Community Care

MAY 1, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. The government’s axing of a social work leadership training scheme risks undermining support for practitioners as well as the retention of managers, principal social workers have warned. The chairs of the Principal Children and Families Social Worker (PCFSW) Network said the loss of the Pathways programme – used by all but 10 local authorities – had left a gap in managemen

Social Worker 177

Social Worker Communication Mental Health Government 177

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 29, 2024

Trigger warning. This post discusses violence against women. ——- I asked directly if there had ever been hitting between his parents. He spoke of how his dad was violent with his mother. When I asked if it ever stopped, he said it did, at least for a while. I asked how. He described a violent and chaotic scene. Dad was on a tirade, mother screaming.

Private Practice 147

Private Practice Mental Health Therapist Counseling 147

Community Care

APRIL 24, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Free Loaves on Fridays , a new anthology containing letters, stories and poems by 100 care experienced children and adults, was launched last week. The book, edited by Rebekah Pierre, professional officer at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW), features contributions from people aged 13 to 68, from renowned poet and author Lemn Sissay to first-time writers. “The book hold

Social Worker 327

Social Worker Foster Care Diversity 327

Save the Social Worker

APRIL 28, 2024

Take a look at your shelf now. Chances are, if you have a book on social work from university, you might have shelved it, never to read it again. Or you might wonder how to get rid of it by giving it as a Christmas present. Or it might be a paperweight for your growing pile of unsettled paperwork. And here I am telling you to read more social work books?

Social Worker 246

Social Worker Self-harm Engagement Welfare 246

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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.

Mental Health 130

Mental Health Anxiety Depression 130

MQ Mental Health

MAY 1, 2024

On Thursday 25 April 2024, the DATAMIND and MQ Data Science Meeting took place in Swansea. The DATAMIND Hub maximises data's value by safely and securely uniting data from many sources, including health records, schools and administrative data, charity data, research trials, genomics, longitudinal studies and cohort data. DATAMIND ensures data can be found through the UK Health Data Research Innovation Gateway, meaning researchers can use the data to help address complicated questions about ment

Mental Health 133

Mental Health Administration Communication Psychology 133

The Guardian

APRIL 28, 2024

Campaigners say cash-strapped local authorities are placing young people in budget accommodation, making them targets for grooming by criminal gangs Vulnerable teenagers in care are being placed in hotels by cash-strapped councils, with experts warning they are being “served up” to criminal gangs. Children aged 16 to 17 are entering care in greater numbers than any other age group, often with complex needs, and experts say many councils in England now have nowhere to put them.

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Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 29, 2024

On a daily or weekly basis how many alcoholic beverages do you consume? He answered that he was a social drinker. So I asked how many times a week do you socialize and when you do, how many beverages do you have? He said he gets together with friends maybe four or five times a week. Mostly in the garage. Mostly with neighbors. He said he might have four or five beers.

Counseling 147

Counseling Private Practice Mental Health Social Worker 147

Relias

MAY 1, 2024

Working with adults with autism offers both rewards and challenges. Empowering adults with autism to have a high quality of life involves supporting them in doing activities of their choice, spending time with people of their choice, and doing work that they enjoy. No matter the level of supports they require, everyone deserves to be able to pursue the goals that bring them joy.

Disability 98

Disability Behavior Analysis Engagement Schools 98

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

Mental Health 141

Mental Health CBT Healthcare University 141

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 17, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Incoming Association of Directors of Children’s Services president Andy Smith is passionate about social work’s potential to improve children’s lives. While such a belief is commonplace among senior managers in local authority children’s services, for Smith, it is personal.

