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.

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.

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.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and aide Ron Barber.

Social workers snagged some top honors August 24 at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA) 2011 Voice Awards at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

Ron Barber, a social worker and aide to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) who was injured in the January shootings in Tucson, was given a Special Recognition Award for establishing a Fund for Civility, Respect and Understanding.

That fund is starting an anti-bullying program in public schools and is seeking to lessen the stigma surrounding mental illness by doing a community-wide educational campaign to increase awareness of mental illness and treatment options.

And Jacki McKinney, MSW, who was sexually abused as an infant and later battled mental illness and substance abuse problems, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for her 21 years of work as a fierce advocate for other mental healthcare consumers, particularly people of color and women.

Barber and Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup and his wife Beth, who also received special recognition awards for their work in getting mayors in other cities to seek early treatment for people with mental illness and addiction problems, said Rep. Giffords pushed for funding to get a trauma treatment center.

 That center probably saved Giffords’ life when she received treatment there after she and others were shot by Jared Loughner at a Tucson shopping center. Loughner, 22, who killed six people and injured 14, is now being held in a prison hospital in Missouri.

Voice Awards program.

The Voice Awards, which were hosted this year by “Parenthood” and “Six Feet Under” actor Peter Krause, honor television shows, movies and consumer/peer leaders such as Barber and McKinney who educate the public about mental health and substance abuse and help promote public acceptance of people with these issues.

With the award show being televised near the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the tenth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack there was an emphasis on healing and recovery from trauma.

 Television programs and movies that received honors this year included “The King’s Speech,” “Parenthood,” and “Harry’s Law” starring Kathy Bates. For more information on Voice Award winners click here.

Past NASW President Suzanne Dworak-Peck and Voice Award honoree and social worker Jacki McKinney,

 The National Association of Social Workers is a Voice Awards co-partner, along with the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors and the National Alliance of Mental Illness.

Talk Therapy TV, a New York cable public access program that educates the public about mental illness, is also a Voice Awards partner. Talk Therapy TV was created by National Association of Social workers member Jacob Berelowitz, MSW, LMSW, who was also in attendance.

From left: Brendan Broms of NASW, screenwriter Rob Woronoff, past NASW President Suzanne Dworak-Peck, and screenwriter and actor Hilliard Guess.

NASW was represented at the Voice Awards by past president Suzanne Dworak-Peck, a pioneer in getting more positive social work roles in television and film; Brendan Broms, membership coordinator for NASW in Los Angeles, and NASW senior public relations specialist Greg Wright.

NASW’s guests were Rob Woronoff, a former Child Welfare League of America staffer and screenwriter who is working on a social work series with actor Blair Underwood, and Hilliard Guess, an actor and screenwriter who is also contributing to Underwood’s project.

“NASW is proud to be a co-partner of this event,” Wright said. “It was also a thrill to see social workers get such public recognition for their efforts to help people with mental health issues and addictions and increase public empathy for them.”

For more information about how social workers help people with mental health and addictions issues, visit NASW’s Help Starts Here “Mind and Spirit” Web page by clicking here.

Annette Charles and John Travolta in dancing scene from "Grease." Photo courtesy of Us Magazine.

Annette Charles, 63, the actress who played Charlene “Cha Cha” Digregorio in the hit 1978 musical “Grease” and went on to earn a master’s degree in social work, has died from cancer, according to this article in OnTheRedCarpet.com.

Annette Charles

“Grease” starred John Travolta as Danny Zuko and Olivia Newton John as his love interest Sandy Olsen.

Charles played the girlfriend of Leo “Craterface” (actor Dennis Stewart), who came from a rival gang. She was also in a memorable scene where she won a high school dance contest with John Travolta while an upset Olivia Newton John looks on.

Charles got other acting roles in the 1970s and 80s, including guest spots on Magnum P.I. and the Incredible Hulk.

After leaving acting she earned a master’s degree from the New York University School of Social Work in 2001. Charles, who was born Annette Cardona, was also a part-time professor of speech and communication in the Chicano and Chicana Studies Department at California State University, Northridge.

To watch Charles’ dance scene with Travolta from “Grease” on Youtube, click here.

Margaret Humphreys. Photo courtesy of the Metro.

Social work heroine Margaret Humphreys said it was “surreal” watching actress Emily Watson portray her in the film “Oranges and Sunshine,” according to this article in Britain’s Metro.

“ I thought: ‘I know this person,’ because the things happening on screen to her had happened to me,” Humphreys said.

Humphreys made public that Great Britain sent more than 100,000 foster children overseas without parental permission. Sometimes these children were told their parents had died.

