Carl Jung (actor Michael Fassbender) has an affair with patient Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley) in the film "A Dangerous Method." Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

The newly released film “A Dangerous Method” from acclaimed director David Cronenberg looks at the relationship between Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, founders of the early psychology movement.

The pair parted ways partly because the married Jung had sex with one of his patients Sabine Spielrein, who is portrayed in the film by Keira Knightley.

Social worker Stanley Siegel, LCSW, wrote his thoughts about the film in this column in Psychology Today. Siegel said social workers and other mental health professionals should never have sex with clients.

In fact, a strict code of ethics has emerged in the hundred years since the film took place to ensure there are boundaries between mental health providers and clients.

However, Siegel said encouraging clients to act out deep sexual desires in a safe, consensual manner can be therapeutic.

He wrote about one of his clients, “Jason,” who dated women who were like his wealthy, cold, and critical parents. In therapy Jason admitted he wanted a more caring, tender and loving partner. With the help of Siegel he was able to connect with a woman who sought the same thing in a mate.

To learn more about how social workers help clients improve their mental well-being visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Mind and Spirit Website by clicking here.

Beth Davalos on "60 Minutes."

Florida social worker Beth Davalos hopes her two appearances on CBS’s long-running television news magazine “60 Minutes” will continue to help galvanize the public to address the growing number of homeless children and families in central Florida and around the nation.

“It’s really hard for people to get engaged,” Davalos, MSW, LCSW, told SocialWorkersSpeak.org. “That is what ’60 Minutes’ has done — they have really brought it to light and they did a respectful job.”

Most people think of the homeless as people grappling with alcoholism, drug addiction or mental illness, Davalos said. However, in these tough economic times children and families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.

Davalos is coordinator for the Seminole County Public Schools’ Families in Transition Program, which helps homeless families. She and 16 other Seminole County school social workers have their work cut out for them.

The housing market collapse and high unemployment have hit central Florida particularly hard. As a result there are 1,500 homeless children in the county, up 30 percent from last year, Davalos said. That number could rise to 2,000 by the end of the year, she said.

However, the central Florida number is dwarfed by the 1.5 million children that are homeless across the nation, Davalos said.

“60 Minutes” reporter Scott Pelley first reported on homelessness in the Seminole County in March and again on Nov. 27. He followed families such as unemployed carpenter Tom Metzger and his two children Arielle, 15, and Austin, 13.

"60 Minutes" reporter Scott Pelley talks to homeless children in Seminole County. Screenshot courtesy of CBS.

The children’s mother died when they were young and Metzger cannot find his usual work in the home building trade. When he was down to his last $1,000 he bought a panel truck on Craig’s List. That truck is now their home and Tom shuttles the children to gas service stations to wash up before school.

 Tom Metzger bravely tries to live as normally as possible. He parks the truck in front of a library so his children can get books and use computers and enrolled Arielle and Austin in a community theater group.

“Yeah, it’s not really that much an embarrassment,” Arielle said. “I mean, it’s only life. You do what you need to do, right?”

The “60 Minutes” reports have prompted a flood of support for homeless families in central Florida, Davalos said. For instance, members of the First Baptist Church of Orlando pledged $45 million for homelessness and there are now 45 food pantries in schools, she said.

Davalos said the key to fighting homelessness is collaboration. Private companies, faith-based organizations, schools, government and individuals must work together to address the problem. What the “60 Minutes” segments did was put attention on the problem and forced people to recognize it, she said.

 The media attention must continue to put out information on the homelessness epidemic, Davalos said. In fact, Pelley promised to return in about six months and follow the progress of the children.

“I think people get so sad when they see it on television they turn the channel,”Davalos said. “Now people are saying, ‘What can be done?’, ‘How can we get involved.’”

A homeless family finds emergency shelter in a hotel. Screenshot courtesy of CBS.

Seminole County and school social workers have been working for years to address homelessness. There are now 18 agencies working together in the county to ensure homeless families and children get services, Davalos said.

 School social workers are the “hidden heroes” behind helping these families, Davalos said. They work on the front lines to ensure families get emergency housing and other services so children can live as normally as possible and focus on just being kids and doing well in school.

“The success of these children is because of the social workers getting their basic needs met,” she said.

To watch the Nov. 27 “60 Minutes” segment on homelessness that features Davalos, click here. To find out more information on Davalos’ Families in Transition program and to help homeless families in Central Florida click here. And to learn how social workers help families overcome challenges visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Families Website by clicking here.

Case worker Mr. Adams on South Park. Screen capture courtesy of South Park Studios.

The latest episode of the irreverent adult cartoon “South Park” has raised concerns about the use of the social work title.

