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When is it neglect?
Grand Island Independent – Grand Island, NE
By Meredith Gardner It’s a case Michelle Walker, a licensed clinical social worker for Grand Island Public Schools, has faced before. …

A Movie, Dinner — and Abuse?
Jewish Exponent – Philadelphia, PA
According to Hedda Matza-Haughton, LCSW, creator, director and facilitator of “Words Not Spoken,” an interactive, improvisational theater experience, …

Men Learn From Each Other and Improve Their Lives
St. Paul Asian American Press – St. Paul, MN
Previously, James served as Co-Director at the Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services and served at the Center’s Director of Social Work …

Social work, faith meet A TYPICAL BUSY DAY
The Free Lance-Star – Fredericksburg, VA
When Sarah Bush and Courtney Chapman signed up to come to Fredericksburg to learn social work, they didn’t expect to work 24 straight hours on a holiday. …

SSW aims to prevent suicide
Daily Free Press (subscription) – Boston, MA
When Betty Ruth, a School of Social Work clinical professor, was a student at Boston University, there was no information or classes about suicide …

What to do When Autism Comes to Visit and Stays
NewHampshire.com – Manchester, NH
Barbara Frankel, Ph.D., MSW, president and founder of The Birchtree Center, offers practical suggestions for how to overcome family stress and do more than …

Social workers honored at reception
Log Cabin Democrat – Conway, AR
By RACHEL PARKER DICKERSON AThe National Association of Social Workers North Central Branch held its annual awards reception Friday night at the Conway …

Many schools face major ‘hidden’ problem — helping homeless …
MinnPost.com – Minneapolis, MN
She tapped Beyer, who works out of Longfellow Community School to head a team of social workers. “We wanted people already in the schools, who already had …

Social worker named head of DYFS
The Star-Ledger – NJ.com – Newark, NJ
by Susan K. Livio/ The Star-Ledger A social worker who once interned at the state Division of Youth and Family Services will now lead New Jersey’s child …

NKU To Host State Social Work Educators
Kentucky Post – Covington, KY
Northern Kentucky University will host the Kentucky Association of Social Work Educators’ (KASWE) Conference April 3-4. The theme of the conference, …

WSU beefs up urban social work
DetNews.com – Detroit, MI
DETROIT — Wayne State University will launch today the Center for Social Work Practice and Policy Research, a partnership between local social service …

Talking to Your Traumatized Child
Mshale African Community Newspaper – Minneapolis, MN
After her son’s suspension, Mary called the school social worker for help with his behavior and trouble sleeping. Although she was not comfortable calling …

Social workers play many roles in our society
Cumberland Times-News – Cumberland, MD
Social workers aim to open the doors of access and opportunity for everyone, particularly those greatest in need. The original mission of social work had …

School of Social Work alumna donates $250000 to college
LSU The Reveille – Baton Rouge, LA
While students were out enjoying spring break, the School of Social Work announced some good news – a dedicated alumna made a big donation. …

Patrick lends support to social workers
Boston Globe
By State House News Service Governor Deval Patrick today acknowledged the danger social workers face on the job, pointing to the fatal stabbing last month …

Social workers still await security
StarNewsOnline.com – Wilmington, NC
By Tyra M. Vaughn, For the past seven years, Pender County Social Services Director Reta Shiver has made the same plea: Security upgrades are needed to …

Sigmund Freud’s grand-daughter to discuss her views at lecture
Fall River Herald News – MA
By Grant Welker Sigmund Freud’s granddaughter Sophie, a writer and retired social work professor, will give a lecture at the University of Massachusetts …

Social worker says he will oppose Sally Kern in
kjrh.com – Tulsa, OK
Ron Marlett, a 59-year-old social worker, was introduced by state Democratic Party head Ivan Holmes at a news conference where Marlett said statements by …

Social Work Students Get Practical
WTOK – Meridian, MS
“This helps a lot in helping with us studying social work because it applies everything that we’ve been practicing for,” said Natisha Isaac, …

Jenee: Retired social worker discovers that being a mentor is a …
Kansas City Star – MO
“I was worried she wouldn’t like me, because I’m old, but it’sa lot like being a grandma,” says Ann, 54, a retired Kansas City social worker. …

http://www.socialworkblog.org/photoPuzzle/

Adding your photo and comment to the Social Work Photo Puzzle is a great way to show your love and support of the social work profession and to express yourself in a unique way. This photo puzzle contributes to the “digital legacy” of social work and lets the world know WHO the Social Work profession is. Social workers come from all walks of life and have varied interests. Upload a photo of you and your fellow social work students, your furry companion, or your new baby boy who is a “future social worker”. Show off the best photo from your Flickr account or share one that you’ve uploaded to your Facebook or MySpace page. Share your photo and add your unique piece to the puzzle that makes up the beautiful picture that is Social Work.

You can view the current entries on the puzzle by clicking on the “Click Here to View the Social Work Photo Puzzle” in the top left side OR “View the Puzzle” link in the top right side of the page. Once the puzzle appears, you can also click on any puzzle piece with an image to read the message related to the entry as well as a larger view of the uploaded image and the web address.

