Nick Cannon talked about the social worker visit during an appearance on "Showbiz Tonight." Screenshot courtesy of CNN.

Singer Mariah Carey, who played a social worker in the film “Precious,” was visited by a real social worker at the hospital where she is recovering from delivering twins by Caesarian section, according to this article and video clip on CNN.com.

Carey’s husband actor Nick Cannon said a nurse suggested she drink a little dark beer to aid breastfeeding. So Carey drank a small amount.

Child Protective Services were called by someone who claimed Carey was abusing her children by drinking alcohol and breastfeeding.

“I guess someone maybe overheard that (suggestion), and this is a good way to make a quick buck, or call the tabloids,” Cannon said. “It’s kind of sad that people think that we’ll make money off of these newborns.”

Carey delivered  son Moroccan Scott and daughter Monroe Cannon two weeks ago.

Alcohol and Depression: Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg?
Beliefnet.com (blog)
Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Psychotherapist and Life Coach in private practice and for Celebrity Rehab. She is a frequent contributor to anthologies, blogs, and newsletters, is a sought after speaker and has developed recovery and life coaching packages for anyone who is ready to move forward in their life. 

 Social worker losses may hurt attendance
Long Beach Press-Telegram
But Cox and the other social worker members of the “Attendance Recruitment Team” launched just last school year won’t be at LBUSD this fall to make such house calls.

Judge hears testimony against Kentucky worker furloughs
Louisville Courier-Journal
Louisville social worker Rebecca Harbin testified that she and two other social workers are already carrying the caseload of five social workers because of a staffing shortage.

A Report from Gaza
Boston Globe
A social worker, Fuller is especially interested and trained in using specially designed play routines to help heal and build resiliency in children who have experienced trauma.

Social Worker Incentive Legislation Passed by California State
California Newswire
Said Rebecca Gonzales, Director of Government Relations for the National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter, “We are very pleased that this measure passed this important hurdle.

Executive producer Betsy Forhan said the creators of “True Life” want to educate teenagers and young adults about these issues in a subtle way and help them find solutions.

Instead of a narrator, program creators hope viewers follow real people in program episodes and learn from their successes and failures. The program’s targeted audience is aged 18 to 24.

“What has helped us is that we keep finding fresh stories that resonate with young people,” Forhan said. “We are not preaching. We are not putting (them) in a voice of authority that kids don’t like.”

“True Life” first aired in 1998 and  filmed more than 140 episodes. It has won numerous awards, including the 2009 Emmy Award for Best Special Class Series and the 2005 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Documentary.

Forhan does not know whether any executives who worked on the show have ties to social work. However, MTV Chairman and CEO Judy McGrath said in a 2005 interview that her parents were social workers who gave her “a real sense of social responsibility.” Forhan also said one of the show creators, Banks Tarver, was a civil rights attorney before he became a documentarian and she has psychologists in her family.

“We absolutely see the value social workers play in people’s lives,” Forhan said. “But because we’re a documentary series we can’t suggest our characters reach out to social workers. We follow them wherever their search for help may lead them.”

“True Life” has featured episodes on serious topics including “I’m Hooked on Oxycontin,” “I Have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,” and “I’m Out, “an episode about gay and lesbian young people who are revealing their sexual identity to family and friends. The show also features more light-hearted fare, including “Camp’d Out: I’m Going to Performing Arts Camp.”

Most of the show ideas come from producers and documentary filmmakers, said Forhan, who has worked for MTV for 18 years.

The new season of “True Life” will premiere Monday, March 15, 2010 at 10 p.m. Eastern, she said. Producers think the first episode of the new season will be “I Need a Transplant,” although that could change, Forhan said.

“At heart, we just want to tell great stories,” she said.

“TRUE LIFE” WANTS YOU!:

Social workers deal each day with many of the issues highlighted on “True Life.”  Executive Producer Betsy Forhan invited social workers to submit episode ideas, because social workers may be aware of unnoticed social trends. The program also wants to consult with experts, including social workers, she said. So if you know of an engaging social topic you want the show to cover email “True Life” Associate Producer Hannah Wurzel at hannah.wurzel@mtvstaff.com.

New Jersey social worker Maureen Tillman LCSW has always been fascinated by life transitions.

So eight years ago she launched College with Confidence, a psychotherapy service that helps parents and young people deal with what can be one of life’s biggest changes — the period when teenagers leave the nest, go to college, and transform into adults.

Tillman’s work with families and online articles attracted the attention of New York Times editor Tina Kelley. Tillman’s meetings with Kelley led to the August launch of “College Corner,” a blog on the New York Times local Web page serving Maplewood, Millburn and South Orange, N.J.

College Corner has resources, tips and information for families going through the college process.

“It’s an educating role that’s I’ve taken about the importance of developing life skills as kids are growing and also about the mental health issues of students on college campuses,” Tillman said.

Many mothers and fathers can’t wait until their teenagers leave home, believing the hard part of parenting is over. But Tillman, who has a grown son who is a filmmaker and daughter who is a news reporter, said the most difficult times for parents could be just beginning.

Some children begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol and participating in risky sex practices in college, she said. Others become lonesome, anxious, depressed or develop mental illness. And suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24.

 ”I saw a lot of kids in my office that bounced back home,” she said “Their parents were pulling out their hair — they thought it was all lined up and they were despondent.”

Tillman’s blog gives families advice on a wide range of issues, including how to tour prospective colleges, help their kids address mental health issues , and what topics to bring up with children when they come home for Thanksgiving and winter breaks. She even has three college students writing about their first-year campus experiences.

Tillman hopes her blog will let the public know about the wide variety of resources social workers can offer them.

“Yes, there can be misconceptions about social workers having a limited scope which is so far from the truth,” she said. “My blog educates parents and students and professionals as well as demonstrating the exciting and creative niches that social workers can carve.”

She urges other social workers blog too, provided they have something interesting and important to say.

“It takes a lot of dedication. It takes a lot of time. It takes creativity. And it takes persistence,” she said.

To find out more about how social workers help college students overcome anxiety, read this article by Mary Anne Knapp, MSW, LCSW on the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Web site.