Amiessa Jutten is a member of the board of NASW-CO:
End of county family planning, immunization draws fire
Montrose Press
Amiessa Jutten, the Western Slope representative for the National Association of Social Workers, said the move affects real people. Jutten was once a single mother, working full-time and attending college, but was under-insured. She was able to use the county’s immunization services because she could not afford physicians’ fees. “I’m just one face in this community,” Jutten said, going on to read the statements of those who could not attend because they were working.

Eliza Chamblin is a member:
9 stress-free steps for finding a therapist
Today
In my experience, I’ve usually waited until I know I’m bottoming out and then I start thinking I should find a professional whom I can pay to start working on dealing with some of my emotional and mental baggage. Often, that just makes me more stressed out — who wants to do all that Googling and calling around while deeply depressed? No one, that’s who. Finding a therapist can be super overwhelming regardless of your state of mind, so I reached out to Eliza Chamblin, a licensed clinical social worker and a psychotherapist in New York City, to get some tips.

Capital School District sees benefit of more social workers, English Learner teachers
WMDT
For the last six months, South Dover Elementary School has been able to offer students something they didn’t necessarily have access to before: a licensed clinical social worker. It’s all thanks to new state funding and on Tuesday 47 ABC got the chance to see firsthand how that’s already making a difference. “The funding and the grant allows us to reach kids that would not get reached without that help,” says William Buczynski, the principal of South Dover Elementary School. Last year the Capital School District received more than one million dollars, through the state’s Opportunity Funding Program, to hire two new English Learner (EL) teachers and nine Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW).

Mass. Senate Passes Bill To Boost Mental Health Care Access
WGBH
Rebecca Gerwitz, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers’ Massachusetts chapter, said her organization’s “therapy matcher” service that connects patients to therapists that accept their insurance saw a 70 percent increase in calls last year alone. Some of those, she said, were from desperate residents who had been searching for help without success for weeks or months straight. “The crisis of access to mental health services is real,” Gerwitz said.

South Dakota anti-trans bill’s defeat is part of larger pattern, advocates say
NBC
Skarin said the tidal wave of condemnation that SB 1057 attracted was drastically different from 2016, when it was just the ACLU and the National Association of Social Workers that came out to oppose the so-called transgender bathroom bill. This time around, they were joined by the South Dakota State Medical Association, South Dakota Pharmacists Association, South Dakota Retailers Association, South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, among others.

A Guide to MSW Degrees and Social Work Careers
US News & World Report
Someone who wants to make a living by helping people in crisis discover solutions to their problems may want to consider a career as a social worker and pursue a Master of Social Work degree, commonly known as an MSW.… Social workers assist individuals and communities in distress. They focus on motivating and encouraging people who are facing adversity and giving them a sense of purpose and hope.

Courtney Glashow is a member:
How parents of LGBTQ tweens and teens are navigating sleepovers
Chicago Tribune
“As a psychotherapist who works with a lot of children who are gay, I have gotten this question multiple times from parents,” said Courtney Glashow, licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist at Anchor Therapy in New Jersey. Typically, there’s a shift to single-gender sleepovers when children are over the age of 6 as they start to mature, learn more about bodies and become curious. Usually, a child will recognize that they are LGBTQ around the age of puberty, Glashow said.

Anisah Miley is a member:
6 ways to cope with Valentine’s Day right after a break-up, according to experts
Insider
Valentine’s Day can make people feel especially lonely if they have recently gotten out of a relationship, so it’s import for people to reach out for help when they need it. Friends and family can be great for providing support and love on February 14. “Even though you feel like you might be a burden because you’re feeling so beat down, maybe bruised by this ending of a relationship, I would definitely suggest to reach out to the people that know you, that understand what you might be dealing with,” Anisah Miley, a New York-based licensed clinical social worker, told Insider.

Brenda Mack is a member:
Who am I if I am not a farmer anymore?
Successful Farming
“It isn’t the farm that makes the farmer – it’s the love, hard work, and character,” says Brenda Mack, who lives on a farm and works as a licensed independent clinical social worker. After making the decision to end or pivot your farming career, don’t expect to bounce back overnight.