Latest news with #socialwork
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Perth library trials social worker program to help people in need
Libraries have always been sanctuaries. They're cool in summer, warm and dry in winter, have free wi-fi, comfortable seats and plenty of entertainment. But when librarians at Success library in Perth's south noticed a teenage girl spending long hours in the library each day, they wanted to help. "Librarians are very passionate about helping people," Cockburn Libraries adult services coordinator Deb Rigby said. "She wasn't at school and she didn't want to be at home because she was suffering from domestic and family violence and she didn't want to leave when the library was closing." Ms Rigby said the cost of living crisis had also brought more people to the library in search of free resources and internet, entertainment and to connect with community. "Librarians and library staff realised that a lot of people had unmet support needs and all they needed was some help in finding the right services and support for their needs," Ms Rigby said. "And they felt that they didn't perhaps have the training needed." The idea for a pilot project was formed. Ms Rigby said it was common for libraries in the US and UK to have social workers stationed in the library. But without funding, they had to think outside the box. With support from Cockburn Integrated Health and Communicare, two students from Curtin University have set up a desk in the library. It's tucked just inside the entrance and is staffed by the students a couple of days a week. Social work students Jenara Lane and Amber Proudfoot said they had so far been able to help dozens of people. "It's a drop in style service," Ms Lane said. "It's accessible to everybody, anybody who uses the library space can come in just have a chat with us, they might be looking for resources, they might need a support service perhaps and be looking for a referral. She said people saw libraries as safe spaces. "It is one of the few spaces left where you can go and feel comfortable and not feel obliged to purchase anything." Ms Proudfoot said similar programs had started in South Australia, Fremantle and Melbourne. "A lot of these supports are set up in a very clinical setting and that can be quite daunting for people to go into, whereas in the library setting everyone is accepted, it's a very culturally safe space for people to attend, it's free, it's warm, it's inviting," she said. The students have access to a quiet room, where they can go with a client to have a confidential chat. Success Library hopes to keep the program running, but libraries are already struggling with funding. WA Local Government Association (WALGA) president Karen Chappel said public libraries promoted social cohesion and wellbeing. "The shift in community expectations and needs is placing pressure on our public libraries, and while the services have changed, funding has not," Ms Chappel said. WALGA wants the state government to provide an extra $30million over four years to restore library funding to pre-2013 levels. "The State Government provides support for public libraries through the provision of funds for library resources, however this is out of step with the needs of modern libraries and is falling behind what is required," Ms Chappel said. Deb Rigby said the service was a natural extension of what the library already offered. "I think that it could be a model for other local governments to adopt," Ms Rigby said.
CBC
4 days ago
- General
- CBC
Meet Paul Jenkinson: He shows up ready to listen and it won't cost you anything
Paul Jenkinson is a retired social worker who's on a cross-Canada mission to sit down and listen. He made stops in Charlottetown and other locations on P.E.I. to look for people with something to say, hoping that he's making a difference by listening to one person at a time.
BBC News
02-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Solihull Council's children's services show improvement
Children in Solihull are receiving better and more timely support from social workers, an Ofsted visit has Council's children's services came under scrutiny after the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes in 2020. An Ofsted inspection in 2022 deemed the service inadequate with widespread local authority has since improved in areas such as managing safeguarding referrals and staff workloads an Ofsted inspector said after the latest monitoring council has had six monitoring visits since its inadequate rating, with a visit last year concluding that services for young people who had been in care had also improved. Ofsted's letter to the council setting out its findings was published on Monday, following a visit that took place on 29 and 30 April. Rebecca Quested, one of the inspectors, said there had been considerable progress with managing referrals to the service's safeguarding hub since the 2022 also said new arrangements, such as specialised workers based at family hubs and a recently-launched helpline, were helping some families receive early leadership and lower workloads for social workers had boosted the service since 2022, so the response to children who need help and support was now timely and the council's support for young carers was one area that could still be improved, as assessments of such children often did not include information from other leaders had acknowledged a need for more co-ordination in this area and had a plan in place.A commissioner was appointed in 2022 to help the council step-mother was found guilty of murder and his father was found guilty of manslaughter in Council has been contacted for comment. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
San Jose State University commencement features a surprise marriage proposal
