Women are used to putting their own needs on the back burner. They attend to infants, young children, and teenagers, all the while telling themselves that there will be time enough for themselves when their kids are grown. But what happens when an adult child turns out to have mental health concerns, substance abuse disorder, or financial or employment issues? Social workers who work with the elderly tell us that many older mothers are sinking under the weight of troubled adult children. It’s hardly a discovery that mothers sacrifice their own needs for the sake of their children. What is news is how this sacrifice continues to affect the lives of older mothers.

We recently overheard two nine-year-olds discussing a Thanksgiving food bank ad they happened to be watching on T.V.

NYO#1 “Look at all those turkeys. Who gets them all?"

NYO#2 "Hungry children in China."

NYO#1 "Do they have Thanksgiving in China?"

NYO#2 "I guess so. They must, or they wouldn't need so many turkeys."

NYO#1 "Wow. They sure have a lot of hungry people."

NYO#2 "Yup. They do. Everybody in China is hungry."

Since the 1900s, U.S. public schools have employed a growing number of school resource officers (SROs) – sworn law enforcement officials. In 1975, only 1% of schools reported having police officers on site, but by 2018, approximately 58% of schools had at least one sworn law enforcement official present during the school week. Since 1998, the federal government has invested over $1 billion to explicitly increase police presence in schools, and over $14 billion to advance community policing, which can include SROs.

No police department killed George Floyd. One policeman did. Yes, others stood by and are responsible for valuing institutional loyalty over human life. But in the end, it was one individual policeman who committed this heinous crime.

“People’s impressions of the police are influenced by the police. The greatest influence is [an individual’s] personal interactions and the personal interactions of their friends and families," says Darrel W. Stephens, MS, co-director of the Policing, Security Technology, and Private Security Research and Policy Institute at Florida State University.

We recently interviewed a retired social worker who spent her entire 30-year career working with addicts and alcoholics in residential treatment centers. We were seeking insight into the drug and alcohol abuse epidemic that seems to be getting worse every year. The insights she shared rang with understanding, empathy, and a double dose of common sense.

Bullying is a pervasive problem in schools across the United States. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about one-third of students aged 12-18 reported being bullied during the school year. The most common type of bullying is verbal abuse, including name-calling, teasing, and making fun of someone. Other types of bullying include physical abuse, cyberbullying, and social exclusion.

For young people, suicide is the third most common cause  of death. Suicide can be avoided, though. Young people who are thinking about suicide usually show indicators of despair. Knowing about these symptoms can help friends, family, and educators act promptly and get the aid they require. Numerous social care providers are making an effort to deal with teen mental health difficulties and raise awareness that could be the difference between life and death. Let's shine some light on the subject and determine how we can work together to prevent teen suicide.

Client agencies that labor largely out of public view on behalf of the world's refugees annually share stats with this blog that astound us every year. Americans live in a civilization ordered by the rule of law. Unless we take the time to look outside our society, we rarely notice the civil disorder that plaques millions of our fellow humans.

Whether you’ve been struggling to get a diagnosis for mysterious symptoms, or you’re simply trying to get your health back on track, you might feel frustrated by your experiences with doctors. Sometimes, it can be tough to ask for what you really need. Healthcare and social service professionals who use tools like FAMCare can have an easier time managing their patients. In the meantime, these tips can help you learn how to advocate for your own health.

Employee turnover is becoming a major problem for nonprofits. A 2021 survey by the National Council of Nonprofits of over 1,000 nonprofit organizations found that 42% of responding organizations had job openings for 20% of their positions. Almost half of those responding had more than 30% of their positions vacant.