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Editor's E-Note
The increased politicization of transgender youth has ostracized them from their communities and led to increased scrutiny from the public about their existence and inclusion in society. One can only imagine the long-term impacts such isolation could have on adolescents. While those championing such vitriolic rhetoric may claim to have the best interests of adolescents in mind, it’s clear there is a lack of empathy when it comes to understanding members of this community. This month’s exclusive dives into the ways normalized hostility affects this vulnerable population and the efforts of social workers to alleviate some of this burden.
I’m excited to receive your comments at SWTeditor@gvpub.com. While you’re at it, visit our website at www.SocialWorkToday.com, like our Facebook page, and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Enjoy the newsletter.
— Josh Hildebrand, editor |
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The Challenges Faced by Transgender Youth in Today’s Political Climate
Transgender youth face immense challenges in today’s political climate, where antitransgender legislation and rhetoric are on the rise. From restrictions on gender-affirming health care to bans on participation in sports and limitations on discussions of gender identity in schools, transgender youth are increasingly targeted by policies that undermine their rights and well-being.
These challenges are not only legal but also social, psychological, and medical, creating an environment of fear, marginalization, and systemic discrimination.
Legal and Political Attacks on Trans Youth
One of the most pressing issues facing transgender youth is the wave of antitransgender legislation across the United States and in other parts of the world as well. Many conservative administrations have passed or introduced laws banning gender-affirming care for minors, despite medical consensus that such care is essential for the mental health and well-being of transgender individuals. These laws criminalize doctors who provide puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or even mental health support for transgender youth, leaving many without access to lifesaving care.
Additionally, transgender youth are being targeted in schools through restrictions on pronoun use, bathroom access, and participation in sports. Laws that require teachers to misgender students or prevent them from using facilities that align with their gender identity create hostile educational environments. Similarly, bans on discussing gender identity in classrooms erase the experiences of transgender youth and limit access to affirming resources, further isolating them.
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Standing Up for Parents With Learning Disabilities
Through film, an organization is hoping to explain the difficulties faced by parents with learning disabilities and the role social workers play in advocating and working with them.
New Work Requirements Unintentionally Threaten South Dakotan Medicaid Recipients
South Dakota has proposed expanding its Medicaid work requirements, drawing fear among patients who depend on Medicaid for health care.
Parental Affection Influences Children’s Perceptions of Safety
In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers found that children with warm maternal interactions grew up to have better perceptions of societal safety as well as better mental and emotional health.
North Carolina Law Expands Access to Social Workers
The governor of North Carolina has signed a handful of bills into law expanding funding and access to various employees, notably social workers. The expansion includes making it easier for social workers in other states to obtain licensing in North Carolina. |
No Woman Left Behind Memoir
No Woman Left Behind: A Journey of Hope to Heal Every Woman Injured in Childbirth is a powerful new memoir by Bay Area native Kate Grant, founding CEO of the Fistula Foundation, the world’s largest charity treating childbirth injuries. Grant traces her journey from a Madison Avenue advertising executive to a Silicon Valley nonprofit leader spearheading a global movement to end obstetric fistula, a devastating childbirth injury affecting over one million women in Africa and Asia.
This is more than a health memoir; it’s a rare inside look at how a woman-led organization scaled globally without government funding, driven by empathy, data, and a deep respect for local medical partners. Grant offers an inspiring narrative about building trust, staying true to mission, and reshaping how we think about effective giving.
What makes No Woman Left Behind unique:
- a firsthand account of building the world’s largest charity focused solely on obstetric fistula treatment—funded 100% on private donations;
- stories of women healed, surgeons persevering, and donors mobilized to take on one of global health’s most underreported challenges;
- an unflinching look at how inequality, poverty, and stigma converge to devastate maternal health—and what’s being done to change that;
- 100% of the book’s net proceeds will fund surgeries through Fistula Foundation’s Love a Sister program; and
- under Grant’s leadership, Fistula Foundation has enabled more than 100,000 life-changing fistula repair surgeries for women in over 35 countries across Africa and Asia.
Learn more »
The Wellness Roundtable Podcast
The nonprofit Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the leading research organization for the wellness industry, recently announced its new podcast, The Wellness Roundtable. The first season explores the science and strategy of living longer and better––and the research breakthroughs and need-to-know thinkers and companies currently redefining longevity and health span.
Alexia Brue hosts the series. She is the cofounder of award-winning media company, Well+Good, and a longevity entrepreneur, whose latest venture is The Practice: Habits for Healthspan. Brue sits down with renowned scientists, clinicians, CEOs, and investors to discuss where lifespan and health span are pushing into new frontiers, such as biomarkers, AI, exercise and nutrition, and regenerative medicine. The provocative conversations range from surprising new research on women’s longevity to whether the longevity boom represents a new golden age or gold rush.
In a crowded health and longevity podcast space—from The Peter Attia Drive to Andrew Huberman’s Lab—GWI’s podcast is different. While enlightening for both the industry and consumers just eager to learn, this podcast was created with wellness professionals in mind, focusing on the “need-to-knows” in the space in easily digestible episodes (all under an hour).
“Longevity has officially entered the cultural zeitgeist, but many conversations either get mired in the science or drift into Silicon Valley fantasy,” Brue says. “The Wellness Roundtable is different. We’re bridging the science with the real-world application that wellness professionals need—because it’s the practitioners, not just the billionaires, who will shape how health span becomes part of everyday life. These conversations are for the people on the ground—the clinicians, coaches, and entrepreneurs—who are ready to turn longevity from a buzzword into a movement. Hosting these dialogues now feels urgent because the future of aging isn’t something we should passively inherit. It’s something we can actively shape.”
The Wellness Roundtable will explore a new topic every 10 episodes, with a fresh host at the helm. The longevity series is sponsored by Fountain Life, a leading science-backed longevity center, powered by AI.
Learn more » |
The nation's top employers and recruiters of social workers advertise in Social Work Today magazine and post their job openings on AHCJobBoard.com. Check out the most recent opportunities that have been submitted by employers across the country!
Featured Employer
Defense Health Agency
Social Worker (Clinical) 2025-8619
Ft Sill, Oklahoma, United States
Social Worker (Clinical)-2024-7851
Fort Stewart, Georgia, United States
Social Worker (Clinical) 2025-8687
Fort Eisenhower, Georgia, United States
Social Worker (Clinical) (GS-12) 2025-8707
Ft Leonard Wood, Missouri, United States
Social Worker (Clinical) 2025-8565
Ft Riley, Kansas, United States |
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COVER STORY
Keeping the Balance
Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is essential to reduce social worker burnout.
FEATURE
Navigating Ambiguous Loss
Social workers can help patients and families navigate this unique form of grief.
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