In the Nov. 17 episode that aired on Comedy Central, authorities take Kenny and his siblings away from his dysfunctional parents and put them in foster care.

The children are interviewed by Mr. Adams, a case worker who wants to be a comedian and uses the session to practice his routine and poke fun at the Penn State sex abuse scandal.

“Now I have been looking over your file and I see you kids have been horribly, physically and emotionally abused,” Adams said.  ”Oh, whoops. That isn’t your case file. It’s the Penn State University Gazette! Hah hah! I’m joking. That’s just a joke. We like to have fun here. It is your case file!”

Adams never refers to himself as a social worker.

Still, news organizations that follow the entertainment industry such as Entertainment Weekly, AOL TV and The Inquisitr  released stories  that said “South Park” used a social worker character to joke about Penn State.

Casework is a job that may not require a degree in social work. Social work is a profession that requires years of specialized education and training. Although some social workers practice casework the two should not be confused.

Balancing Act co-host Chris Steele and Kathy Gurland. Image courtesy of Lifetime.

National Association of Social Workers member Kathy Gurland is scheduled to appear on Lifetime TV’s “The Balancing Act” Nov. 7 at 7 a.m. Eastern (Check local listings for the channel) to offer viewers advice on how to get the best cancer care.

Gurland, MSW, LCSW, founded the Peg’s Group cancer navigation service in New York City after losing two sisters to the disease. She is also a regular contributor to Women’s Magazine and has appeared on NASW’s behalf to advise Hollywood writers and directors on how to include social workers in television shows and movies.

“The Balancing Act” is a morning news show for women and about women, offering educational segments as well as entertainment. To watch Gurland’s appearance click here. 

To learn more about how social workers help clients address cancer visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Understanding Cancer Website by clicking here.

Debbie Peagler (center) and defense team lawyer Joshua Saffran and lawyer and social worker Nadia Costa. Photo courtesy of Life Sentence Films LLC.

Debbie Peagler thought Oliver Wilson was the Prince Charming of Compton, Calif.

But Wilson soon turned abusive, isolating Peagler from family and friends, viciously beating her, and pushing the young mother into a life of prostitution.

Peagler repeatedly called police but got no help. So her family turned to neighborhood gang members to scare Wilson way but these men ended up murdering Wilson. And Peagler’s nightmare worsened when she was sentenced to 25 years to life for being complicit in the crime.

The documentary “Crime After Crime,” which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. Eastern, follows the efforts of lawyer Joshua Safran  and lawyer and social worker Nadia Costa to free Peagler using new evidence and a recently passed California law that allows the effects of domestic violence to be factored into criminal proceedings.

Oliver Wilson. Photo courtesy of Life Sentence Films LLC.

Social workers often help victims of domestic violence. So OWN asked a group of social workers to review “Crime After Crime.”

Our review panelists are: Michelle Blank, a licensed clinical social worker for the Oklahoma Muscogee (Creek) Nation Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services; Hiedi Konsol, MSW, LISW-S, a healthcare and mental health social worker in Niles, Ohio; Tanya DePeiza, MSW, LSW, a Chicago social worker who works with senior citizens and formerly incarcerated women through her non-profit Women In Progress Inc.; Richard Lange, LMSW, of Wichita, Kansas, a social service coordinator in the Federal Residential Re-Entry Center for Mirror Inc.; and Jeanine Jones, MSW, assistant professor of social work at Western New Mexico University in Silver City.

Here is their conversation:

Q: On a scale of one to five stars what would you give “Crime After Crime” and why?

Lange: I give it five stars.

Konsol: My movie rating is four out of five stars. I found the movie to be an interesting and honest portrayal of the life and experiences of Debbie Peagler.  It allowed the viewer the opportunity to see Debbie in a variety of roles as a teenager, a young woman, a woman victimized by domestic violence, and a woman surviving through the consequences of her life decisions.

DePeiza: I would rate the movie a five because of the grave issues that were faced by Ms. Peagler and the larger issues that were brought to attention of the public regarding the criminal justice system, the penal system, and the challenges that many domestic abuse victims face in both of these systems.

Jones: I would also give it five stars.   It dealt with a common social problem and illustrated that without advocacy victims remain in the victim status.  Following the case of one woman made the documentary engaging, as well as, educational. 

