I’m watching twitter, google+ and the web so you don’t have to… This post is part of a weekly (or bi-weekly) series, Best in Mental Health, featuring some of the best posts of the week, in social work, psychology, evidence-based practice/healthcare, non-profit and private practice concerns.
Evidence Based Practice/Healthcare:
Five Point Plan to Improve the Nation’s Mental Health
SAMHSA
“5 steps America could take that would immediately and greatly improve the existing overburdened mental health system… Increase Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services… Expand the Mental Health Workforce… Widen the Use of Health Information Technology…”
Communicating with young people in hospital: how can we get it right?
Evidently Cochrane by Sarah Chapman
“evidence is weak… experiences… mothers of two young people with cancer… brilliant leaflet… Teens in Hospital… it is really important to me that I feel like I have a say in what my treatment is… tell me in a way that I will understand… doctor jargon… intimidating…”
How stress can lead to inequality
ScienceDaily
“stress… affects our degree of confidence, implying that it can even be a cause of social inequality rather than just a consequence of it… People often interpret self-confidence as competence… stress… trapping highly anxious individuals in a self-perpetuating loop of low competitive confidence…”
Social Work:
96 Percent of Social Workers Want Mobile Technology
Social Work Helper (Rich Bowlen)
“An overwhelming majority of respondents (96%) answered yes to the question, “Do you think mobile technology would help you do your job?” On the flip side, only 55% think that mobile technology is a priority in their organization…”
Acute behavioral interventions… strategies with suicidal adolescents
Stuck on Social Work (Sean Erreger)
“prior suicide attempt is one of the strongest risk factors for a repeat suicide attempt… critical… chain analysis… triggers (proximal risk factors) for suicidal behavior… replace “no-suicide” contracts with safety plans which include a commitment to treatment…”
Aging Well Is Not an Oxymoron, Says Professor Friedman
CUSSW (Adjunct Associate Professor Michael Friedman)
“Aging well… means feeling good about ourselves, and our lives, when we are old… subjective successful aging… If… satisfied… they are aging well no matter what their physical and cognitive condition… characteristics of people who age well… “
A Decentralized Service Delivery Model Benefits Clients and Providers at SURVIVORS
“IN SITU” (Carin Anderson, MSW Intern)
“Survivors of Torture, International (SURVIVORS) has created a decentralized service delivery model to spread out the rewards and also the challenges such as vicarious trauma amongst our supportive community…”
Fifty Shades of Grey and Informed Consent
Everyone Needs Therapy (therapydoc)
“Being a subdom should feel bad, not good, especially because so many of us, one in three, have suffered some type of negative experience with domination… We have laws that prevent corporal punishment with children. It is considered child abuse…”
Fits and Starts: Two School-based Approaches to Prevent Sex Trafficking
The Chronicle of Social Change (Brittany Patterson)
“Education is one key to preventing the sexual exploitation of minors… Often, pimps, or exploiters as they are also called, begin a relationship through romantic overtures… children have a history of… trauma prior to being victimized… Prevention… key…”
Integrating Spirituality Into Social Work Practice: A Conversation
inSocialWork Podcast (Bonnie Collins and Elaine Hammond)
“second of a two-part discussion on integrating spirituality into social work practice… assessment protocols and intervention strategies… use of rituals, ceremonies, and meditation… resources… on how to incorporate spirituality into their practice…”
Marangu School Visit
SocialWorkSynergy (Travis Atwater)
“These were extremely poor children growing up… If you are caught speaking Swahili you can be forced to do demeaning exercises or you may be beaten… I hope to speak with some administration to question what it is they get out of this kind of discipline…”
Polyamorous People Answer the Questions You’ve Always Wanted to Ask
Everyday Feminism
“In this video, polyamorous people share some answers, breaking down misconceptions and giving advice on starting and sustaining non-monogamous relationships…”
Rape Culture, Child Protection and 50 Shades of Grey
Child Protection Lessons (Peter Choate)
“sexual assault is a significant issue in child protection matters… At the heart of this is the question of what children are exposed to and what is consent… 50 Shades of Grey sets up a standard for consent that suggests it might not be so voluntary and yet still acceptable…”
Social Workers as Mandated Reporters: You Made the Decision: Now What Do You Do?
