#SOCIAL WORK

[howdoyouexpressloneliness]

How do you express loneliness?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently writing my master’s thesis in social work on the topic of loneliness. After already having written a bachelor's thesis on loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown using a questionnaire as a research tool, my thesis supervisor and I came to the conclusion to stay on the same topic but handle it with a different approach.

Everyone has had experiences with loneliness in their life. No matter if they felt lonely themselves or heard about it, seen it on TV or read about it. Within my master’s thesis I want to explore the different ways people express loneliness. The research question of the master's thesis is therefore: "How do you express loneliness?".

My idea was to base the research on submissions. Within the submissions everything is possible, no matter if it is textual or written, artistic, videos, songs, photography or anything else that might help contextualize loneliness. (Examples could be: poems, texts, essays, haikus, lyrics, paintings, drawings, collages, videos, songs, photos etc.)

Please send your submissions to the Google Forms page created for this purpose: https://forms.gle/dF8xYQYz51ncUwSp9

Or to the e-mail: expressingloneliness@gmail.com

(If you’re German or can speak the language, please make sure to submit your work in German because that is the language the master’s thesis will be written in. But I am grateful for any and all submissions)

All submissions are confidential and will only be used for the purpose of research for my master’s thesis. All submissions are anonymous and any information to any personal information will be anonymized.

If you have any questions or suggestions please make sure to reach out to me! You can find me at the e-mail address: expressingloneliness@gmail.com or @howdoyouexpressloneliness on tumblr.com.

Thank you for participating!

[ex-foster]

Girls from foster care are some of the most vulnerable members of society.

When girls run away from foster homes or when they age out of the system, they are at an increased risk of being exploited into the sex industry.

It is crucial to understand that the sex industry preys on girls and women from foster care because they are isolated from their families which makes them easy to exploit. When you grow up in foster care, you can also be dangerously lonely and in need of human connection and support. Human traffickers exploit foster girl's need for family and love.

Sex trafficking has a low rate of conviction but is highly profitable (a drug can be sold once, but a human being can be sold numerous times for sex).

It's also important to understand that recruitment into the sex industry is often done online. Be wary of people who suggest that "sex work is work" - they are recruiters. Be wary of people who use "swerf" (sex worker exclusive radical feminist) in order to demonize anyone who exposes the harm of the sex industry - they are recruiters. Real feminists protect the most vulnerable women and girls.

[starryvomit]

“If you do not tell your story, someone else will, and they will tell it wrong.”

-Kane Smego, 2014.

[aboxmsn]

rough drafts for a school comic im making about social work ! if there’s anyone you guys can recommend tell me I NEED MORE IDEAS.

[she-is-ovarit]

I am on government insurance (Medicaid). Out of pocket, my psychologist's rate is $225 an hour. He went through a decade or more of school, obtained a PhD, and graduated with student loan debt. He didn't state how much, but I can imagine it's likely in the hundreds of thousands considering he still has this debt and graduated with his PhD in the early 2000s.

He shared with me that out of that $225 rate, he obtains about $25 from one Medicaid client's insurance company. The insurance company pockets the rest. My friend, another therapist, has a similar story. She makes $75 off of Medicaid clients usually when her rate out of pocket is $200.

Most therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists are no longer accepting Medicaid/Medicare insurances because of this reason, which people who are poor are on. Over half of mental health professionals are no longer accepting insurance, period. I think we all understand that low-income people and low-income communities struggle the most with mental health issues, and if you are a person of color in the US you are more likely to be low-income. If you are a domestic violence survivor turned homeless because you left your significant other, you are also more likely to be on Medicaid. If you are a first generation student, you are most likely on Medicaid. If you are formerly incarcerated, you are most likely on Medicaid. And so on.

Additionally, if you are a human being of the female sex, you are far more likely to seek out therapy than someone of the male sex. Overwhelmingly men don't seek out therapy unless their female significant partner pleads with them, pressures them, or gives them an ultimatum which influences them to make an appointment. What does this mean when the vast majority of mass shooters, rapists, pedophiles, and domestic violence abusers are male?

Figure 2. Percentage of adults aged 18 and over who had received any mental health treatment, taken medication for their mental health, or received counseling or therapy from a mental health professional in the past 12 months, by sex: United States, 2019

Pair all of these details with the fact that mental health professionals are in such high demand right now, that even with private insurance the wait list is anywhere from three to six months out. Insurance agencies are business, and the corruption inherent. Many focus on prioritizing coverage for acute crisis rather than treating long term underlying conditions (which in turn prevents acute crises), don't provide coverage for co-occurring conditions, are advertising that more providers are accepting their insurance than there actually are, and are solely driven by financial interest.

I wonder how much domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, poverty, hate crimes, generational trauma, and overall suffering within individuals and in their societies can be reduced by valuing mental health and holding insurance companies accountable for their financial exploitation.

We talk about the US healthcare crisis without talking about the US mental health crisis.

