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News Items – June 11, 2019

Sarah Verbiest is a member:
SARAH VERBIEST: Expanding Medicaid saves mothers’ and babies’ lives. Will we do it?
WRAL
Honestly, it isn’t every day that I read a policy brief and experience the range of emotions that I did upon reviewing the new report from Adam Searing and Donna Cohen Ross at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families. “Medicaid Expansion Fills Gaps in Maternal Health Coverage Leading to Healthier Mothers and Babies” may not sound revolutionary, but the findings were pivotal for the field I’ve worked in for over two decades. At UNC’s Jordan Institute for Families, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with innovative, talented, and dedicated leaders. We have one goal in mind: to bring the best evidence and strategies to North Carolina to prevent maternal and infant death and sickness. As a result, North Carolina is nationally recognized as a trend-setter in maternal and child health.

Lawmakers overlook high rates of uninsured, foster care fixes
Austin Statesman
Problems persist, however, including insufficient foster care placements and 18-year-olds unprepared to leave foster care. “Because this was such a big issue last session, many of the legislators figured the problem was solved and that it did not need focus nor attention,” said Will Francis with the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. “I think the Legislature pretty much just punted.”

Courtney Glashow is a member:
Do I Qualify For An Emotional Support Dog? 5 Requirements To Know About
Bustle
First and foremost, considering the ways an ESD might be a good option for your mental health support system is probably the most important. What is going on in your life that caring for an animal and having a constant companion might ease? “Some common examples are if you went through a traumatic experience you may feel anxiety and worry often,” psychotherapist Courtney Glashow, LCSW tells Bustle. “If you get an ESD, you can pet your dog and have them sit with you as comfort.” If someone is feeling depressed or anxious, Glashow says, they may not take care of themselves well. But they still have to take care of their dog.

Helen Kolodziej is a member:
Support group gives Cedar Lake lung cancer patient strength to live her life
Northwest Indiana Times
“Making the choice to attend a support group is a very proactive step in the cancer journey,” says Helen Kolodziej, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in St. John and facilitator of the lung cancer support group at the Cancer Resource Centre. “There’s no need for anyone to feel alone with their diagnosis. A support group offers a safe, comfortable environment where everyone can discuss their concerns and listen to what others are going through or have overcome. Interactions with others during these times are both empowering and uplifting.”

Helen Kolodziej is a member:
Hypnotherapy unlocks subconscious to address issues of conscious mind
Northwest Indiana Times
For a wide variety of mental health struggles, hypnotherapy can be a valuable treatment. “Hypnotherapy is beneficial for so many issues such as stress relief, pain management, smoking cessation, weight problems, anxiety, depression — and the list goes on,” said Helen Kolodziej, a licensed clinical social worker and hypnotherapist. Kolodziej owns Core Counseling & Consulting, a wellness center in St. John, where she helps clients with problems ranging from anger management to coping. The licensed hypnotherapist received her certificate from The Wellness Institute in 2016.

Mary Nelums is a member:
[Video] Black Family Summit offers tools and information to lift families out of poverty
WLBT
Dr. Mary Nelums is a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Founder of the Mary Nelums Foundation. The organization provides scholarships to master level social workers. She said the summit’s purpose is making economic development the core foundation for making sure families and communities change the way they are accustomed to functioning. “They work with them around building financial wealth. They work with them around how do we change the image of our communities,” said Nelums. “That’s what this summit is all about is how do we begin to do this in our communities?”

Ruthie Kalai is a member:
Mental Health Champions: “Why therapists should be in therapy as well” With Psychotherapist Ruthie Kalai
Thrive Global
As a part of my series about “Mental Health Champions” helping to normalize the focus on mental wellness, I had the pleasure to interview Ruthie Kalai. She is a psychotherapist and education consultant with over 20 years’ experience in a wide range of nonprofit, school, and counseling settings. She has her own private psychotherapy practice working with children, adolescents, and adults. Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, life transitions, women’s issues, and parenting issues. Her experience stems from years working as a school counselor. From the New York City Department of Education to the Detroit Public School system, Ruthie has multiple and individualized approaches to educating students, using empathy and empowerment to maximize their potential.

State trying to entice behavioral health workers to go west
The Dickinson Press (ND)
“There’s going to be some time and effort into getting your education and obtaining the license that you want. If your final goal is to be a licensed, independent clinical social worker, that’s going to take you a number of years beyond your education, beyond your master’s degree; you’re going to look at another three years of supervision,” he said, for example.… “The stipulation is you work for Badlands Human Service Center, but you can live in Bismarck or you can live in Fargo,” Brown said. “It’s just that you would be an employee of Badlands. You would work at the other human service center, but you would be doing strictly telehealth to (Badlands).” They’ve started advertising positions on Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as in the surrounding states. Should those people decide to take the position, DHS will offer to reimburse them for moving expenses. In the meantime, Badlands is changing its programming somewhat to accommodate the shortage and to provide best practices.

Caitlin Ryan is a member:
The key to queer youth health & happiness is a supportive family
LGBTQNation
In the early 1990s, when clinical social worker Dr. Caitlin Ryan reviewed resources to help youth find their way in the world, almost all the professional literature was about risk behavior. There was little focus on the positive or how they could develop into healthy adults. Ryan was a leader in developing the first appropriate, supportive clinical care guidelines for working with lesbian and gay adolescents.

Lisa Ferentz is a member:
Do you talk to yourself? SCIENCE says you’re better off doing so
Mirror
Ever feel like you’re going mad because you talk to yourself while caught up in life’s everyday routine? According to clinical social worker and psychotherapist Lisa Ferentz, talking to yourself is far from a sign of you going mad – and is actually a show of force. She in fact goes all the way to describe it as what “guides” you through your daily hurdles. Ferentz, author of ‘Finding Your Ruby Slippers: Transformative Life Lessons from the Therapist’s Couch’, said she uses the technique in order to help patients build a positive perception of themselves.

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