My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.
Abraham Lincoln
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Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small
people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you,
too, can become great.
Mark Twain
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Military Family Resilience Program
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas
785.532.1516
New Program for Fall 2009
Military Family Provider Network
MFPN will provide soldiers and their families an avenue to seek help-physical, mental, emotional and relational-with the same degree of privacy received by civilian families.
The purpose of MFPN of Kansas is to develop a unified state effort to promote healthy military families before, during, and after deployment regardless of geographic location.
Major operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have necessitated more and longer deployments, more family separations, and more relocations than in recent memory. Mothers are serving as well as fathers. Military losses and casualties are greater than the nation has experienced in decades. Many of our deployed troops serve in the National Guard rather than in active duty military branches, and therefore may live far from military bases and the support services they offer to families.
The program is recruiting mental health and substance abuse professionals to be included in a network of providers. The network
is on a self-selection basis. Providers shall be a practicing mental health or substance abuse professional in Kansas in good standing. They are seeking a variety of disciplines and specialty areas. Military and their families would be treated in the same capacity as any other client seeking services (e.g. same intake procedures, fee structures, etc.).
Specialized training is required for providers to gain insight into the military family system and culture.
This program is funded through a contract with the Kansas National Guard for Kansas State University to implement the program as well as conduct research on resilient National Guard couples. The contract is with the School of Family Studies and Human Services within the College of Human Ecology.
For more information about this program or to start a similar program in your area contact Stephanie at slwick@ksu.edu.
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New Jersey affiliate
Dana Mark, MSW, LSW
Social
workers wear many faces and travel many places.
Dana Mark , MSW, LSW, a New
Jersey Social Work p.r.n. affiliate, reflects on her recent mission trip to
Sierra Leone.
She is a volunteer for
Meaningfulworld Association for Trauma Outreach and Prevention (ATOP) and
played an active role implementing the first Mental Health Outreach Project to
the citizens of Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa half the size of
Illinois. A violent military coup from
1997-2000 by rebels seeking political
power and control over Sierra Leone's rich diamond fields marked a reign of
terror for thousands of civilians.
The
atrocities of this civil war with machete amputations, sexual slavery, children
forced into becoming soldiers, brutal maiming, houses burned, and
infrastructures destroyed certainly left its mark on the survivors. Dana and the United States team of six people
spent fifteen days training Sierra Leone's medical personnel, mental health professionals, and
educators in assessing the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the surviving
communities.
"Once
one begins engaging deeper with the survivors and talking with them about their
experiences of war, loss, anger, fear and uncertainty loom large in the silence
between each story and the emotions provoked in the telling. Suppressed anger is rampant. However, the human spirit with its instinct
for survival and commitment to serve was not destroyed " states Dana.
The
preliminary findings of the team indicated high levels of posttraumatic stress
disorder. It was assessed that 70% of adults and children and between 30-50% of the
professionals in Sierra Leone are still traumatized by the horrific civil war they endured.
Challenges
for growth are ever present: Sierra Leone is dealing with multiple issues since
post war recovery that began in 2000. Much of the assistance stopped since the war
ended, but the country needs continued guidance and support. Corruption is rampant, poverty continues,
infrastructure is very poor, illiteracy very high and the lack of basic human
needs is shocking.
Meaninfulgworld succeeded in its mission by: 1. providing
opportunity for release of emotions and opportunities for awakening; 2. offering empathy and validation; 3. helping survivors recover or discover lessons learned for self growth,
empowerment , and meaning-making; 4. sharing the value of forgiveness providing hope and the ability to
reframe; 5. providing tools for stress
reduction with resources, books, and web
links; and 6. sewing seeds of service to the surviving community.
Future
collaborative goals were set forth with Meaningfulworld, Njala University in
West Africa and Fordham University in New York.