Some were were forced to work and were sexually abused. Others have struggled to reconnect with birth families.

“Oranges and Sunshine” has already played in movie theaters in Great Britain and is now available on DVD there. Americn promoters of the film told SocialWorkersSpeak.org it should begin showing in the U.S. theaters this fall.

Tim Roth

Actor and director Tim Roth is working on a film based on “Turning Stones,” a 1996 memoir by New York social worker Marc Parent, according to news reports.

According to this article in The Playlist, a blog that follows cinema happenings, Roth was impressed by Parent’s work saving abused and neglected children and wanted to do a film about his story. He reportedly wants Sam Rockwell, star of “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Moon,” and “Iron Man 2,” to play the lead role.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org will check back periodically to see how the “Turning Stones” project is faring. We plan to keep readers updated.

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

Hugo Weaving and Emily Watson star in "Oranges and Sunshine." Photo courtesy of the Guardian.

“Oranges and Sunshine,” the film about social work heroine Margaret Humphreys, opens in United Kingdom on April 1. Click here to read a review of the film in the Guardian.

Humphreys, who is played by Oscar-nominated actress Emily Watson, made public the fact Britain sent more than 100,000 foster children overseas without permission of their parents.

These children were sent thousands of miles away from home to Australia and other countries. Some were were forced to work and abused and later struggled to reconnect withbirth families.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org is trying to find out when the film will premiere in the United States. We will let you know.

In honor of Social Work Month in March, some of these people wanted to let social workers know how much they are appreciated. Here are their messages:

Oren Moverman (center) with “The Messenger” actors Ben Foster (left) and Woody Harrelson. Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.	“Social workers don’t simply make people’s future better, they make the present better by providing the services, the comfort, the support, the love that allow for the possibility of a better tomorrow. In the ideal, they do so as unsung heroes, as personal crusaders, as voices of reason and experience. Social workers don’t simply make people’s future better, social workers are the future. Hats off to them every single minute of every day; they are those among us who look poverty, aging, injustice, illness and so many other tangible problems straight in the eye and do something about it NOW.” — Academy Award-Nominated Director and Screenwriter Oren Moverman
	“My work often entails telling the stories of young people who are in crisis, which can be very disheartening at times. But I always breathe a bit easier when a social worker enters the scene because I know that once our subjects start tackling their issues with a skilled, caring professional there’s a great chance they’ll be able to overcome their problems and lead fulfilling lives.” — Betsy Forhan, Executive Producer of MTV’s “True Life
Ted Bogosian	“There are a lot of people in our society who are hanging by a thread. And the thread that holds society together and keeps these people from falling through the cracks — that thread is the social worker.”— Television and Movie Director, Producer and Writer Ted Bogosian To hear Bogosian’s full statement click here.
Nikki Toscano	“I think social workers make the system better because they instill a support system for the adoptive child.” — Television Writer, Producer and Adoptive Mother Nikki Toscano from ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7″To hear Toscano’s full statement click here.
Matt Oberg and his character Mark Lilly.	“Real social workers help real people solve real problems every day. And that helps keep the real world from becoming a cartoon.” — Actor and Comedian Matt Oberg, Voice of Social Worker Mark Lilly on Comedy Central’s Cartoon “Ugly Americans” To hear Oberg’s full statement click here.

Ted Bogosian

 The three-hour FilmFest, which is sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers Washington, D.C. Metro Chapter, will kick off at 6 p.m. It is organized by the chapter and SocialWorkersSpeak.org, a NASW Website that gets social workers talking about and influencing how they, and the issues they care about, are portrayed in the media.

 The FilmFest also comes at the start of Social Work Month, a period dedicated to educating the public about myriad services social workers provide.

 ”Respected filmmakers such as Bogosian are creating films that highlight valuable services provided by social workers and we want the public to get a taste of these works,” said NASW Washington D.C. Metro Chapter Executive Director Joyce Higashi, LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, DCSW. “People may also be surprised to learn that social workers are also expert filmmakers.”

Leslye Abbey

Bogosian, who has done work for PBS and HBO, will show his latest documentary “What is Love: Pathfinders.” That film follows a cancer care program created by NASW member Tina Staley, MSW, LCSW, that is used at Duke University and in Staley’s home state of Colorado.

Leslye Abbey, MSW, a clinical social worker who runs the Snowflake Video film company, will show “Experiencing Aging.” This film looks at the aging process from the perspective of social worker and educator Catherine Papell.

 Matt Anderson, MSW, who is co-owner of the Porch Productions film company, will let the FilmFest air a 15-minute excerpt of his upcoming documentary “From Place to Place” about the challenges facing foster children who age out of the system.