The New Social Worker Online (Kathryn Krase, Ph.D., J.D., MSW)
“law requires that mandated reporters make the call to CPS as soon as the suspicion of child maltreatment is developed… even the “simplest” calls take longer than you would expect… CPS hotline… not sure if you should report… ask for guidance…”
Taking Advantage of Increased Longevity: Work and Productive Engagement
Innovate@BCSocialWork (Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes)
“Longevity is a game changer… what we do earlier in life and the experiences we have will affect the quality of life and the choices have later in life as well… growing structural lag between the changing needs of contemporary old adults…”
Twitter Chat On Macro Social Work Offers Important Resources for Students, Professionals
Relando Thompkins, MSW, LLMSW
“macro practice is professionally guided intervention designed to bring about change in organizational, community and policy arenas… “
Preparing to Pop Wheelies Down the Aisle Soon?: Wedding Planning Tools for Disabled Brides & Grooms
Ramp Your Voice! (Vilissa Thompson, LMSW)
“All of these resources are free to access, and signing-up is hassle-free… Offbeat Bride is the place for couples who are seeking a supportive online community… disability tag that houses all of its articles about weddings of those with disabilities…”
Why Choose a Master in Social Work (MSW) Degree?
Virtual Connections (Nancy J. Smyth)
“an MSW degree opens up more career paths than any other comparable degree. No other human services-oriented degree encompasses this breadth… Therapist, planner, community organizer, executive director, policy analyst, researcher, program developer…”
Psychology:
Ten Things to Consider When Feeding a Child with Aspergers
JKP Blog (Sarah Patten)
“Information overload. A child with Asperger Syndrome (ASD) is likely to scrutinize the look, texture, taste and temperature of their food… Can’t touch this! If your child likes food on separate plates – go with it. Graduate to smaller plates, closer together…”
Case study: The critical need to conduct thorough child assessments
Counseling Today by By Gregory K. Moffatt
“The call on my cell phone was from a social worker at a foster care agency… Cover every base. Avoid the temptation to lean too heavily on any single piece of information… Read… files with objectivity and caution… Be tentative in your conclusions…”
Creativity exercise for therapists #7: Use Analogies, metaphors, and similes
Inner Canvas (Lisa Mitchell, MFT, ATR)
“Metaphors… create powerful word pictures that inform our concepts in ways that labels cannot… I can use my metaphor to understand further what the relationship between mother and son is like… Then… creating goals with my clients… assessing progress…”
Gender inequality in academia: Not just about numbers (Part 1) and (Part 2)
Wiley (Fran Amery)
“focusing on numbers can conceal structures and practices that disadvantage women… Tensions between work and family life are often found by women academics to be a major problem… academic roles are often gendered… Sexism remains a problem… “
How to Raise a Responsible, Respectful Child (part 1)
Child Development Partners by SusanG
“behave in a manner that: 1. Shows respect to others. 2. Sets expectations for respect in return. 3. Has clear boundaries and real life consequences… children and teens want to be respectful… they need us to TEACH them these skills…”
If There Be None
what a shrink thinks (Martha Crawford, LCSW)
“A therapist can destroy relationship out of their own limitations, unprocessed injuries, or simply because they are knocked off their pins by events in their own lives… sometimes clients know, better than we do, exactly what they need to survive or heal…”
The Modern Asylum
NYTimes (Christine Montross)
“movement to deinstitutionalize the mentally ill has been a failure… Patients with chronic, severe mental illnesses are still in facilities — only now… hospitals… jails and prisons… ethicists argue… “way forward… return to psychiatric asylums.”…
Online Social Gaming – Why Should We Be Worried?
Online Therapy Institute
“Even when games do not involve money, most social games introduce players to the principles and excitement of gambling… began gaming on social casinos before moving onto real money gaming which eventually became a problem…”
Pornography: Ways It Blocks Healthy Sexual Relations (Part 1) and (Part 2)
Neuroscience and Relationships (Athena Staik, Ph.D.)