The Brief Juan Carlos Soliz Meza graduated with a Master's in social work, taking the stage with his daughter. He also took the opportunity to propose to his longtime love and mother of his child. The accomplishment also fulfills a promise Juan Carlos made to his mother when he was still just a child. SAN JOSE, Calif. - For one family from Gilroy, San Jose State's commencement was an especially big deal. Not only were both father and daughter getting degrees together, but there was more: it was a chance for Juan Carlos Soliz Meza to also fulfill a promise to his mother, and propose to his longtime partner. The journey to get to this stage was a difficult one. The backstory Juan Carlos had been injured as a child by falling out of a tree. His mother, who had no money for a wheelchair, carried him to doctors' appointments in Mexico. Once he remembers, they were turned away by social workers, after traveling for hours. It was on that day that he made a promise to his mother. "One day I'll be on the other side of the desk. And I'm not going to do the same to other people as what they're doing to you. And I promise you that. It will take me years, but I will get it done. That was always in the back of my mind. And finally I got it done," says Juan Carlos. He graduated with a Master's in social work. And he did it in tandem with his daughter. On the same night, Brianna Calvillo got her degree in animation and illustration. "My dad has always been there for me through tough times and good times, so I'm just kinda used to having him by my side," says daughter Brianna Calvillo. Another Cause for Celebration Graduating together was special. And Juan Carlos had an idea to make it even more so. The fulfillment of one commitment would mean the beginning of another: he would propose to his longtime love, mother of his child, Alma Sanchez. "I was nervous. I didn't know how it was going to come out or if she was going to say yes or not. But I've just got to do it because I knew it was the right moment," says Juan Carlos. So he took the microphone and popped the question in front of a packed auditorium. "So I turned around. After that, I just saw the ring. I didn't hear anything else. iI just went over there," says Alma. She said yes. For now, the family is focused on graduation parties. They say the wedding will come later. Juan Carlos is just hoping the whole family can savor how far they've come. "And I told her I know it hasn't been easy. But I just want you to know that we did it. And it's we because there is no me. Because without my mother it wouldn't be possible. Without my daughter it wouldn't be possible. Without my wife," says Juan Carlos. As for what's next, Juan Carlos is waiting to hear back about a social work position and is considering going for his PhD. His daughter is pursuing her masters. The Source KTVU reporting
CBS News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
AmeriCorps funding cuts threaten mental health program that serves Colorado students
Helping students thrive has been the focal point behind Maya Stackhouse's mission to pursue a degree in social work in Denver. "A lot of time schools are the first point of contact for young people getting any kind of attention or academic or emotional support that they might need," said Stackhouse. Stackhouse is a graduate student at Metropolitan State University of Denver, but they have been spending the last year working as a mental health associate at Bryant Webster Dual Language School, a Denver elementary school, as part of a year-long paid internship program. "I've committed to 675 hours for the year. I've completed over 700," said Stackhouse. The program is run by the organization Spark through their Health Corps. "Any given day I'm probably going to see four to five students, either individually or in groups," they said. "I'm also responding as things come up in school, which they do all day long. I will also do about an hour of data tracking and outreach around attendance and outreach to other social workers or district level resources to coordinate wrap around care for families." Each year since the Spark Health Corps program started in 2022, roughly 10 to 13 associates fill the gap in mental health services that may be absent in underserved schools across the state. As a Title I school, Bryant Webster's principal Brian Clark says they wouldn't otherwise have the budget for a social worker. "We serve a number of newly arrived families from out of the country and they come with a variety of needs, and a social worker fills those needs quite well," said Clark. "If I'm not in the building, it's very likely that those services just don't happen because the person isn't in the building," said Stackhouse. This is a concern that now appears to be settling in for those involved in the program, after Spark Health Corps lost critical funding from AmeriCorps last month amid ongoing federal budget cuts. "The majority of the funding for this program comes from an AmeriCorps grant that allows us to build the program, run the program, to provide a living allowance, stipend to our associate interns," said Barb Knapp, Program Manager for Spark Health Corps. The state service commission, Serve Colorado, is still providing some funding support for people like Stackhouse to continue paid work through the remainder of their contract. "However, this is on a week-by-week basis," said Knapp. Right now, the state is pushing back against cuts to AmeriCorps through the courts. Yet, there is still long term concerns about the sustainability of the program if grant funding is not reinstated. "These programs won't exist. There will be students who don't have access to mental health care, there will be school staff that don't have access to that supplemental support for their behavioral health efforts," said Knapp. "We do the best we can with what we've got, but there's never enough resources, and so I would be worried about meeting the needs of our families if something happened to that relationship and they lost their funding," said Clark. For Stackhouse, it is a long term fear that cuts like this to mental health services will come at the expense of students. "I think about a student that I worked with this year, who it took six months for him to open up and ask for help. I will leave this year, and that student is counting on an intern to step in next year, or a mental health provider to step in next year. They need that person," said Stackhouse. "If they don't have that person, that family loses access to advocacy for their individualized mental health services, food, income support, rent support, that's stuff that all got coordinated this year through my internship through Spark."