Blank: With five stars being the best, I give “Crime After Crime” five stars. I was on an emotional roller coaster watching this movie – from sadness to anger to disbelief to joy to shock. It was difficult to watch all of the legal injustices Debbie Peagler had to tolerate and the time it took to finally get her out of prison is a travesty. While Debbie Peagler admits to her wrongdoing, the cover-up by the district attorney’s office, the blind eye of the courts, and the time she actually spent in prison, far exceeded the “letter of the law.” I don’t take any of this lightly – my mother was murdered in 1974 when I was 16 years old. I have almost 40 college credits towards a criminal justice degree and I completed a police academy. Since law enforcement in my mom’s case seemed to be involved in a cover-up and no one was really trying to solve her case, I decided to get the training myself with hopes of bringing her killers to justice. I had to come to a very sad realization that there seemed to be no justice in our criminal justice system. I left the criminal justice field and became a social worker more than 25 years ago. Although my mother’s murder remains unsolved 37 years later, I do know I make a positive difference in some people’s lives as a social worker. Victims of domestic violence are already in a prison. Sometimes they get to a breaking point and get out of one prison only to go into a different one. This movie depicts the hell a victim of domestic violence lives in, whether that be the individual’s own home or one operated by the state.

Debbie Peagler leads the prison gospel choir at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. Photo courtesy of Life Sentence Films LLC.

Q: I am assuming you all would agree Debbie Peagler’s behavior was typical of a domestic abuse victim. Am I correct?

Blank: Yes it was typical.

Lange: Yes I agree it was typical. Having worked with victims of domestic violence her behavior was very characteristic of a victim. One of the profound comments Debbie made was, she just wanted the abuse to stop.

DePeiza: I have to agree with Michelle and Richard. I believe that her behavior was typical of an abuse victim. At the time of her abuse (the late 1970s) there were little to no resources to assist her and her family with safety that were effective.  Domestic violence laws were not strongly in place to offer assistance.  Coming from a family where several members had been abused for several years seemed to also affect both her choices and her response to abuse.

Jones: Her early adult behavior was most characteristic of a domestic violence victim.  She feared for her life, did not know how to leave and was under the perpetrator’s control emotionally, psychologically and physically. The inner strength she gained while in prison speaks well of her character and the hope that she gained from her attorneys.

Konsol: I think that Debbie’s behavior is not a typical response to the victimization caused by domestic violence, but it was real for her and the only solution that she could envision to survive. I think that it was a drastic response to her situation, but when placed in desperate circumstances it does reflect the basic human drive that we all have to survive.

 Q: Do you think this film will further educate the public and criminal justice officials about the plight of domestic abuse victims? Or is there no need for additional changes in laws and regulations regarding domestic abuse victims because there has been more awareness about this issue in the years since Peagler was incarcerated?

 Jones: Yes, if they are only willing to listen it could set aside some stereotypes.  I was not aware of the California domestic violence law and was pleased to learn of it.  One would hope that other states would follow the lead.  Too often victims become punished as perpetrators when they attempt to protect themselves.  Public awareness is a positive movement but without legal and policy changes the negative behaviors will continue to repeat themselves.

DePeiza: I strongly believe that this film can further educate the public and criminal justice officials.  As the rate of women’s incarceration continues to rise, one can conclude that although awareness has increased there are still laws that need to be put in place to help provide protection for women who are domestically abused.  Additionally, the issues that surround incarcerated women and their families, along with the impact placed on communities when they do return home, need to continue to be addressed.  The issue of domestic abuse and the effects on the family can never have too much exposure.

Lange: The film did an excellent job at showing the need to educate the public along with the criminal justice officials about domestic violence and the victims. There is need for further regulations regarding domestic violence issues. Granted there has been a lot of awareness of domestic violence abuse over the last 20 years but I believe we have only scratched the tip of the iceberg.

Crime After Crime Director Yoav Potash. Photo courtesy of Life Sentence Films LLC.

Blank: This film will further educate some of the public and criminal justice officials while others will turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the staggering number of domestic abuse victims. Some won’t notice that the “victims” include not only the individuals being abused but also children in the home, coworkers, employers, neighbors, doctors, nurses, therapists, the court system, communities, and states. In my opinion, most governments still live in the Dark Ages when it pertains to laws and regulations regarding domestic abuse victims.

Konsol: I think “Crime After Crime”  will help to continue to educate about the challenges faced by victims of domestic violence. However there is still much to be done to change the systems that have been created to help victims. There has been increased awareness in the overall need to address domestic violence issues over the past several years, but despite awareness, domestic violence continues to plague our society. Awareness and education have made the issue one that is more widely recognized as a problem in society, but there still remains a stigma and an attitude of apathy when an individual is personally affected by the problem. Lack of responsiveness by law enforcement and social service agencies, legal proceedings that re-victimize the victim and an overarching attitude that the victim is responsible for her circumstances still permeate the culture today.