[lilac-masquerade]

Guys, with everything going on, if you need help go to the nearest social worker. I know it’s weird, and trusting people that are apart of the system is shit, but they literally are not allowed to judge you and they’re completely free. And hey, if they’re assholes, you get the cathartic experience of reporting them, because they’re literally not allowed to be. They aren’t allowed to turn you away and they aren’t allowed to report you. They will find you help and resources for free, I promise.

[queenwille]

why is fighting antisemitism online for the existence and safety of my people not a legit reason for a delay in handing in a paper for uni

[i-yeeteth-and-i-yoinketh]

“I can fix him” “I can make him worse” yeah well I can write and implement a comprehensive support plan for him, we are not the same

[o-kallitexnhs-o-atelhs]

4 χρόνια Κομοτηνουλα μου αγαπημένη, για πάντα θα είσαι ένα από τα ομορφότερα και μεγαλύτερα κεφάλαια της ζωής μου και σίγουρα το πιο ξεχωριστό κομμάτι μου. Ένα μέρος της καρδιάς μου θα σου ανήκει για πάντα. Θα τα ξαναπούμε σύντομα.❣️

Τμήμα Κοινωνικής Εργασίας ΔΠΘ, Κομοτηνή, 04/12/24🎓

Πήρα το πτυχίο παιδιά, θα κλάψω 😭🥹💐🩷

[harleyklawz]

Being a social worker is by far the best and most rewarding job I've ever had, but HOLY FUCK is it crazy that I just like, listen to people's worst moment and then basically havw to be like "I hear you, I see you, you are valid. Let's get through this and then like, go eat a sandwhich, okay?"

And like, that actually fixes the imeddiate horros. Like, someone giving you kind words and reminding you to maintain yourself. Crazy shit.

[socialworkerbee]

diagnostics is such a challenge already. i never even considered how symptoms present in neurodivergent individuals.

[ilikecarsandlike4people]

Just a month ago I was feeling nervous about signing up to be a support adult, thinking about how on earth I could ever be enough to support a child in need of a friend or a mentor. But I cannot describe the joy of hearing my phone buzz and seeing a text message asking if I'm free to go for coffee or a picture of a drawing or just a simple "good morning!". That there is something I can do. That I can be enough. That maybe just being there and listening and drinking some coffee together can make the world of difference. I think I have found my place. I am more and more convinced that teaching and working with children is my path forward. It fills me with so much joy and accomplishment, and it gives me such a feeling of purpose and direction. I don't know, I just got a text from her asking when I'll pick her up and I just feel so sure, right in this moment, that I have made the right choice.

[socialworkdaily]

Mental Health Awareness and Stigma: Breaking the Silence

Mental health is an integral part of our overall well-being. However, the stigma around mental health issues continues to pose significant challenges for many. Although awareness of mental health has increased, it often leads to discrimination, isolation, and a reluctance to seek help. This can make conditions like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia even harder to cope with and recover from.

So what does stigma look like? Negative stereotypes, exclusion, or the fear of judgment that keeps someone from reaching out for support-these all count. What's also regrettable is that such stigma disproportionately falls on vulnerable populations: youth, persons of color, and members of low-income communities-and therefore harder to get to the needed care.

How is this scenario to be addressed? Social workers play a key role in countering stigma by encouraging openness about the topic, offering emotional support, and advocating for inclusive policies. It's all about creating safe spaces where individuals feel comfortable seeking help without fear of judgment.

Mental health must be treated like physical health—the attention, understanding, and support. The more we continue raising awareness and challenging mental health stigma, the better chance we have at creating a society that heals, includes, and makes everyone feel healthy.

Let's break the silence together—it's time to end the stigma.

[brunchbitch]

We’re losing two more social workers at work - one of whom has worked there for five years and basically runs the oncology floor, which is a challenging floor to say the least. It feels like a sinking ship and so many people are bailing. But I feel guilty bc I also want to leave and look for a role with a more clinical focus. There’s also the complication that A and I will be moving ~30-45 min away at some point soon and I don’t want to have to commute into Seattle, so idk whether I should be looking for jobs in Seattle or on the eastside…

[kemetic-dreams]

What Group Of People Benefited The Most From Welfare

Working-class European Americans, particularly those without college degrees, are among the largest beneficiaries of government welfare programs. 

Here's a breakdown:

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) research:Studies by the CBPP have shown that European Americans, especially those lacking a college education, have benefited significantly from safety-net programs aimed at poverty reduction. 

Poverty reduction:These programs have been effective in lifting a substantial number of European Americans out of poverty. 

European Americans as the largest group: Studies show that European Americans make up the largest share of people lifted from poverty by safety-net programs. 

Misconceptions about welfare: While there are common misconceptions about welfare recipients, the reality is that European Americans are disproportionately represented among the beneficiaries of government safety net programs. 

In addition to working-class European Americans, other groups also benefit from welfare programs, including:

Elderly and disabled individuals:Programs like Social Security and Medicare primarily benefit older Americans and people with disabilities. 

Low-income families:Programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Medicaid provide crucial support for low-income households. 

Children:Children are a significant beneficiary group of welfare programs, with a high percentage of children receiving benefits from at least one safety-net program.