“Bring back our girls!”  : joining the universal chant

    Since hearing the news of the Nigerian school girls’ abduction, the daily routine of picking up my daughter from school has become an activity done with a little more appreciation and thankfulness. Granted this happened thousands of miles away and (a bit relieved) that it did not happen in our backyard but it could very well have been. Nevertheless, I am grateful for my child’s safety.

  I imagine the torturing emotions that the girls’ mothers are going through. The sheer anguish of knowing that the child you sent to school was taken away and finding out later the reason why she was taken.

 The indignation and the rage they must be feeling.

  This is a reality that many mothers in the North Eastern region of Nigeria are facing- the torture of having not just one but hundreds of girls carted away without warning.

 Hundreds of girls were abducted from their dormitory in the middle of the night. Reason? Because their captors say they shouldn’t be getting an education. The perpetrators? A terrorist group that notoriously calls itself “Boko Haram” which means Western Education is evil. This group opposes educating girls and despises Western culture.  They threaten to sell their victims into forced marriages, referring to their captives as “slaves.”

 This unjustifiable act sent shock waves to the core of the West African country and the global community alike calling for action in recovering the stolen girls.

Fondly referred to as “the Giant of Africa”, Nigeria has been rampaged by vicious attacks by this terrorist group in recent years. Episodes of massive bombings and killings have gripped this country, leaving its citizens paralyzed with fear, wondering when the next attack will occur.

These are perilous times. Perilous times indeed. A time when looking over your shoulder is the norm, the act of being overtly aware of your environment, a way of life.  A time when children go to school with fear of being attacked or killed. This is a scenario for countless people in Nigeria.

 No one should have to live like this.

   Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently summarizes this situation: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”- doing nothing or little will only embolden and encourage such horrific actions to occur not just in Nigeria but everywhere. How we react in this situation will help to determine the fate of these kidnapped girls and countless others who may find themselves in similar situations in future.

Everyone is affected by this.

 These problems are further compounded by the unavailability of social services, services that are lacking in developing countries and taken for granted in more privileged societies. Amenities that distressed families reeling from the effects of this ordeal can benefit from. Something needs to be done to recover these girls and support provided to assist these hurting individuals and families.

There is need to act, to safeguard and protect the right of everyone to receive an education without fear of reprisal. A right reserved for every human being. We have an obligation to ensure this never happens again. As social workers we are encoded to be flag bearers who carry the torch for social justice, and have the responsibility of keeping the torch blazing and bright, bright enough to instill and inspire hope for a better tomorrow.

We all can do something.

Hopefully the girls will be returned safely but no matter the conclusion, these girls will always be remembered and unwittingly envisioned in history alongside Malala Yousafzai (a teenage girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for promoting women’s education) as symbols for female education.

The abduction took weeks to generate a response but when it did, produced a response of such magnitude that it could be heard across the world. “Bring back our girls!” protestors’ chant, tweeting across the globe, initiating a worldwide campaign. A chant that resonates to the very core of our social conscious.

Let us join the voices around the globe in a universal chant: “Bring back our girls!” and help rewrite an ending to a story that began so tragically.

Please, join any organization you are comfortable with that is promoting help in bringing these girls home and help to advocate and support this cause any way you can. Thanks for your help.

Photo credits: Chioma Eke

Written by Ngozi I. Eke-MSW Candidate, University of Michigan

Contact: Ngozi_eke@yahoo.com; Niek@umich.edu

Editor's note: Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, has been in the Senate since 2001. She is chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and serves on the Energy, Budget and Finance committees. You can follow her on Twitter @stabenow. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- In 2016, we need to elect a president who has the experience to hit the ground running on day one. We need someone who has walked the walk, not just talked the talk.

We need someone who is extremely competent, extremely intelligent and extremely dedicated to the men, women and children of this country. We need someone who personally knows world leaders and understands the threats and challenges facing America. We need someone who understands what middle-class families have been going through and how to give every family a fair shot to get ahead in life.

Our next president needs to be someone who knows without debate that equal pay for equal work and the full participation of women in our country is not only the right thing for them and their families, it's critical for the economic future of America.

We need President Hillary Clinton.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow That's why I am honored to formally announce my renewed and unreserved support for Clinton as she considers a 2016 presidential bid.

I'm ready for Clinton because she is the best person to take on the challenges that face our country, and she has more than enough qualifications, achievements and experience to do the job.

While Clinton and I came to the Senate at the same time after the 2000 elections, I have known her for more than 30 years. I first met Clinton when I was serving in the Michigan State House of Representatives and she was serving as first lady of Arkansas and working as an attorney. We were both speaking on a panel at a national conference on children's issues in Detroit. I had just passed one of the first child abuse prevention trust funds in the country and Clinton was serving on the board of directors of the Children's Defense Fund.

That event was certainly an apt place to meet Clinton. For so many years before that and for the decades since, fighting on behalf of children and families has been a cornerstone of Clinton's career.