“Most men (and some women) continue to “think” porn is just a fun thing guys do… Portrays sex devoid of human connection as the norm… Conditions men to think of sex as a weapon of power… women as sex objects, rather than human beings… “
Scenes of Misrecognition: The Absence of (Visible) Family Ties
Kimberly McKee, PhD
“Rather than being viewed as a family, the Asian adult adoptee and white adoptive parent may be mistaken for a myriad of relationships other than child/parent… No “right” answer exists to how we prepare… intrusive and awkward questions…”
Labeled and Unlabeled Identities: Therapy for Queer Lives
Good Therapy (Jeremy Schwartz, LCSW)
“When seeking therapy, it is often important to find a therapist who will be open to understanding your identities and will not make assumptions… the fact you have a same-sex partner does not necessarily mean you identify as gay—perhaps you are bisexual…”
What to Expect When You’re Expecting Therapy
The Trauma and Attachment Report (Robert T. Muller)
“Starting therapy can be an anxiety-provoking experience that is intensified by uncertainty about what happens during the actual sessions… some misconceptions… some common questions clients have about the psychotherapeutic process…”
When Grief Won’t Relent
NYTimes (Jane E. Brody)
“how one responds and adjusts to the death of a loved one — is a very individual matter… Complicated grief is like a wound that doesn’t heal and can follow the loss of any close relationship… 10 percent to 20 percent — among those who lose a romantic partner…”
Nonprofit:
6 surprising lessons performers can teach us about interviewing
Idealist Careers (Victoria Crispo)
“Present what makes you “uniquely you” and how that “unique you” is right for the role… be on alert for nonverbal cues from the interviewer… Understand the nuances and the unspoken needs… Help the interviewer see you in the role and that you will fit in…”
Let’s chat! How strategic volunteering can transform your career
Idealist Careers (Victoria Crispo)
“on Tuesday, Feb 24th at 1 p.m. EST… Nonprofit Career Coach… Mark McCurdy… benefits of strategic volunteering, the best way to make strong connections as a volunteer, and tips for turning a volunteer position into a paid gig…”
Private Practice:
How To Publish A Free E-Book To Hook Your Ideal Client
Private Practice from the Inside Out (Kate Daigle, MA, NCC, LPC)
“One of the ways to spread your resources and support and to attract more clients and make money is by writing your own e-book… Focus on a Specific Topic. What are you passionate about?… It can be anywhere from 7-20 pages… be personable and be yourself…”
Why Quantifying Treatment Outcomes Matters
Psych Central Professional (Jacob Levenson)
“The clients who seek results-oriented programs are strong and will continue to grow… quantify results, build an outcomes-driven identity, and appeal to a surging demographic of highly-informed clients… new reimbursement paradigm… this year… “
You are invited to the book club for Irvin D. Yalom’s new book
Private Practice Experts Kelly & Miranda (Miranda Palmer)
“Irvin D. Yalom’s new book Creatures of a Day… most clinically dense book I’ve ever read… each of these stories is meant to teach psychotherapists and psychiatrists alike powerful clinical lessons… a book club for mental health professionals… Each month…”
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Which of the above posts was your favorite for this week? Also, if you have a #mustread article to recommend, please describe it below.
Thanks so much for the shout out of my “Why Choose a Master in Social Work (MSW) Degree?” Dorlee. There already are two interesting comments there (more interesting than my post, in my opinion). I invite all social workers to add their point of view to the post — thatwill make it a much more useful resource to people.
It was my pleasure, Nancy. I think your post raised a very good question and shared a host of great reasons to pursue an MSW (some of which applied/drew me to this field).
I will also make a point of checking out what others have added and/or are adding!
As an aside, they say great minds think alike… Linda Grobman had asked for submissions to the New Social Worker magazine for responses to essentially this question in honor of the upcoming Social Work month 🙂
Great post, Dorlee. Thanks for including Kathryn Krase’s mandated reporting article. There are 7 articles in the series already posted, and there will be 2 more.
Nancy, I enjoyed your post on why to choose an MSW. Dorlee, as you mentioned, we are publishing a Social Work Month series on THE NEW SOCIAL WORKER site, which will include essays on this topic, poetry, music, and more. I’m getting excited about Social Work Month!
Thanks, Linda. It was my pleasure.
Kathryn Krase’s article provides valuable guidance on the whole mandated reporting process. It is one that can feel rather intimidating/confusing, especially when you are at the beginning of your social work career.
I look forward to checking out the other posts in the series, as well as your upcoming Social Work Month’s series of essays, poetry, music and more!
Thanks, Dorlee for posting my article! I’m glad you found it relevant.
Hope you are well —
Jeremy
It was my pleasure, Jeremy.
Your article was most helpful in illustrating how important it is to be open, inquisitive and non-assuming vis a vis our clients’ identities (this always holds true but I suspect many of us would benefit from some continuing education within the LGBQT realm).
Best,
Dorlee