News Archive
2014
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Public discourse in American society today would suggest that religion is losing its hold on people’s lives. Religious scholars and media reports underscore the point that Americans are now less religious than ever before, at least in terms of church membership and attendance.
This is sobering news for religious leaders and has left many anxious about the imminent exodus of followers and the growing challenges parents face in keeping their faith for future generations.
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As the U.S. Department of Defense advances its efforts to evaluate and improve psychological health services for military members and their families, it should develop, track and evaluate programs based on scientific evidence to ensure their effectiveness, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. DOD has implemented numerous resilience and prevention programs -- mostly focused on individual-level interventions -- that address various aspects of psychological health.
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The University of Southern California has a long history of supporting the United States military—from its days as a training school during World War I to the formation of programs and centers aimed at helping veterans transition home.
Now that tradition continues in the university’s own backyard. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently announced the formation of a new council that will advise his administration on issues affecting the city’s military community.
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For more than a decade, a small percentage of Americans has volunteered to join the military and take part in the nation’s longest-running wars, but the effects of combat and the transitions home impact more than just that 1 percent.
Families, friends and entire communities have been welcoming home service members whose wartime experiences can span the gamut of physical and psychological reactions, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Prostitution is often viewed as a victimless crime, but in some U.S. communities the average starting age for a girl in the industry can dip as low as 12 years old. The overwhelming majority of women in the commercial sex trade find themselves there as a result of either coercion or desperation.
But offering them a way out requires going well beyond the confines of legal assistance. Women with prostitution or sex trafficking backgrounds can successfully reintegrate back into society, and in the course of their recovery, social workers play a vital role.
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A single mother of two separated from her husband, Amanda Tenorio thought she found her “Prince Charming” – a new man who immediately swept her off her feet. Little did she know that the next 13 months would be filled with pain, abuse, hospitalizations and more at the hands of an abusive boyfriend.
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Set against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean, Clinical Professor of Field Education Steve Hydon presented “Secondary Traumatic Stress: Causality and Impact” at the California Public Defenders Association’s annual retreat in Monterey, Calif. About 200 public defenders from across the state were in attendance.
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Lisa LaCorte-Kring, MSW ’94, has returned to the university as a member of the USC School of Social Work’s Board of Councilors, bringing with her a progressive perspective on social work practice and education.
LaCorte-Kring is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in family mediation with the Los Angeles County Superior Court for 10 years before transitioning into mindfulness training, or focusing attention and awareness based on meditation principles, after having two children.
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What do you get when you combine music, medicine and social work? A trip to Canada in June.
At least, USC Master of Social Work student Friday Lilly does. Lilly holds the distinction of being the only social work student to be presenting at the 3rd International Conference of the International Association for Music & Medicine (IAMM) in Toronto to be held from June 24-27. Along with USC School of Social Work Clinical Professor Murali Nair, Lilly will be presenting a proposal to use traditional Indian music to help relieve anxiety in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
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Depression affects more than half of all mothers in Early Head Start programs, damaging their parenting abilities and increasing the vulnerability of their children to poor school and life outcomes.
Ferol Mennen, an associate professor with the USC School of Social Work, will use a new $2.5 million grant from the Administration for Children and Families to test a promising approach to alleviate that depression as a strategy to improve the lives of both mother and child.