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December 31, 2016
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Favorite Pinterest Boards for Social Workers

Career, Degree Directory, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Social Work, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

ipad-tablet-technology-touchHappy New Year!

One of the best things about starting a new year is not only the possibilities for the future but the motivation and energy we have to start projects and bring new ideas into life.  As a social worker – I love having new tools to use in my practice, new ideas to try and interesting readings related to the career I love.

I’m guessing most of us use social media, either personally or professionally, but I bet a lot of people overlook Pinterest as a place to gather idea to use in their everyday social work practice.  I use Pinterest all the time when I am looking for an idea or intervention or I’m looking for inspiration.  I find that perusing Pinterest makes me more excited about the work I do.  It also gives me an easy place to save websites I may want to check out again or resources I may need at a later time.  I have created many boards to organize all the pins I want to save!

I can’t vouch for everything on these boards but here are some favorite Pinterest Boards for Social Workers.

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August 31, 2016
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Social Work: Can I work with a client who is suicidal?

Degree Directory, Mental Health, Social Work, Uncategorized , , , , ,

hand reaching out

People are complicated.  As a social worker, you are often working with individuals in immense emotional and often physical pain.  One of the best aspects of being a social worker is when you help someone heal.  Other times, a client can have difficulty moving out of their pain.  It can be scary for a social worker (new or experienced) to have a client indicate they are going to irrevocably harm themselves.  I know a lot of therapists who say they don’t take clients who are at high risk of suicide but anyone you work with may be at risk.   It is essential, to be willing to be aware that suicide might be a risk.

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May 31, 2016
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Mental Health Awareness!

Career, Degree Directory, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Social Work , , , , ,

Did you know May is Mental Health Month?  May is designated to highlight the discussion of mental health and helping fight stigma.   The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) indicates that over 43 million adults live with a mental illness every year – that is approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States.  This means that you know many people who are struggling with mental health issues.  If you are in a helping profession you are likely encountering many individuals whose mental health is affecting their day to day life.

What can you do to promote mental health awareness and your own mental health?

mental health awareness

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April 30, 2016
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Social Workers and Professional Grief

Career, Degree Directory, Mental Health, Social Work , , , ,

Although social workers often see the very best of people, there is no doubt that the average worker also sees much sadness and struggle. Some social workers practice among poverty and violence.  Some work with individuals who are physically ill or dying.  It is safe to say that social workers treat an array of people and problems.

This sadness can add up.  I supervise a team of care coordinators who work with individuals who have high acuity of physical and/or mental health needs.  They are transitioning clients from a long term setting into the community.  Although they see lots of success, they encounter loss each day.  They listen to people’s stories which are wrought with loss.  They watch people relapse into addiction.  They watch individuals deteriorate physically and sometimes decompensate mentally.  They have clients die under both expected and unexpected circumstances.  This can be wearing on workers.  When we experience loss we often feel grief.  Grief is one of those uncomfortable feelings we often try to avoid.

Most of us understand personal loss.  Personal loss includes things like a death of family or a loved one.  It may be loss of a pet, a job or of a dream.  It may be loss of an idea or transition to another stage of life or a divorce.   We deal with personal loss by using our support system and talking about it.  We have rituals and memorials.  We use self-care.  Much of our personal life is seen by people we love so there is support.  It can be somewhat different for professional loss.

Professional loss is what we experience in our work lives with clients.  It is different from personal loss because the relationships are different and often we don’t stop and take a moment to acknowledge and grieve.   Professional losses are often internalized.  It is possible we might go home and say we had a rough day or maybe even say a client died but we can’t share much of our experiences with family and friends so we miss out on the support you would get when family and friends are sharing the loss with you.

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February 28, 2016
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Favorite Ted Talks for Social Workers

Degree Directory, Mental Health, Social Work, Uncategorized , , ,

Ted talks are on such an array of subjects.   There are several that I have assigned to clients in my private practice and there are a few I’ve used in training with the team of care coordinators I supervise.    In our time-crunched world, sometimes a 10 minute or more video seems impossibly long.  I would encourage you to take some time and watch some talks that interest you.  Below are some of my favorite talks that I think are beneficial for social workers and those who are interested in social work.   Whatever topic you may be interested in – I bet you find it in TED talks.

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January 31, 2016
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Social Worker as Therapist

Career, Degree Directory, Mental Health, Social Work , , , ,

Maybe Social Work as a career has appealed to you, but you have doubts if the field is a good fit  because you want to be a therapist.  The mental health field is riddled with different fields of study that lead to a career as a therapist.  These disciplines often overlap but each one has their own strength to bring to the table when treating clients.

Can a social worker’s training prepare them to be a clinical therapist?  The answer is yes!  As a social worker, I admit bias, but there are many reasons being a social worker makes for a fantastic therapist.

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October 31, 2015
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Assisting Individuals with a diagnosis of Mental Illness

Career, Degree Directory, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Social Work , , , ,

As a social worker, you often work with vulnerable and struggling clients.  One such group, you may work with are individuals diagnosed with a mental illness.  Mental Illness does not discriminate.  Any population you work with, will likely have some people living their life with mental illness.  Sometimes because of media portrayals and other misconceptions, working with people diagnosed with mental illness can be scary or daunting.

There are many types of mental illness. The DSM-V (where the criteria for different mental health diagnoses is listed) has about 991 pages.

Below are some basic definitions of common diagnosis you might come across.

One definition of Mental Illness I like is from the Mayo Clinic

Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions —disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Many people have mental health concerns from time to time.

                                        (www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental…/definition/con-20033813)

 

I like this definition because it normalizes mental health issues.  Mental health conditions run on a continuum.  Just like people, mental illness is complicated and some people struggle with more difficult issues than others.

Specific Diagnosis Definitions (Also using the definitions from the Mayo Clinic.)

  • Major depressive disorder — prolonged and persistent periods of extreme sadness
  • Bipolar disorder —also called manic depression or bipolar affective disorder, depression that includes alternating times of extreme sadness (depression) and extreme happiness (mania)                                                                                 (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mood-disorders/basics/definition/con-20035907)
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder – excessive, ongoing anxiety and worry that interfere with day-to-day activities may be a sign of generalized anxiety disorder.                                                                                                                                   (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/generalized-anxiety-disorder/basics/definition/con-20024562)
  • “Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior. Contrary to popular belief, schizophrenia isn’t a split personality or multiple personality. The word “schizophrenia” does mean “split mind,” but it refers to a disruption of the usual balance of emotions and thinking.                                                                                           (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizophrenia/basics/definition/con-20021077)

Those are just some of the diagnoses you may come across in your work.  Let me share some tips for a social worker to remember when working with this population.

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