Q: Have you noticed that more law enforcement agencies, prisons and jails are using social workers to help domestic abuse victims? Or does more work need to be done in this area?

Jones: I see little use of social workers by law enforcement with the occasional presentation to law enforcement officers of the dynamics of the problem or volunteer advocates.  Social work intervention could help lessen the number of repeat victims of domestic violence if social workers were an integral part of the law enforcement system.

Debbie Peagler's family rallies for her release from prison. Scene from "Crime After Crime."

DePeiza: I believe that social workers help to bring more awareness to the agencies mentioned in this question. However, with budget cuts and constraints along with massive case loads, effective change and advocacy are not always implemented.  Law enforcement agencies, prisons, jails, and lawmakers should have continued partnerships with social workers so that advocacy and empowerment can be provided for victims, their families, and when possible, the abusers.  Though crimes warrant the appropriate punishment, this society is too “penal” focused and often fails to see other factors that contribute to what lands them in prison.  With a definitive yes, more work needs to be done in this area.

Lange: My practice is in the criminal justice system arena. Working in the criminal justice area overall there is an absence of social workers across the board. Social workers can have a greater impact within the criminal justice area due to our understanding of social justice, dignity and worth of the person, and importance of human relationships. When a person is sent to prison these core values are taken away from the individual.  

Konsol: Social workers recently have become more involved in the judicial system and with services that advocate for the victim and treat the perpetrator. However, there is still much work to be done in this area. From a professional perspective, I have experienced there are very few social workers that have been afforded the opportunity to work in the area of domestic violence due to the lack of training, personnel, financial resources and overall supports for these types of services. There are more animal shelters than domestic violence shelters in most states. Those states that do have shelter services for victims of domestic violence often have very little resources to address the non-traditional victim, offering little to nothing to victims of domestic violence who are in same sex relationships and even more specifically men who are affected by the issue of domestic violence. For change to occur, changing society’s view domestic violence must occur. Domestic violence should be viewed for what it is, a crime of violence and not a crime of gender.

Blank: In some geographic areas, one can see that law enforcement agencies, prisons, and jails are using social workers to help domestic abuse victims. However, in rural areas like where I live and work the number of trained and qualified social workers is minimal, caseloads are high, resources are stretched or non-existent, and sadly states are starting to do away with programs and laws that help domestic abuse victims due to budget constraints. Once again, our society seems to be leaning more towards seeing people only as numbers and/or dollar signs. Work will always be needed in this area. Times are hard and people are getting more stressed, overwhelmed, irritable and desperate. Unfortunately, when this happens, abusers tend to see those around them as convenient punching bags. We MUST continue making people aware of the plight of domestic abuse victims. Otherwise, many victims will remain victims, some will resort to using and abusing drugs and alcohol while others will abuse their children, join gangs, resort to crime or like Debbie Peagler in “Crime After Crime” end up behind bars in a prison because they finally had enough and fought back only to be victimized again.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org interviewed “Crime After Crime” director Yoav Potash about the film and role lawyer and social worker Nadia Costa played in the film. To read article click here. And to learn more about how social workers help domestic violence victims visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Domestic Violence Webpage by clicking here.

Debbie Peagler on "Crime After Crime" movie poster.

The award-winning documentary “Crime After Crime” charts the heroic campaign to free Debbie Peagler, a domestic violence victim who was sentenced to 25 years to life in a California prison for being complicit in the murder of her abuser.

But social workers may also be proud to learn social worker and lawyer Nadia Costa, MSW, plays a pivotal role in the film, which airs Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. Eastern on the Oprah Winfrey Network. Costa was part of Peagler’s defense team and was also an abuse victim, film director Yoav Potash said.

In the film Costa made a point of making it clear not all domestic abuse victims are poor, minorities, or come from the inner city. Costa grew up in an upper middle class California suburb.

“It took a lot of patience and back-and-forth for (Nadia) to even say what she did in the film,” Potash said. “I was able to convince her that it was important that people understand her story.”

Debbie Peagler met Oliver Wilson in the late 1970s when she was just 15 years old. At first he seemed charming but Wilson soon lured Peagler into prostitution. He also repeatedly and brutally abused her. Although Peagler went to the police for help authorities did not intervene.

Finally, Peagler’s mother enlisted two neighborhood gang members to scare Wilson away. However, they ended up murdering him and police charged Peagler with being partly responsible for the crime.

“Crime After Crime” follows the legal and emotional rollercoaster ride lawyers Joshua Safran and Costa and Peagler and her family endured to try to free Peagler after a new California law allowed domestic violence evidence in criminal proceedings.

