This entry was inspired by Joe Lynch, LCSW, who played a major part in social work history in Virginia. Joe continues to make statewide contributions to the advancement of social work as well as being an ingenious inventor. Recently he created a line of bumper...
It is reported by a prestigious college in one of the Mid-Atlantic States that approximately 60% of incoming students will require ongoing mental health treatment. Multiple studies show a significant increase in college students’ mental health problems in the past few...
Since our previous entry, the Kennedy family lost another member…this time due to mental illness. The granddaughter of Robert and Ethel, Saoirse (pronounced Sir-she) Kennedy Hill died at age 22 of a suspected drug overdose. The young Kennedy had experienced a trauma...
Sounds like a question with an obvious answer, right? Did you respond with, “They’re in mental health hospitals?” Yes some are, but there is a countless number of people with some sort of mental illness working every day, walking the streets, living in homeless...
The great Roman statesmen Marcus Tillius Cicero in his essay Kato the Elder argues that the best antidote for old age is a purposeful life. When people reach retirement age, the question becomes what next? The formula used to be, you work all your life, retire, and...
When people can understand each other in spite of differences, then those differences create space for each person to be authentic. Criticizing people for differences can cause them to agree with thoughts that are contrary to their own for the purpose of being...
The Latin phrase given to us by the Romans Cui Bono in essence means who benefits from this? As we continue to teach the public ways of sorting out accurate news from opinion, we have to look at why “opinions” seem to get tossed in with facts in the first place. The...
How can you discern fact from fabrication in the news? Most recently actor Jussie Smollett from the popular television show “Empire” made national news when he reported being attacked on the streets of Chicago. Smollett alleged that two masked assailants poured...
When reading admissions applications for master’s level social work students, a common answer to the question why do you want to be a social worker is, to fix other people’s problems. It only takes a few introductory classes and their first year field practicums for...
Everyone’s life has meaning. It’s that thread of meaning that runs throughout their existence which becomes their life narrative. Psychologist Erik Erikson calls this stage of life Generativity vs. Stagnation. He states that when people enter middle adulthood (40s...
