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?

In tonight’s episode hosts Tim Green and Lisa Joyner meet Scott and Sandy Steinpas, a married couple in Brookfield, Wisc. who are searching for a daughter they gave up for adoption when they were teenagers.

Levine wants Social Workers Speak! to ask readers this question:

Q: Should a sensitive, emotional issue such as an adopted person’s reunion with birth parents be broadcast on national television? Is this exploitative? Watch the program and leave an opinion!

To find out more about this issue NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Web page on Adoptions and Foster Care.

Ice skater Dorothy Hamill

The National Association of Social Workers supports Kaleidoscope, a television variety show designed to raise awareness of women cancer issues and empower women to take control of their health. The program features celebrity cancer survivors singer Olivia Newton-John and skaters Dorothy Hamill and Scott Hamilton, who will return to the ice.

The program is taping at 7 p.m. today at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. and airs Thanksgiving Day Nov. 26 on Fox television from 4 to 5:30 p.m. EST.

In related news the NASW is hosting a lunchtime series on Nov. 17, “Strengthening the Cancer Knowledge and Skills of the Social Work Labor Force.” For more information and to register for that event click here.

And to get more information on how social workers help cancer patients and their families visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Web site section on cancer by clicking here.

“Sesame Street”

We want to get a social worker perspective, so please leave your comments below.

And if you want NASW’s position on early childhood development click here to visit the “Help Starts Here” Web site.