GOP tries to define Clinton for young voters

I was in the room when then-first lady Clinton courageously spoke in China at the Fourth World Conference on Women and reminded the world that "women's rights are human rights." I will never forget the power of that speech. Shortly thereafter, I was motivated to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Karl Rove doubles down on Hillary attack Clinton's "inevitability" problem Hillary Clinton opens up about her mom Clinton continued to speak up on behalf of women and girls around the world as secretary of state. And since passing the baton at the State Department to Secretary John Kerry, she has once again made the fight for quality, universal early childhood education one of her signatures issues.

The issues that will dominate the 2016 election are issues that Clinton has been a leader on for years. She has been a champion for middle-class families and for those working hard to get into the middle class. She voted time and again to raise the minimum wage so people working full time would not find themselves still in poverty. She wrote the Student Borrower Bill of Rights and fought for lowering student loan rates by ending giveaways to the big banks. And of course she has fought tirelessly to give all Americans, especially children, the security of quality, affordable health care.

As president, Hillary Clinton will fight for our values day in and day out. I also know Clinton is practical and pragmatic. She understands how to get things done.

I saw it in her that day in Detroit so many years ago, watched her help accomplish great things like the Children's Health Insurance Program as first lady, worked with her here in the Senate to increase the minimum wage, and continued to be inspired by the grit, determination and old-fashioned hard work she put in across six continents and 956,733 miles as secretary of state.

As secretary of state, Clinton stood up for America and stood strong against our enemies. As president, she will stand up for all Americans and stand strong against those who want to rig our political system for their own gain.

When America chooses its next president, we need someone who understands that people across this country are working hard and just want a fair shot to get ahead in life. I know that Clinton understands this because that's the America she has been fighting for all her life.

That is why I am ready for Hillary Clinton -- and why America is, too.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/22/opinion/stabenow-hillary-clinton/

ASI offers My NASW Health Choices Program to assist Members, their Families, and Clients with Health Insurance Options

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Marriage Inequality in Michigan: Affecting Family Ties

LANSING, Mich. - The legal limbo over same-sex marriage in Michigan is affecting the ties that bind for hundreds of families. That includes Kathleen LaTosch of Ferndale and her partner of 20 years. They want the same legal protections of other married couples, but as the issue of marriage equality bounces between courts, she says loving families like hers are going without the legal supports enjoyed by heterosexual couples.

"They don't have all of the benefits that come from a marital relationship. There's over a thousand different pieces of legislation, pieces of law, notations in our laws, that refer to the institution of marriage in order to confirm benefits," LaTosch says.

LaTosch is also a social worker, and she says same-sex couples with children are unable to jointly adopt, which adds stress and emotional insecurity to the family.

Additionally, many other same-sex couples are denied basic rights afforded to married couples such as hospital visitation or the ability to make medical decisions in an emergency. LaTosch is a consultant on inclusion initiatives and a member of the National Association of Social Workers in Michigan, which is among the groups supporting marriage equality.

LaTosch says without a legal union, aging same-sex couples face a slew of challenges, including costly legal fees when a partner passes, and the inability to access spousal or survivor benefits from Social Security. She adds that even financial assets, such as a home, are not protected.

"The fact that they don't have both their names on the deed is very common; it's very common," she stresses. "They lived as friends to the public. So, they may not have all the paperwork in place; they may not have those resources."

She says if protections could just be offered now for all couples, it would eliminate many legal battles in Michigan and other states. But ultimately, marriage equality needs to be heard by the Supreme Court, she adds.

"Minority rights have never succeeded based on minority voice alone, based on sheer numbers. So, when you have a minority group they just don't have the power to protect themselves, and that's why you need federal support," she explains.

In March, 300 same-sex couples were married within 24 hours, after a U.S. District Judge's declared the state's gay-marriage ban unconstitutional. A federal appeals court put the decision on hold, and Gov. Snyder said the state will not recognize the unions while the case is on appeal. The ACLU filed a lawsuit to guarantee that the marriages are recognized.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-05-05/livable-wages-working-families/marriage-inequality-in-michigan-affecting-family-ties/a39160-1

Questions about Professional Liability Insurance

a. Why do I need Professional Liability Insurance?

Professional liability insurance protects social workers if they are sued for malpractice. Social workers need protection from frivolous lawsuits and from legal action due to negligent acts, errors and omissions that can arise from their practices. These lawsuits may even arise years later, after the alleged event took place.

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The NASW-Endorsed Professional Liability Insurance Program covers you for other specific risks, including supplemental liability for clients tripping and falling in your private office, and legal counsel for a licensing board complaint or administrative hearing.

b. If I receive liability insurance through my employer/agency/school, do I still need individual coverage?

Social workers covered under the professional liability policy of their employer, agency or school also need their own individual coverage. Employer coverage does not necessarily protect you individually from risk and you may be liable for your own negligence. Employers may require you to reimburse them for damages they pay on your behalf, or their insurance may be inadequate.

Like it or not, large organizations such as schools and agencies may find it necessary to focus on their organizational needs first, and not on the needs of the individual social worker. For example, social workers covered by organizational policies are unlikely to be provided their own defense team to look out for their interests and careers. Your employer may also have the right to consent to settlement rather than defend your interests.

