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.

Photo courtesy of Showtime.

The Cancer Support Community, an international nonprofit group that provides support, education and hope to people affected by cancer, will interview Darlene Hunt, creator and executive producer of Showtime’s “The Big C.”

“The Big C” (Mondays at 10:30 p.m. Eastern) stars Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison, a Minneapolis housewife who decides to drop all inhibitions and live life to the fullest when she discovers she has terminal cancer.

However, in the second season this year she has decided to get treatment and fight the disease.

The Cancer Support Community, which has many social workers on staff, will post the interview online on August 16 at 4 p.m. Eastern. To hear it click here.

To learn more about the services social workers provide for people with cancer, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Understanding Cancer Web page by clicking here.

Lucy Liu will play social worker Rae Carter in "Marry Me." Photo courtersy of Lifetime TV.

Lucy Liu will portray foster care social worker Rae Carter in “Marry Me,” a romantic comedy miniseries that will air December 12 at 9 p.m. and Dec. 13 at 9 p.m. on Lifetime television.

Rae wants a storybook wedding more than anything else. Her problem is deciding which man to settle down with.

To watch previews of the miniseries, click here.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org is looking for social workers who want to watch “Marry Me” and let us know whether Liu’s portrayal of a social worker was accurate. We also want to know whether you think  social workers should be portrayed in a romantic comedies or whether more dramatic roles are appropriate. To do a review contact National Association of Social Workers senior public relations specialist Greg Wright at gwright@naswdc.org.

However, such programs can also provide an opportunity to highlight what social workers and therapists do to help people overcome the obsession, a leading hoarding expert said.

These television programs “give people a sense this is a disorder and there is something very wrong here,” said Randy Frost, a psychology professor at Smith College in Northampton, Mass. “On the other hand some of the shows purport to be therapeutic and in fact we don’t do therapy in that way.”

Frost and National Association of Social Workers member Gail Steketee, the dean and a professor at the Boston University School of Social Work, were among the first researchers to study hoarding more than a decade ago.

Steketee and Frost this year released “Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things” ($27, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Steketee has not watched these programs so did not wish to comment directly on them. However, Frost said he does watch on occasion.

Hoarding programs usually display the piles of clothes, newspapers, rotting food and other material that accumulates in hoarders’ homes and then show counselors going in to help the subjects clean up.

“However, we seldom go in with this interventionist approach,” Frost said. Instead, psychologists and social workers try to help clients realize why they are so attached to their possessions and how to let go.

Randy Frost

In fact, Frost said he has had to train therapists to resist the temptation to go into a hoarder’s home and immediately start throwing things in the garbage bin. “That does not change the person,” he said. “We have to teach them to look at possessions in a different way.”

Frost said “Hoarding: Buried Alive” on Sundays at 9 p.m. on TLC is an exception because it sometimes shows what happens in therapy.

“I did the first show before it was a series and they took great pains to show some of what we do in treatment,” said Frost, who added the program may have changed its format so less treatment is shown.

This is a different approach from “Hoarders” on Mondays at 10 p.m. Eastern A&E, which Frost said appears to try to solve the hoarder’s problem in just one weekend.

Hoarding is still a mysterious disorder. Frost and Steketee are unsure what kind of family dynamics are involved but trauma is often linked to hoarding. And as people grow older they may get more attached to items that spark fond memories and lose mental skills that help them organize, categorize and make decisions about all the objects they have accumulated over a lifetime

“As people get older and they lose these skills hoarding takes over,” Frost said.

In fact, about 2.5 percent to 5 percent of the population suffers from hoarding but the number of hoarding cases is expected to grow as the nation’s population grows older.

Another thing to remember is that hoarders come in all ages, Frost said. This may indicate that hoarders are people whose brains are wired in such a way that they look at the physical world differently.

“They pay attention to colors and details that get associated with a memory in a different way than most people,” Frost said, explaining that hoarders may get the same nostalgic feeling from holding an object that some people get from listening to an old song they loved.

Animal Hoarding Needs Even More Study

The causes of animal hoarding as shown on Animal Planet’s “Confessions: Animal Hoarding” are even harder to determine because it is difficult to find people who are willing to come forward and be researched, Frost said. That is because people who keep dozens of dogs, cats, horses or other animals are often pilloried in the press and do not want more attention.

“As far as we know (animal hoarding) looks similar to other hoarding but there are a couple of differences,” Frost said. “The nature of the attachment to the animal appears more rigid although that point is arguable.