Dana reflects,
"The
15 day trip without running water, electricity only by generator for a few hours at night, and no toilets made me realize how lucky I am
to be on this side of the world. The
experience of Sierra Leone evoked an emotional roller coast in me. Here in the United States we have so much,
yet we waste so much. I now have an
increased sense of gratitude for all that I have and find myself much more
service oriented."
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Composting anyone? It is easier than you think!
Consider having a learn over lunch at your office on the subject of composting. Area Master Gardeners are a great resource for speakers on this topic.
Attention Employers
Start a new green policy in
your company.
Encourage employees to
bring in their own mugs,
plates, silverware, and
cloth napkins to use.
Small steps can make a huge difference with very little disruption in our lives.
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Fun and interesting website: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.govThis website is sponsored by the Center for Disease Control. Find healthy tips and even a tool to create your own printable cookbook with healthy recipes you have chosen.
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Winner of the I Touch Announced
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Tracie Lee-Lambert of
St. Louis Missouri
was the winner in our recent "newsletter sign up"
drawing.
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Tracie Lee-Lambert of St. Louis was the winner of the Social Work p.r.n. "sign up for our online newsletter promotion".
Congratulations Tracie!
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Welcome to the Social Work p.r.n.
Quarterly E-Newsletter! Please check out our featured articles and for
more information visit our website at: www.socialworkprn.com
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Does your Business need a Social Networking Site?
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Social Media Sites and Business Applications
By Bob Poole and Elizabeth Morris
Back in social media's stone ages (like two
years ago), small businesses were just beginning to accept the idea of using
email for marketing. They had websites and knew they could use things like
Google AdWords for pay-per-click advertising -- but few knew how to implement
these things.
Then all of a sudden there was Web 2.0 (and
Web 38.0 and Web 107.0) and things started to change fast. We realized that we
could network more easily with the people who mattered to us. We saw the
tremendous opportunity in the internet as it was coming to be, this power we
suddenly had to increase our sharing of information and collaboration across
the web. Before you could say "Twitter", we had dozens (and then
hundreds) of social networking sites -- blogs, wikis, photo sharing and video
sharing, mash-ups -- you name it, and it started piling up on our To Do lists.
Enter the hapless small business owner who
can barely keep up -- and now she has a desk <i>covered</i> with
Web x.0 demanding that she get with the times! Start using the New Best Thing!
Have you friended me on MySpace yet? Did you see my Tweet from yesterday about
your website? You got my direct message last week, right? Are you going to that
party Mike invited us to? What? Oh, it was a Facebook invitation...
Never fear, hapless small business owner.
We're going to help you make a little more sense out of all this social media
stuff. Let's pick and choose a few key items from that pile on your desk and
send the rest off to recycling.
Whether you're just beginning your practice
or managing a social services agency, you need people to be able to find you.
Getting found today means writing blog articles and web pages, posting photos
and videos, putting together webinars and other content that educates,
entertains, is thought provoking and connects you with the people you want to
talk with -- your current and future clients.
Everyone prefers doing business with people
they like and trust. Social media is about increasing trust and bringing people
to you who are looking for someone just like you -- and making sure you're
top-of-mind when it comes to delivering the best social services.
Blogging is, by far, the number one way to
begin that process. The key to a great blog is providing fantastic content that
connects with readers and is consistent in its delivery. Bob's company manages
the marketing and blogging for Social Work p.r.n. of Philadelphia. Both Megan and
Bob write for the blog, as well as Rob Plotkin, the franchise owner. The blog
also features guest posts from NASW (National Association of Social Workers) and other social workers, and publishes new
entries five days a week.
The hardest part is getting started -- but
there are some great websites out there who make it easy. Try Typepad.com,
WordPress.com, or Blogger.com.
Part of your blog should contain offers for
additional free content. Booklets, survey results, and white papers are great
examples. Being generous with intelligent, useful content engages your readers
and adds to your credibility in the eyes of your audience. It makes you an
authority in your field, and gives them a reason to like and trust you. Why
would they ever go to the competition?