Matt Anderson

These films demonstrate how social workers are heavily involved in helping the aging, those with chronic illness, and young people.

If you are interested in attending the event email Greg Wright at gwright@naswdc.org. To learn more about how social workers can celebrate Social Work Month in March, click here to visit the National Association of Social Workers’ guide on activities you can do in your community!

She would tell him about all the crazy things that can happen in a day of the life of a social worker. Some of these stories, especially those about abused children, upset Green.

So he decided to take his wife’s stories and turn them into a film, “The Vigilante.” In that film Joe Estevez, brother of actor Martin Sheen, plays social worker David Harris.

Harris doesn’t think the system is working fast enough to help abused children. So he decides to take justice into his own hands and become the vigilante of the movie title.

“It’s about justice,” Estevez said in an interview about the film that is available on  Youtube. “It’s about bad guys getting what’s coming to them.”

Green, 63, also wrote and directed the film “Baby’s Momma Drama,” and has done music videos for Nigerian singer Douye, R&B group Club Nouveau and others. He gathered the funding to do the almost two-hour movie and shot it in 12 days.

Douglas Green. Photo courtesy of his MySpace page.

Things did not go without a hitch — actor Michael Madsen had planned to play the lead but backed out. Estevez, who was cast in another role, took on the lead part.

Green is now selling the movie online and trying to find a distributor. Despite it all he said he is glad to do a project that allows the public to get a glimpse of the emotionally hard work that social workers do, often with little notice or recognition.

“That’s why we wanted to do the film,” he said. “Nobody was saying anything about it.”

For more information on the film, visit the official Web site of “The Vigilante” by clicking here.

Mike Leigh

Award-winning British movie director and screenwriter Mike Leigh has an unusual style.

He starts his projects without a script. He just takes a premise, gathers the actors, and starts improvising dialogue.

This method has given Leigh’s films a realness and powerful emotional punch that few other directors can match. Some of his better known work includes “Secrets and Lies,” about an adopted black woman who connects with her dysfunctional, white birth mother, and “Naked,” about a man who flees to London to escape the repercussions of raping a woman.

His newest film “Another Year” is about the year in the life of British social worker Gerri (Ruth Sheen) and her husband Tom (Jim Broadbent). They are a contented couple surrounded by miserable family and friends. The film takes an unflinching look at the dynamics of Gerri and Tom’s relationships with them.

Why did Leigh decide to make one of his main characters a social worker? SocialWorkersSpeak.org contacted his staff at Thin Man Films Ltd. in London to find out.

Unfortunately Leigh was not available to talk to us because he is busy working on a revival of his play ECSTASY, which opens in March. However, his assistant Helen Grearson was happy to fill us in.

“If I may, I’d like to offer some answer by explaining as best I can why it isn’t really an appropriate question for the unique way in which Mike works,” Grearson said in an email.

Grearson said Leigh’s improvisational style helped actress Ruth Sheen develop Gerri into a social worker.

Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent in "Another Year." Photo courtesy of IMDB.com.

The role was eventually written to be a therapist. But during five months of extended rehearsals before shooting began Leigh worked with the actors to build their characters. It was Sheen — and not Leigh — who who inhabited the role of Gerri and let that character become a profession that fit her personality.

“So in answer to your question, unlike the process in most other films, Ruth Sheen wasn’t cast or ‘offered the part’ of Gerri, who was already ‘written’ as a therapist,” Grearson said.

“Gerri, as she evolved in the work done by Ruth and Mike together, would have had multitude of reasons – from the essence of her personality to her past life experiences — as to why she would have been inspired her to choose her profession,” Grearson continued. ”Much like how we piece together our professions in ‘real life’, I suppose!”

It seems Sheen’s performance was spot on. Canadian social worker Barbara Nielson gave the movie a great review from a social work perspective. To read that SocialWorkersSpeak.org review, click here.

Ruth Sheen stars as social worker Gerri and Jim Broadbent is her husband Tom in "Another Year." Photo courtesy of Collider.com.

British director Michael Leigh is known for making intense, deeply personal films such as “Secrets and Lies.”

His newest offering  is “Another Year,” a film about social worker Gerri (Ruth Sheen), her engineer husband Tom (Jim Broadbent), and the dysfunctional, lonely friends who stay in the happy couple’s orbit.

We’d love if you could watch the film and tell us what you think. For more information and to watch a trailer visit the film’s official Web site by clicking here.

Ruth Morris, who was born without a left forearm, plays a body double in the Coen Brothers' "True Grit." Photo courtesy of DFW.com.