“There is a bit more denial — they can look at a roomful of sick and dying animals and say nothing is wrong which makes it appear delusional in a sense.”

Such television shows would benefit from showing how therapists and social workers actually treat hoarding although that process probably won’t lend itself to a 30-minute or hour-long time slot, Frost said.

“It might be a little more boring,” he said. “That’s not going to help the TV show. The show gets its mileage from emotions.”
QUESTION: Social workers, how do you help clients overcome hoarding? Is the disorder difficult to treat? Leave comments below.

Gail Steketee

Want to learn more about hoarding? Click here to go to NASW’s “Help Starts Here” consumer Web site to read Gail Steketee’s article, “Obsessions and Compulsions Current Trends — Compulsive Hoarding Q&A.”

They are:

Photo courtesy of CBS.

Mike & Molly  (Premieres Sept. 20 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on CBS): This sitcom follows the romance of overweight policeman Mike (Billy Gardell) and school teacher Molly (Melissa McCarthy).

Why social workers might like it: Social workers often help clients live healthier lifestyles. Mike & Molly offers a more realistic take on overweight people. It will be interesting to see what social workers have to say about this program.

Raising Hope (Premieres September 21 at 9 p.m. Eastern on Fox): This comedy follows four generations of a working class family struggling to live together under one roof and make ends meet.

Why social workers might like it: Americans are struggling in this tough economy but many television programs focus on the rich and famous. Raising Hope may offer a more realistic picture of what many Americans are experiencing. Plus it features veteran comedic actress Cloris Leachman (Remember her manic portrayal of Frau Blucher in “Young Frankenstein”?)

No Ordinary Family (Premieres September 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC): A family gains super human powers after their plane crashes in toxic waters.

Why social workers might like it: The premise is a bit far-fetched but could allow the writers to explore real-life issues that social workers help families overcome.

My Generation (Premieres September 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC): This fictional docu-drama follows the lives of nine Austin High School students over 10 years.

Why social workers might like it:  The teenage and early adult years are some of most stressful times in a person’s life. And social workers often deal with clients in this age group and may relate to the some of the issues My Generation addresses.

Outlaw (Premieres September 15 at 10 p.m. Eastern on NBC): Jimmy Smits stars as a Supreme Court Justice who resigns from the bench and becomes an advocate for justice on issues including gay marriage and the death penalty.

Why social workers might like it: Any program that pairs a topnotch actor such as Jimmy Smits with serious social issues is sure to attract social workers.

School Pride (Premieres October 15 at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC): In this show a team goes to troubled schools and gives them extreme makeovers by installing fancy new electronic equipment or even exterminating rats.

Why social workers might like it: School social workers work every day in schools, helping students get the services and counseling they need to thrive and learn. And they often have to do this job amidst budget cuts and the threat of layoffs.

TV Watching Tip: If you don’t have time to view a new show or do not have a digital video recorder you can often catch full episodes on the network TV Web sites or Web sites such as HULU.com. Television shows can also be download from iTunes.

QUESTION: Social workers, what new fall television programs do you plan to watch this fall? And are any social workers interested in reviewing these and other shows for SocialWorkersSpeak.org, the Web site designed to get social workers talking about and influencing how they and issues they care about are portrayed in media?

 Instead, Cathy devotes her time left on Earth to trying to help others and living life to the fullest.

“The Big C” premieres Monday Aug. 16 at 10:30 p.m.

Social workers help people battling cancer and those in hospice care. Do you think it is okay for a television show to use comedy to depict such issues?

Photo of Lucia Walters courtesy of IMDB.com.

Canadian actress Lucia Walters plays social worker “Fern” on the CW’s critically acclaimed series “Life Unexpected” (Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern on the CW).

“Life Unexpected” is about a 15-year-old foster child named “Lux” who reconnects with her birth parents, “Baze” and “Cate.” Not surprisingly Lux discovers her parents, who were teenagers themselves when she was born, still have a lot of growing up to do.

Fern decided whether Cate or Baze would continue to have joint custody of Lux or if she would return to foster care. In  that way her role fits the stereotypical depiction of social workers as “baby stealers.”

However, in an episode called “Family Therapized,” Fern holds a session with Lux, Cate and Baze that helps the three become honest about their feelings and begin heading down the path of becoming a true family. In that scene, Fern demonstrated the help real social workers provide families in crisis.

“I know it doesn’t feel like it,” Fern tells a tearful Cate after the emotional session. “But what you had truly was a breakthrough.”

