Sallie Foley

Americans still struggle with talking about sex, even medical professionals who handle women’s health, National Association of Social Workers member Sallie Foley said.

“A recent study of graduates from an ob-gyn program in Ohio showed that 90 percent of the residents graduating as obstetricians and gynecologists thought that they were going to be asked questions about sex by their patients,” Foley said in this article in Montana’s Missoulian newspaper. “Ninety percent felt that they were unprepared to answer questions about female sexuality.”

Foley, MSW, LMSW, is  director of the Center for Sexual Health at University of Michigan Health Systems. She was in Montana to do a seminar on sexual health for the  National Association of Social Workers Montana Chapter.

“Good sex really means meaningful communication,” Foley said.

Chia Morgan (left) and mother Debra. Photo courtesy of Michigan Live.

Cheers to Michigan Live for this article about Debra Morgan and her daughter Chia of Flint.

The Morgan family already runs Well of Hope, a nonprofit that addresses violence, crime and poverty, from a church where Debra’s husband is pastor.

Now Debra and Chia are about to graduate from the University of Michigan – Flint with duo bachelors degress in social work. They attended all classes together, with Debra taking notes on paper and Chia using the more modern approach of typing lecture points into her smartphone.

“Getting a degree in social work has helped us better understand the people we want to serve so we can do even more,” said Chia, 24.

Mental health workers working with Haitian earthquake survivors. Photo courtesy of Huffington Post.

The devastating, deadly Haitian earthquake occurred six months ago but survivors are still suffering the physical and psychological effects of the disaster.

Cheers to the Huffington Post for this article about a team of Haitian counselors who help survivors deal with post traumatic stress disorder.  The program was started in April by the Aristide Foundation for Democracy, in cooperation with a group of social workers and doctoral students from the University of Michigan.

Social worker and doctoral candidate Leah James, who specializes in post traumatic stress disorder, trained the 10 Haitian counselors.

Associate Professor of Social Work Sean Joe. Photo courtesy of the University of Michigan.

African-American male adolescents suffering from depression are more likely to seek help from family than go to mental health professionals, according to a study from social work experts at the University of Michigan, the University of Maryland and Howard University.

“African-American adolescent boys underutilize mental health service due to stigma associated with depression,” said Sean Joe, associate professor of social work and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan.

The study shows social networks may play an important role in lowering depression symptoms among this demographic group.

To learn more about how social workers help teenagers cope with life challenges, visit the National Association of Social Workers “Help Starts Here” Youth Development Web page by clicking here.

The column is by Jason Smith, a master’s in social work student at the University of Michigan and an intern at the Michigan Prisoner ReEntry Initiative.

Here’s an excerpt:

“In most cases, prison sentences are a way to repay a ‘debt to society.’ But the stigma of a criminal conviction often follows a person long after that debt is supposed to have been settled and they have returned to the community.”

Q: Do you agree employers should stop asking applicants if they have been convicted of a felony? Or do employers have the right to know this information before running a background check on a potential employee?