Social workers: Community should have done more to save toddler
WCNC
by MICHELLE BOUDIN / NewsChannel 36 GASTON COUNTY, NC — Social workers said Wednesday that the community should have done more to save a 2-year-old girl who died in Bessemer City last week. The toddler’s mother and her boyfriend were in court Wednesday, charged with involuntary manslaughter after police said they let the toddlers’ broken leg and infection go untreated.

Learn how to get your anger under control
Daily Comet
Keith Weisheit, 43, of Houma, a licensed clinical social worker, said anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion, but when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems at work, in your personal relationships and in the overall quality of your life.

Elder Abuse: The (Almost) Invisible Crime
The Crime Report
Part of the reason for the small clientele is that the program attempts to comply with National Association of Social Workers caseload standards, which require that each worker be assigned only the number of cases that allow a high quality of service for each client.

In Tough Times, Philadelphia Bucks The Trend
NPR
As Nutter is quick to point out, the city’s problems would be worse right now if leaders hadn’t raised taxes to maintain services. “We did not lay off one sanitation worker, not one police officer, not one firefighter or social worker or health department worker,” says Nutter. He adds that the city did save some money by not replacing about 1,600 workers who left their jobs.

Tips to help new parents beat stress, stop abuse
Great Falls Tribune
The licensed clinical social worker has been a new parent, struggling to balance the joys of parenting with the new-found responsibilities. “I went to counseling after having both my kids, and that was the best thing I ever did,” she said.

Most avoid discussing a ‘good death’
UPI.com
Professor Deborah P. Waldrop of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work says, when asked, the majority of people say they want to die at home surrounded by their family. However, 60 percent of chronically ill people die in hospitals and 20 percent die in nursing homes, so these wishes are often unfulfilled, Waldrop says.

Photo courtesy of iparents.com.

More grandparents are raising grandchildren and many find themselves financially strained and socially isolated. However, there is assistance available, National Association of Social Workers member Janis Marler said.

“Raising a child at any age can be stressful at times and parenting at an older age bring more challenges,” she said.

Marler offered some great advice to these grandparents in this FoxBusiness article.

Social workers often help families overcome life’s hurdles. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Kids & Familes Website by clicking here.

Myths about the homeless, Part Two
Bangor Daily News
By Meridith Bolster, LCSW, Penobscot Community Health Care AP photo There are many myths and stereotypes about the homeless. Myths and stereotypes come about due to misconceptions born of ignorance, overgeneralizations from a single experience, and poor access to the real facts.

See something? Say something!
Valencia County News Bulletin
Once a case is referred to CYFD — and Valencia County had almost 800 such cases in 2010 — an investigative social worker teams up with the assigned law enforcement officer and district attorney to conduct a forensic interview, Martinez said.

In Helping Others, Finding What Was Never Truly Lost
New York Times
She turned to John Sullivan, the tall, smiling social worker who had discovered her on a bench in the Broadway median. The woman was a nurse who had lost her grip and had been living in a tent on the Upper West Side, until Mr. Sullivan coaxed her off the street.

Real money, real world
Wapakoneta Daily News
Kylee Sommers, who grew up in the foster care system and feels strongly about the difference she wants to make as a social worker, felt first-hand the impact it could have on her own family if that is the route she continues to pursue.

Taking up for children
Laurel Leader Call
Rosie Donaldson, area social worker supervisor for the local Department of Human Services, said it’s important to spread awareness about the issue of child abuse. “Parents cannot treat their children as personal property as they did in the ’70s,” she said. “We now have laws that protect children against abuse.”

Surge of seniors to lessen tax intake
News & Observer
Lisa Gwyther, a clinical social worker and senior fellow at Duke’s Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, said many boomers hitting retirement age are stuck in homes they can no longer afford. In today’s market, they risk selling it for far less than it is worth or less than they owe.

Expert Advice for WV Parents This Week
Public News Service
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – One big topic this week at the annual conference of the National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter in Charleston is a discussion of ideas that could help both social work professionals and parents in dealing with children.

Social Workers lobby for title protection
Daily 49er
On April 11, county social work supervisors lobbied in Sacramento to push for AB 671. Many people often wonder what title protection is and why is it a big deal. Title protection requires precise positions to require specific academic degrees.

