Blacks, Hispanics suspended at higher rates in RI
turnto10.com (NBC 10, Providence, RI)
Rick Harris, executive director of the Rhode Island chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said during an ACLU news conference that out-of-school suspensions push children who are already having trouble further away from school. “A suspension is telling the kid that you don’t belong here. We don’t want you here,” he said. “Can you imagine in first grade being told you are being excluded from your friends and your peers?”

Social Security Report: Time’s “On the Side” of 250000 in NH
Public News Service
The report indicates there is plenty of time – at least 20 years – to figure out ways to keep Social Security solvent, said Stephen Gorin, executive director of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. “I think that’s good news for the roughly quarter of a million New Hampshire residents,” Gorin said. “And those aren’t all older adults – something like 20,000 young people rely on Social Security in New Hampshire.”

Shippensburg Borough Council hears plans for community assessment
The Sentinel
The assessment is being coordinated by the Shippensburg Community Resource Coalition. Liz Fisher, associate professor of social work at Shippensburg University and a member of the SCRC community assessment committee, said the group was studying the issue of homelessness in Shippensburg when it also saw a need for more social services, youth programs and counseling.

Celebrating National LGBTQ Pride Month: Acknowledging LGBTQ People With Disabilities
Huffington Post
My formal social work education has shaped my commitment to social justice. Social justice is a value and a principle where social workers acknowledge the various identities of people with whom they engage. It is never assumed that one identity takes precedence over another; we allow our clients to educate us on how they identity themselves. I implore the LGBTQ population to listen, understand, explore, accept, and acknowledge your disabled members.

Mary Ann Elder
Cape Coral Daily Breeze
Mary Ann Elder, a licensed clinical social worker who devoted much of her life to helping the poor, the elderly, the vulnerable and individuals grappling with addiction, died Saturday, June 1, 2013, at her home in Cape Coral. She was 65. She managed the homeless shelter at the Fort Myers Salvation Army for several years, served as a clinician at Southwest Florida Addiction Services from 2002 to 2012, operated a private counseling practice and facilitated support groups as part of the Intervention Project for Nurses.

Can Social Workers Engage The Post 9/11 Veteran?
Social Justice Solutions
The social worker must be self-aware of their feelings towards war and extreme violence. They must be ready to bear witness to what the veteran will report during sessions. Helpers must make it clear to the veteran that they are ready to listen without judgment and facilitate a safe environment for them to do so (un-conditional positive regard). Does any of this sound familiar?

Survivors of intimate partner violence not getting adequate mental health services
Medical Xpress
“More than half of the women participating in our study suffered from depression, PTSD or both illnesses,” said Mansoo Yu, an assistant professor of social work in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. “However, most of the survivors had not used mental health services in the past year, even though they reported having access to the services. Social stigmas, shame, privacy concerns, health care costs and lack of information may prevent survivors from getting the help they need.”