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Susan Stone is a member:
Losing a pet is a family affair
GoErie.com
Susan Stone, a licensed clinical social worker in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, who has worked to implement animal assisted therapy in hospitals, also facilitates an Animal Hospital Pet Bereavement Group. She runs a website, www.petlosshelp.org, and blog about pet bereavement. Her most recent dog, Seanny, 11, died in May. “I do not want to see an animal suffer,” Stone said. “But that is a very subjective position. There are some very good tools to help injured and sick humans when they can no longer do the things they enjoy. For animals, there is only now. And sometimes we project our quality of life on them, and it may not be quality of life for them.”

Glenn Osborne is a member:
Wilson County DSS earns award for child welfare program
The Wilson Times (NC)
The Wilson County Department of Social Services has earned an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for implementing Signs of Safety in its child welfare program.… “We are extremely pleased to receive this recognition from NACo,” said Wilson County DSS Director Glenn Osborne. “The practice of Signs of Safety is making a positive difference in the lives of children and families throughout the county. Our social workers are better able assist to families in building stronger safety networks for their children.

NASW Delegate Assembly Approves Revisions to the NASW Code of Ethics
Social Work Helper
The Delegate Assembly of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) on August 4, 2017 approved the most substantive revision to the NASW Code of Ethics since 1996. After careful and charged deliberation, the Delegate Assembly voted to accept proposed revisions to the Code that focused largely on the use of technology and the implications for ethical practice. The NASW Code of Ethics continues to be the most accepted standard for social work ethical practice worldwide.

Mindy Utay is a member:
Therapists Admit the Modern Day Reasons Couples are Rushing to Get Therapy
BravoTV
While the idea of getting a prenup is nothing new, a recent study shows that more millennials are getting considering the art of splitting their assets up legally, before marriage, part of their wedding to-do list. “Couples are facing the need to have a prenuptial agreement before marriage because couples are marrying later and with more individual assets they want to protect,” said Mindy Utay, a LCSW and a former lawyer who changed careers to become a psychotherapist and certified psychoanalyst and mediator. “This is a difficult topic and many couples seek help to deal with the emotional reactions to facing a prenup negotiation and what it means for their relationship.”

Caroline Fenkel is a member:
Chester Bennington’s Son Appears in 2 Moving Suicide Prevention Videos
SELF Magazine
Linkin Park front man Chester Bennington shocked fans in July when he took his own life. Now, his son Draven Sebastian Bennington is speaking out in two videos in hopes he can help prevent another death like his father’s. Draven, 15, who is one of the late singer’s six children, made the videos in honor of National Suicide Prevention Week.… When experts assess the risk that someone may try to harm themselves, one of the first things they ask is, “Who will be affected if you die?” But, if they say “no one,” you know “they’re more at risk than if they listed off family members or friends,” Caroline Fenkel, L.C.S.W. at Newport Academy (treatment centers for teens struggling with mental health issues, eating disorders, and substance abuse), tells SELF. But people who think no one will be impacted are wrong, she says: “There will always be somebody who is affected by you hurting yourself.” And Draven’s videos make that abundantly clear.

Will Francis is government relations director of NASW-TX:
Anti-cyberbullying activists wanted a Texas law with “teeth.” They may have gotten one.
Texas Tribune
Will Francis, government relations director of the Texas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said he is particularly concerned about language in the bill that would allow schools to formally discipline or expel students for cyberbullying that occurs off campus. Francis said that many online bullies are victims of bullying themselves and that anti-cyberbullying discipline — like other disciplinary measures — could affect students of color at disproportionate rates. “If you look at the bill itself, it doesn’t really offer any major resources to schools to stop [cyberbullying] before it happens,” Francis said. “It gives them tools after they’ve identified it.”

Kelsey Torgerson is a member:
9 Common Habits Of People With Hidden Anxiety
Bustle
“People with anxiety often already worry about the judgement of others,” says Kelsey Torgerson, a licensed clinical social worker and anxiety specialist, over email. “Although you may have an idea that someone you know is suffering from symptoms of anxiety, it can be very hard for them to open up about this. They may try and mask their anxiety.”

Barry Sanders is a member:
Taunton opiate recovery drop-in center conducts dry-run
Wicked Local Raynham (MA)
Open Doors was formed earlier this summer by members of Taunton’s Opiate and Substance Use Task Force, including Ellen Bruder-Moore Abramowitz, vice president of housing and community initiatives at Community Counseling of Bristol County (CCBC); Marcia Richardson, a program manager at VA Boston Healthcare System; and Barry Sanders, a licensed clinical social worker and City Council candidate. Organizers were inspired to start a drop-in clinic in Taunton by East Bridgewater’s EB Hope, which offers substance abuse outreach and an intervention drop-in center.

Bethany Kassar is a member:
Male eating disorders are on the rise especially in teenagers – but experts say these celebrities are helping to crush the stigma
The Daily Mail
Daily Mail Online spoke with Bethany Kassar, a licensed clinical social worker and executive director of Outpatient Services at Summit Behavioral Health, about the rise in male eating disorders and how society has impacted their ability to seek help. An estimated 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Researchers have found that common eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and using laxatives are almost as prevalent in males as they are in females. This research as become apparent as hospitals and clinics in the last six years have experienced an increase of 70 percent of male patients seeking help for an eating disorder. ‘What we are seeing is there are more men seeking treatment,’ Kassar said.

Richard Kenney is a member:
Getting to Know: Social Work
Chadron State College News
(College Relations publishes a monthly series of news articles, features and Q&A interviews highlighting various departments on campus in an effort to assist the faculty and staff in gaining an increased awareness about and understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. The September Q&A is with Rich Kenney, associate professor and Social Work Program Director.)
What is Social Work?
The best definition I ever heard for Social Work came from a five-year-old girl named Melissa. She and her mom were living at a homeless shelter when I first met them. Over time, a team of social workers and I helped them to find housing, job training for mom, and a school for Melissa. During one of my visits to their new residence, Melissa told me she wanted to “grow up to be a social worker.” When I asked her why, she said, “They help you do better.”