🤝 Foster care laws keep families separated
Your 01/02/22 update on all things social work
Good morning.
And Happy New Year 🥳 Today, we start with a quiz:
Born in 1802, I am a social work OG whose advocacy efforts resulted in the Bill for the Benefit of the Indigent Insane, which set aside 10 million acres to be used for housing and benefiting the mentally ill and helped create the first generation of mental asylums. Who am I?
News
Most affected by COVID-19
As we continue to quarantine, even the buttons on our shirts begin to socially distance (read: stress-eating). The relentless COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on all of us 😷
Yet a new report by the Government Accountability Office found that 6 populations may be at higher risk for behavioral health difficulties due to COVID-19:
Why are these populations more affected by the epidemic? Well, for various reasons.
For example, children and adolescents have lacked consistent access to behavioral health supports such as school counselors due to classes being held remotely. For those with pre-existing behavioral health conditions, it may have been due to reduced access to residential and other treatment programs.
The report also highlighted the $8 billion that has been rewarded in Covid-relief funding for behavioral health.
COVID-19 and Domestic Violence
There has been a “surge” of domestic violence across the world due to COVID-19.
An article in the Washington Post highlights the story of Umm Zeid, a mother of three living in Jordan, a small country in Western Asia. Due to the pandemic, her abusive husband has been unable to find work, which has led to his staying at home more often. This, in turn, has led to more consistent abuse against Umm, which has resulted in a fractured arm and countless slaps.
She is not alone in this.
A report by UN Women found that domestic violence has increased as a result of the pandemic. Here are some of the findings:
1 in 2 women report that they or women they know have experienced violence since the COVID-19 epidemic
4 in 10 women feel more unsafe in public spaces
7 in 10 women said they think that verbal or physical abuse by a partner has become more common
The Mental Health Highlights of 2021
Not unlike you and your father-in-law, 2021 and mental health don’t get along. Here are some of the top stories of the year:
Tennis Star Naomi Osaka and Olympic gymnast champion Simone Biles withdrew from major competitions due to mental health reasons. These were huge advancements in breaking down mental health stigma.
The use of online therapy skyrocketed. You can’t find a teenager nowadays that isn’t TikTok’ing (is that a word?) about their therapy sessions.
There was a surge of funding towards mental health solutions. Whether these “solutions” are actually effective is another question altogether.
Prince Harry joined mental health startup Betterup.
Let’s see what 2022 brings 😅
Policy
Foster Care Fees
In 2020, there were over 407,000 children living in foster care.
Over time, many laws have been passed to regulate the foster care industry. For example, the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act sought to help child welfare agencies keep families intact.
Yet many policies have unintended consequences that create further difficulties for many of these families. For example, the 1984 Child Support Enforcement Amendments law mandates that parents must cover some of the costs associated with foster care. These fees can add up to thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, many of the families affected are already living in poverty. An NPR investigation showed that 80% of the families involved with the foster care system had incomes of less than $10,000 annually.
These fees end up creating a vicious cycle where:
Children are separated from their parents for even longer due to the fees
Families are put into even greater financial insecurity due to the added debt
The government usually doesn’t make money from the collection of the fees, and sometimes even loses money
Laws Affecting LGBTQ+
Of the 100 bills introduced across 33 states, many were geared towards regulating athletic participation, access to affirmative care, and prohibiting gender changes on identity documents such as birth certificates and ID cards.
For example, the “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act (SAFE)” bill, which was introduced in Arkansas, barred healthcare professionals from providing gender transition procedures to minors. The bill was eventually vetoed by Governor Asa Hutchinson for its “vast government outreach.”
While some state that the bills prevent “ideology from running medicine” and minors from undergoing life-changing transitions “before the age of consent,” others argue that the bills police “the bodies of marginalized people” and prevent young people who identify as transgender from obtaining the care that they need.
Research
A comprehensive review of the research on ketamine and mental health found that ketamine may help protect again depression and suicide. Further research is needed to figure out the optimal dose and mode of administration.
People with first-episode psychosis have a risk of vitamin D deficiency. A study showed that vitamin D supplements did not improve symptoms of mental or physical health in those with first-episode psychosis.
People who experience mental illness usually also experience insomnia. This may be due to brain overactivity and a lack of emotional regulation. But research has yet to show whether the treatment of insomnia can help prevent mental illness.
Other social work reads and happenings
Life insurance doesn’t cover suicide. Some are trying to change that.
The difficulty of receiving mental health care in South Los Angeles.
What does the No Surprises Act mean for behavioral health providers?
Judge issues a 600-page focusing on the Alabama criminal justice system’s lack of progress in decreasing suicides behind bars
LGBTQIAP2+ Affirmative Practice webinar
Answer: Dorothea Dix