Message from NASW-DE Executive Director John Shuford

In this issue of newSWire, I would like to highlight a program of our Department of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families, the CHAMP Network Program. This is a mentoring program for youth aging out of foster care. In my 21 years volunteering with the Alternatives to Violence Project in our state’s adult prisons, I have worked with many inmates who grew up in foster care.  When our youth age out of foster care, there are few resources to help and support them. The mentors CHAMP provides can mean the difference between success and prison.  Debra Fletcher, the Program Coordinator sent the following to me:  

CHAMP deals with a population of youth that were once a forgotten or neglected population. Our program is in place to help fill the void for these youth and provide something to them that any 16-21 year old needs, a caring adult role model and consistent friend. We recruit, train, and manage a talented bank of volunteers from various backgrounds and experiences to provide youth currently or formerly in foster care with the guidance and support they need as they transition into adulthood. The Delaware CHAMP Network aims to assist youth in developing to their full potential capable of making informed decisions as empowered adults. We aim to help reduce rates of homelessness, unemployment, under-education, unplanned pregnancy, and incarceration.

For more information and to find out about volunteering as a mentor, contact:
Debra Fletcher, Delaware CHAMP Network Program Coordinator
Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families
1825 Faulkland Rd., Wilmington, DE 19805, (302)633-2643

In the last issue of NewSWire, I mentioned PAWS, a Pet Therapy program in Delaware.  Lynne Robinson has sent me several articles on Pet Therapy, the second of which I am including here, “PAWS for People; Changing Behavior One Healing Connection at a Time.” This therapy, when done correctly, has significant potential to help many types of clients.

I recently received a call from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in Philadelphia asking me to share with social workers about the federal health insurance program for individuals with Pre-Existing Conditions, known as PCIP. I have attached an article, and fact sheet. They are happy to present information at any trainings, lunch and learns, or answer questions.  Please contact Barbara Childers at 215-861-4174 or email pcipro3@cms.hhs.gov. 

The University of Delaware is currently working on 8 research studies involving people who have had a stroke.  In their words, “We generally work with subjects who have completed their physical therapy and occupational therapy--- those who no longer have insurance coverage for additional services, but who could use additional physical therapy to improve their function.”  They are asking providers for referrals for individuals who could benefit from further therapy.  Please contact: 

Margie Roos, PT, DPT, NCS, Research Physical Therapist
University of Delaware, Department of Physical Therapy (302) 831-7063

NASW News From The Hill has a lot of current information about what is happening in congress and its impact on social workers and their clients.

The Delaware Psychological Association is sponsoring a continuing education workshop, "Adventures on the Electronic Frontier: Ethics and Risk Management in the Digital Era", presented by Jeffrey N. Younggren, Ph.D., ABPP, on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Wilmington/Christiana Hilton Hotel, 100 Continental Drive, Newark, Delaware.  www.depsych.org  or call DPA at (302) 475-1574.

Finally, it is important for us to keep in mind our future and the future of the profession.  By offering to be a Field Instructor, we not only get the services of a capable future social worker, but we ensure the future quality of the profession.  Delaware State University and West Chester University offer internships for social work students.  Contact them to inquire about being a Field Instructor.

Chavon Dottin, MSW, M.Ed, Director of Field Instruction
Department of Social Work
Delaware State University, 1200 North Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901
302-857-6778 office, 302-857-6833 fax  cdottin@desu.edu

Lydia Robb, LCSW, Director of Field Practicum
Graduate Social Work Program, Reynolds Hall
West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383
phone: 610-738-0524 * cell: 302-530-4042 * fax: 610-738-0375
WCU Graduate Social Work website:  www.wcupa.edu/_ACADEMICS/sch_sba/g-sw.html

Test Prep in Delaware

In partnership with the NASW-NJ Chapter, NASW-DE will be holding the LCSW Test Prep Course in Dover, DE.

    
    LCSW / Clinical Test Prep
    Saturday, July 9, 2011
    Dover (site to be announced)
    9:00 AM - 4:30 PM   

Click here to RSVP  

Legal Issue of the Month and SWELI Facebook Page

Attached for use in Chapter’s member publications is the May 2011 LDF “Legal Issue of the Month” article, Provider Refusal and Conscience Clause Controversies. This will also be posted to the NASW Legal Defense Fund Webpage (www.socialworkers.org/ldf/legal_issue) and uploaded to the NASW Chapter Extranet shortly. We encourage you to introduce your members (and leaders) to the new Social Work Ethics and Law Institute (SWELI) Facebook page.  Here is a link with some text you can use for email announcements or chapter publications:

Find the “Social Work Ethics and Law Institute” on Facebook and “Like” us to receive bi-weekly legal and ethics announcements for social workers at:  www.facebook.com/socialworkethicslaw

State Toolkit Regarding Young Adult Health Care Provisions

Getting Covered [ www.GettingCovered.org/Toolkit] is a campaign to inform young adults and their families about the provision in the new health care law that allows young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26. This provision is important. It has the potential to cover over 2 million of our nation's 18.9 million uninsured young adults. And it will not add a single dollar to state or federal budgets.