Texas social worker Ruth Morris, MSW, said it was a thrill being a body-double in the Coen Brothers’ new film “True Grit,” which will be released on Wednesday.

 Morris, 29, who was born without a left forearm, also hopes she can use her portrayal to raise public awareness about limb loss.

Morris is planning a red carpet party about the movie in January to raise funds to help limb loss organizations she has worked with as a social worker. In the past few years Morris has provided grief counseling to people who lost limbs, helping them and their families adjust to the loss.

“There has been a lot of excitement and a lot of support from family and friends for this opportunity I have,” said Morris, who earned her master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. Morris is now at the University of Texas working on a doctorate in public health, which she said should complement her social work.

The Coen brothers version of “True Grit” stars Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl who enlists the aid of a Texas Ranger and U.S. Marshall to track down her father’s murderer. According to news reports the film is not supposed to be a total remake of a 1969 classic starring John Wayne and will more closely follow the original book by Charles Portis.

We do not want to give away a key plot detail but Mattie ends up losing an arm during her quest for revenge and justice for her father. Morris plays a body double for actress Elizabeth Marvel, who portrays the grown-up Mattie Ross.

Ruth Morris. Photo courtesy of DFW.com.

Morris, who had to wear uncomfortable corsets, wigs, heavy petticoats and other 19^th century fashions to play the adult Mattie, hopes her portrayal of a woman who is living with dignity with a lost limb will strike a resonance with audiences.

“I hope it leads to the opportunity to raise some awareness about limb loss and people with disabilities,” she said.

According to this article on DFW.com, the “True Grit” casting director last spring was looking for a body double who was missing a limb. Morris’ family, friends and contacts in the prosthetics field forwarded her emails about the film and she ended up landing the part.

The film was made in Austin, Texas, so Morris could drive to the set over the two weeks it took to film the role.

“It was incredible. It was really a neat experience especially to fall in my lap,” Morris told SocialWorkersSpeak.org during a telephone interview.

Morris said working with directors Joel and Ethan Coen, co-stars such as Jeff Bridges and photography director Roger Deakins went off without a hitch. She even had her own small dressing trailer.

“Everyone was just an incredibly nice person and down to earth and also the actress I body doubled for,” she said. “They treated me like a normal person and nobody acted like a diva or a star.”

To learn more about how social workers help people live with disabilities and physical and mental illnesses, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Health and Wellness Web page by clicking here and Mind and Spirit Web page by clicking here.

Emily Watson stars as social worker Margaret Humphreys in "Oranges and Sunshine."

However it is a movie social workers should pay close attention to.

In the film Watson portrays Margaret Humphreys, a British social worker who disclosed the government sent thousands of children in foster care to Australia, Zimbabwe and other British commonwealth countries without permission of their parents between 1930 and 1970.

Many of these children ended up being abused physically and sexually. Some were falsely told their parents were dead and that they would get plenty of “oranges and sunshine” if they agreed to leave the country.

To read an article about the movie in the Telegraph click here. Director Jim Loach was recently interviewed by the Guardian. To read that article, click here.

Q: What other social workers should  Hollywood make a movie about?

Social worker and "The Biggest Loser" contestant Shay Sorrells poses on the red carpet at the Voice Awards in Los Angeles. Shay was a special guest of the National Association of Social Workers.

Social workers made a splash at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2010 Voice Awards at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Oct. 13.

The National Association of Social Workers is one of SAMHSA’s partners in the awards program, which honors writers and producers of television shows and films that increase awareness of mental health and substance abuse issues.

NASW Senior Practice Associate Sharon Issurdatt, ACSW, DCSW, LCSW, was also one of the judges who helped pick award recipients.

NASW representatives at the event were Suzanne Dworak-Peck, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, past president of the National Association of Social Workers and a member of the NASW Communications Network Advisory Committee and NASW Senior Public Relations Specialist Greg Wright.

NASW’s special guests were Rebecca Volberg, who handles standards and practices for “Huge” and other ABC Family programs, and social worker Shay Sorrells, MSW, a former contestant on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.”

NASW Past President Suzanne Dworak-Peck (left) and NASW special guest Rebecca Volberg of ABC Family.

This year’s award program recognized the contributions of America’s military men and women and the behavioral health issues they face after returning from the battlefield to their families and communities.

This theme was reflected in the selection of some of the award recipients. Lifetime network’s “Army Wives” and ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” were both awarded for episodes that addressed post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Attending the award program was a moving and inspiring experience,” Wright said. “It is heartening to see that more programs are accurately depicting issues which are important to social workers.”

