MQ Mental Health

APRIL 19, 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of MQ’s CEO Lea Milligan who passed away following a sudden illness on Monday the 15th of April. Lea dedicated his life to helping other people. He turned down a place at Oxford University, deciding instead to launch his career in the charity sector. He started by delivering cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and alternative education programmes in prisons before becoming COO of City Gateway who provide support to at-risk children and women in

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Mental Health CBT Healthcare University 138

The Guardian

APRIL 19, 2024

The scandal, revealed by the Guardian, didn’t occur in a vacuum. The right’s casting of the poor as parasitic benefits cheats underpins it all The unpaid carer’s allowance in this country is £81.90 a week. It’s hard to see what serious thought went into arriving at that figure – any calculation of how much it costs to live on, for instance, or how much an unpaid carer is saving the government.

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Administration Government Welfare 103

Community Care

APRIL 11, 2024

Our interview with Lord Herbert Laming is part of a new series of profiles of key figures who have shaped social work over the past five decades, to celebrate Community Care’s 50th anniversary. More than 20 years after delivering his report into the death of Victoria Climbié , there is still a quiet sadness about Herbert Laming at the mention of her name.

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Social Worker Government Interviewing Social Services 322

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 15, 2024

There’s a concept known as over-accommodating. That is when the parent seeks to be supportive of a child expressing some sort of difficulty and does so in a way that is disproportionate to the need or in a way that lessens or dials back their expectation. As such, the parent is seeking to be helpful, not at all realizing that their response to the child’s issue is actually enabling it.

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CBT Counseling Mental Health Private Practice 147

Advertiser: Caseworthy

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Case Management

My Brains Not Broken

APRIL 17, 2024

Do you ever feel like your day just isn’t going well? I know we all have good days and bad ones, but I’m talking about something different. It’s those days when everything feels a little off, or when every decision you make seems to be the wrong one. These situations are tricky because things could certainly be worse (as we remind ourselves), but that also doesn’t solve the confusing problem at hand.

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Mental Health Anxiety Depression 130

The Guardian

APRIL 17, 2024

Officials at Department for Work and Pensions accused of ‘threatening and cruel’ tactics over repayment orders Woman with dementia, 92, told to repay £7,000 in disability allowance Government officials have been accused of using “threatening and cruel” tactics towards unpaid carers by saying they could face even greater financial penalties if they appeal against “vindictive” benefit fines.

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Disability Government Welfare 111

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 15, 2024

I know, the world feels precarious to many these days. That precariousness is heightened by those who would seek to deny science, instead relying on leaders who spew their own brand of information. They appeal to those financially disenfranchised, those whose anger is ready to be fueled. It works. Sadly. There is no arguing with many of these folks.

Private Practice 147

Private Practice Mental Health Social Worker Counseling 147

International Federation of Social Workers

APRIL 4, 2024

IFSW Europe is delighted to announce the election of Dr Ruth Allen as the new regional president. Ruth Allen succeeds outgoing president Ana Radulescu.

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MQ Mental Health

APRIL 15, 2024

Whether it’s painting, drawing, sculpting, cooking, knitting, sewing, writing, singing, playing music, dancing, the arts play a big role in our overall mental and physical health as well as our communities. Creativity can be seen by some, perhaps in past decades, as frivolous. But there’s evidence to show that creativity helps our mental health and our stress management.

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Mental Health Schizophrenia Engagement Psychotherapy 105

CAPC

APRIL 9, 2024

A nurse leader shares important insights from palliative care RNs disclosed during mentorship and then offers four ways RNs can advocate for themselves in their careers.

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Clinic 112

Speaker: Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW.

You may have the clinical skills to manage a private practice, but your success could actually hinge on marketing skills. For a thriving practice, you need to differentiate yourself from others and present yourself in a way that attracts referrals. These days, much of that happens online, including on social media. In this webinar, Gary Direnfeld will discuss how social media marketing can help you build your private practice and grow your client base.

Private Practice

Community Care

APRIL 10, 2024

Seven more councils have been chosen to test the government’s family support and child protection reforms. They will join the existing three families first for children pathfinders in testing the changes, which are designed to ensure families receive better and earlier support to help resolve their needs and strengthen the quality of child protection practice.

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Social Worker Government 251

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 9, 2024

They loved gentle parenting. What they didn’t realize is that their implementation was in reaction to the harsh parenting experienced as a child. What they labeled gentle parenting was actually permissive parenting, the opposite of the authoritarian style they were subject to. As such their kids weren’t really held accountable or well directed.