Much has been said and written about
Twitter, and (as with anything else) not all of it has been good. We're pretty
fond of it, however, and we think it deserves consideration for a place in your
social media strategy. Twitter is a lot like sitting around a big table working
and periodically interacting with a bunch of good friends -- except the potential
number of people at the table is pretty much limitless. The more you interact
and prove to be an interesting companion, the more your friends mention you to
their other friends -- which is easy with Twitter! And the more people there
are who talk about you, the more people who pay attention to what you have to
say. If you're clever within a 140 character limit or you have links to great
content to share, Twitter could be your new best friend.
Facebook is a great place to renew
acquaintances and have virtual reunions. It has its limits for business use, as
it's filled with a lot of chatter about everything from new babies to recent
funerals -- yep, life all out in the open on the net. You can post teasers from
your blog, which is what we do -- and occasionally we attract social workers
we've never met. (This happens on Twitter, too. It's an excellent side effect
of having great content to share!)
Making videos and hosting them on YouTube
(or Megan's unabashed favorite, Blip.tv) is a great idea. Let your audience
know where to find them -- you can embed the uploaded and published video in
your blog or on a web page, or you can link to it from Twitter or Facebook.
Videos are a great way to teach, entertain your audience, and show a personal
side of yourself and your business that text can't always convey.
All of this sounds a bit mind-boggling, we
know -- but there are some good ways to track what goes on in the sphere of
social media. Check out Google Alerts: All you have to do is type in a search
and choose to be notified, and Google will help you monitor who's talking about
what. It's very handy to plug your company or your name into Google Alerts so
that you can find and respond to people who are talking about you. (We like to
send them thank-you-notes, or just join the conversation!)
Never use your social media to sell, sell,
sell -- this will turn people off (and then they'll turn you off). Your job is
to create useful, nicely put together content, and connect with the people
you'd like to connect with! Treat potential customers as friends and let the
rest take care of itself. (If you're providing real value, it always will!)
All of these techniques can change the way
business works. Instead of interrupting people with advertising they didn't ask
for, you can produce valuable content that attracts the right clients to you.
If you give them something they're looking for, you won't need to interrupt
them -- they'll walk right up, shake your hand and ask to subscribe to your
newsletter!
...Newsletters! But I guess we'd better
leave those out of this article (for now). Are you ready to get involved in
social media? Just give it a try -- you'll be an old hand in no time!
Written by Bob Poole and Megan Elizabeth Morris.
Bob is known as The Sales & Marketing GuruŽ, (www.pooleconsultinggroup.com)
and has over 35 years of sales and marketing experience helping businesses and
entrepreneurs to meet their sales and marketing goals. He is quick to connect
with people and adapt his best practices experience to his client's individual
challenges. Unlike many consultants who talk a good game, Bob has actually sold
both door-to-door and on Wall Street.He is an expert in making complex sales
and marketing strategies.
You can read his award winning blog at Bob Poole's
Water
Cooler Hangout at: www.PoolesWaterCooler.com
Megan Elizabeth Morris, (www.thatideablueprintgirl.com),
[proper noun]: Superhuman font of knowledge, skill, determination &
resourcefulness. Exudes enzymes that cause others to surpass their
potential. Master thinker; writes, designs, manages, ideastorms, markets,
inspires, connects, grows, teaches, makes things happen, changes the world, and
throws a mean right hook.
(Okay. Not the last one. Well! Not literally.)
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Reflections on Money Issues with Clients
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by Arlene C. Miller, L.C.S.W.