“We hope the connections we make at such events will lead to more positive media portrayals of social workers and the invaluable work they do,” Wright said.

Suzanne Dworak-Peck and Voice Award recipient and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Voice Awards co-host actor Hector Elizondo and Shay Sorrells.

From left: NASW's Greg Wright, Past NASW President Suzanne Dworak-Peck, Voice Award co-host and actor Lou Gossett and Shay Sorrells.

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde (right) and other Voice Awards recipients and attendees.

Voice Award program cover

NASW Voice Award advertisement

To get the full list of Voice Award honorees click here. To learn more about how social workers help consumers with behavioral health issues and veterans visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Mind & Spirit Web page by clicking here and Veterans Affairs Web page by clicking here.

Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper in "Case 39." Photo courtesy of ACESHOWBIZ.com.

Actress Renee Zellweger plays a social worker who rescues a child who may be evil incarnate in the horror film “Case 39.”

The 2006 movie got bad reviews in New Zealand and other countries and has still not been released in the United States, not even on DVD, according to IMDb.com. 

But Zellweger got at least one perk from playing a social worker. She is now dating “Case 39″ co-star Bradley Cooper, according to this article on Monsters and Critics.com.

In December SocialWorkersSpeak interviewed movie critic Forrest Hartman about the impact of “Case 39″ on the public perception of social workers. To read that interview click here.

Antwone Fisher.

The 2002 movie “Antwone Fisher” is about a Navy psychiatrist who helps a troubled sailor and former foster child work through his emotional trauma and go on to become a Hollywood writer, public speaker and author.

 However, the critically acclaimed movie does not tell the whole story, the real Antwone Fisher told SocialWorkersSpeak.org. Three social workers — Bill Ward, Jill Edwards and Patricia Nees — played pivotal, positive roles in his life, Fisher said. Their story is told more fully in his book on which the movie is based, “Finding Fish.”

“Social work is really important,” said Fisher, 50, speaking by telephone from New York City where he was promoting his new book, “A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie” ($19.99, Touchstone Hardcover/Simon & Schuster).

“If it weren’t for social workers some kids would be like Oliver Twist. There wouldn’t be anybody watching over them and they wouldn’t be affiliated with anybody. People are hard on social workers. Let them go out there and try to do what social workers try to do.”

Fisher was born in prison and placed in foster homes in Cleveland, Ohio soon after birth. He was eventually placed with the Pickett family where he suffered emotional, physical and sexual abuse and later became homeless before joining the Navy.

Social workers did not rescue him from his abusive home, possibly because his foster mother coerced him into believing social workers could not help him so Fisher kept silent. “They (social workers) didn’t seem as powerful as my foster mother,” he said. “My foster mother told me and my foster brother that they weren’t powerful.”

However social workers still had a positive impact on Fisher. Fisher said he had 13 different social workers during his childhood but Edwards was the first he connected with emotionally. “She was always on the kids’ side — I loved her for that,” he said. “She made me feel I was not in the world by myself.”

After Mrs. Pickett threw Fisher out of her home Nees secured money to buy Fisher clothing and gave him information about himself that he never knew, including the name of his birth mother and his middle name, “Quenton.” She was also probably the first to warn that Fisher was a “walking pressure cooker” in need of therapy.

And then there was Bill Ward, pragmatic and kind social worker who gave the soon-to-be-an-adult Fisher a wake-up call and told him to stop feeling sorry for himself. He warned Fisher that at 18 he would age out of the foster care system and have to largely fend for himself.

“I was really mad at him for saying that,” Fisher said. “But I was getting down to the wire — I was almost 18. There was no more time for gentle strokes.”

After serving in the Navy Fisher worked as a prison guard and then a security guard at Sony Pictures. He reconnected with his birth family and wrote his life story, which got the attention of Sony executives. He eventually sold the film rights to 20th Century Fox.

Actor Denzel Washington directed the film and played Navy psychiatrist Dr. Jerome Davenport. Actor Derek Luke portrayed the adult Antwone Fisher in the film.

Fisher has stayed in contact with all three social workers. In fact, Ward dropped by when “Antwone Fisher” was filming some scenes in Fisher’s old Cleveland neighborhood. Ward was proud Fisher left Cleveland homeless but returned in a limousine.

“Way to come back!,” he said to Fisher.

Antwone has written several books and is also a poet. His latest book, “A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie and Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life,” offers young men tips on grooming, self-confidence, finances, dressing for success, personal fitness and diet. These are lessons Fisher wished someone had taught him while growing up. “I heard somebody describe it as Dad in a book,” he said.