The hearts of viewers will go out to Peagler. While in prison the mother of two daughters became a model inmate earning a college degree, leading the Gospel choir, tutoring illiterate inmates, and working for a prison industry electronics maker.

Lawyer and social worker Nadia Costa (right) comforts Debbie Peagler's daughter Natasha. Scene from "Crime After Crime."

Potash filmed the Peagler legal battle for five years. He said Costa’s social work skills were invaluable. In fact, it was Costa who reached out to Oliver Wilson’s family to gain evidence that might help Peagler.

“When they wanted to interview Oliver’s family it was a very delicate situation so it fell to Nadia to go and have those conversations in a sensitive way,” Potash said. “And she was successful.”

“Crime After Crime” has already garnered attention at the Sundance Film Festival and 14 awards, including top prizes at the Heartland Film Festival and San Francisco Film Festival, said Potash, 38, who grew up in San Diego and now lives in Oakland, Calif.

He is hoping the film will help other states pass laws to include domestic abuse evidence in courts. The day before “Crime After Crime” premieres on OWN Potash will be doing a free screening at New York University. The screening will support passage of New York’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act.

Yoav Potash. Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

At least four other states are considering similar legislation, although New York is farther along, he said.

“I want to wake people and shake people up around the issue of incarcerated survivors of domestic violence,” Potash said. “I feel a responsibility to do the most that we can with this film. Move audiences beyond what is being seen on screen.”

Social workers often help clients who are victims of domestic abuse. A team of social workers reviewed an advanced copy of “Crime After Crime.” To read their conversation click here.

Image from Crisis Call 211.

The Gantz brothers have a passion for bringing gritty, moving and often provocative documentaries to the small screen.

Joe and Harry Gantz produced HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series “Taxicab Confessions” and Showtime’s “Sexual Healing,” a sex therapy show featuring National Association of Social Workers member Laura Berman, DSW.

Now the Cincinnati natives are raising funds for their next project, “Crisis Call 211.” The documentary, which they hope to release before the 2012 elections, will turn the camera on Portland, Ore. residents who call the 211 line to get a variety of social services, including emergency shelter, groceries from food banks, help paying utilities, or medical or mental healthcare.

Officials at the Portland 211 line said some social workers with bachelors degrees answer calls while they have hired social workers with masters degrees to supervise the call lines.

With the United States still in the grip of the Great Recession demand for these services is growing although states and the federal government are cutting the budget for such programs. The Gantz brothers hope their film will put a spotlight this dilemma.

“There hasn’t been that much that shows the plight of the poor and the formerly middle class that are struggling so much these days to survive,” said Joe, 56. “That is what we are trying to do.”

Harry (left) and Joe Gantz. Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com.

Social workers “are already on the front lines trying to do more with less,” Harry, 53, said. “Part of it will be highlighting their frustrations with having to serve millions more people but with billions of dollars less.”

The United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta originally launched 211 service in 1997. About 260 million Americans, or 86 percent of the U.S. population, had access to 211 calling centers as of October 2011, according to United Way and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems. United Way continues to run many local 211 services, which can also get support through state or federal funding or other nonprofit organizations.

The Gantz brothers want social workers to help raise funding for their film and also do local screenings once the documentary is complete. To learn more and to watch a trailer of the film click here. You can also follow them on Facebook by clicking here.

Margaret Humphreys. Photo courtesy of the Guardian.

Acclaimed British social worker Margaret Humphreys and movie director Jim Loach are confident his film “Oranges and Sunshine” will educate the public about the invaluable services social workers provide, elevate the stature of the sometimes maligned profession, and motivate more social workers to become politically active.

“I hope so,” Humphreys told SocialWorkersSpeak.org after a special Oct. 17 showing of the movie at the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International that was sponsored by Cohen Media Group. “Of course the message is that social workers should be part of the political process and bring about change. I hope this film inspires that.”

“We thought social workers are always getting it in the neck,” Loach said. “We need to see social workers from their perspective.”

Margaret Humphreys and Jim Loach at the Oct. 17 special screening in New York city.

Actress Emily Watson portrays Humphreys in the film, which  played in Great Britain earlier this year and premieres in theaters across the United States beginning Oct. 21.

Humphreys in 1986 discovered Great Britain sent about 130,000 foster children to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the former Rhodesia in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. These children were sent without their parent’s permission and authorities sometimes lied to them, saying their parents did not want them or had died.

Loach, who used Humphreys’ book “Empty Cradles,” her case files and interviews to make the film, said there were various reasons the children were deported. Some are rooted in the cultural, racial and political climate of mid 20^th century Great Britain, he said.

