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Free lunches offer info on homelessness, mental health, more
Juneau Empire
Starting soon, monthly luncheons will seek to educate members of the public about social issues facing the community. The National Association of Social Workers Alaska Chapter (NASW AK) and the Juneau Alliance for Mental Health Inc. (JAMHI) are putting on the events, called the “Juneau Social Work Lunch & Learn series.” Topics will range from homelessness, to crisis management, to the science of mental health. The first event is entitled “Homeless Cultural Humility: Life on the Streets of Juneau,” and takes place Feb. 20.

Hilary Jacobs Hendel is a member:
I’m Lucky to Be Published, So Why Do I Feel So Anxious?
signature-reads.com
Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW, received her BA in biochemistry from Wesleyan University and an MSW from Fordham University. She is a certified psychoanalyst and AEDP psychotherapist and supervisor. She has published articles in The New York Times and professional journals. Jacobs Hendel also consulted on the psychological development of characters on AMC’s Mad Men. Here, she shares her experiences with anxiety during the process of publishing her book.

Lisa Ferentz is a member:
Asking for help advice to avoid a ‘breaking point’
Odessa American
According to Lisa Ferentz, LCSW-C, DAPA, family-of-origin experiences play a role in our thought process and our ability to ask for help. While growing up, what kind of messages did you receive about asking for help? Did your family place more value on “doing it yourself” or “letting others in?” When you did ask for help as a child, how did the individuals in your life respond? Through actions and responses, your family members modeled whether or not asking for help was acceptable. Your past experiences with family, teachers and peers reinforced the idea that help was available, consistent, and safe or made you feel that your needs were not important and would go unheard.

Iris Carlton-LaNey is a member:
[Audio] Meet Iris Carlton-LaNey: The Social Worker Who Inspires Students To Change The System
WUNC 91.5
Iris Carlton-LaNey is often impressed by the resourcefulness and strength of those living in poor, underserved and rural communities. As a social worker, she has spent a career observing how many in those communities have a strong commitment to hard work, family and religion. And those are values she recognizes from her own upbringing on a tobacco farm in southeastern North Carolina, where education was valued above all.

Dixie Carter is a member:
Dixie Carter announces bid for Fannin County Post 2 Commission seat
fannin.fetchyournews.com
[Dixie] Carter has a history of service work both professionally and personally. Holding undergraduate degrees in psychology and social work, and a master’s degree in social work, Carter’s career has covered many areas of social welfare. Carter served as a case manager and therapist in mental health facilities across north Georgia, worked as a child protective service investigator with the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services, and was a medical social worker in Home Healthcare and Hospice.

Elana Bizer is a member:
MindBody Labs allow students to free their mind during midterms
The Daily Texan
Elana Bizer, licensed clinical social worker at CMHC, said the original idea behind these meditative rooms was to have a place for students to experience and discover new skills such as managing distress and physical pain to help maintain their overall well-being. “Often in our lives, we are always focused on productivity and we think in order to do well we need to focus all our time on that,” Bizer said. “What we often don’t realize is self-care in the form of mindfulness and relaxation is just as important as being a productive student.” Bizer said the MindBody Lab offers various resources to help minimize stress and anxiety throughout the semester, allowing students to stay as healthy as possible. Offering a more dynamic range of resources for students looking to relax, the original MindBody Lab includes biofeedback devices such as the emWave Personal Stress Reliever.

Melissa Novak is a member:
An X-rated freedom: when porn preferences and sexuality don’t align
The Columbia Chronicle
Melissa Novak, a licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist in Chicago, explained that sexual fantasies are not a reflection of sexual preferences, especially with porn. There are straight women who watch lesbian porn, trauma survivors who enjoy aggressive or degrading porn fantasies and an infinite number of variations, Novak said.

Bethany Kassar is a member:
Suicide rate increased 10% after Robin Williams took his own life in 2014, new report reveals
The Daily Mail
But avoiding such a spike in suicides is not as easy as just avoiding social media, Bethany Kassar, a licensed clinical social worker, told Daily Mail Online. Kassar, executive director of Outpatient Services at Summit Behavioral Health, said she is firmly against the idea of censoring ourselves against the world. Instead, we need to encourage more conversations, and be more aware that some of our loved-ones may need extra support in the wake of high-profile suicides. ‘Our world has glamorized these things. But I don’t know if there is a way [to avoid them],’ Kassar said.