2009 NASW IL Conference - Call for Presentations
from NASW IL
Over the past decade, the workshops at the NASW IL Statewide Conferences have represented the broad cross sections of our membership, blending "practice" workshops with "research" or "academic" workshops. We anticipate that this will be the case for the 2009 conference, "A Meeting of the Profession," which will take place Sept. 9-11, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. More

More Workers Shun Retirement, Stay on the Job
from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Across the nation, the number of older workers is growing. In the past decade, the percentage of those 65 and older who are in the work force rose to 16.5 percent from 11.8 percent. This year alone, about 425,000 more seniors are working than at this time last year. The numbers reflect a combination of seniors working well past traditional retirement years and those returning to the work force after several years away. More

In Psychiatry, Can a Punch Line Be a Lifeline?
from The New York Times
"Has anything changed since the treatments began?" the patient was asked, as he lies down on a stretcher in the ECT suite. The anesthesiologist places an IV line in his arm and checks his vital signs. The attending psychiatrist adjusts the machine that delivers the electric stimulus. "My cellphone always has a great charge," the patient deadpans. More

"I'm Done With You"
from The Chicago Tribune
All 50 states have safe haven laws, which encourage desperate mothers to surrender unwanted babies anonymously instead of abandoning them in restrooms or Dumpsters. Most states limit it to infants less than a month old, though North Dakota's law covers children up to a year. Nebraska lawmakers couldn't agree on a cutoff age, so they settled on the word "child." Even now, some lawmakers and social workers don't like the idea of setting an age limit. More

Officials: Florida Teen Commits Suicide by Overdosing on Drugs in Front of Webcam Audience
from The Associated Press via The Chicago Tribune
Authorities say a South Florida teen committed suicide in front of a live online webcam audience after blogging about his plan to kill himself. People were watching through a body building Web site and investigators said some were encouraging, others tried to talk him out of it, and a few were debating whether the dose he took was lethal. More

Center Counsels Families Struggling with Economy
from ABC7Chicago
With the stock market fluctuating the way it has been, and tough economic times impacting families and communities, many are feeling the stress and do not know whether to get help. If you're snapping at people, you're not yourself. You're angry or frustrated. Those things mean that you should get in to see someone, said Linda Hoag, Catholic Charities clinical social worker in Chicago. More

Prison Babies
from Nurse.com
Nurse researcher Mary Byrne is the first researcher outside the New York correctional system to study incarcerated women and their babies living in a prison nursery. In spite of her prolific prisoner data collection, Byrne says conducting a prison research study is a culture clash between the punitive, restrictive environment of the corrections system and the open inquiry environment that is needed for health research. More

Job Site Identifies 25 Opportunities Most in Demand
from Newsday
At a time when so many are focusing on jobs lost, along comes a ranking of the 25 jobs most in demand. Positions for claims workers, market researchers, account and customer support, and social workers top the list of offerings for the New York metro area. More