The FAMCare Blog

Rural Nonprofit Hospitals:  How the ACA is Putting Them in Danger

Posted by George Ritacco on Mar 22, 2016 4:25:17 PM
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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government

Hospice at the VA

Posted by George Ritacco on Mar 15, 2016 1:36:40 PM

In today's rapid news cycle, we tend to hop from sensational story to sensational story rarely lingering long enough to get the full picture. In the past, this blog reported on the scandalous wait times that our veterans have endured in the VA system. It was so bad that some veterans died before getting in to see their VA Doctor. When the scandal came to light, many administrative heads rolled and the entire VA system was cast in a poor light. As is so often the case, however, there is so much more to the VA story.

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government, Elderly/Aging Long Term Care, Veterans Issues

Homelessness - A Tragedy, Not a Crime

Posted by George Ritacco on Mar 1, 2016 3:38:29 PM

I was watching TV the other night and came across a report on the news about our country’s homeless situation.  In the report – it was mentioned that there is a devastating trend in our American cities to criminalize the homeless.  I’ve since done some research into this area, inquired about this issue further with a few clients and here’s what I’ve found…

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government

Child Abuse - Is There No End?

Posted by George Ritacco on Feb 23, 2016 3:20:36 PM

childabuse_blog.jpg

WHEN CLOUDS FORM

In 2013 this blog reported on the meltdown in service at the Veteran’s Administration (VA). Similar signs of meltdown are beginning to gather in Child Protective Services. IN general – our team has been communicating what our clients have been telling us for years and why they moved to FAMCare.  We’ve talked about problems in child welfare and CPS in the states of Florida, Georgia, California and Texas.  Case Worker colleagues report crushing workloads, fear-based management, impossible expectations, and stress levels that are sending case workers out on medical leave at an alarming rate.

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Child Welfare, Foster Care, Government, Adoption

ADVOCACY - Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015

Posted by George Ritacco on Feb 16, 2016 12:30:00 PM

Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015 (S.2173/H.R. 3712)

As you may have noticed, I have diligently avoided politics in this blog.  Every now and then, however, a social or professional issue wanders into the arena of politics, and I cannot completely ignore the issue.

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government, Elderly/Aging Long Term Care

What is Food Insecurity?

Posted by Danielle Ritacco on Jan 28, 2016 4:14:12 PM

Over the holidays I volunteered at my daughters’ school.  While there I had the pleasure of speaking to one of the teachers.  During our conversation we talked about the many things happening in our local schools and here in the county. Out of the various topics we discussed, one hit me very hard.  This teacher told me of the growing number of children who are "food insecure."  A term I had not heard before.  I was aware that our school offered discounted, sometimes free lunches to families who needed help, but was alarmed at the number of children in need in a community that is considered to be thriving.

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Topics: Child Welfare, Government, Elderly/Aging Long Term Care, FAMCare Tips and Tools, FAMCare Team Blog's

Are You on a Star Trek?

Posted by George Ritacco on Jan 12, 2016 4:33:33 PM

An Entirely New Paradigm for Post-Acute Health Care Management

The managers of residential care facilities we work with everyday report that the residential care and post-acute health care industry is changing at an alarming rate. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has shifted its focus away from simply measuring volume, toward a pay-for-performance system focused on value and quality. The implications of this shift in payment processing and compliance procedures for management in post-acute care, nursing homes, and hospice facilities are vast, complex, and daunting. Managers are scrambling to measure quality outcomes, improve compliance, and emphasize the customer experience throughout their organizations.

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government, Elderly/Aging Long Term Care, Technology Speak

Inside a Prison

Posted by George Ritacco on Nov 10, 2015 4:45:00 PM

Whorl Inside a Loop portrays one of the most creative and effective approaches developed by social workers. The characters in Whorl Inside a Loop, utilize creative arts therapy as an avenue to self-love, accountability, achievement, and freedom. This is “corrections” at its best.

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Juvenile Justice, Government

A Minor's Right to Confidentiality

Posted by George Ritacco on Sep 15, 2015 9:49:00 AM

Good Practice | Ethics | Law 

 

A THORNY ISSUE 

The ethical standards in many areas of social work are still being worked through the legal system. A particularly compelling example of evolving standards concerns social workers’ response to parents’ request to examine their children’s counseling records. At the beginning of the social worker-client relationship, social workers routinely discuss with minor clients and their parents the minors’ right to confidentiality and possible exceptions. Nonetheless, in many cases social workers encounter ethical challenges when parents ask to examine their child’s records because of their curiosity or because of their relevance to legal disputes. 

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Government

HHS Proposes Changes to Child Welfare Systems

Posted by George Ritacco on Aug 26, 2015 10:08:00 AM

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Topics: Social Services Industry News, Government, Technology Speak

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