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News Items – August 26, 2015

ThinkstockPhotos-157864276Social workers can play a role in corporate setting
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Social work has evolved from a profession focusing on people living in poverty to one associated with governmental programming to one offering counseling and health-related services in nonprofit and private-practice settings. But now there is an emerging trend: Social workers are moving into corporate America. This is a good thing, and get ready to see more of it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nearly a 20 percent growth in social work jobs by 2022, with many of them in the private sector outside of what used to be the “normal” social worker’s environment.

Who is Bernie Sanders’ wife, Jane? The former college president would Make an accomplished first lady
Bustle.com
Bernie might be the one running for president, but don’t underestimate Jane even a little. According to LinkedIn, she studied child development at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and later got her Master’s in social work from Goddard College. She also received her PhD in Leadership Studies in Politics and Education from the Union Institute and University in 2000.

Carol Juergenson-Sheets is a member:
Excuse or illness? Jared Fogle’s attorney says he has a ‘medical problem’
WTTV
In recent years, celebrities who have been caught doing the wrong thing in their personal lives have claimed to be suffering from a sexual addiction. Tiger Woods and David Duchovny are just a couple of the high profile names who have sought treatment. Carol Juergensen-Sheets is a licensed clinical social worker and sex therapist. She hasn’t evaluated Fogle, but she has a good idea what he’s going through. “Jared is suffering from an exploitative sexual addiction—he exploits children,” said Juergensen Sheets.

Experts say child pornography on the rise in Tennessee
KSLA (Nashville)
Midstate social workers said they have seen a spike in the number of children becoming victims of child pornography. Longtime Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle pleaded guilty this week to paying for sex with minors and possessing child pornography. Experts said the case highlights a problem that is on the rise in Tennessee. “Electronic devices and internet access has raised the stakes here and increased the risk for children dramatically,” said Dr. Lisa Milam, a forensic social worker with Our Kids. Our Kids is an outpatient clinic of Nashville General Hospital that examines victims of child sexual abuse from 45 Tennessee counties.

Couple sought in social worker acid attack, victim recovering
ABC7 – Los Angeles
A 43-year-old social worker is recovering from second-degree chemical burns after two strangers threw a caustic chemical on her. The Santa Fe Springs attack happened in the parking lot for the Department of Children and Family Services field office. On Thursday morning the director for the countywide agency went to the office to calm nerves and offer more security as workers visit clients. “To ensure that our workers don’t go out by themselves, that they either go in pairs or they have a law enforcement officer to go with them,” director Philip Browning said.

Tom Zenaty: Misunderstandings about DCF
VTDigger
[Editor’s note: This commentary is by Tom Zenaty, who is retired from the Department for Children and Families after 37 years as a social worker, supervisor, training coordinator, reviewer of child abuse and neglect decisions, and program director. He lives in Shelburne.] As we follow recent tragic events, including a DCF social worker who was gunned down by a very troubled person, we continue to hear inappropriate comments about social workers — for instance their “stealing” children from parents and benefitting financially from it. We must remind ourselves that massive checks and balances go into the day-to-day work of child protective social workers.

A police chief who helps, not jails, heroin addicts
Public Radio International
Arlington’s police identify the drug users in their community through drug dealing criminal investigations, which typically uncover lists and contacts of the customers. Police then go door to door to users and their families with the aid of a full-time social worker and offer their support, working with addicts to get them into treatment. Nasal Narcan, a simple drug used to prevent overdoses, is also made available to addicts and their families.

Marilyn Luptak is a member and a charter member of NASW’s Aging Specialty Section
U social work professor receives national award for leadership in aging education, scholarship
University of Utah
Marilyn Luptak, an associate professor at the University of Utah College of Social Work, has been selected by the Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work to receive the organization’s Leadership Award.  This prestigious national award recognizes a distinguished social work scholar who has made outstanding contributions to the field of aging through research, teaching and scholarship. “Dr. Luptak has distinguished herself as a dedicated and rigorous researcher, a passionate and inspiring instructor and a respectful and respected colleague,” said Hank Liese, dean of the University of Utah College of Social Work.  “She has been recognized for over two decades as a promising and talented scholar who embraces every opportunity with dedication, skill and generosity.”

Massachusetts Department of Children and Families social workers’ caseloads said to be at ‘crisis levels’
Masslive.com
With the state Department of Children and Families under fire from the relatives of 2-year-old Avalena Conway-Coxon, who died a little more than a week ago in an Auburn foster home, questions have been raised as to the amount of cases Massachusetts social workers face on a daily basis. Regardless of which numbers you look at, those supplied by the DCF or those supplied by the union that represents social workers, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509, the amount of caseloads social workers face are still over the national standard of 15 families per case worker.

No confidence petition is given to Avon School Board
Hartford Courant
The social workers issue has drawn attention from groups outside of Avon. Sarah Calatayud read a letter from Steven Karp, director of the Connecticut chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, disputing claims that Mala made in a letter to the public. In his letter, Karp said professional groups representing social workers and school psychologists endorse having both in the schools. “The NASW/CT has clearly stated to you and the members of the school board that we strongly recommend a staffing pattern that has both school psychologists and school social workers employed within the school system as the two complement each other and are not interchangeable parts,” Karp said in his letter.

Public given opportunity to voice health and living concerns in Monroe County
Indiana Daily Student
One participant responded immediately: only those with financial means could access many perks of living in Bloomington. Audrey Hicks, a social worker from IU Health Bloomington Hospital, said she has seen people suffer from a lack of medical 
resources. “I have seen people from rural areas come here (for healthcare), and we can’t get them home,” Hicks said. “The hospital has had to discharge people to shelters.”

[Audio] UH Moment: ‘Homeless youth in Texas’
Houston Public Media
A study led by the Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) called YouthCount 2.0! proved successful at securing data on how to better count youth in Harris County, and now will broaden its reach. “Our count in Harris County already has had an impact in that there was legislation that passed about having a statewide count,” said Sara Narendorf, assistant professor in the GCSW. “That’s now a legislative mandate. Our Harris County numbers were used to support the need for that legislation.”

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