News: Mental Health

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, who heads social services under New York City Mayor DeBlasio, will serve as speaker for the Columbia School of Social Work’s graduation ceremony, to be held on Wednesday May 21 at the Beacon Theatre.

Welcome to Part 2 of our podcast featuring two DSM experts, Drs. Michael First and Janet Williams, talking about the implications of DSM-5 for social workers who deliver mental health services.

The impact of the release of the DSM-5 last year is still being felt. In this podcast, two DSM experts, Drs. Michael First and Janet Williams, discuss the key changes that appear in this edition and their implications for social workers in mental health fields.

Read the responses given by Adjunct Associate Professor Michael B. Friedman to a debate concerning the effectiveness of the U.S. policy of deinstitutionalization of mental health services, organized by MedPageToday.com.

Announcing the release of a booklet listing the achievements of nine CUSSW doctoral students, program chair Julien Teitler mentioned their “broad range of important topics, including child obesity, foster care, adult and adolescent mental health, gender-based violence, and resilience among at-risk women in developing countries.”

Calls to address “the mental health issue” have inevitably followed the mass murder at Newtown, Connecticut. But are there any interventions that would reduce the incidence of such tragic events? Associate Professor Michael B. Friedman considers the evidence.

The U.S. Navy dropped anchor for the first time at the School of Social Work, as alumna Jennifer Bornemann (MSSW, 2000), who now serves as an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, introduced Commander Stephen Bromberek, the director of social work at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The events of Sandy Hook elicited sadness, grief, anger and confusion. Social workers recognize and have studied this kind of anxiety. Professor Anne Conway provides recommendations for individuals and families looking for ways to cope.

Paul Levine (MS’68) was one of five awardees at the annual dinner held by the National Association of Social Workers, New York Chapter, on December 6. Read more about his achievements, along with those of the other five CUSSW alumni who were honored…