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E-Newsletter • January 2023 |
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Editor's E-Note
It’s been a struggle for decades to interest social work students in gerontology and to give them access to adequate training to meet the needs of older adults. At the University of Pennsylvania, a study demonstrates that integrated stimulation training does both.
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— Kate Jackson, editor |
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Raising the Bar in Gerontological Social Work Education
By Josh Hildebrand
A gap in clinical social work education in gerontology leaves an aging population without adequate care. Simulation training can help.
It’s well documented that people are living longer than in previous generations. According to a study published in 2009, there’s been a roughly 30-year increase in lifespan in western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and larger increases in Japan, Spain, and Italy1—changes that may be attributable to healthier habits such as less smoking, more exercising, and improved diets.
While older adults in places such as the United States are trending healthier, with age may come frailty, weakness, a greater likelihood of developing chronic conditions and diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and a higher risk of injuries from falls and other accidents. Physicians can diagnose and treat these conditions, but what happens afterward? What options are available for continued support and aid?
The answer? Social workers. Or that should be the answer—if it weren’t for a shortage of social workers interested in working with older adults and a lack of training for those who are interested.
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New Mexico Facing a Shortage of Social Workers
KRQE News reports that a member of the Social Work Task Force warned New Mexico legislators that the state is facing a crisis caused both by a shortage of social workers and by social work positions being filled by unlicensed individuals.
Supreme Court to Consider Who Can Adopt Native American Children
The New York Times reports on the case of a white Texas couple that wants the Supreme Court to overturn the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, which dictates that children eligible for tribal membership be adopted by tribal families whenever possible.
The Negative Effect of Restricted Access to Federal Welfare Benefits
A new national study, the first to examine how state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families policies are associated with foster care placement, finds that restrictions on federal welfare benefits increase the number of children placed in foster care.
New Approach to Treating Binge Eating Disorder
In a pilot clinical trial in two patients with loss-of-control binge eating disorder, conducted by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and published in Nature Medicine, a small implanted device detects, stimulates, and disrupts brain activity related to food craving in a key area of the brain. |
Help for Victims of Gender-Based Violence
At the School of Social Work and the Center for Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Illinois, researchers are heading a multidisciplinary effort to develop an app that will offer information and resources for students who have been affected by gender-based violence. Learn more » |
Healing Video Series for Youth in Foster Care
Connect Our Kids, a nonprofit organization that applies technology to family search and engagement practices, has launched the Connections Matter Academy, a trauma-informed video series designed for youth who are or have been in foster care. Developed by four trauma therapists and 30 child welfare professionals with lived experience, each video focuses on different aspects of recovery from childhood trauma while teaching the skills needed to build a supportive network when moving into adulthood. Learn more »
Stories That Heal, Inspire, and Connect
Latinx in Social Work is a collection of personal narratives showcasing the work of Latinx social workers and the challenges and triumphs in their professional journeys. Learn more » |
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