Authorities at the time believed the children would have a better life abroad because they came from poor, broken homes or had unwed mothers, he said. Australia also wanted to increase its “white stock,” and welcomed the British children, he said.

Another reason was cost, Loach said. A boat ticket to Australia was far cheaper than keeping the children in foster care in Great Britain.

The title of the movie was inspired by the lie the children would get plenty of sunshine and oranges for breakfast everyday if they went to the former British colonies. However, the reality was very grim.

Movie Poster.

Most ended up toiling as free laborers for the organizations and religious institutions that took them in. They could not be adopted because their parents still legally had custody. Some were physically and sexually abused. And all suffer trauma from losing their identity and being separated from their birth mothers and families.

The film chronicles Humphreys’ efforts to reconnect these now grown children with their families in Great Britain. The reunion scenes in the film are poignant — one mother gave her now-grown daughter a worn doll and she had kept for her for 40 years.

Humphreys also sacrificed much. Her frequent trips to Australia separated her from her husband and children for long periods, she was stalked and threatened for publicizing abuse and harming the reputations of charitable and religious organizations that housed the children, and it took her years to get the governments of Great Britain and Australia to apologize.

 And Humphreys showed signs of post traumatic stress disorder from listening to the sometimes disturbing accounts from hundreds of former child deportees.”I can’t stop,” actress Emily Watson said at one point in the film. “There is no one else.”

Despite formal government apologies to the children and two investigations in Parliament no one has been prosecuted for sending the children abroad.

Humphreys is continuing to reunite deported children with their families. Just two weeks ago she helped a man from Perth, Australia come to New York to meet his 88-year-old mother.

“I still do the day job — nothing has changed,” she said as a bittersweet smile crossed her face. “And we reunite families all the time.”

Cohen Media Group, the U.S. distributor of “Oranges and Sunshine” is offering social workers special group rates to see the film in selected cities. To learn more click here. And to learn more about how social workers are involved in international affairs and social justice issues visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Human Rights and International Affairs division by clicking here and Peace and Social Justice Website by clicking here.

“Oranges and Sunshine,” the film about social work heroine Margaret Humphreys, is premiering in U.S. cities over the next three weeks.

Humphreys, who is portrayed by Oscar-nominated actress Emily Watson, discovered Great Britain sent more than 100,000 foster children overseas without permission from parents.

These children were sent to Australia, South Africa and other British Commonwealth nations. Some were forced to work or abused. Others have struggled for years to overcome  trauma and find their birth families.

The film follows Humphreys’ investigation of this practice and quest to get Great Britain and other nations to recognize and help the victims.

Cohen Media Group, the U.S. distributor of the film, wants social workers to see the film and is offering discounted group tickets in selected cities. Here is information on how to get them:

NEW YORK CITY

Theater: AMC Village 7

Address: 766 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 1003

Film Opening: October 21

Group Sales Policy:

Minimum 50, must pay with company check or credit card. Does not have to be a corporation. Must be purchased in bundles of 50, each ticket $7.50. Applicable to all AMC locations in the US.

Contact: 1-800-262-4849, option 3.

Theater:  City Cinema Cinema 123

Address: 1001 3^rd Avenue, New York, NY 10022-1207

Film Opening: October 21

Group Sales Policy: All discount rates at branch manager’s discretion. Minimum 25, mandatory advance purchase. $7 each.

Contact: Rachel Gibson, 212-871-6838

Theater: City Cinema Beekman Theater

Address: 1271 2nd Avenue, 1271 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10021

Film Opening: October 21

Group Sales Policy: Call for details

Contact: Rachel Gibson, 212-871-6838

Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson in scene from "Oranges and Sunshine."

LOS ANGELES

Theater: Laemmle’s Monica 4-plex

Address: 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles, 90025

Film Opens: October 21

Group Sales Policy: Group of 25-100 people at $6 per ticket. Go online to fill out group request form by clicking here.

Contact: 310-478-3836

Theater: Landmark Center

Address: 10850 West Pico at Westwood Blvd., next door to Barnes & Noble – Enter on Westwood Blvd. or Pico

Film Opens: October 21

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook: 25 tickets for $181

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355

BOSTON

Theater: Landmark Kendall Square

Address: 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02139-1562

Film Opens: November 4

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook — 25 tickets for $181

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355

Margaret Humphreys

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Theater: Landmark Bethesda

Film Opens: October 28

Address: 7235 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814-2951

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook — 25 tickets for $181

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355 

CHICAGO

Theater: AMC River East

Film Opens: October 28

Address: 322 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60611

Group Sales Policy: Minimum 50, must pay with company check or credit card. Does not have to be a corporation. Must be purchased in bundles of 50, each ticket $7.50.Applicable to all AMC locations in the United States.

