Good morning.
Is your family driving you crazy yet? That’s part of the tradition. In an effort to lighten your mood, here are some of the best holiday jokes. Feel free to use them at your cousin’s party today:
What do you call an elf that can sing and dance? Elfis 🕺🏽
What does Miley Cyrus have at Christmas? Twerky 🍑
What do you call Santa when he takes a break? Santa Pause 🎅🏽
News
Non-Profits Struggle to Survive
Unless you’re living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the labor shortage.
While some assumed that “lazy millennials” and government aid were to blame, recent data shows that the shortage is mainly due to the Boomers, who have retired earlier due to the strong stock market, soaring house market, and the higher risks of catching COVID-19 that are associated with the return to in-person work.
You couldn’t find a better time to retire, grandpa? 👴
Unfortunately, it is not just for-profit businesses that are being affected: Non-profits are also being hit hard and are struggling to stay afloat. Because non-profits rely on philanthropy and grants, they do not have the flexibility to generate revenue and increase wages that for-profits normally have. This leads to even greater difficulties in finding and retaining talent.
And the data supports this. In November, non-profit employment was 4.8 percent below its pre-pandemic levels, compared to 1.5 percent employment in for profits. Non-profits play a key role in our society. But if they are going to continue to be competitive, they must find better ways to attract employees and reduce burnout.
College Mental Health
Prom, college tours, graduation, nose hair - these are the timeless traditions associated with growing up and transitioning from high school to college. Yet due to COVID-19, many students have not had the chance to engage in these festivities.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has also exacerbated loneliness among students. And as schools continue with remote learning, loneliness and isolation will only continue. Some are saying that this loneliness has also led to increased suicides in universities, an alarming sign that the virus will continue to add fuel to the fire to the mental health challenges college students face, where rates of depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide have increased significantly and may have even doubled over the past decade.
Some students have asked for help. At Saint Louis University, over 9,000 people signed a petition asking for more mental health services. The student government at West Virginia University is calling upon the state to provide more funding.
NASW Statement
Kim Potter was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree manslaughter charges for fatally shooting Daunte Wright during a traffic stop that occurred on April 11, 2021.
In response to the guilty verdict, the NASW published a short statement, calling for a deeper look into the current police apparatus and how white supremacy, racism, and oppression affect us all. The statement ends by saying that we should not over-invest in police, but should rather invest in our communities.
Policy
No Surprises Act
We’re not talking about the surprise you get from seeing your client at the supermarket 🛒 Do you or do you not say hi, and how does this affect confidentiality? How will that affect your rapport in sessions? Is he coming this way? No, please, I’m in my Rudolph pajamas 🦌
Instead, there have been a lot of discussions regarding the “No Surprises Act” (NSA), which aims to reduce “surprise” medical bills. The act goes into effect in 2022 and will affect social workers and other mental health professionals.
The NSA aims to protect consumers from surprise medical bills by having providers inform patients of expected charges before services are delivered, requiring private health plans to cover certain out-of-network claims, and by prohibiting providers from billing patients at more than in-network costs.
The American Psychological Association recently published an article outlining what steps providers must take to be in compliance with the act. The NASW will probably follow suit shortly. As providers, social workers will have to take certain steps to be in compliance with the act.
These steps include verifying coverage, clearly inform patients that the estimate is available to them at any time, and by providing a clear good faith estimate of expected charges within certain time frames.
Build Back Better
Last Sunday, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced on Fox News that he would vote “no” on the Build Back Better (BBB) bill due to concerns about how the bill would increase inflation. The BBB bill would affect many of the populations that social workers work with. For example, the bill would:
Provide Medicaid coverage and funding for employment programs for those who are leaving jail
Expand the child tax credit
Offer universal and free pre-school to all 3- and 4-year-olds
There are numerous other provisions that aim to combat climate change, expand affordable health care, and strengthen the middle class.
On another note, President Biden did manage to extend the pause on student loan repayment for another 90 days. This was welcoming news for those of us who are looking for ways to continue to ignore our debts.
New Jersey Codifies Same-Sex Law
In New Jersey, a bill that aims to codify same-sex marriage law into the state’s constitution passed the senate with a 35-4 vote. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since 2013, but the law had not been codified.
By codifying the law, New Jersey would be protected should the federal government reverse its stance on same-sex marriage. To be enacted, the bill must be signed by Gov. Phil Murphy by January 11th.
Upcoming Georgia Bill
In Georgia, a bill that aims to strengthen mental health care in the state may be filed in early January. The bill will:
Encourage more people to become mental health clinicians by providing education loans that can be repaid by service
Create new involuntary outpatient treatment programs for those unable to take care of themselves
Allow the police to take a person who may be in a mental health crisis for an evaluation, whether or not they have been charged with a crime
While the bill would expand mental health services, it would not cover the 1.4 million people that are uninsured in the state.
Research
Yet another reason to floss 🦷
A University of Birmingham study found an increased risk of patients developing illnesses related to mental health and heart conditions if they have a medical history of gum disease.
Previous studies have also connected mental and dental health. Those with depression have been found to develop cavities due to the effects of antidepressants or due to self-neglect. They are also 20% to 30% more likely to have lost all of their teeth. Research has also found that those living with serious mental illness experience increased tooth decay and gum disease.
Other social work reads and happenings
An oncology social worker shares her why
How can we build more resilience?
Can restorative justice help child sexual abuse survivors heal?
Social worker launches app to reduce hiring biases
The need for cultural humility
The University of Minnesota Duluth was awarded $900,000 to train clinical social workers
Check out these webinars on helping clients make a decision on vaccines and ethical boundaries in clinical practice