Villa pushes to increase social worker diversity in the workforce
Illinois Senate Democrats
Following findings of testing bias in social worker licensure exams, State Senator Karina Villa moved a bill out of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee on Wednesday to provide social workers who are minorities another, more equitable avenue for obtaining a license. “Social workers are the largest group of mental health care providers in the United States, and their dedication makes our communities a better place to live in,” said Villa (D-West Chicago). “Those who wish to become social workers should not feel discriminated against in the process of obtaining their license and beginning their career.”

Downtown rally opposes abortion restrictions
Watauga Democrat
More than 100 people gathered on Howard Street in downtown Boone to rally against Senate Bill 20 on Sunday, May 14. The rally, organized by the North Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers and supported by the Appalachian Abortion Support Collective, aimed to inform the community of the potential ramifications of the bill. If passed, Senate Bill 20 would not allow abortions after 12 weeks for a typical pregnancy, 20 weeks in some cases of rape or incest and 24 weeks for life-limiting fetal anomalies that are “uniformly diagnosable,” according to the North Carolina General Assembly.

Danielle Smith is executive director of NASW-OH:
‘If Kids Aren’t Telling Their Parents, There is a Reason’: Opponents Testify Against Ohio Bill That Would Out LGBTQ+ Students to Parents
CityBeat
“It is not the goal of school personnel to keep information from parents. In fact, it is the opposite, as we know that parental support is one of the primary ways that youth mental health is improved.” —Danielle Smith, National Association of Social Workers Ohio Chapter.

Bryan Mares is government relations director for NASW-TX:
Texas schools say it’s time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money
KSAT
Bryan Mares, government relations director for the Texas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, agreed. “Safety really does extend beyond a bulletproof door or armed school officers. It’s about a student feeling secure and surrounded by caring adults and healthy peers,” he said. Mental health advocates and school leaders say school mental health should have its own funding but it has been connected to school safety measures because of mass shootings.

Brenda Rosen is executive director of NASW-KY:
KY Road Show Highlights Programs that Improve Community Well-Being
Public News Service
Brenda Rosen, the executive director of the National Association of Social Workers of Kentucky, said social workers especially can benefit from getting up to speed on available resources. “The goals are to bring to regions across the state,” said Rosen, “an opportunity to learn more about updated policies’ impact on everything from housing and food insecurity to talking about the importance of mental health.”

Norma Reggev is a member of NASW-CA:
[Video] Conservative Management for Kidney Failure
YouTube/UC San Diego Health
UC San Diego Health Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Norma Reggev and UCSD Nephrologist/Palliative Care physician Dr. Tamara Rubenzik, discuss conservative kidney management as an option for patients with advanced kidney disease.

Alyse Freda-Colon is a member of NASW-NYS:
So You Just Got Ghosted—Here’s How To Deal, According To Therapists
Style Caster
“Getting ghosted in dating happens all the time,” says Alyse Freda-Colon, LCSW, a licensed psychotherapist and relationship coach. “People ghost primarily to avoid having an uncomfortable conversation. Sometimes they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings by telling them they don’t want to continue the relationship, so they take the path of least resistance and just stop communicating.” 

Jennifer Rosvally is a member of NASW-NYS:
“‘Do Not Disturb’ Means Leave Me Alone”: Employee Sends Out An Angry Email To Colleague Who Keeps Contacting Them Even When Unavailable
Bored Panda
Now, to get a more professional outlook on this situation, Bored Panda decided to reach out to Jennifer Rosvally, a licensed clinical social worker in New York City. Jennifer has been in practice since 1978; she sees adults in private practice, using individual, couples, and group therapy! First things first, the expert said: “Work relationships are challenging because they are not relationships that we choose to have. They are thrust upon us. Difficult coworkers happen all the time. Personality clashes are very common.”

Michelle Felder is a member of NASW-NYC:
What is a highly sensitive child?: The signs and how to help an HSC
Care.com
With that said, Michelle Felder, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Parenting Pathfinders, adds that it’s important to note that being highly sensitive is not a disorder and cannot be diagnosed. However, if you want to know if your child is highly sensitive, there is a highly sensitive child test created by Elaine Aaron that parents can answer regarding their child. 

Constance McCashin Weisman is a member of NASW-MA:
‘Knots Landing’ Ended 30 Years Ago: What the Cast Did After Leaving the Cul-de-Sac
TV Insider
Constance McCashin (Laura Avery): McCashin made a few more screen appearances after her Knots departure, starring in the 1988 TV movie Nightmare at Bittercreek and the 1999 movie The Out-of-Towners, for example. Now she’s a licensed independent clinical social worker who works in cognitive behavioral therapy, according to her website.

[Video] One on One with Constance McCashin
YouTube/The Locher Room
Constance [McCashin] will be here to look back at her career as an actress and tell us about the work she is currently doing today as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. Constance rose to fame at an early age on The Howdy Doody Show, but her parents squashed her early career so she could have a normal childhood. 25 years later she was living in that famous cul de sac on the CBS primetime series Knots Landing where she played Laura Avery for nine years. She also spent two seasons on Brooklyn Bridge. After days on the set of Brooklyn Bridge, Constance got her master’s in psychology at night. She relocated to Boston, MA where she obtained a master’s in social work from Simmons College. From there she went on to work in the counseling center at Brandeis University, while simultaneously teaching in their theater department. The melding of these two worlds has resulted in a skill set she could not have planned for.

Matthew Braman is a member of NASW-MD:
3 Things to Do If You’re a Guy Who Has No Idea How to Start Therapy
Self
These findings are part of a growing body of research exploring why more men don’t go to therapy and how they can change that—for the good of their own well-being and the people around them. “Finding a therapist who’s the right fit and can provide guys with the gender-specific care and mental health treatment that they deserve can mean so much for them, their families, and our communities,” Matthew Braman, LCSW, a Baltimore-based therapist and founder of Verve Psychotherapy, an online practice that serves men and their partners, tells SELF. 

Tamika Hill is a member of NASW-IL:
Tamika Hill, MSW, LCSW, Shares Alarming Youth Violence Statistics and Strategies for Curbing These Trends
Benzinga
Tamika Hill, MSW, LCSW, founder of T. Hill Consultant, LLC and Certified Clinical Trauma Practitioner, is sharing strategies for overcoming high rates of youth violence across the country. Statistics from youth.gov indicate that one in five high school students have been bullied at school over the past year. Data also finds that homicide is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 10-24.

Crystal Hamilton is a member of NASW-GA:
Mental health looks different for everyone: the Asian American perspective
The Red & Black
Crystal Hamilton, a licensed clinical social worker and instructor at UGA, identifies as Scottish American and Filipino, and also holds a unique perspective on mental health based on her background. Hamilton brings up the “model minority” myth in relation to Asian Americans mental health. This myth is “a cultural expectation that their demographic will achieve a higher degree of socioeconomic success,” according to NAMI. Hamilton said that Asian Americans can experience mental health differently because of this and the cultural aspect.

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