It is becoming obvious that the majority of people identify
finances as the #1 stressor in their adult lives. When I first became a certified compulsive
gambling counselor little of my practice was focused on finances and the use or
misuse of money. Thirteen years later it
has become a standard focus of the assessment process and subsequent
counseling. This shift in focus became most
validated to me when I met with a young couple in the late 90's. They had been referred to me for marital
counseling, one of the partners having had a brief affair. My original approach would have been to
conduct standard marital treatment. But
by following up with some financial questions, I soon learned that they had a
$30, 000 debt load with a less than $100,000 income to support the load. They had bought a house, had some furnishings,
but mostly the over spending represented "entertainment" expenses...cd's, videos,
electronic and sports equipment. They
were surely having "fun", but in the end it cost them their marriage and their
financial stability.
While one may argue that social workers are not and should
not be financial counselors, I feel it is imperative that we address the issue
of the purpose and meaning of money with the families we treat. Before we do that we often have to look at
our own value system regarding money (and sometimes get our own houses in
order). As social workers, we struggle
on a daily basis to define for ourselves how we expose and impose our value systems
to clients. The same holds true for the
financial piece, but it has always been our job to question the cultural
norm. The cultural norm for years has
been that talking about money with anybody outside the family has been
taboo. I have made peace with my
practice of asking clients about their money issues, because I think I have
done my homework and understand the link between defining the purpose and
meaning of money and the effect it has had on our overindulged, effortless, and
speedy culture and the distressing effect on our mental health and
happiness.
Pathological gambling
is characterized by at least several factors that involve how we use money. The factors include: cognitive distortions about money, living in
fantasy, chasing our losses, and poor impulse control. Families without addiction may be facing the
same issues on a smaller scale and be accidentally promoting the same misuse of
money.
As an example, look how credit card debt has affected our
country's economy and individual welfare. Credit card debt represents a future that we
don't really own and that we haven't paid for yet. It represents impatience, a living in fantasy
or in addiction language, "I want what I want when I want it." It diminishes the path of working and waiting
to get something. It sends the wrong message about who I am and
what I have and what it means to me. In
the context of an appropriate financial assessment, I usually ask, "How much
credit card debt do you have?" It
usually leads to the most interesting answers and provides a framework for
further exploration.
I encourage social workers to rethink their relationship to
money and their approach patterns to clients regarding this vital issue.
Arlene C. Miller, L.C.S.W. is a social worker in
private practice in Saint Louis,
Missouri. She is a state and nationally certified
compulsive gambling counselor and a certified advanced drug and alcohol
counselor. She can be reached at
314-822-2800 or at amillerlcsw@aol.com.
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Rosayln Carter and the Carter Center promoting accurate and sensitive portrayals of mental health issues in journalism.
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The Carter Center Awards Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
Excerpt from the Carter Center's press release . . .
Mental health problems are typically under-reported compared to other health issues. "Journalists have a very important role to play in shaping the public's perception of mental illnesses, " says former First Lady and Carter Center Co-founder Rosaynn Carter. "If a news piece or a book shows what mental illness is really like, people will understand that mental illnesses happen to so many of us, and fortunately, even the most serious mental illnesses can be treated and most people can recover."
The U.S. $10,000 stipend has been awarded to journalists to study and report on a particular issue within the field for one year and receive training on covering mental health issues from leading experts.
The fellowships allow
journalists to remain in their own newsrooms, pursuing topics that may
not otherwise be brought to the public's attention.
Previous recipients of the fellowships have produced more than 300 stories, documentaries, books, and other works. The fellowships are part of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program, which works around the world to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and decrease incorrect and stereotypical information.
