101006: Social Work Today January/February 2007

About the Course:

Home Sweet Home—Sizing Up Senior Home Care With the older adult population booming, how is home care faring as an alternative to nursing home placement?

Betrayed by Our Bodies—Sensory Loss in Aging Losing the ability to taste, smell, hear, see, and touch as we age has a major impact on quality of life.

Wanted: African American Men in Social Work Find out the steps one organization is taking to increase the number of African American males in the profession.

Country Comfort—Mental Health Telemedicine in Rural America Telemental health—mental health services by video—is helping patients who were once out of reach.

Finding Help for Struggling Teens It’s not easy to help a struggling teen, but here’s a guide for social workers helping parents decide what’s right for their child.

Publication Date:

Vol. 7, No. 1

Authors

Jennifer Sisk, MA; Dan Orzech; David Surface; Frederic Reamer, PhD, and Deborah H. Siegel, PhD, LICSW, DCSW, ACSW; Darnell J. Morris-Compton

About the Authors:

Jennifer Sisk, MA, is a suburban Philadelphia-based freelance writer with 15 years of experience as a writer and research analyst in the healthcare field. She has written on depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, mental wellness, and aging.

Dan Orzech is a Philadelphia-based freelance writer and editor of “Mindfulness Update,” a newsletter for mindfulness-based stress reduction practitioners.

David Surface is a freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY.

Frederic Reamer, PhD, and Deborah H. Siegel, PhD, LICSW, DCSW, ACSW, are professors at the School of Social Work, Rhode Island College in Providence. They are the authors of Finding Help for Struggling Teens: A Guide for Parents and the Professionals Who Work with Them.

Darnell J. Morris-Compton is a graduate student at the University of Maryland at Baltimore’s School of Social Work. An Indiana native, he has been a journalist and Peace Corps volunteer and has worked and volunteered in several social service agencies.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for healthcare professionals, especially social workers, as well as psychologists, counselors, and nurses who seek knowledge about spirituality and compassion. It is appropriate for intermediate levels of knowledge about the topic.

Course Objectives:

1. Describe the current status of senior home care, including its affordability, its benefits and disadvantages, and when older adults are best suited for this option.

2. Explain the types of sensory loss experienced by older adults and how those losses affect quality of life.

3. Recognize the benefits and shortcomings of mental health telemedicine.

4. Describe the various types of treatment and educational options for struggling teens.

5. Discuss the underrepresentation of African American men in social work and the factors contributing to this shortage.