Private Practice 147

Private Practice Mental Health Social Worker Counseling 147

The Guardian

APRIL 13, 2024

Observer investigation finds that private companies made £105m despite not being registered with Ofsted Hundreds of extremely vulnerable school-age children in England are being sent to illegal, unregulated homes every year because of a chronic shortage of places in secure local authority units. An Observer investigation has established that councils placed 706 children, the majority of them under the age of 16, in their care in homes that were not registered with Ofsted, the children’s social c

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Schools 111

MQ Mental Health

APRIL 15, 2024

April is Stress Awareness Month so to be aware of stress, honour it and deal with it appropriately, it’s important to be clear in the distinction that stress is not a mental health condition although it can be the cause of and the symptom of one. We perhaps in society mistake “stress” as a mental illness partly as a hangover from the time when doctors might sign people off from work with “stress” instead of “undiagnosed or untreated mental health condition”.

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Mental Health PTSD OCD Disorder 105

KVC

APRIL 18, 2024

Have you ever wondered what the “KVC” in KVC Health Systems stands for? You’re not alone; it’s one of the most frequently asked questions we get. Answering this question gives us a chance to tell you about our history and our future… both where we’ve been and where we’re going. Do you believe every child deserves to be safe and connected to a strong family?

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Child Welfare Healthcare Welfare Foster Care 98

Community Care

APRIL 9, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. The body representing children’s home providers has decided to exclude providers receiving finance from tax havens from membership. The Children’s Homes Association’s (CHA) new membership rules also stipulate that members must be ultimately owned in the UK and have at least majority shareholders who are UK-registered taxpayers.

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Consultation Government 242

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 9, 2024

Admittedly, I am a workaholic. My dad was a workaholic. My brothers are workaholics. I love what I do. I love meeting and working with people. I love writing. I love presenting. I love what I do. Years ago, working from home, our son came to my office to grab some time with me. I blew him off. It wasn’t long after I felt the heat of Arlene’s gaze at my back.

Private Practice 147

Private Practice Mental Health Social Worker Counseling 147

The Guardian

APRIL 12, 2024

Karina Moon, who is sole carer for her daughter most of the week, was told she needed to repay £11,292.75 or be prosecuted for fraud Ex-ministers press Sunak on ‘persecution’ of carers who broke earnings rules Carers in the UK: have you been threatened with prosecution for benefit fraud? Karina Moon vividly recalls the telephone call that brought her to tears.

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Government 111

MQ Mental Health

APRIL 2, 2024

April is Stress Awareness Month. Workplace stress is familiar to many of us. The pursuit of achievement, earning money, staff politics, deadlines, tech stress and juggling work and family life all make our work a prime source of potential stress, no matter the industry we work within, be it the private, public or charity sector. Last year (2023), Jacinda Ardern the Prime Minister of New Zealand, announced she’d step back from the role.

Mental Health 105

Mental Health Healthcare Hospitals Psychology 105

The New Social Worker

APRIL 15, 2024

Self-care needs to be readily accessible and make sense. One of our most accessible forms of self-care is, literally, in-plain-sight, next-to-our-skin, on-the-tip-of-our-tongue, in-front-of-our nose, and “hear”-for-us.

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Community Care

APRIL 15, 2024

By Kirsty Hammonds, Coram In my role as child placement consultant in Coram’s activity days team, I come across many siblings who will not be able to live together permanently. This may be due to older siblings already having been adopted or even being deemed too old to be adopted and therefore remaining in long-term foster care. Also, some children are part of very large siblings groups, where it is just not possible for them to all to stay living together.

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Adoption Foster Care Interviewing Social Worker 228

Social Care

APRIL 10, 2024

[Image created by freepik.com ] Caring at home and work is tough I know from my own experience how challenging it can be juggling a busy work life and looking after a family member, in my case my mum at the end of her life. Those six months were tough, emotionally and physically. I experienced every emotion you can imagine. I know many of my colleagues, past and present, have lived through similar times or are doing so right now.

Mental Health 100

Mental Health 100

Blurt It Out

APRIL 9, 2024

Facing depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges can feel like walking through a dense fog with no end in sight. We grapple with intrusive thoughts, overwhelming emotions, and a constant sense of unease. Picture the weight of self-doubt pressing down on your shoulders, making each step feel like an uphill battle. However, amidst the darkness, there are rays of hope – simple yet effective therapy tools that offer comfort and companionship in our darkest moments.

Anxiety 101

Anxiety Engagement Depression Mental Health 101

Michigan Social Work

APRIL 5, 2024

MSW student Lady Funcke has been named one of the Latinx Research Week 2024 Familismo Award Winners. Latinx Research Week is an interdisciplinary, conference-style series of events hosted annually on the U-M campus. The Familismo Award is a testament to individuals who embody the values of love, respect, ethics of care and community, which are essential for fostering supportive academic communities.