Getting Covered will ensure that all young adults, parents and families have the information they need to take advantage of this benefit. The toolkit includes important state-level health insurance information, and covers topics such as:

-  How to stay on or go back on your parent's plan up to age 26
-  What to look for when buying individual insurance, including key insurance terms
-  What you should know if you have a pre-existing or chronic condition
-  What government insurance programs, such as Medicaid, might be available in your state
-  Where to find a community health center near you
-  What you need to know about the new health care law
-  What to look for if you are a young woman
-  Facts on Young Adults and Cancer

Download the toolkit at: www.GettingCovered.org/Toolkit.

The Getting Covered campaign is the product of over twenty national organizations and dozens of state and local groups, all dedicated to making health care reform work for young adults. The campaign is coordinated by Young Invincibles -- a national organization representing the interests of young Americans between the ages of 18 and 34.  Contact Stacy Collins at scollins@naswdc.org with questions.

Community Voicemail Opportunity

Community Voicemail (www.cvm.org) provides a service for low-income and homeless individuals to supply them with personalized voicemail numbers. As we all know, this can come in handy if individuals are looking for a job, need access to health care results, and other important messages, but do not have a reliable method of contact. CVM also provides broadcast messages letting users know of job opportunities, low or no cost health care opportunities, and other events/messages of interest to their users. Finally, they provide some advocacy information, particularly as it relates to the digital divide.

CVM already has sites across the country (http://www.cvm.org/sites.cfm) where a host organization provides the voicemail numbers to agencies or organizations who request them for clients. The numbers are sometimes free (if the host organization covers the cost) or provided at low cost to the agency.  In addition, they are interested in partnering with organizations to apply for grants to expand their services.

Community Voicemail could be a nice addition to grants with an overall focus of poverty alleviation, health disparities (in rural or low-income areas), and many other areas.  If you are interested in learning more about CVM, please feel free to contact Elizabeth Hoffler at ehoffler@naswdc.org , or touch base with Stacy Holmes, Deputy Director of CVM, at sholmes@cvm.org.

Hot Topic of the Month – Clinical Social Workers, Care Advocates, and Life Coaches: Who Are They?

For more on this “Hot Topic of the Month” click here: http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/clinical/2011/041311.asp 
Contact Mirean Coleman with questions at mcoleman@naswdc.org

The US Department of Health and Human Services is offering grants for Community Transformation Grants which aim to improve health, reduce health disparities, and lower health care costs.  “Community Transformation Grants will empower local communities with resources, information, and flexibility to help make their residents healthier,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “By helping to transform communities at the ground level, these efforts can have a major impact on the health of Americans.”

For more information on the Community Transformation grants, please visit www.cdc.gov/communitytransformation. Letter of intent deadline is June 10.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has released, "Saving Drug-Endangered Children: An Interview with Commander Lori Moriarty."

The 2-part podcast features interviews with Commander Lori Moriarty of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children. Part 1 discusses the role law enforcement plays in cases involving drug-endangered children. Part 2 provides information about resources for state, local, and tribal communities that would like to be more involved in assisting drug-endangered children.

New Videos about Alcohol Use & Older Adults Now Available on NIHSeniorHealth.gov

What life events trigger drinking problems in older adults? What help is available? If you drink and want to cut back, how can you do it? Hear an expert on alcohol addiction and two older adults who have had problems with alcohol discuss answers to these and other questions in three new videos from NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults.

You can watch the videos about older adults and alcohol use on our website. You can also read more about alcohol and its effects on older people. For more health and wellness information for older adults, go to www.nihseniorhealth.gov.

NIHSeniorHealth.gov is a senior-friendly website from the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine, both parts of the National Institutes of Health.

New publications from SAMHSA

Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Aged 12 to 14. Reports on the characteristics of youth aged 12 to 14 admitted to substance abuse treatment in 2008. Includes demographic characteristics, substances of abuse, age of first use, treatment characteristics, and prevalence of co-occurring disorders. Inventory#: TEDS11-0503 and

Introduction to Cross-System Data Sources in Child Welfare, Alcohol and Other Drug Services, and Courts. Describes data-reporting systems that collect information about child welfare services, substance abuse services, or court-related cases to monitor the agency¿s ability to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being for youth in the child welfare system. Inventory#: SMA11-4630

The "Street Outreach" video series is designed to equip homeless service providers with skills and knowledge to do their jobs well. Rather than talking theoretically about skills and knowledge, these training videos show providers practicing them in real world settings. See this video. 

Kids & Alcohol

A new study shows that teens who drink with an adult supervising are more likely to develop problems with alcohol than kids who aren’t allowed to touch the stuff till they hit age 21.