Contact: 1-800-262-4849, option 3

SAN FRANCISCO

Theater: Landmark Embarcadero

Address: One Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level, San Francisco, CA 94111

Film Opens: October 28

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook — 25 tickets for $181

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355 

SEATTLE

Theater: Landmark Metro

Address: 4500 9th Avenue N.E., Seattle, WA 98105

Film Opens: October 28

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook — 25 tickets for $181 or

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355

PHILADELPHIA

Theater: Landmark Ritz on the Bourse

Address: 400 Ranstead Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Film Opens: October 28

Group Sales Policy: Purchase a Goldbook — 25 tickets for $181

Contact: Diane Arnold at DianeA@landmarktheatres.com or call 310-312-2355DALLAS

Theater: City Cinema Angelika

Address: 5321 East Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75206

Film Opens: November 4

Group Sales Policy: Groups of 25 or more are admitted for only $6.00 per person.

Contact: Go online to order tickets by clicking here.  You can also contact the theater at (214) 841-4712

“Oranges and Sunshine” has been shown in theaters in Great Britain. To read a review in The Guardian click here. And to learn more about how social workers get involved in international issues, including child trafficking and immigration, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Human Rights and International Affairs Department Website by clicking here.

Miss Representation airs Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. Eastern on OWN.

The media — television shows , movies and the news industry —  send powerful, subliminal messages to the public.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, writer, director and producer of the documentary “Miss Representation,” said these messages can be damaging when it comes to women.  Women are often portrayed in the media as sex objects valued more for their breast size than brains, she says.

“I wanted to better understand where this under-representation was coming from and started looking at how the media portrayed women and how the portrayal of women impacted young people, in particular both young girls and young boys who grow up thinking that a woman’s value lies in her youth and beauty and her sexuality and not in other assets,” Siebel Newsom said.

“Miss Representation” will air Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. Eastern (8 p.m. Central) on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Social workers often help children, teenagers and adult clients deal with a variety of issues that “Miss Representation” addresses, including eating disorders, body image and self esteem. So OWN asked social workers to review an advance copy of “Miss Representation.”

Our review team includes Dr. Maria Baratta, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, PhD, author of “Skinny Revisited: Rethinking Anorexia Nervosa and its Treatment” ($26.99, NASW Press); Susan Birne-Stone, PhD, of Brooklyn; Jill Carpenter Smith, ACSW, ASW-G, of New Jersey; Tianca Crocker, MSW, project manager at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C.; and Mary Rzeszut, LMSW, a social worker at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

Here is their conversation:

Q: On a scale of one to five stars, what would you give Miss Representation?

Baratta: I watched the movie and loved it. I’d give it five, actually six stars!

Carpenter Smith: Five stars.

Birne-Stone: Five stars.

Rezeszut: I would give “Miss Representation: four stars.

Crocker: Overall, I rate “Miss Representation” as a three-star documentary in terms of content, clarity of message and appeal to broad audiences. The documentary takes a bold approach at addressing the pervasive nature of media messages on women’s subconscious perceptions of themselves and the world around them. The film’s characterization of the “impossible standard” is an eye-opening experience that will leave many viewers wondering if their thoughts and actions are truly their own, or simply a repackaged expression of persistently repeated messages on television.

Q: Would you recommend this film to other social workers and the general public and if so why?

Carpenter Smith: Absolutely. I think that over the course of time we have begun to just accept the advertisements and words and the messages about women. This film was a powerful wake-up call for us all to pay better attention.

Rzeszut: I would recommend this movie to social workers who address issues facing young girls. I don’t know if I would recommend it to the general public. Unfortunately, I do not think it would hold the interest of the general public. I think it would be of most interest to mothers of young girls.

Miss Representation writer, producer and director Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

Baratta: I would recommend it highly to social workers and everyone. You would be surprised at how little awareness there is about how powerful the media is manipulating the role of women in our society.

Birne-Stone: I would recommend this film to social workers, as well as to other mental health and media professionals and especially to educators of all levels. The issue of how girls and women are presented in the media impact not only women but men. This documentary clearly illustrates this. It raises awareness of themes that are so critical, current and important. With regards to the general public, although I think the message is vital for all audiences, I think some may be more open to viewing than others. It is a documentary and some people are not open to watching this type of film. The film’s length (1 hour 29 minutes) may be a deterrent. I would recommend an abbreviated, edited version be used to educate and raise awareness of this issue.

