Shoot first, think later — it’s long past time for sane people to make our voices heard and change our nation
The South Dakota Standard
I decided to look at some other professional websites for some writing topics. The Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) had several suggestions for its members’ advocacy efforts. I thought these were pretty comprehensive and could serve as a model for all mental health professionals in South Dakota.

Michelle Maidenberg is a member of NASW-NYS:
3 Critical Facts to Know About Your Emotions
Psychology Today
In my TED Talk on “Circumventing Emotional Avoidance” and my book ACE Your Life: Unleash Your Best Self and Live the Life You Want, the barriers as to what leads us to distance from our uncomfortable emotions are indicated as well as evidence to support the critical need to lean into and embrace those emotions. Included are also practical ways to initiate self-acceptance and self-compassion by being with all of our emotions so that we’re living a meaningful intentioned life.

Nicole Bennett is a member of NASW-IL:
Newly elected Rockford School Board members sworn in for first terms
WREX
Bennett is a licensed clinical social worker bringing years of experience of dealing with mental health, trauma, and working with families. “I want to bring that experience to the board, with my knowledge about trauma resources and mental health and social emotional learning,” said Nicole Bennett. “I really want to make sure that I’m able to tour the buildings in my sub district specifically so I can interact with teachers, I can interact with students and their families, and really find out what their needs are.”

Bonnie Landwehr is a member of NASW-IL:
Farmers talk stressors, coping methods
Shaw Local News Network
Hulsizer, along with his wife, Liz, joined Kankakee County Farm Bureau President Greg St. Aubin and Bonnie Landwehr, a licensed clinical social worker and behavioral health program supervisor with SIU Medicine, during a panel discussion on mental health stress in the ag community. It was part of the Farm Family Resource Initiative’s Rural Mental Health Summit at the Memorial Learning Center in Springfield. The audience of mostly health care professionals heard about ways to better respond to and treat farmers’ mental well-being.

Megan McGrath is a member of NASW-MA:
POV: Gender-Affirming Care is Under Siege
Boston University
A tsunami of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislative efforts is currently sweeping across the United States. Under the misguided notion that restricting gender-affirming care “protects children,” 12 states have enacted laws restricting or banning access to gender-affirming care for minors, including Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, South Dakota, and West Virginia.

Rebecca Arredondo Yazzie is a member of NASW-OR:
Clinical Social Worker to Be Ore. PD’s New Civilian Training Dean
Officer.com
Rebecca Arredondo Yazzie, a clinical social worker and university program director, has been selected to become Portland Police Bureau’s first civilian dean of training. Yazzie, 42, was a psychiatric social worker at Oregon’s MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility. She served as a mental health clinician at Clackamas and Washington county jails. Later, she led focus groups of women prisoners to advise the Oregon Department of Corrections on how to improve programming and supervision for the women.

Dawn Rochelle is a member of NASW-NC:
OP-ED: Ending child abuse requires community partnerships
The Daily News
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month across the United States. Advocates in North Carolina are taking the time to reflect on the complex task at hand with a focus on better understanding our shared responsibilities. The statewide theme for 2023: “Nurturing Positive Childhoods: Building Prevention in Partnership.”