Little Kids, Big Problems

From the Boston Globe: “Just take a deep breath” was the advice one mother got from the pediatrician when she went in for help with her 3-year-old’s extreme tantrums. At a birthday party not long before, he stamped his feet, cried, and shouted when his mother stopped him from scooping a toy car off the cake. They left the party with him in tears, but after the unsatisfactory visit to the doctor, it was the mother who cried. Read more..

Report on Refugees and Asylees: 2009

From BeSpacific, about a new report from the Department of Homeland Security on trends in refugee and asylee cases:

"The United States provides refuge to persons who have been persecuted or have a well-founded fear of persecution through two programs: one for refugees (persons outside the U.S.) and one for asylees (persons in the U.S.). This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report provides information on the number of persons admitted to the United States as refugees or granted asylum in the United States in 2009. A total of 74,602 persons were admitted to the United States as refugees during 2009. The leading countries of nationality for refugees were Iraq, Burma, and Bhutan. During 2009, 22,119 individuals were granted asylum, including 11,933 who were granted asylum affirmatively by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and 10,186 who were granted asylum defensively by an immigration judge during removal proceedings. The leading countries of nationality for persons granted asylum were China, Ethiopia, and Haiti."

Nearly Half of U.S. Residents Live in Households Receiving Government Benefits

U.S Census Bureau News: In the third quarter of 2008, approximately 45 percent of U.S. residents lived in households in which at least one individual received government benefits, according to data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. These benefits came from programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

According to the report, about 28.4 million households, or 24 percent of the U.S. total, received means-tested benefits — either cash or noncash — in an average month during the quarter. Medicaid (21.1 million), free or reduced-price school meals (11.5 million) and food stamps (9.3 million) were the most widely received such benefits. (Means-tested programs are those that provide cash or services to people who meet a test of need based on income and assets.) However, it was two non-means-tested programs, Social Security and Medicare, that affected the largest number of households, with 33.6 million receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits and 30.8 million receiving benefits from Medicare. Read more..

National Business Group on Health Unveils Employer Guide to Child and Adolescent Mental Health

From the SAMHSA Newsroom:

WASHINGTON, DC, April 21, 2010 – A new guide designed to help employers improve the delivery of child and adolescent behavioral services, and provide services for family caregivers, was officially released today by the National Business Group on Health, a national non-profit organization representing more than 280 mostly large, U.S. employers.

"Like other chronic health issues, the effects of child and adolescent mental health disorders can be far reaching for those affected, their caregivers and the workplace,” said Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health. “The direct and indirect costs associated with adolescent mental health disorders are staggering. Parent caregivers, for example, are more likely to report increased work absences, reduced productivity, and job termination.”

Read more..

Work Force Fueled by Highly Skilled Immigrants

Work Force Fueled by Highly Skilled Immigrants By Julia Preston From today's New York Times:

According to a new analysis of census data, more than half of the working immigrants in this metropolitan area hold higher-paying white-collar jobs — as professionals, technicians or administrators — rather than lower-paying blue-collar and service jobs.

Among American cities, St. Louis is not an exception, the data show. In 14 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas, including Boston, New York and San Francisco, more immigrants are employed in white-collar occupations than in lower-wage work like construction, manufacturing or cleaning.

Survey of the Costs of Private Social Work Practice

The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers has released a survey on the costs of private practice. View the survey...

Health Reform Marks Big Victories for Social Work Profession

From the NASW Advocacy Site: The new health reform law, "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" (P.L. 111-148) includes many provisions that will directly benefit the social work profession, including key elements from the Social Work Reinvestment Act (SWRA). The sweeping new law will ultimately expand healthcare coverage to 32 million Americans that would otherwise be uninsured, resulting in 95 percent of the legal residents being covered while moving towards a system that focuses on keeping people healthy and is affordable for all. This analysis contains details about specific provisions that affect the social work profession. Read more...

$250 million for abstinence education not evidence-based, groups say

From CNN, Elizabeth Landau: The health care reform legislation that President Obama signed recently isn't only about insurance coverage -- there's also a renewal of $50 million per year for five years for abstinence-focused education. Read more..