Crocker: I would recommend this film to anyone interested in learning more about how the media affects our lives, with a caveat that this piece should serve as a biased perspective that raises a lot of good questions for further exploration. For social workers, I recommend they use the film in educational settings as a discussion piece among future social workers and in practice to complement any cognitive behavioral work with clients struggling with identity and poor self-esteem.

Q: How does this film reflect what you see and experience in social work practice?

Carpenter Smith: I think the film was pretty accurate. Unless one engages a woman in a conversation about the media view, a lot goes unspoken. I wonder how really aware everyone is of what is going on and the messages being sent.

Rzeszut: In my social work practice I have facilitated programs for girls and self esteem. The topics discussed with the girls are about the media and body image. I have heard the tremendous pressure these young girls feel in regards to their weight and physical appearance. The program is designed to have the girls look beyond their bodies.

Baratta: I work with really smart, successful women as patients who are remarkably unaware of how heavily affected they are by media messaging. One of my strategies in treating eating disorders, depression and anxiety in women is to interject awareness of how women are bombarded by messages about body image, sexism, women as objects, women’s second-class citizenship in our society; how there is always something about women that needs improving. This movie gives voice to the elephant in the room.

Birne-Stone: As a clinical social worker in full-time private practice, I see these issues manifest in girls and adult women in the unrealistic expectations they place on themselves and their daughters.  It always amazes me that no matter how accomplished or successful my clients are, too many struggle with how they look to the degree that it affects every aspect of how they feel about themselves.  I also see many girls and women stuck in emotionally abusive relationships and one of the underlying issues is their sense of self.  Even after the relationship ends they are still stuck trying to understand what was wrong with them, as opposed to seeing that it was the abusive male.  I remember a social work colleague — a very accomplished, well-respected, highly published woman —  tell me a story about how at an event where she was receiving an award, she did not want to get up to accept the award in fear that everyone would think she was fat.  She was more focused on her appearance than on her accomplishments!

Crocker: As a social worker serving in a public policy setting, the film reflects our work to create messages about legislative proposals that resonate with broad audiences and clearly presents data to support that message.  In terms of past direct service work, the film mirrors experiences working with young African American girls growing up in single parent households in low-income urban areas.  The girls often unconsciously repeated the negative behavior of complex adult women they saw on television and presented with low perceptions of self-worth.  It is important to note this behavior was merely a symptom of larger issues within the family, like neglectful parenting and extreme financial instability.  As noted in the film, kids are exposed to negative images with no mediation, and the television in turn becomes another parent in the household.

Image from Miss Representation.

Q: Do you think social workers are doing something to help offset some of the negative messages “Miss Representation” says the media is sending, especially to young people?

Rzeszut: Unfortunately, I do not see what is being done by other social workers to address the issues depicted in the film.  If they are, it has not been highly publicized.

Carpenter Smith: Perhaps here and there. But again these messages can be very subtle (some are more obvious).  I think that women may think they are not as worthy, smart, or capable but may not really realize why they think that way.  If a social worker can realize how a woman has been affected, then, yes, social workers do address the issues depicted in the film.

Crocker: Yes! Everyday social workers strive to prevent or intervene at the micro and macro levels on issues like childhood bullying, depression, negative self-image, person-in-environment interventions, and negative intergenerational behaviors and belief.  These are just a few of our skills areas.

Birne-Stone: I agree with Tiana Crocker. I do think that social workers are helping to address the issues depicted in the film. In many different settings and roles, social workers explore how girls and women view themselves and explore their values and roles. Social workers also do this work with boys and men about themselves and in relation to girls and women. Social workers help people question stereotypes about themselves as well as perceptions they have of others.  Social workers focus on strengths and on empowering individuals.  When we ask our clients, “And how did you learn that?” we are questioning the source for core beliefs, which are often untrue and destructive.  When social workers talk with clients about the impact that media has had we are working toward raising their consciousness and lessening the impact of media.

Baratta: I have written and lectured to social workers on the very topic of women being faced with the pressure to adhere to impossible standards of beauty and how eating disorders have emerged historically when women have achieved strides in equality with men.  There is always a sad consensus among my colleagues that this is in fact so.  I believe that my contemporaries and colleagues are aware of the issues in the film since many were around when women had to struggle to achieve professional success and when it certainly was not a given that women could have careers. I believe that social workers serve as role models to the younger generations of women who present as patients. The implicit message is that women are smart, successful and can effect change.  When I was in college in the midst of the feminist movement, women took part in consciousness raising group discussions about these very topics.  It would be wonderful to see the re-emergence of that medium. This film is an excellent voice for a message that needs to be spread.

To learn more about the valuable services social workers provide women, young people and others visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” consumer Website by clicking here.