Walters was born in Athabasca in Canada’s Alberta province to a Dutch mother and Antiquan father who was a minister in the Anglican church. She became a registered nurse but took a modeling course and landed a spot in a T-Mobile commercial with actress Catherine Zeta Jones. She went on to take acting classes and has appeared in the “X-Files,” “Smallville,” the “L-Word” and scores of other other television series and movies.

Walters agreed to talk to SocialWorkersSpeak.org about her social worker role on “Life Unexpected”:

Q: Did you know any real-life social workers before you took the role of Fern?

WALTERS: Before I became an actor I actually obtained a Health Science degree and was a registered nurse in an obstetric hospital that also had a rehab unit for pregnant drug addicts. I have worked with and know a number of amazing social workers!

 Q: How did you prepare for the part of “Fern”?

WALTERS: My prep was based on those amazing social workers I have worked with. I also got to know some of the community social workers who liaised with the hospital social workers. They seemed to be tougher, because they had been exposed to so much more within the community, so I wanted my character to reflect that as well.

 Q: There are thousands of foster care children in the system, including older ones such as “Lux” who have never been adopted for found a permanent family. Do you think “Life Unexpected” does a good job at educating the public about their plight?

WALTERS: Most of the foster children I have gotten to know are now adults and unfortunately, because I met them in a drug rehab unit, I have seen and heard the worst stories. “Life Unexpected” does an incredible job of showing an example of a foster child’s plight in life. It’s heartbreaking to see but imperative that the uninformed public gets a taste of the reality of many children out there.  “Life Unexpected” is the first show to address this and I think Liz Tigelaar, the show’s creator, knew exactly what she was talking about when she wrote this. Awareness instigates change.

To read SocialWorkersSpeak.org’s January 2010 interview with “Life Unexpected” creator Liz Tigelaar click here. And to find out more about how social workers help children such Lux visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Adoptions and Foster Care Web pages by clicking here.

Photo of Amanda Davis courtesy of the Kansas City Star.

Move over Shay Sorrells of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” Another National Association of Social Workers member is losing weight on television.

Amanda Davis, 25, a social worker at North Kansas City Hospital, was shopping at Marshall’s when a producer from the The Dr. Oz Show invited her to do a 60-day weight loss challenge.

Davis, who was approaching 300 pounds, decided to take the show up on the challenge and has lost 66 pounds so far.

“I looked unhealthy. I looked unhappy,” Davis said. “But I was in denial.”

To read the full Kansas City Star article on Davis click here.

Why social workers?

“We are looking for individuals who have the potential to inspire others, who are people oriented, and have outgoing personalities,” student producer Jennifer Bowman told SocialWorkersSpeak.org. “We feel social workers fit this category.”

Producers of the program also believe that tracing one’s ancestry can help people understand why they behave the way they do today. Jennifer invited social workers to apply for the show by emailing her at jennifer@thegenerationsproject.com.

Inset: Intervention creator Sam Mettler. Photos courtesy of Mettler's Twitter page and A&E television.

Sam Mettler is creator and executive producer of “Intervention,” an award-winning reality series (Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern on A&E)  that takes an unflinching look at addiction.

Addiction is a serious problem in the United States and social workers are at the forefront in providing counseling and treatment to people battling addictions and their families. More than 23 million Americans aged 12 and over needed treatment for illicit drug and alcohol use in 2007, according to a survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Mettler sat down with SocialWorkersSpeak.org to talk about why he created “Intervention.” He also responded to criticism the show may be exploitive and explained why social workers do not have a noticeable role on the program:

 Q: “Intervention” is now in its eighth season. Are you up for a renewal for a ninth season?

A: Yes. I’ll say stuff is in the works. “Intervention” is going so strong both in terms of viewership as well as a critical success. It just came off winning an Emmy(2009) for outstanding reality program. And so we don’t see an end in sight right now. We just feel really blessed to have this wonderful show and have continued success.

Q: I read the idea for the show came from you wanting to have an intervention to get your father from using a certain cologne. Is that true?

A: Really, the impetus of the show came from someone in my life who needed an intervention but one was really never performed. I wrote a very personal pitch - an essay - about the importance of intervention.

 Q: Who was this person? Or do you really care not to say?

A: I’d rather not actually. If this person were out in the open about it and agreed to release their anonymity I would talk about it. But of course in recovery everyone is entitled to their anonymity.

 Q: There has been criticism from some social workers that the program exploits people with addictions and their families. Could you comment on this? 

