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When it comes to serving the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, why are social work students facing a dearth of education on the topic?
This month’s E-News Exclusive attempts to explain the circumstances that may have led to the gap and how the hole could be filled.
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— Lee DeOrio, editorial director
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The IDD Gap
By Sue Coyle, MSW
Social work students receive minimal education on how to best serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
When Mary H. Berlin, MSW, LSW, social work supervisor, first began working at Easterseals 20 years ago, she had limited experience directly serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She relied on her education and previous experience to help her. “A social worker is a social worker,” she says. But very little of that background—particularly the coursework—was specific to IDD.
The same is true today of the BSW students Berlin supervises each year. Though they may have an interest in and some personal experience with the population, their social work education has, most likely, barely touched on IDD. Should these students continue on for their MSWs, the same will be true—regardless of their desire to work with the population.
The social work curricula at all levels lack significant content about working with individuals with IDD. This gap is a disservice both to those individuals and to the social workers who serve them.
Full story » |
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Opioid Education Designed for Justice, Child Welfare Professionals
Health Management Associates (HMA) has developed a program aimed at helping justice and child welfare professionals understand opioid use disorder (OUD) and the use of medications for addiction treatment (MAT) during and after incarceration.
The County Touchpoints In Access To MAT For Justice-Involved Populations video training and website were developed with seasoned, well-known leaders from justice and child welfare systems and offer customized, impactful training materials and modules. All training materials are provided free of charge on the project training website.
The video-based training modules and resources focus on educating justice and child welfare professionals about addiction as a chronic brain disease, effective medications to treat opioid addiction, and their roles in supporting recovery and sobriety for their clients by supporting the use of MAT.
“Influencing a person with OUD to reduce or stop using MAT places the person at extreme risk for relapse, overdose, and death,” says Donna Strugar-Fritsch, BSN, MPA, CCHP, HMA project director. “This program is designed to break down misunderstandings and stigma by educating professionals so they can help clients access the resources they need and improve their lives.”
Read more » |
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Voices on Vaping — Public Health Problem or Smoking Cessation Tool?
E-cigarettes have been used with the goal of eventually quitting smoking, but excessive use, especially in teens, has resulted in health issues. Opinions differ on whether vaping is a harm reduction method or if it has created its own unique medical concerns. Read more »
Putting Social Work Values to the Test — ASWB’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Designing challenging exams for social work licensure is the role of ASWB, but it is also dedicated to integrating the profession’s core mission, values, and ethics into the exams. Read more » |
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In Minority Neighborhoods, Knocking on Doors to Stop the Spread of the Coronavirus
To help address racial gaps and social determinants of health, firefighters and volunteers have been going door to door distributing masks and hand sanitizer in communities at heightened risk for the coronavirus, reports NPR.
Nine in 10 Men Want Their Doctors to Ask About Domestic Violence
The majority of young men think their physicians should ask whether they have perpetrated or experienced domestic violence, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Latino, Black Neighborhoods Struggle With Test Disparities
Getting a COVID-19 test can be even harder in America’s poorer, Hispanic, and Black neighborhoods where there are fewer testing sites, reports AP News. |
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