Experts reach out to struggling moms in Champaign
Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette – Champaign, IL
McDonald, a licensed clinical social worker who does private counseling, said there are many women with either postpartum depression or anxiety who would …

Social Workers Rally In Frankfort
WYMT – Hazard, KY
There’s concern in Frankfort that thousands of social workers could lose their jobs because of state budget cuts. Dozens of social workers gathered in the …

A Day In The Life Of A DCF Case Worker
CBS 4 – Miami,FL,USA
As the nation recognizes March as Social Worker Awareness Month, Florida honors the many thousands of social work professionals contributing in helping …

Peninsula senior peer program includes LGBTs
Bay Area Reporter – San Francisco, CA
Howard Lader, manager of senior peer counseling at Family Service and a licensed clinical social worker, said LGBT people may have special needs that will …

“Millions of Americans care for both children and elderly parents, and as the baby boomers age, that number will grow. A new survey shows that this balancing act is taking a bigger toll on women and their families than they might realize.

A study of social workers who work with the “sandwich generation” found that the vast majority of them are ill-prepared for the time, expense and emotional toll of caring for aging parents. What’s more, many of the caregivers don’t know how to get help… By 2020, one in five Americans will be older than 65, so this is a problem that’s not going away. The message the National Association of Social Workers is trying to get out is that there is help available.”

Contacts
Amber Moore, (202) 336-8277 amoore@naswdc.org
Sai Pradhan, (212) 584-5000
spradhan@fenton.com

SURVEY OF SOCIAL WORKERS FINDS FAMILIES ILL-PREPARED FOR TIME, EXPENSE, EMOTIONAL TOLL OF CARING FOR AGING PARENTS

Nearly half of social workers help women clients coordinate care for their aging parents, but many women are reluctant to ask for help or don’t know where to turn.

WASHINGTON, DC – The first survey of social workers who provide services to sandwich generation women—women between the ages of 35 and 64 who are “sandwiched” by the needs of their children and their aging parents—found that this group, which typically shoulders a family’s caregiving burdens, is ill-prepared for the challenges of caring for older relatives. The services social workers provide to sandwich generation women include advising on care coordination for their aging relatives, but many women delay getting support because they are reluctant to ask for help or don’t know who could help. The survey will be released on March 20.

Commissioned by the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the report, “Not Ready for Prime Time: The Needs of Sandwich Generation Women, A National Survey of Social Workers,” explores the challenges faced by some 42 million American women who are sandwiched by the needs of their own children and their aging relatives, at a time when women are having children later and their parents are living longer. The squeeze is expected to intensify, as one in five Americans will be 65 or older within the next two decades.

“As our society’s demographics shift, older women will increasingly find themselves shouldering heavier caregiving burdens, but they don’t have to do it alone,” said Pat Volland, director of NYAM’s Social Work Leadership Institute. “Unfortunately, there are barriers to seeking help because women think they should be self-reliant and able to handle it all. And they often don’t know that health professionals like social workers can help with daily stresses. ”

In addition to the survey of social workers, 41 sandwich generation women were asked to keep a journal for two weeks about their experiences to provide anecdotal support to the social work survey. They wrote about the kinds of tasks they would like help with and they explained why they didn’t seek more support.

“What this research reveals is that many of the things social workers can help with – managing and relieving day-to-day stress and helping to navigate the maze of health and social services that their older relatives need – are precisely the things that women say would most relieve their anxiety and unhappiness,” said Dr. Elizabeth Clark, executive director of NASW.

Key Findings
Of the more than 1,400 social workers surveyed:

• The majority report that sandwich generation women (SWG) are not prepared for many aspects of their aging relatives’ care. Nearly 75% say they are least prepared to deal with the cost of their aging relatives’ care.
• Two-thirds say a majority of SWG underestimate the financial, emotional and physical toll of providing care for aging relatives.
• Almost half say they hear from SWG that they delay getting help because they feel they should be able to shoulder care-giving responsibilities on their own.
• Nearly half say they ease caregivers’ burdens by providing care management or care coordination for aging relatives. This includes making referrals to health and social services, arranging transportation and food delivery, advising on financial management and benefits, and even acting as a liaison for long-distance care.

Of the sandwich generation women who participated in the journaling project, nearly 24% say they didn’t know who to ask for help with day-to-day caregiving responsibilities.

Dr. Clark notes that NASW has developed a resource for sandwich generation women and others who are looking for information, advice and or a connection to a social worker for themselves or their aging parent—a Web site called “helpstartshere.org.”

According to a NASW Center for Workforce Studies survey of licensed social workers, only 9% of social workers today specialize in aging care. The National Institute of Aging estimates that the U.S. will need a 40% increase – 20,000 additional – social workers specializing in aging care by 2020.

Methodology
Researchers surveyed 1,489 social workers and geriatric care managers from December – November 2007 with a random selection of members of NASW and the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers who work with sandwich generation women. This group of women are between the ages of 35 and 54 and have both a child of their own and at least one living parent. The margin of error is +/- 3.0%. As part of the research, 41 women were asked to keep a journal for two weeks.

About the New York Academy of Medicine
Founded in 1847, The New York Academy of Medicine is an independent, non-profit institution whose mission is to enhance the health of the public. NYAM’s Social Work Leadership Institute (SWLI) is working to ensure that there are enough social workers to meet the growing demand for professionals trained in the needs and services available to older adults. To address this need, SWLI has developed a program with the John A. Hartford Foundation that is being offered at two-thirds of the country’s Masters of Social Work programs. For more information, visit www.socialworkleadership.org

About the National Association of Social Workers
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, D.C., is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy. Social workers are uniquely qualified to help people right in their own environment, by looking at all the different aspects of their life and culture. They work to ensure personal well-being, prevent crises and to counsel individuals, families, and communities. For more information, visit www.HelpStartsHere.org.

For an executive summary of the research and copies of the reports, visit: www.helpstartshere.org.