For this study, 1945 seventh graders were surveyed and tracked for three years. Approximately half of the teens were from Australia, while the other half were from Washington State.  Each year the teens were asked about their experiences with alcohol and their relationships with their parents.

Teens who reported drinking said that they had experienced harmful consequences from alcohol consumption such as, not being able to stop one they had started drinking, became violent and got into a fight, got injured or had an accident, got sick or passed out, had sex with someone they later regretted, were unable to remember the night before.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42807670/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

News from DE and Beyond...

click on article title for link

Need therapy? A good man is hard to find
Between unresolved family conflicts, relationship struggles and his mixed-race identity, James Puckett had enough on his mind in college that he sought professional help. But after bouncing from one therapist to another, he still felt stuck. ... He decided to seek out a male therapist instead, and found that there were few of them. MORE

Recovery homes reach out to Latinos
Alberto Santana has been around alcohol and drugs since he was 7 years old, first introduced by his family. Since then, the 23-year-old has been in and out of jail, hospitals and homelessness. "I get an adrenaline rush out of doing bad things," he said. This year, Santana came out of rehab with a resolve to stay clean and sober. If he returned to his old friends, he would relapse in no time, he believed. But he didn't feel he would "fit in" with an Anglo community, either. MORE  This article is about Oxford Houses, which have been in Delaware for a number of years; an excellent resource for those with substance abuse seeking independent living situations.

More older addicts seeking treatment
They go around this room at the Hanley Center telling of their struggles with alcohol and drugs. They tell of low points and lapses, brushes with death and pain caused to families. And silently, through the simple fact that each is in their 60s or beyond, they share one more secret: Addiction knows no age. "I retired, I started drinking more," one man said. "I lost my father, my mother, my dog, and it gave me a good excuse," said another. MORE

The power of play therapy
Social workers and other therapists have long used forms of play to communicate with younger clients, but to actually be trained in play therapy means following a prescribed model to help meet the needs of those clients. It's a field that many social workers may be considering. Still, in a culture where play is becoming less valued—for myriad reasons that are not limited to busy parents and the advent of high-tech video games—can a field focusing on therapy through play survive? MORE

Disaster plans should include those with mental illness
When disaster strikes — whether a deadly supercell tornado, a flood, or man-made catastrophe — it is not just those with physical injuries and trauma-related disorders who suffer. Johns Hopkins University researchers say more attention should be devoted to triaging and managing those identified as having mental disorders. MORE

Signs Your Spouse is Experiencing Postpartum Depression
To help understand the signs of postpartum depression and how you can help your spouse if he /she has postpartum depression, I have interviewed psychotherapist Jennifer Kogan LCSW.

How to talk to kids about Osama bin Laden
For a more localized point of view, I asked Laura Newton, the Montgomery County School Counseling Services Supervisor and D.C . family therapist Jennifer Kogan.

Be mindful between bites
I am a licensed clinical social worker practicing in the Auburn area and have worked with individuals who are chronic overeaters, chronic under-eaters, chronic dieters and chaotic eaters. I believe that there are two predominant existing factors that make it extremely hard for us to be mindful, thus leaving us mindless.

Phoenix VA Medical Center aide counsels sexually abused
15, 2011 12:00 AM For the past four years, a full-time social worker at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix has been helping men and women who were sexually abused, harassed or assaulted in the armed forces.

Troops seek help for military sexual trauma
The problem is so large that the Phoenix VA Medical Center has hired a full-time social worker who does nothing but provide individual counseling and support groups for sexual trauma victims. Social worker Judith Orosz said anger, anxiety, depression and an inability to hold a job are typical among those who seek help.

Classified    

LCSWs - MHM Services is currently seeking LCSWs for staff and director positions at the James. T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna. Provides mental health assessment, treatment and case management services in collaboration with a multidisciplinary mental health team in a correctional setting. Must be an LCSW in Delaware. Excellent pay & benefits including: health/dental/vision insurance; 34 paid days off; CEUs and more. Contact Cathy: cathy@mhmcareers.com, 800-566-1291 or 866-899-0920 Fax. EEO/AA 

Continuing Education - Non NASW Sponsored

The Delaware Psychological Association is sponsoring a continuing education workshop, "Adventures on the Electronic Frontier: Ethics and Risk Management in the Digital Era", presented by Jeffrey N. Younggren, Ph.D., ABPP, on Saturday, June 11, 2011 at the Wilmington/Christiana Hilton Hotel, 100 Continental Drive, Newark, Delaware.  This workshop has been approved for six (6) CE credits and those insured through the APAIT-sponsored Professional Liability Program will receive a 15% discount on professional liability insurance premiums for the next two policy years.  For details and registration, please visit the Continuing Education section of the DPA website at http://www.depsych.org/ or call DPA at (302) 475-1574. The Delaware Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education.