On the record with … Nancy Hiatt
Northwest Herald
Hiatt earned a degree in psychology from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., before heading west to Arizona State University in the mid-1990s to graduate with a master’s degree in social work. After graduation, Hiatt worked in social service in Flagstaff, Ariz.

For instance, does your child need a cellphone so you can keep up with them while they are doing activities such as sports? Or do they just want one to keep up with their friends?

Also be prepared for the expense and ready to monitor your children if they have smart phones that allow them to surf the Web just like computers, she said.

“If you have a computer set up at a central location, so you can look over their shoulders, you can’t do that with a phone,” Miller said.

To learn more about how social workers help parents, visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” Healthy Parenting Web page by clicking here.

How March Madness Can Lead to Problems for Some Gamblers
WBEN 930
March Madness is one of the biggest sporting events for gamblers, and clinical social worker Matthew Jost, who specializes in gambling addictions, says the issue is “the brackets give people all sorts of opportunities to gamble.

New Social Work Caucus Tackles Social Safety Net Issues in Congress
PR Newswire (press release)
WASHINGTON, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Today, US Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns (NY-10), with the support of other professional Social Workers in Congress and national organization leaders, launched a Congressional Social Work Caucus, and reintroduced the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr. Social Work Reinvestment Act (SWRA).

Anxious parents keep a tight grip
Kansas City Star
“I think most parents really want to do the right thing,” said Leslie King, a licensed clinical social worker and counselor at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Calif. “But when they hear all the opportunities other parents may be giving their children, their own hearts get lost, even parents who have that feeling that enough is enough.”

New Social Work Caucus Tackles Social Safety Net Issues in Congress
Sacramento Bee
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for social workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations. However, educational debt, workplace safety, and comparatively low salaries threaten the profession’s ability to meet increasing demands for social work services in a range of settings: hospitals, schools, prisons, private practices, private and public agencies, and the military. 

Parents should be open to ideas when dealing with teachers
LATimes
“Most schools have a back-to-school night at the beginning of the year,” says Jennifer Kogan, social worker and therapist in private practice from Washington, D.C.

More Houston seniors are seeking help in hard times
Houston Chronicle
Social workers say the influx of seniors is the result of a combination of factors, with the economy as the leader. The recession has made it difficult for many seniors to stretch their fixed incomes.

The Problem of Women’s Self-Expression: A Scientific Perspective
Huffington Post (blog)
I spoke recently on this topic with Marcy Cole, Ph.D., a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Los Angeles. Marcy is also the Executive Director of First Tuesday USA, a women’s group dedicated to creating a community of extraordinary women through social connectivity, professional networking and social service.

Teachers Forced to Fill Role of School Social Workers
Public News Service
National Association of Social Workers-Michigan Chapter Executive Director Maxine Thome says the added responsibility comes at a time when the economy is causing more stress within families.

Grant money will fund Weston school social worker position
Weston Forum
Money the Weston school district didn’t know it was getting will be used to fund a newly created social worker position in the upcoming school year.

Tareese and Tyree Seabrooks. Photo by Sharon McCaffrey.

We like this New York Times article by Sharon McCaffrey about a  New Jersey program that helps children build emotional and social skills. McCaffrey, who is training to be a social worker, is raising money for the Family Connection PrePARE iniative. She talked to Tareese Seabrooks, a mother  who said the program helped her bond more with her son Tyree after her newborn infant and mother died.

To find out more about how social workers help families thrive or deal with grief visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Kids and Families Web page and Grief and Loss Web page.

Susan Katz at age six with parents. Photo courtesy of New York Times.

Susan Katz is a trained social worker in New Jersey and worked for home care agencies and assisted and independent living facilities.

Despite her experience, Katz said finding care for her aging parents was not easy, according to this very personal and moving  New York Times article.

“My blind spot was, I didn’t recognize that family members are not like clients,” Katz wrote.

Social workers often help people and families deal with aging. To find out more, visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Seniors and Aging Web page.

And we would like for you to comment on this question:

Q: Do you think your social work background makes it easier for you to care for and find services for aging parents, relatives or friends? Or is it still difficult to maintain your professional objectivity when dealing with family and friends?

The Heene family, courtesy of People Magazine.

A Colorado couple who claimed their son was aboard an escaped balloon pleaded guilty Nov. 13 to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant and a misdemeanor count of false reporting to authorities. Authorities said Richard and Mayumi Heene made up the story as a stunt to gain media attention. They told their sons to lie about the incident as well.