Barbara Trainin Blank is a free-lance writer. Formerly based in Harrisburg, PA, she now lives in the greater DC area.
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Barbara Trainin Blank
Collegiate Recovery Programs Offer Proximity, Student-Driven Services
Collegiate Recovery Programs (CRPs) provide a supportive environment within the college campus culture for students in recovery. The person-in-environment approach is one that is in sync with social work. Read more
Photo courtesy of National Council for Behavioral Health.
Social Workers Learn From and Raise Awareness Through Mental Health First Aid
The growing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) movement helps individuals identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. Social workers are among both the trainers and the trainees. Read more
Social Work Student Role Model: Alina Kheyson
A native of Cherkasy, a town in Ukraine, Alina Kheyson is pursuing her MSW at Touro College Graduate School of Social Work. Read more
Animal-Assisted Therapy, Veterinary Social Work, & Social Work With People & Pets in Crisis
Animals and social work are connected through animal-assisted therapy, veterinary social work, and programs for people and pets in crisis. Read more
Public Libraries Add Social Workers and Social Programs
Public libraries have always been democratic, serving a cross-section of the population. After all, they are public, often easily accessible, and free. As these populations have shifted, some libraries are hiring social workers. Read more
Rutgers University Social Work Student Cierra Kaler-Jones Competes for Miss America, Advocates for Arts Education
Bubbly, energetic, driven. These words describe Cierra Kaler-Jones, a bachelor of social work (BSW) student who not only is competing for the Miss America title, but aims to someday become the U.S. Secretary of Education. Read more
Loan Forgiveness Eases Debt Burden for New Social Workers
Practically no one pursuing higher education comes away without some accumulation of loan debt before graduating college or graduate school. The debt tends to be more burdensome for social work graduates than others because their salaries, as a rule, Read more
Theater Processes Therapeutic in Drama Therapy
Aside from clinical training and experience, the one skill a clinician must develop is that of communication. That sounds simple enough—talking and hearing. These abilities are not enough. Let’s look at the ability to LISTEN with purpose and SPEAK wi Read more
Poetry Therapy: Using Words to Heal
Biblio/poetry therapy, one of the creative arts therapies, is the use of the written word (although it may be read out loud) to bring healing and personal growth. Read more
Based on Mind-Body Connection, Dance Therapy Offers Physical, Psychic Benefits
Using dance therapeutically—to lift spirits or remove evil spirits—is ancient, as well. Dance has been an important part of self-expression, ceremonial and religious events, and health in most cultures throughout history. For example, medicine men Read more
Different Strokes: Art & Photo Therapy Promote Healing
It seems that a growing number of social workers are marrying their professions to art or photo therapy to enhance their practices. H. Mari Pizanis arrived at art therapy from the practice and later teaching of fine art. She has a master’s in fine Read more
David's Harp: Bringing Healing Through Music
Social workers who love incorporating music into their work might consider additional training in music therapy or therapeutic music. But even those not interested in such practices themselves might consider incorporating the services of such Read more
Hip-Hop Social Work
Rap music, hip-hop, and social work may seem like an unlikely combination. They may, in fact, seem contradictory, because of rap's themes of misogyny, violence, and racism-but some social workers find hip-hop not only a possible but highly beneficial Read more
Safety First: Paying Heed to and Preventing Professional Risks
Probably few social work students or new practitioners realize when they enter the field that they may be a target for assault. Yet threats of violence and actual violence occur more frequently than even experienced social workers care to admit, acco Read more
Racism: The Challenge for Social Workers
Despite the decades that have passed since the beginning of the civil rights movement, racism is still a major issue in America. We still see organized hate groups, news stories of racial slurs and attacks, and examples that we observe in our Read more
Settlement Houses: Old Idea in New Form Builds Communities
Settlement houses have changed, but contrary to many people' perceptions, they do exist. Some no longer continue the primary orientation toward immigrants, although others do serve newer immigrant populations from different shores, such as Asia and L Read more
A Couple of Social Workers
Couples in which both are professional social workers are profiled in this article. Read more
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