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Community Care

APRIL 17, 2024

The Department for Education has axed a social work leadership training programme in what has been described as a “kick in the teeth” for the profession. The DfE will not renew funding for the Pathways programme when its initial two-year period comes to an end in July, revealed Frontline yesterday. The charity, which delivers the training to practice supervisors, middle managers, heads of service and assistant director in council children’s services, said the “unexpected&

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Social Worker Government 208

The New Social Worker

APRIL 7, 2024

As in previous years, The New Social Worker is pleased to present the winning poems of the National Social Work Poetry Contest. The contest is sponsored by the University of Iowa School of Social Work. Congratulations to the Spring 2024 winners!

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University Social Worker Schools 98

The Guardian

APRIL 18, 2024

Davina Ware applied for benefits to help look after husband Mike, 72, who has lived with Parkinson’s for 20 years The pain cuts through Davina Ware’s voice as she describes her experience of carer’s allowance, the meagre weekly benefit given to those heralded by the government as Britain’s “unsung heroes”. She feels “humiliated,” “devastated,” and “treated like a conniving thief” by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) since she received its demand, three months before her retirement, to r

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Government Disability 100

Nnatasha Tracy

APRIL 5, 2024

I told you a new book on bipolar disorder was coming. I've been working on it for months, and while it's not here yet, the title and cover are here. I hope you enjoy this Natasha Tracy bipolar book title and cover art reveal.

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Disorder 91

Blurt It Out

APRIL 15, 2024

Our family is supposed to be our sanctuary, a place where we feel loved, supported, and understood. However, for many individuals, family dynamics can be far from ideal, often veering into toxicity. These toxic family environments can have profound effects on our mental health, shaping our emotional well-being and sense of self. In this article, we’ll explore the signs of a toxic family, delve into its impact on mental health, and discuss strategies for coping and healing.

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Self-harm Communication Substance Abuse Mental Health 84

Community Care

APRIL 11, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Practice educators are passionate about supporting students, but a lack of recognition and support risks pushing some out of the role, Social Work England-commissioned research has found. The study found that practitioners were sustained in the role by the motivation to develop the next generation of social workers, further their own skills and knowledge and, in some cases, redress their ow

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Interviewing Disability Social Worker Mental Health 217

NCCPR Child Welfare Blog

APRIL 17, 2024

“We don’t have enough money to stop being racist!” Well, no, county family police agencies in Minnesota (where counties run these systems) didn’t say it in those words. But in this excellent story from Minnesota Public Radio that’s essentially the argument put forth by county family policing agencies opposing a new version of the Minnesota African American Family Preservation Act.

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Child Welfare Foster Care Welfare Depression 87

The Guardian

APRIL 16, 2024

£25bn of public money would have been saved between 2019 and 2023 if north had same care entry rates as south, report says One in every 52 children in Blackpool are in care compared with one in 140 across England, leading to calls for more to be done to urgently tackle the widening north-south divide , brought on by “decades of underinvestment”. Nine in every thousand children are in care in the north, compared with six in the rest of England, according to a report by Health Equity North.

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Nnatasha Tracy

APRIL 18, 2024

It can be difficult to know how to advocate for yourself in a doctor's appointment. I've been faced with this for years, and I still sometimes find it difficult. However, forming a patient-doctor alliance where you work together is part of a comprehensive wellness plan. In order to participate in this, you must be able to advocate for your own needs and wants.

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Advocacy 82

Blurt It Out

APRIL 16, 2024

Anxiety is a prevalent mental health condition characterized by feelings of worry, fear, and unease. It’s essential to recognize that anxiety is a normal human emotion and serves as a protective mechanism in threatening situations. However, when anxiety becomes excessive or disproportionate to the situation, it can significantly impact daily functioning and overall well-being.

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Anxiety Mental Health Engagement Therapist 82

Community Care

APRIL 15, 2024

By Leeanne Olivant, NOPT In the dynamic landscape of social work, practice educators (PEs) stand as vital pillars. The role’s critical importance in nurturing the next generation of social workers and retaining experienced practitioners was highlighted in a Social Work England-commissioned review, which reported last month. The National Organisation for Practice Teaching (NOPT), which represents PEs across the country, warmly welcomes the report as a long-overdue acknowledgement of the pivotal c

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Social Worker Interviewing Diversity Disability 208

Teaching & Learning in Social Work

APRIL 19, 2023

Editor’s Note: Christa McCrorie (she/her), LICSW-PIP, is an adjunct instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a social worker with a private practice, Creative Therapeutic Solutions, LLC, where she specializes in queer needs and trauma processing. In this blog post, she shares how her time as an adjunct instructor has improved her own social work practice and offers reflection prompts for those interested in adjunct teaching as a social worker.

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Private Practice Domestic Violence Social Worker University 182