A: Well, let me talk first (about) the exploitation. These people understand that they are doing a documentary about their addiction. Even the intervention is still a documentary about their addiction. So there is really no bait and switch. In terms of it being an intervention surprise for shock value couldn’t be further from the truth. This is not “gotcha” television. An intervention is a surprise because therapeutically it is intrinsic and invaluable to the process. It is frankly dangerous to do an intervention and tell someone they are being intervened upon. Because in fact someone who refuses to stop using drugs,  if they learn an intervention is going to happen, they can come up with a million excuses or defenses on why they won’t go or can’t go. Before the questions are even asked, before they can hear their family out, they will have a lot of defenses. Secondly, if the person thinks that the family is ganging up on them, they can rebel and become upset and do something self destructive, again before hearing what  the intervention is. The intervention is a loving act. And when the family writes letters those letters are about how much they love their family member and how much they want to get their family member back. The confrontation is the last resort. The intervention is really about holding up a family mirror and saying “This is what your life looks like.” And lastly, by the way, if a person learns there is an intervention as I said they can do something self destructive and then have their great last hurrah of using too much and overdose. In terms of it being exploitive I don’t’ think that could be any further from the truth. We are covering these people’s lives. They want to tell their stories. They have a need for people to understand them. And we are also having treatment at the end of this. So we’re doing anything but exploit their lives. These are their lives whether the cameras are there or not.

 Q: Social workers work a lot with people dealing with addictions. Do you work with social workers as experts on the program?

 A: We work with therapists. Certainly there are counselors and social workers on the treatment side after these people go to treatment. We work with the psychologists and doctors in the production process.

Q: Why don’t you show more of what happens after the intervention when people go into treatment? Are there privacy concerns?

A: There are issues. Our big mantra on the show is that we don’t we don’t want to violate the sanctity of treatment by taking cameras inside. We will do follow-ups and you’ll get to see where they are. Sometimes we will film a (treatment) session. But our show is about getting people to treatment. The recovery process is not what the “Intervention” show is all about. But we do have some of that follow-up and things you can see on the Web.

Q: Would you consider including social workers on the program?

A: We are not about casting social workers and doctors. When these people go to treatment the treatment centers provide the care. That is really up to the treatment center.

For more information on how social workers help people with addictions please visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Addictions Web page by clicking here.

A social worker visits Cate and Baze in a scene from "Home Inspected" episode.

SocialWorkersSpeak.org recently sat down with Liz Tigelaar,creator and executive producer of “Life Unexpected,” to talk about what inspired her to do the drama. To read that interview click here.

“Life Unexpected,”  which airs Mondays at 9 p.m. Eastern on the CW, is about Lux (Britt Robertson), a foster child who reunites with her birth parents. The January 25 episode “Home Inspected” features a social worker who inspects the homes of parents Cate (Shiri Appleby) and Baze (Kristoffer Polaha) to see if they are capable of taking care of Lux.

Q: Social workers are sometimes stereotyped in television and movies as authority figures who come in and break up homes. We would like you to watch the “Home Inspected” episode of “Life Unexpected” and tell us what you think about the portrayal of the social worker. You can watch it online by clicking here.

The program follows people with addictions and episodes climax when family, friends and the drug counseling experts hold interventions to force guests to break their habits.

Social workers help clients overcome drug, alcohol and other addictions. For more information, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Addictions Web page by clicking here. Are there any questions you want us to ask Mettler and do you think social workers could have a bigger role on the program?

Tigelaar’s latest project is “Life Unexpected,” which airs Monday nights at 9 p.m. Eastern on the CW. She is creator and executive producer of the drama. “Life Unexpected” is about “Lux,” a foster child who reconnects with her birth parents and finds they have more growing up to do than she does.

Social workers are often at the forefront of helping foster children get counseling and find permanent homes. So SocialWorkersSpeak.org talked to Tigelaar about what motivated her to create “Life Unexpected,” which premiered this month and is already garnering favorable critic reviews:

Q: What prompted you to do a series on a foster child?  Were you a foster child yourself?

A: I wasn’t in foster care myself, but growing up as an adopted kid I was always kind of interested in that subject –foster care, orphanages, etc.  I really wanted to tell a story about a kid who never had a permanent home, who never felt truly settled or wanted.  I felt so wanted by my parents (my adoptive parents) and have still dealt with feelings of rejection and abandonment, of holding on to people so tightly, being fearful that they’ll leave. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I never truly felt wanted.  So that’s the story I wanted to tell: a story of a girl who didn’t feel wanted and never had parents and basically was in this world alone.

