Nancy Humphreys is a former President of NASW and a Social Work Pioneer:
Social Workers to Launch Voter Empowerment Campaign
Social Justice Solutions
Many social workers are realizing the critical need for more of us to be involved in political processes.  Nancy A. Humphreys, past president of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and former dean of the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, has been preaching this message for decades. The Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work (NAHIPSW) at the University of Connecticut’s School of Social Work will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next month and still going strong under the leadership of new director Tanya Rhodes Smith.  Although Dr. Humphreys retired recently, she has not abandoned her efforts to educate and organize social workers, social work students and faculty around the need to be more politically active.  Her message is taking root and signs of increased activity are sprouting around the nation.

Social worker helps at-risk youth with hip-hop therapy
CNN Heroes
To some people, hip-hop lyrics are about misogyny, materialism, drugs and violence. But to Tomás Alvarez, they’re about something more. They’re a way to help teens overcome hardship. As a high school social worker in Oakland, California, Alvarez was frustrated by the number of boys of color he saw dropping out of school or falling into the criminal justice system. And he found it challenging to reach them through traditional therapy. “The honest truth is that our public school and mental health systems are not well-equipped to address trauma in a way that is resonating with them,” Alvarez said. So he tried a different approach. “I started one of the country’s first hip-hop therapy programs,” said Alvarez, who co-founded Beats Rhymes and Life, a nonprofit that provides free counseling sessions to Bay Area youth.

Adolfo Profumo is a member:
How suffering fosters post-traumatic growth (which is a good thing)
Shape Magazine
According to the experts, we often experience physical pain (burning quads during kickboxing class) and emotional pain (a rough breakup) as suffering. But these times of struggle or hardship (both the physical and emotional kinds) aren’t all bad. In fact, a lot of the time, well, they can turn out to be kind of awesome. “Any type of suffering can be productive and channeled into a growing experience,” says Adolfo Profumo, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in New York. Don’t believe us? These examples prove pain leaves you stronger in the end.

Chattanooga police to embed social workers with officers
Times-Free Press
The Chattanooga Police Department will use $600,000 in grant money to hire social workers who will embed with officers, respond to calls and help victims through the trauma of a crime, according to police. Chief Fred Fletcher hopes the hires will fundamentally change the way officers support victims of crime and push the department to become more “victim-centered.” The first two social workers hired will focus on victims of gang-related violence in Chattanooga’s Westside and the Alton Park area, Fletcher said. Another two social workers or counselors may be hired to create a training program for officers.

Facebook’s “dislike” button is going to be a disaster
Quartz
Mark Zuckerberg has finally given in. After years of users asking for it, Facebook announced on Sep. 15 it will be testing unspecified alternatives to the “like button,” including potentially a “dislike button.” But while it’s true not every post on the social-media site always seems deserving of a virtual thumbs up, do we really want to make it easier to spread negativity online? Indeed, a “dislike button” seems to be the last thing we need. From a parenting perspective, there are concerns that the button could become a device for cyber-bullying. As New York City public school social worker Joseph Klein told Quartz: “The dislike button is going to become yet another tool for exclusion and bullying—something that is already a huge concern with regard to youth.”

Ruth Keith is a member:
[Video] Job fair aimed at helping homeless, struggling veterans
WTOC (Savannah, GA)
Group organizers say they don’t want any more veterans to slip through the cracks. “They come with various skills from labor to IT, to lots of administrative skills, they are very well rounded individuals,” said Ruth Keith, social worker.

Donald Bialkowski is a member:
Transgender vets find doors opening in military community
Journal-Sentinel (Milwaukee, WI)
Transgender people also join the military for the same reasons others do — to learn a skill, earn money for college, travel, serve their country and to follow in the footsteps of family members who served. So, to finally be accepted in the military, should the Pentagon allow it, would be vitally important to transgender people, said Donald Bialkowski, a licensed clinical social worker at the Madison VA who works with transgender veterans. “The potential represents acceptance, some security and protection against discrimination they’ve experienced. They’re real honorable, patriotic Americans who are passionate about their service, but they’ve been forced to serve in silence because of the inconsistent policies,” said Bialkowski.

Carole Scott is a member:
Making new friends can be difficult for adults
News-Press (St. Joseph, MO)
Part of the problem is that a child’s social setting is much different than an adult’s. From preschool until college, schools provide built-in opportunities for kids to be surrounded by new people constantly. Those opportunities diminish as people leave school and become settled into work or family roles. Sure, you can become friends with coworkers or the parents of your kids’ friends, but you can’t depend on these connections alone. If you want to make new friends, you have to seek out new ways to socialize. “One of the things that I suggest to people if they are looking for some new outlets is to try to join a group that they have an interest in,” says Carole Scott, a licensed clinical social worker with The Center.

Naomi Baba is a member:
Bullying subtler, no less cruel, in cyberspace
The Times-Herald (Port Huron, MI)
Naomi Baba, a licensed social worker and director of Sorella Society, maintained bullying and cyberbullying are not small issues, especially when the effects are real and long-lasting. “People in general believe that’s just the way it is and it’s just a normal part of kids’ behavior. There’s always going to be discord among kids. Not every kid gets along all the time,” she said. “The part where we really need to intervene is when a child becomes depressed or anxious, or they’re not learning. When their educational experience is being compromised, or their emotional stability is going down the tubes, that is not normal and it’s not okay and it needs to be addressed.”

Patrick Johnson, the writer, is on the NASW Board of Directors:
Malloy’s rescissions brutal, unconscionable and destructive
CT Viewpoints
For the fifth time in four years, Gov. Dannel Malloy has ordered rescissions to vital health and human services on top of flat funding for seven years. The cuts ordered last week are the most draconian and will have a brutal impact on the lives of the most vulnerable people in our state. Cutting already scarce and inadequate funding for people with disabilities, mental health issues, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services is unconscionable.