Social Worker 270

Social Worker Diversity Government Adoption 270

The Guardian

APRIL 23, 2024

Johnny Timpson says he wants to ‘take a stand’ after revelations thousands of unpaid carers are being forced to pay huge fines One of Rishi Sunak’s dementia advisers has resigned over the government’s approach towards unpaid carers, describing the prosecutions of vulnerable people as “beyond the pale”. Johnny Timpson, who advised No 10 on its dementia strategy, said he wanted to “take a stand” after the Guardian revealed that tens of thousands of unpaid carers were being fined huge sums and in s

Government 110

Government Mental Health Disability 110

Gary Direnfeld

APRIL 29, 2024

I feel for the child who’s told bad things about a parent either for revenge or just to “win” more time with their child. That poor child will grow up knowing they are half of each parent. If one half is deemed bad, then what does that child do with that part of themselves representing that parent? In such a situation, I can only hope the parent who is badmouthed, doesn’t do the same thinking it evens the score.

Private Practice 147

Private Practice Mental Health Counseling Social Worker 147

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?

Child Welfare 98

Child Welfare Healthcare Welfare Foster Care 98

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.

Mental Health 105

Mental Health Schizophrenia Engagement Psychotherapy 105

Community Care

APRIL 24, 2024

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. By Robin Miller and Sarah McLaughlin, IMPACT There are many potential benefits of asset-based approaches, in which professionals start with what matters to the person and their family, take time to build a trusting relationship and complement informal and community resources.

Hospital Discharges 231

Hospital Discharges Social Worker Engagement Hospitals 231

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.

Disability 107

Disability Government Welfare 107

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.

CBT 147

CBT Counseling Mental Health Private Practice 147

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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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”.

Mental Health 105

Mental Health PTSD OCD Disorder 105

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.

Adoption 243

Adoption Foster Care Interviewing Social Worker 243

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.

Government 109

Government 109

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

Bipolar Bandit

APRIL 30, 2024

I was diagnosed with postpartum bipolar I disorder in 2007 after my second daughter was born. I had treatment-resistant bipolar depression, and I tried over 20 meds to no avail. After my father died, I asked for ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) which saved my life. (I wouldn’t hesitate to get ECT again if I needed it.) Fast forward to 2013. I was stable but I was still depressed.

Disorder 85

Disorder Psychiatry Mental Health Interviewing 85

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.

Advocacy 90

Advocacy 90

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&

Social Worker 229

Social Worker Government 229

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

Schools 108

Schools 108

MQ Mental Health

APRIL 18, 2024

This Stress Awareness month, we’re considering how stress affects people differently and what to look for if you’re stressed. Although stress is not a mental illness , it can be the cause of, and the symptom of one. Some people are more responsive to stressful situations and it’s important to note that different people find different cues more stressful than others.

Mental Health 90

Mental Health Communication Psychosocial Therapist 90

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.

Self-harm 84

Self-harm Substance Abuse Communication Mental Health 84

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.

Child Welfare 87

Child Welfare Foster Care Welfare Depression 87

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

Interviewing 235

Interviewing Disability Social Worker Mental Health 235

The Guardian

APRIL 26, 2024

Concern grows over legality of approach as figures show more than 150,000 carers facing huge penalties A hero – then sacked: the carer’s allowance whistleblower More than 150,000 unpaid carers are facing huge fines for minor rule breaches, figures show, as MPs, charities and campaigners demand an immediate amnesty. Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, joined calls to write off the vast debts incurred by tens of thousands of people who care for sick, disabled and elderly relatives after experts raised c

Disability 100

Disability Welfare 100

The New Social Worker

APRIL 30, 2024

Read The New Social Worker’s book review of Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition by Alan Dettlaff. Reviewed by Stephen Cummings.

Child Welfare 66

Child Welfare Welfare 66

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.

Anxiety 82

Anxiety Mental Health Engagement Therapist 82

Social Work Blog

APRIL 24, 2024

By NASW Staff On April 16, 2024, the House of Representatives reintroduced a truly seminal bipartisan criminal justice reform bill called the Second Chance Act (SCA). This news of the reintroduction of SCA is more gratifying when we realize that it coincides with the act’s 16 th anniversary. This legislation, originally passed in 2008, came about through years of advocacy and activism from the criminal justice reform community– in collaboration with SCA’s Congressional champion, Danny Davis (D-I

Criminal Justice 72

Criminal Justice Advocacy Government 72