đ¤ Sex differences and career choice
Your 02/06/22 update on all things social work
Good morning!
Weâre now well into the new year. How are those New Year Resolutions holding up? đ
Todayâs question: Standing 5 feet tall, this social worker is the longest-serving woman in the history of the United States Congress and the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Maryland history. Who is it?
News
Inefficient government systems
Itâs not just your grandma: Did you know that many doctorâs offices still use a fax machine? đ
However, these outdated methods are not exclusive to the medical arena (or to granny): The media has also started to showcase the inefficiencies of our government.
As social workers, weâve all worked with inefficient systems. Weâve noticed how it can take ages for a client to obtain government benefits and how difficult it can be to get someone off the streets and into housing. We spend hours each week on burdensome and repetitive paperwork that can easily be automated.
This is not a new problem and many people have tried to address this issue.
Last December, President Biden issued an executive order (EO) calling for more effective ways of delivering benefits for the people. The EO designated that 35 influential service providers such as the Social Security Administration and the Housing and Urban Development Office complete annual assessments and customer feedback surveys, among other things.
In Wisconsin, $80 million was directed towards replacing the old unemployment system. Kansas has created an Office of Unemployment Insurance Modernization. Missouri has proposed using artificial intelligence to process documents. And over a decade ago, Obama invested $36 billion into Electronic Health Record systems for patients.
Unfortunately, even with dedicated funding, we havenât seen much progress in the space. We need greater accountability, innovation, and the inclusion of private companies into the space to maximize the efficiency of government funding.
Other social work-related news
A woman is denied access to a social work education over a crime that wouldnât be prosecuted today
Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst died after jumping off of a building
Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan tweeted about his upcoming therapy appointment, showcasing progress in the destigmatization of mental health care in the military
The âTinder for Teensâ app may be beneficial for teens
Policy
Therapists push back on No Surprises Act
Remember when you went to the emergency room for that wart on your back, and you received a bill for $103,000? đ¤˘
The âNo Surprises Actâ was created to protect people from these kinds of medical surprises. It kicked into gear at the beginning of 2022 and outlined policies that mental health and medical practitioners must complete. For example, practitioners are required to provide clients with documents outlining what the estimated total treatment costs would be before the treatment takes place.
Yet therapists are pushing back on the act, stating that the law will discourage people from obtaining care, increase the administrative burden of therapists, and create more red tape for practitioners. On the other hand, proponents of the bill argue that greater transparency for patients and accountability for medical and mental health professionals is a good thing.
Weâll be on the lookout to see how this develops over time đ
Other reads on policy
Colorado wants to put $450 million into mental health and substance use initiatives
Californiaâs $1 billion in new funding is set to expand mental health housing and treatment options for people transitioning out of homelessness
Governor Tom Wolf announced that 30 counties have received nearly $28 million in additional federal funding to enhance their behavioral health programs
Research
Sex differences and career choice
If youâve ever been in a social work classroom, you know that men are a rare species in the field đŚ
This lack of balance between the numbers of men and women exists across many different careers. Men are overrepresented in careers such as construction and engineering, while women are overrepresented in nursing and social work.
This has been a highly contentious issue for many reasons, including the claim that many of the careers in which men are overrepresented are careers where there is more power and money. One that usually comes to mind for many people here is the prevalence of white men who are CEOs.
A recent study that sought to understand the relationship between sex and occupation found that women usually choose careers that are âpeople-orientedâ while men choose careers that are things-oriented, and that this difference is actually greater in societies with âgreater empowerment of girls and womenâ.
In other words, even if we were to achieve full equality and expand female empowerment across all fields, that wouldnât necessarily mean that women would choose to pursue roles that have been traditionally male-dominated in every instance.
Why does this occur? The authors argue that âwomenâs empowerment is associated with relatively high levels of national wealth and this wealth allows more students to aspire to occupations they are intrinsically interested inâ.
Other reads on research
The U.S. is failing to care for survivors who have experienced a traumatic brain injury
Screening for the Social Determinants of Health without increasing the administrative burden
Using deep learning to find genetic causes of mental health disorders
Youth living alone, in denser households, and without direct access to outdoor spaces may be especially vulnerable to mental health declines
Books for Social Workers
Mercy Street - A novel which features contentious issues such as abortion, guns and crime
Have any other book recommendations? Send them in by replying to this email.
Answer: Barbara Mikulski
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