Trauma experts provide advice to people close to Cedar Grove victim
NorthJersey.com
Two professionals – Stephanie Mulfinger, LCSW, a senior coordinator of Call Center Services at the Verona-based Mental Health Association in New Jersey and Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a Princeton-based psychologist and co-author of Smart Parenting for  Smart Kids – offered the Times some advice to parents and members of the community on how to cope.

Mood Sensing Software vs. Big Brother
Social Justice Solutions
Will clients believe the technology is reading their mind? In a sense, this 1984ish George Orwell program is intelligent and watching every stroke made on a smartphone or computer. The big question is “how will you as a social worker be aware of these tools and advocate for best practices ensuring ethical and confidential use of data mining manipulation?”  If you have any suggestions, please let us know!

School emphasis on cultural diversity in spotlight for national program
Baltimore Sun
John Krownapple, Howard’s chief of professional development for cultural proficiency, said the idea of teaching cultural awareness originated in the mental health and social work fields in the late 1980s. As people experienced increased diversity in workplaces, they created tools to help improve “cultural competence” — the ability to interact with people of varied backgrounds and ensure that all people are treated with respect.

Hoarders’ secretive lives may hide mental illness
Kansas City Star
Another common thread: “Folks with hoarding problems really can’t see things as having commonalities,” said Brenda Meyer, a licensed clinical social worker who leads a hoarding support group at Southwest Behavioral Healthcare. As an example, Meyer  said, an average person might have one bottle of lotion in their bathroom cabinet. But a hoarder might have 50 different bottles, and truly see a need for each of them — an aloe-based lotion for burns, peppermint foot cream, special hand lotion and the like.

‘Crack baby’ study ends with unexpected but clear result
Philly.com
The years of tracking kids have led Hurt to a conclusion she didn’t see coming. “Poverty is a more powerful influence on the outcome of inner-city children than gestational exposure to cocaine,” Hurt said at her May lecture.

Experts team up to launch International Centre for Mental Health Social Research
News-Medical.net
The new centre, based in York’s Department of Social Policy and Social Work, will help collaboration between researchers investigating the social, economic and cultural influences on mental health and wellbeing. These include employment, housing, care and support, parenting and social networks – factors which affect or are affected by mental health problems.