Also, if you leave your employer, it may be questionable whether you would still be covered under their policy. Purchasing your own professional liability insurance means you’ll still be covered, even if you change jobs.

http://www.naswassurance.org/pli/faq/faq-extended/#1b

Dennis Potter, LMSW, CAADC, ICCS, FAAETS

How do we respond to a workplace incident when employees are reeling from their reactions to it? While we have traditionally placed a great deal of emphasis on preventing PTSD and recovery from the symptoms in the aftermath of an event, these are probably the wrong items to discuss.

Now that we have much greater knowledge of PTSD, we understand that it is actually a fairly rare outcome of exposure to an event and more likely is a result of vulnerability to it based on early life history that the current event. There is certainly a great deal of research that demonstrates that Post Trauma Stress is an expected reaction to an unsettling event and that a person’s natural resiliency to bounce back can be “speeded” up with some education.

Below are eight common events that impact a workplace and some common reactions that employees experience. This list is not meant to be a complete list of events or themes, but are a starting point for you to consider. They are:

Core Issues/Themes for Various Events
1.     “Natural” death of a colleague
    a.    Shock/denial
    b.    What to say to family members
    c.    What to say to deceased’s close friends
    d.    Possible loss of sense of immortality (it could happen to me or who is next)
    e.    Sadness/grieving
    f.     Guilt over “unfinished” business

2.    Accidental death of a colleague
    a.    Higher level of shock/denial
    b.    What to say to family members
    c.    What to say to deceased’s close friends
    d.    Possible loss of sense of immortality (it could happen to me or who is next)
    e.    Sadness/grieving
    f.     Guilt over “unfinished” business

3.    Death of a colleague’s family member
    a.    Shock/denial
    b.    What to say to colleague
    c.    Possible loss of sense of safety (could this happen to my family member?)
    d.    Possible loss of sense of immortality (it could happen to me or who is next)
    e.    Sadness/grieving
    f.     Guilt over “unfinished” business

4.    Murder of a colleague
a.    High level of shock/denial
b.    What to say to family members
c.    What to say to deceased’s close friends
d.    Sadness/grieving
e.    Guilt over “unfinished” business

5.    Suicide of a colleague
    a.    Highest level of shock/denial
    b.    Guilt and Anger
    c.    What to say to family members?
    d.    What to say to deceased’s close friends?
    e.    Possible loss of sense of safety (who is else is thinking about this?)
    f.     Sadness/grieving
    g.    Guilt over “unfinished” business
                      i.      Did I miss something?
                     ii.      What could I have done differently?
                    iii.      “Monday Morning Quarterbacking”

6.    Workplace Violence
    a.    Loss of Sense of Personal Safety
    b.    High level of shock/denial
    c.    What to say to own family members
    d.    What to say to own children?
    e.    Don’t know what to say to deceased’s close friends
    f.     Sadness/grieving
    g.    Guilt
                      i.      Did I miss something?
                     ii.      What could I have done differently?
                    iii.      “Monday Morning Quarterbacking”

7.    Domestic Violence Situation
    a.    Who else might be in this situation?
    b.    Loss of Sense of Personal Safety
    c.    High level of shock/denial
    d.    Sadness/grieving
    e.    Guilt
                      i.      Did I miss something?
                     ii.      What could I have done differently?
                    iii.      “Monday Morning Quarterbacking”

8.    Adverse Event affecting Colleague(s)
    a.    Shock/denial
    b.    What to say to colleague?
                      i.      Acknowledge the Event
                     ii.      Ask how they are doing
                    iii.      Share any appropriate things you do in their situation
                   iv.      Let them know you care
    c.    Possible loss of sense of safety (could this happen to me?)

It is important for the interventionist to be prepared to validate the employee’s reactions to the event and to speak to things that they can do to help one another get through and past the immediate effects of those reactions. It is very helpful to develop handouts that are consistent with your core message. This is not a time for therapy, but it is a time to be therapeutic. Crisis intervention requires good training and good boundaries.

About the Author:

Dennis Potter, LMSW, CAADC, CCS, FAAETS, serves Manager, Consultants Relations & Training at Crisis Care Network. He is a licensed social worker and certified addiction counselor. He has received training and supervision in Cognitive Therapy from the Beck Institute in Philadelphia, PA. He has participated in a train the trainer courses in Motivational Interviewing and has provided this training to a variety of mental health, substance abuse agencies and in the business community. He also provides training programs on various topics of mental health issues and treatment approaches, substance use disorders and treatment approaches, and critical incident stress management. Dennis helped to form one of the first community based Crisis Response Teams in the country. He was one of the founding members of the Mid-West Michigan CISM Team and the Michigan Crisis Response Association. Dennis is recognized as a Fellow, by the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. To achieve this credential, he completed a comprehensive application and examination, along with supporting documentation, to validate his experience in working with survivors of traumatic events, knowledge of the literature, and level of education.

About Crisis Care Network:

Crisis Care Network is a nationwide provider of critical incident response services.  Over 1000 times per month Crisis Care Network deploys specialists to various workplace settings following critical incidents.  We are continuously searching for independently licensed mental health providers with the certified training or experience in workplace trauma. For more information please visit: www.crisiscare.co