Additionally, I feel like there isn’t much of a voice for foster kids, for what they have to endure, for what they have to go through at such a young age. I know we do the TV version of it but I thought it was a group that was underrepresented.

Q: What issues and experiences will “Lux” have in the opening episodes?

I think one of the biggest things is feeling torn.  She’s been put back in the custody of great people (maybe not great parents yet but great people) while her friends have not.  Tasha is still in foster care or at a group home, while Bug and Gavin have aged out of the system but have little support.  The four of them were supposed to be a family together but now Lux has a new one.  I think she feels incredibly guilty, not wanting to pass up this opportunity but also not wanting to leave them behind.

Q: Social workers often work with foster children.  Did you consult with social workers or other professionals when developing the series?

A: Yes absolutely.  We certainly check with experts on everything but sometimes there are conflicting opinions or different states have different ways of doing things.  To me, it’s the foster care element that makes this show so unique so it’s important that we’re able to tell those stories in a way that’s palatable for a CW show and our audience while being true to reality.  I will say that the stories that involve foster care are some of the stories that touch me the most.  Look for a story in the seventh episode between Lux and Tasha that just breaks my heart.

(Photo: Inset: Liz Tigelaar, creator and executive producer of “Life Unexpected.” The program stars from left Shiri Appleby, Britt Robertson, and Kristoffer Polaha. Photo courtesy of the CW.)

For more information on how social workers help children in foster care, check out the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Adoptions and Foster Care Web page by clicking here.

From left, Kristoffer Polaha as Baze, Britt Robertson as Lux, and Shiri Appleby as Cate. Photo by Michael Courtney / The CW.

“Lux” (actress Britt Robertson) is a 16-year-old foster child who has been moved from one “crappy” home to another and wants to be emancipated.

So she must find her birth parents “Baze” (Kristoffer Polaha), and “Cate” (Shiri Appleby) to sign the paperwork. However, Baze and Cate end up getting joint custody of Lux and Lux discovers her birth parents still have a lot of growing up to do themselves. 

“You can’t be anyone’s parent’s,” she says. “You need parents.”

That is the basic plot of “Life Unexpected,” a CW drama premiering Monday at 9 p.m. The program tackles issues social workers handle daily, including adoption and what happens to older foster children. This leads to our question:

Q: Is the plot of “Life Unexpected” is realistic? Do older foster children sometimes reconnect with their birth parents or is the program painting a fairy tale scenario?

For more information on how social workers help young people such as ”Lux” visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Adoptions and Foster Care Web page by clicking here.

Photo courtesy of PBS.

What makes humans happy? And what obstacles keep us from being fulfilled?

The PBS series “This Emotional Life” (airing Jan. 4-6 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time) will examine these issues by talking to experts, celebrities such as news anchor Katie Couric and actor John Leguizamo, and everyday people dealing with cancer, family conflict, depression and other life stumbling blocks.

National Association of Social Workers member Dr. Frederic Reamer is also an expert blogger on the program’s Web site, which offers viewers additional information on program topics and resources to go to for help. Reamer is a professor at the School of Social Work, Rhode Island College, Providence, RI.

“The series addresses issues that human beings have been concerned about forever,” Reamer said. “These are ongoing enduring issues dealing with mental health, relations and coping with crises and quality-of-life issues.”

So far Reamer has posted about a dozen blogs on “This Emotional Life” Web site on his area of expertise — helping troubled teenagers.

However, he said the program is very relevant in this age of war and economic uncertainty. And the series is also a must-see for social workers, he said.

“These are issues that social workers of course are particularly interested in and we are in the business of helping people cope with these challenges,” he said. “This particular series intersects wonderfully with social work’s mission and social work’s unique expertise.”

To find out more about how social workers help people overcome life’s challenges visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Web site. The Web site features sections on children and families, health and wellness and other issues.

And social workers tell us what you think about the program!

Executive producer Betsy Forhan said the creators of “True Life” want to educate teenagers and young adults about these issues in a subtle way and help them find solutions.

Instead of a narrator, program creators hope viewers follow real people in program episodes and learn from their successes and failures. The program’s targeted audience is aged 18 to 24.

“What has helped us is that we keep finding fresh stories that resonate with young people,” Forhan said. “We are not preaching. We are not putting (them) in a voice of authority that kids don’t like.”

