Kristen Lee is a member:
3 Essential Anti-Rumination Practices
Psychology Today
Rumination, the inclination to overthink things or have repetitive thoughts that are difficult to ignore, is a human tendency that escalates in the throes of hard times. Many ruminators struggle with fixations that involve high levels of self-criticism and regret, renting inordinate space in one’s mind, squeezing out room for pursuits that cultivate joy, gratitude, and growth. If you tend to ruminate, you know (1) how disruptive it can be and (2) how annoying it is when someone tells you to simply stop thinking so negatively.

Richard Brouillette is a member:
Doom Spiral: When Your Inner Voice Goes Too Far
Psychology Today
How do you stop yourself from obsessing over something, focusing on it until you lose a sense of perspective, and your thoughts spiral out of control into a stress fest? It happens to all of us, whether before a big test or interview, or while coping with stressful life events or losses. It can feel like life itself is turning into a doom scroll.

[Podcast] Top Left Corner #163: Justice for Miguel?
The Greylock Glass
And I think that one thing that we want to be careful of when we’re having these conversations is that any involvement of people who are better equipped and have better training around mental health is a step in the right direction. And the National Association of Social Workers for the Massachusetts chapter is heavily involved, including the black social workers in the ACS bills. And so social workers are very engaged in this conversation.

Mental health therapists seek exemption from part of law to ban surprise billing
Fierce Healthcare
The therapists take no issue with the main aim of the legislation, which is to prevent patients from being blindsided by bills, usually for treatment received from out-of-network medical providers who work at in-network facilities. Instead, they are concerned about another part of the law—a price transparency provision—that requires most licensed medical practitioners to give patients detailed upfront cost estimates, including a diagnosis, and information about the length and costs involved in a typical course of treatment. That’s unfitting for mental health care, they say, because diagnoses can take time and sometimes change over the course of treatment.

Cyber Safety for Women in a Post Roe-Wade World
One Green Planet
“These are incredibly powerful tools for health activity and monitoring, but in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, they present a lot of questions and concerns about the data collected and how it can be used,” says Jennifer Thompson, Executive Director of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Sarina Manifold is a member:
[Audio] Saying Goodbye to a Friend: Community Care After the Death of A Pet
WUNC
There is deep, difficult grief that comes with the death of a pet. And yet, pet loss is often an example of disenfranchised grief — grief not acknowledged or considered “valid” by mainstream culture. Host Anita Rao talks with two people about the significance of losing pets and the realities of the grief process. Corban Smith got his dog, Dallas, as a puppy when he was 19, and cared for Dallas as he experienced seizures in the last years of his life. Sarina Manifold, a licensed clinical social worker with specialized training in veterinary social work, helps pet owners through end-of-life decision-making and conducting memorial ceremonies.

Keith Hartman was a member:
Obituary: Keith Hartman
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For 25 years, Keith ran a carpentry and general contracting business specializing in restoring the Victorian and craftsman homes in Grant Park and other East Atlanta neighborhoods, and after it was razed by a catastrophic fire in 1985, Keith led the efforts to rebuild the education building of Grant Park’s St. Paul United Methodist Church. In the early 2000s, Keith returned to Georgia State and completed his Bachelor’s degree then proceeded to the University of Georgia to earn his Masters of Social Work. For 15 years, Keith worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker helping people process their grief, work through marital and family conflicts, and learn to cope with the onset of dementia and other age-related conditions. In his spare time, Keith enjoyed spending time with his family and working to maintain Red Arrow Ranch.

Carolina Miranda is a member:
The Complicated Relationship Latinxs Have With Grief
HipLatina
Our relationship with grief is a layered one. Our understanding of grief is consumed by societal expectations, assimilation, cultural traditions, and maintaining our day-to-day lives. Clinical social worker and therapist Carolina Miranda (@unearthhealing) tells HipLatina that our grieving has been colonized. “Before we were colonized, our people had shamans, medicine women, curanderos, and we had a community that held the child and the child had the opportunity and support to be vulnerable.” Miranda explains that before we were colonized, our communities were tribal, with each person occupying a sacred role that was naturally but purposefully designed to support another in the community.

Governor Lamont Announces Launch of Higher Education Program To Increase Opportunities for Aspiring Nurses and Social Workers
Connecticut Government
Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of CT Health Horizons, a three-year higher education program designed to address statewide shortages in nursing and behavioral health providers. A collaborative partnership between Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), the Office of Workforce Strategy (OWS), multiple state agencies, the University of Connecticut (UConn), the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC), and the Connecticut Hospital Association, the program seeks to address the state’s workforce shortage in these critical areas through three strategic pillars.

Gov. Tate Reeves halts federal rental assistance, says it incentivizes not working
Mississippi Today
Advocates who help people with rental assistance said Reeves’ decision will hurt Mississippians — many of whom are working but struggling to pay all of their living expenses. “This is not a good day,” said Gwen Bouie-Haynes, the executive director of the National Association of Social Workers-Mississippi Chapter, which has helped residents sign up for the program. “… This will result in more people living on the street in Jackson and across the state of Mississippi.”

Jennifer Garross is a member:
Chicago crisis response team sees early success responding to mental health calls
CBS Chicago
The 22-person team has responded to hundreds of call over the last year and so far, none of them have escalated to an arrest or the use of force. Chicago’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement, or CARE Team, takes inventory of their extensive gear. “We’ve come across people who may not have pants or may not have a shirt and we’re able to give them these items,” said Jennifer Garross, a licensed clinical social worker on the CARE Team.