Matthew Jost is a member:
The big game could cause big problems for gamblers
WKBW (Buffalo, NY)
So how do you spot a problem gambler? Matt Jost, a local licensed clinical social worker who works with people who are addicted to gambling says a problem gambler would be thinking about it constantly. “At work you might see them very preoccupied with sports…. they lie to family members or their therapist to conceal their gambling activity,” said Jost.

The writer, Megan Rapien, is a member:
Passive aggression, ‘sugar-coated anger,’ counterproductive to meaningful communication
The Daily Times (Maryville, TN)
Passive aggression is an indirect expression or communication of hostility, through deliberate, aggressive means. It is a purposeful, although covert, resistance to open and honest communication. Examples of passive aggression include the silent treatment, procrastination, stubbornness, resentment, withholding of praise or approval, purposefully excluding others from conversation or activity, deliberate (and repeated) failure to accomplish requested tasks, moodiness and learned helplessness. It can include a seemingly apathetic resistance to complying with expectations in interpersonal and occupational situations.

Jessica Chilcott is a member:
[Video] Idahoans voice concerns with state health services
KTVB (Boise, ID)
The second main theme was displeasure with Optum, the new state contractor for behavioral health care. Many parents said Optum is not covering the services they need to help their kids with special needs.… Jessica Chilcott is a social worker who testified, “It’s not something that is occurring just in Idaho. A basic Google search will reveal that they have caused difficulties in almost every state in which they are providing services, with access to service and denials of service.”

Oregon strippers lobby for better work conditions The Mining Journal The group, which has met about once a month with anywhere from four to 30 dancers, was convened by the Oregon chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Wanting to help people with no political representation, the group tasked two contract lobbyists with figuring out how they could contribute. “Social workers have always fought for people who want to fight for themselves,” said Delmar Stone, director of the Oregon and Idaho chapter. “We’re in solidarity with them in achieving human rights, basic protections, not being exploited.” Dancers warned the group not to require strippers to get licenses or make it harder for them to work as independent contractors. They like the anonymity and flexibility they have when they’re truly treated as contractors.

Noa Saadi is a member:
Santa Monica School Counseling Program Celebrates 20th Year
Santa Monica Mirror
Despite some dismal statistics, the Youth Development Project (YDP), Santa Monica’s own school-based mental health program at the Child and Family Development Center, has been serving the “at-risk” and “high-risk” youth in the community for the past 20 years. Program coordinator and licensed clinical social worker Noa Saadi weighed in on the mission and philosophy of  YDP. “We are targeting youth who are at-risk and at high-risk,” Saadi said. “When you hear about therapists in schools, it’s usually in context of some type of crisis that has occurred. However, there is so much more to this work, and at the heart of it are the relationships that are formed and the work done toward helping children, youth, and their families live healthier lives.”

Lisa Bernstein is a member:
We Know Why You’re Always Late
The Wall Street Journal
Lisa Bernstein is a Rockville, Md.-based clinical social worker with several ADHD patients. One of the strategies she uses with them is breaking a weekly calendar down into 30-minute increments. Another strategy is setting up a rewards system. That could mean no Facebook or email until a certain amount of work is done.

Nicole Zangara is a member:
Why is it difficult to make friends after 30?
The Boston Globe
It’s more difficult to find people with whom she can let her guard down. That’s not uncommon, says Nicole Zangara, a licensed social worker and the author of “Surviving Female Friendships: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Building friendships requires awkward small talk, uncomfortable moments, uncertain feelings, and lots of energy depletion with near-strangers. “There’s this notion that women should have friendships like the characters on ‘Sex and the City.’ It’s not that easy and simple. You have to work on developing a friendship,” Zangara says. “Maintaining friendships is equally challenging. You have your work sphere, your family sphere, and friendships — keeping all of those in order is really hard.”