“True Life” first aired in 1998 and  filmed more than 140 episodes. It has won numerous awards, including the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Special Class Series and the 2005 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary.

Forhan does not know whether any executives who worked on the show have ties to social work. However, MTV Chairman and CEO Judy McGrath said in a 2005 interview that her parents were social workers who gave her “a real sense of social responsibility.” Forhan also said one of the show creators, Banks Tarver, was a civil rights attorney before he became a documentarian and she has psychologists in her family.

“We absolutely see the value social workers play in people’s lives,” Forhan said. “But because we’re a documentary series we can’t suggest our characters reach out to social workers. We follow them wherever their search for help may lead them.”

“True Life” has featured episodes on serious topics including “I’m Hooked on Oxycontin,” “I Have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,” and “I’m Out, “an episode about gay and lesbian young people who are revealing their sexual identity to family and friends. The show also features more light-hearted fare, including “Camp’d Out: I’m Going to Performing Arts Camp.”

Most of the show ideas come from producers and documentary filmmakers, said Forhan, who has worked for MTV for 18 years.

The new season of “True Life” will premiere Monday, March 15, 2010 at 10 p.m. Eastern, she said. Producers think the first episode of the new season will be “I Need a Transplant,” although that could change, Forhan said.

“At heart, we just want to tell great stories,” she said.

“TRUE LIFE” WANTS YOU!:

Social workers deal each day with many of the issues highlighted on “True Life.”  Executive Producer Betsy Forhan invited social workers to submit episode ideas, because social workers may be aware of unnoticed social trends. The program also wants to consult with experts, including social workers, she said. So if you know of an engaging social topic you want the show to cover email “True Life” Associate Producer Hannah Wurzel at hannah.wurzel@mtvstaff.com.

Photo of Beau Bridges on "The Closer" courtesy of TV Guide.

Actor Beau Bridges will guest star on tonight’s episode of the crime drama “The Closer” (9/8c TNT) as “Georgette,”  a well respected detective who had a sex change operation. Watch a KTLA-TV interview with Beau Bridges on the role.

Social workers often help gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people navigate challenges in their lives (Check out the National Association of Social Workers’ Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Issues Web page).

SocialWorkersSpeak.org invites you to watch “The Closer” tonight and tell us what you think about Bridge’s portrayal. For those who miss the show, episodes are usually posted online. We’ll put that link up as soon as we can.

One of them is social worker Gary Wolfe, who racked up 204,738 miles on his slightly battered blue Chevy pickup.

“On the days we help someone  move from the shelter to permanent housing, those are the best days,” Wolfe says.

Q: We couldn’t find Gary Wolfe in our records. Do you know if he is still a social worker and where he practices?

From left: Andre Braugher, Ray Romano and Scott Bakula. Photo courtesy of maradavis.com

“Men of a Certain Age,”  a “dramedy” premiering on TNT Monday at 10 p.m. Eastern Time, delves into the issues three friends face as they approach the “Big 5-0.”  Think of it as “Sex of City” for the Sunday football and beer set.

Joe (Ray Romano) separated from his wife because of gambling and lives in a seedy divorce motel. Owen (Andre Braugher) has a demanding wife, bad health, and works for a demanding father. And Terry (Scott Bakula) is the aging bachelor and part-time actor who wants to relive his glory years.

Q: From what we’ve read, “Men of a Certain Age” will tackle issues social workers help clients handle, including depression, health and wellness, and aging. Is it rare for a television program or movie to address the emotional and health issues men and women experience as they age?

Photo courtesy of A&E

The second season of “Hoarders” premieres on Monday, Nov. 30 (10 p.m. Eastern on A&E).

The premiere episode will feature Jason, who was removed from his mother Augustine’s home 14 years ago because her hoarding endangered his welfare. He visits Augustine, whose house is still so cluttered she must bathe at her sister’s home once a week. To watch a preview of the episode, click here.

Social workers have long recognized hoarding is problem that could worsen as America’s population ages. In fact, the National Association of Social Workers has a Specialty Practices Web page on Hoarding that has information on hoarding  that dates back almost a decade.

“Compulsive hoarding among the elder is a significant personal mental health issue and a public health issue,” social worker Kim Flowers said. “The intervention can be effective, and is necessary if the older adult faces eviction or the home is being condemned.”

Q: Do you watch “Hoarders” and is the program an effective tool to educate the public about the issue? As a social worker, are you seeing more hoarding? How do you help clients stop being pack rats?