For older Ukrainians in front-line cities, visits from social workers bring comfort
NPR
On the fourth floor of an apartment building, Larisa lives alone. The 76-year-old uses a walker to move around, and she can’t go up or down stairs. She hasn’t ventured outside since before Russia invaded Ukraine. Only three people remain in her building, a reflection of how this front-line city in the east has fared. The hallways in the building are still littered with broken glass, the windows shattered from a recent missile strike that hit the building across the street. It’s a lonely existence for Larisa, whose brother and sister both live elsewhere in Ukraine. But she says it would be even harder if Svitlana Domoratska, a city social worker, didn’t visit multiple times a week.

’Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown just launched a free DE&I course—his best tips for an inclusive workplace
CNBC
“Queer Eye” star Karamo Brown earned the title ‘culture expert’ on the hit Netflix reality show, where he helps guests make lifestyle changes through coaching and ‘cultural conversations.’ Now Brown, who also has a daytime talk show launching on Sept. 19, is adding a new title under his belt: workplace DE&I coach. Brown, 40, who is also a licensed social worker and psychotherapist, is no stranger to issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion. He says he’s dealt with microaggressions “my entire life, in my entire career.”

Deborah Fox is a member:
45 Interesting Things To Do As A Couple, From Fun To Romantic
Mind Body Green
Whether you’ve been together for two months or 20 years, coming up with date ideas and ways to nurture your connection can feel a little tricky. Let’s be real: There are only so many times that dinner and a movie can hit the spot. “We are a species that loves variety when it comes to romance,” couples’ counselor Deborah Fox, LCSW, wrote previously for mbg. “When it comes to planning a date night, what’s most important is to do something different. We need routine to feel secure, and we need novelty to make us feel alive.”

Crystal Harris is a member:
Let’s Normalize Emotions
Fort Bragg Advocate-News
During the last few years, we’ve all been under a lot of stress. Because of COVID, we’ve had to adjust to unfamiliar ways of living and working, deal with political divisiveness that damaged some treasured relationships, and do our best to navigate through significant loss. The pandemic reinforced what many of us already knew (and what science has repeatedly proven): humans require meaningful connection with one another for optimal health—both physical and emotional.

Marci Morrison is a member:
Why so many school threats? Phoenix counselor says kids need boundaries
AZ Family
”It’s becoming okay, they think, to do that,” said Marci Morrison, a Phoenix-based licensed clinical social worker. Morrison just retired after 35 years of working in schools. She said she first noticed the decline in young people’s mental health after 9/11 and then again after the great recession. ”Somewhere in between there, I noticed the parents and the boundaries between your kids and them changed. The internet was getting hot then, and kids had information more and more,” she said. Morrison says it was then that kids started getting so much information on large-scale tragedies — information they weren’t ready to deal with.

Jill Johnson-Young is a member:
How to set boundaries with your aging loved one for your mental health
Care.com
Jill Johnson-Young, a licensed clinical social worker, says to take this a step further by keeping a journal when guilty feelings creep up. “Journaling reduces guilt and allows you to see how much you are really doing,” she says. As a caregiver, it can be easy to get caught up in the stress of medications and doctor’s appointments. Johnson-Young says finding opportunities to enjoy spending time with your aging parents like during meals or activities, can help with feeling less guilty during periods when you’re unable to be there.

Elizabeth Gillette is a member:
5 Suggestions for Setting Realistic Expectations for Yourself
PsychCentral
We expect that we’ll handle difficult times like a to-do list, said Elizabeth Gillette, LCSW, an attachment-focused therapist in Asheville, N.C., who specializes in working with individuals and couples as their families grow. We’ll be quick and efficient with our sadness—like we’d be with replying to email or cleaning the kitchen.

Debra Roberts is a member:
Mentoring Through Challenging Times: How to advocate for yourself in team meetings
Biz Women
Knowing what to say and when to say it is key to business success, not to mention personal relations. Debra Roberts, LCSW and creator of Relationship Protocol in Oyster Bay, NY says sometimes we all need to speak up and advocate for ourselves.