Social workers press Democrats to make Child Tax Credit permanent
Politico
The social workers, in the letter organized by the National Association of Social Workers, argued that the enhanced Child Tax Credit they’re looking to see included in the package would “ultimately be most powerful in conjunction with other supports currently under debate including but not limited to expanded Pre-K, publicly-supported child care, and paid family leave. However, we see particular urgency around the CTC,” pointing to research from Columbia University showing the enhanced tax credit has already kept more than three million children out of poverty.

Kristin Miller is a member:
Social Work Outreach Team Starts Accepting Referrals from South Orange Police, Rescue Squad
Seton Hall
The Community Care & Justice program was initiated by South Orange Village President Sheena Collum and is a collaboration between the South Orange community, Seton Hall University and Essex County. The initiative seeks to “reimagine” traditional models of law enforcement through the larger lens of public safety and wellness with a greater emphasis on crisis prevention. To that end, Community Care & Justice seeks to engage the whole community – residents, first responders and newly hired social work professionals – in a more proactive, preventative, and collective approach to mental health and wellness and public health and safety.

Brittney Chesworth is a member:
Imagining Your Death: How CBT Techniques Can Reduce Death Anxiety
Psychology Today
Death anxiety is transdiagnostic, meaning that it is present in a variety of psychological disorders. Death anxiety is commonly experienced by those with health anxiety. Sure, people have a variety of reasons for experiencing health anxiety. But after I do a bit of digging with my clients, many of them realize that their health anxiety stems, at least in part, from a fear of death. Now, most people don’t like the idea of death. But even though they don’t like it, they are able to accept to some degree that they are going to die one day. However, for others the fear of death leads to a host of worries around anything that could potentially kill them.

Jessica Tappana is a member:
This is how to watch ‘Squid Game’ if you hate violence
IOL
If you truly don’t want to watch an uncomfortable show like Squid Game, experts say you shouldn’t force yourself – no matter how much you worry your social currency might drop. “I’d recommend acknowledging and validating your emotions and then reminding yourself why you made the decision,” says Jessica Tappana, a licensed clinical social worker and director of Aspire Counselling in Columbia.

Isabel Logan is a member and 2^nd vice president of NASW-CT:
Eastern and Willimantic police spearhead statewide police-social work initiative
Eastern Connecticut State University
The Social Work and Law Enforcement (SWLE) Project, spearheaded by Eastern’s Social Work Program and the Willimantic Police Department, is currently training eight social work students from five universities to work with four police departments across Connecticut. Not only is it the first such project in the state, but Eastern professor and licensed clinical social worker Isabel Logan says it is likely the first specialized training program in the country that prepares social workers and police officers to work alongside each other. “Despite police social work being around for decades, this is still a very new area,” says Logan. “To date, there has been no specialized training in this field.”

LaToya Logan is a member:
Bill seeks to deal with youth suicide
The Sandusky Register
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said an alarming rise in suicides among Black children shows the need for legislation aimed at preventing suicide among the young. The senator, a Democrat, had a conference call with reporters last week, seeking to rally support for his Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act, which would bring increased funding and attention to suicide prevention for kids. An identical bill has been authored in the House by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat. On the call, Brown spoke with a clinical social worker, LaToya Logan, and OSU professor Arielle Sheftall. Sheftall recently published a study through the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It found an increase in suicide rates among young Black children, and among young Black girls in particular.