Psychotherapist and Christian minister Cynthia Crosson reviews events leading to the suicide of her young adult son, Jamie, after his return from service with the US Army in Bosnia. She reflects on how she missed signs that he experienced post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD. The author finds solace as she develops programs involving service dogs for veterans.
Crosson-Tower’s first-person narrative, interwoven with glimpses of over 20 social welfare system cases is a combination of engaging storytelling and stark reality. It recounts the early days of her career that spanned more than three decades. After landing a position in the Division of Child Guardianship in Boston, Crosson-Tower is quickly indoctrinated by department manuals, a heavy caseload, and the challenge of dealing with the unexpected. This exceptional window to the role of a social worker reveals unique and turbulent circumstances in which resiliency and sensitivity play a large part. Incisive and discussion-generating “Questions for Thought” instigate readers to pause and consider the practices they would use in each case.
Daddy comes home from war with post traumatic stress syndrome. His service dog is trained to be dedicated to Daddy, and Daddy's dog is not meant to be a child's pet. Cynthia Crosson, a psychiatric social worker, and Carole Williams, illustrator, provide children with a clear, gentle explanation about why this is Only Daddy's Dog.
The book provides information to teachers and other school personnel regarding the detection and reporting of child abuse. Eleven chapters address the following topics: (1) "How to Recognize Physical and Emotional Abuse and Neglect"; (2) "How to Recognize Sexual Abuse"; (3) "The Reporting Process" (state reporting laws, school reporting policy, protective agencies); (4) "How to Validate Suspicion of Child Abuse" (documentation, analyzing data, consulting other professionals, teacher's checklist); (5) "After the Report" (protective agency decisions); (6) "Court Appearances"; (7) "How to Help the Child Beyond Reporting" (individual and classroom help, communicating with the social worker); (8) "The Child's Family" (understanding parents who are physically abusive, neglectful, sexually abusive, or emotionally abusive); (9) "How to Help the Child by Helping the Family"; (10) "Prevention: The Hope for the Future" (prevention program materials and resources); (11) "Prevention: Concerns and Evaluation" (a series of five reprints of articles on children's developmental stages, multicultural concerns, and prevention program evaluation). The appendices include abuse and neglect statistics, additional article reprints, sample reporting form, and listings of national organizations and the child protective service agency in each state. (JW)
Sunny's mom, Amanda, returns from deployment in Afghanistan injured and confined to a wheelchair. Spark, her service dog, helps her regain independence. When Sunny accompanies Mom and Spark to appointments at the veteran's center, she meets Malcolm whose veteran dad, Gabe, also has combat-related injuries. Sunny and Malcolm become friends and decide that Gabe, too, needs a specially trained service dog. Together they strive to make it happen.
This publication, intended to serve as a general guideline, presents responses to 20 questions on the specific roles and responsibilities of individual teachers when they are involved in reporting child abuse and neglect. The Legal Services section of each Department of Social Services in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands received and responded to a questionnaire. Responses to 19 of the survey questions are presented by state and territory. The responses to the 20th question is presented in the form of a chart listing the statute covering child abuse and neglect for each jurisdiction. Because of the lack of legal uniformity among the responses, the additional 11 survey questions are answered with summary statements at the conclusion of the report. (MLF)
Drawing upon a decades-long career as a social worker, Crosson-Tower weaves her own experiences and lessons into an engaging story of perseverance in the face of stark reality. She recounts her early days on the job, where she quickly encountered a heavy caseload, sudden and unexpected challenges, and the need to balance it all with her own life. Updated to include new insights and challenges, this exceptional journey into the life and role of a social worker realistically portrays the unique and turbulent circumstances in which resiliency and sensitivity play a large part. Each chapter is paired with “Questions for Thought” that encourage readers to pause and consider the practices they would use in a variety of cases.
Approximately 80% of the U.S. population now lives in urban metropolitan areas, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. At the same time, the built infrastructure sustaining these populations has become increasingly vulnerable to climate change. Stresses to existing systems, such as buildings, energy, transportation, water, and sanitation are growing. If the status quo continues, these systems will be unable to support a high quality of life for urban residents over the next decades, a vulnerability exacerbated by climate change impacts. Understanding this dilemma and identifying a path forward is particularly important as cities are becoming leading agents of climate action. Prepared as a follow-up to the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA), Climate Change and U.S. Cities documents the current understanding of existing and future climate risk for U.S. cities, urban systems, and the residents that depend on them. Beginning with an examination of the existing science since 2012, chapters develop connections between existing and emerging climate risk, adaptation planning, and the role of networks and organizations in facilitating climate action in cities. From studies revealing disaster vulnerability among low-income populations to the development of key indicators for tracking climate change, this is an essential, foundational analysis. Importantly, the assessment puts a critical emphasis on the cross-cutting factors of economics, equity, and governance. Urban stakeholders and decision makers will come away with a full picture of existing climate risks and a set of conclusions and recommendations for action. Many cities in the United States still have not yet planned for climate change and the costs of inaction are great. With bold analysis, Climate Change and U.S. Cities reveals the need for action and the tools that cities must harness to effect decisive, meaningful change.
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.