The 2009-2010 recipients are from the United States, South Africa and Romania. Among the topics covered are:
- Mental health needs of children in rural areas
- Impact of the recession on people with mental illness
- Mental Illness and developmental disabilities in jails/prisons
- Immigrants and depressions: cultural differences
- Postpartum depression in African-American women
- Mental Illness in developing countries
- Stigma of depression with HIV/AIDS in South Africa
- Mental illnesses in the workplace
- Mental illness associated with family loss
- Romanian mental health care system
To learn more about this program visit: www.cartercenter.org
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Redesigned Federal Website for Americans with Disabilities is launched
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Updated with social media tools and blog
Happy anniversary to the Americans with Disability Act that was signed into law 19 years ago. Over 50 million Americans with disabilities will be able to connect to thousands of resources on disability-related issues, programs, and services by visiting the newly redesigned website: http://www.disability.gov. Social Media tools will offer new ways to organize, share, and receive disability-related information. Parents of children with disabilities, employers, HR professionals, veterans, educators and caregivers will also find the site helpful. Excerpt from U.S. Department of Labor news release 7-27-09
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| Aging, Addiction and the Generation Shift |
Does treatment for Baby Boomers need to be different?
By Carol Colleran, executive vice president of public policy
and national affairs, Hanley Center
Addiction among older adults remains a confounding disease that
affects millions in this country. Today, as the oldest Boomers turn 63, a
corresponding addiction wave poses a generational shift. Those aged 65+ who
suffer from addiction primarily use alcohol and medications, while illicit drug
use, and multiple medication use with alcohol is represented in Boomer
addiction.
We have found at Hanley Center that treatment must
essentially address generational values. Those aged 65+ are more successful
when they receive treatment in their peer age group, and take a dim moral view
of illegal drugs. This generation was taught self-reliance. You certainly did
not share such shameful secrets as alcoholism. When addressing older adults
about a suspected problem, it is important to avoid words that sound blaming,
such as "alcoholic."
Denial and stigma are strong obstacles to treatment,
complicated by the fact that symptoms of addiction are often mistaken for other
conditions common to aging. Sleep problems, memory loss, shakiness and
malnourishment are among a few of these. Our Center for Older Adult Recovery
emphasizes respect in a holistic, Twelve-Step based model that is slower-paced,
with therapies that include a gentle wellness program and spirituality. Any
concurrent medical and psychological/cognitive conditions are addressed. Older
adults are introduced to support groups such as Sober Seniors, offering a new
lifeline in recovery.
Boomers came of age in a resoundingly different era,
brimming with hope (Apollo 11 and civil rights advances) but soaked in a
multi-drug culture and fractured by the Vietnam War. The "Me" or "Youth"
generation was at its core idealistic.
Boomers felt invincible, but went on to experience a 50 percent divorce
rate. Chronic pain plagues a higher rate of people in their 50s than the
previous generation experienced at the same age. Quick fixes, like a diet pill
or face lift have offered attractive panaceas. Yet Boomers relate to the
concepts of therapy and self-help.
How do you reach an older Boomer whose life has been
shattered by addiction? A second
marriage may be on the rocks. Relationships with grandchildren suffer. We have
found that to engage members of this vast, complicated generation in treatment,
we must address individuals where they are in life now, not by specific age.
After all, a 41-year-old woman could be a new mother or a grandmother. A Life
Stages track within a gender-responsive program is customized in group therapy
to discuss such issues as sexual intimacy, anger, divorce, and grief and loss.
The rate of dual diagnosis is high among Boomers who suffer
from addiction, and medical complications of polydrug use may be serious. When
stabilized, interactive and expressive therapies such as Dialectical Behavioral
Therapy may be indicated. Continuing care may be necessary. Support group
participation and practicing the Twelve Steps cannot be over-emphasized. Remember that purpose has always been
essential to this generation. When individuals lose a sense of purpose in
active addiction, we as a society lose the potential of a powerful dynamic
among volunteers, grandparents, skilled workers and wise mentors.
Carol Colleran, CAP, ICADC serves as Executive Vice
President of Public Policy and National Affairs at Hanley Center, West Palm
Beach, FL, and is co-author with Debra Jay of Aging and Addiction: Helping Older Adults Overcome Alcohol or
Medication Dependence. She has pioneered
in the field of older adult treatment and led in the development of Hanley Center's
Life Stages Track for Boomers. www.hanleycenter.org.
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