Best Tweets in Mental Health (10/24/2011)

                  I'm watching twitter, google+ and the web so you don't have to...

This post is part of a weekly series, Best Tweets in Mental Health, featuring the best posts of the week, in social work, psychology, mindfulness, pain management, incorporating social media in nonprofits, and private practice on Social Work Career Development.


Social Work:

5 Reasons Why Social Workers Should Use Social Media
Connecting Social Care and Social Media (@Ermintrude2)

"Since jumping into the ‘social media’ pool, my knowledge base has expanded exponentially. I follow the news from different countries and organizations with more interest..The fact that I am writing this post now is a testament to my second point – one of making connections..."

Ethics & Technology: A Mild Rant (video)
Gamer Therapist (Mike Langlois, LICSW)

Mike essentially argues: 1) technology or social media is just a tool; it is not inherently dangerous in of itself and 2) most workshops addressing ethics and social media are "long on ethics, short on technology."

Developing Style
I See Things Upside Down (MSW/JD Student blogger: Brandi McNeil)

"This week, I got the chance to watch some other amazing social workers...What do I mean by style? The way you approach a problem. The order and way in which you ask questions..."

It's the relationship in social work that matters in family preservation
Child Protection Lessons (Peter Choate)

"OFSTED in the UK has just published an overview report that considers factors that keep children in families and out of foster care...Another finding was having a plan that made sense to the families. This included a focus that considered not only the needs of the children, but also the needs of parents, including fathers..."

It’s Time to Change the Channel
Notes from an Aspiring Humanitarian (Relando Thompkins, MSW)

"It’s time to “change the channel” in our minds and actions. Today, many men are still taught in covert and overt ways that being masculine means suppressing emotions and having power over others...It’s time to create a new definition of “manhood”: one which values non-violence, respect, and equity over domination and control..."

Job Interview with a Social Services Case Manager
Careerealism

"I work as a county Social Services Case Manager and have three and a half years of experience in this position. I spent four months searching many different job listings via the internet and newspaper want ads before I discovered this position..."

Pinch Me I Must Be Dreaming: Is This the Future of Philanthropy?
The Nonprofit Quarterly

"Bill Somerville of the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation predicts six trends for philanthropy that will be noticeable by 2014...These changes include: More focus on seeking out and funding “outstanding people and organizations,” versus long drawn-out application processes, as the means to undertake due diligence..."

Round and round and round we go
Social Worker Mom (Btrflygl)

"...I have a person I work with in NYC that about a year ago, began having seizures...I finally got him settled into a clinic near his house where he has been compliant with appointments, but now the clinic has been "non-compliant", as their doctors won't write scripts for refills because doctors from another place had written them previously..."

Sensitivity
The College of Social Work (@Ermintrude2)

"Sensitivity has many meanings but in many ways it defines a way of working that remains at the heart of good social work practice...It is a way of both empathizing with people who use the services we provide, while understanding our own role and power in the processes we are a part of..."

What is a Web App? A Guide for the Social Work Tech Practitioner
Social Work Tech Blog (Ignacio)

"A web-app is a computer program that is run and coded into a website so that you do not have to install it on your computer. While a computer application (or program) that is installed on your computer (like Microsoft Word or Google Chrome) will use the resources on your computer to run, a web-app is run remotely..."

Psychology:

Adventures in Depression
Hyperbole and a Half (this is something a little different than the normal but I thought it was worth sharing...)

"Some people have a legitimate reason to feel depressed, but not me. I just woke up one day feeling sad and helpless for absolutely no reason. It's disappointing to feel sad for no reason. Sadness can be almost pleasantly indulgent when you have a way to justify it...But my sadness didn't have a purpose...I tried to force myself to not be sad..."

American Psychological Association Divisions Criticize DSM-5
American Counseling Association

"Increasing the number of people who qualify for a diagnosis may lead to excessive medicalization and stigmatization....also gravely concerned about the introduction of disorder categories that risk misuse in particularly vulnerable populations...new definition [of a Mental Disorder] implies that all mental disorders represent underlying biological dysfunction..."

Circadian Rhythm Chronotherapy for Depression – Experiment
bipolar burble (Natasha Tracy)

"Triple Chronotherapy...is a combination of wake and bright light therapy along with sleep phase advance... Sleep phase advance moves the time of sleep onset and awakening forward...Claims a reduction in depression in 50-60% of patients...I read about the therapy this morning and I’m starting tonight..."

Dealing with a parent with Dementia
Cathy Hanville, LCSW

"You remember the person who took care of you as a child and see the person who no longer can do anything for themselves. You feel a constant and aching loss every time you see your parent who is both still your parent and another person at the same time..."

Eroticized Dominance – Emotional Grooming, Predatory Behaviors As Cultural Norms?
Neuroscience & Relationships (Athena Staik, Ph.D)

"Pornography has played a big role in eroticizing dominance and predatory behaviors. It also eroticizes violence, and associates the tactics of emotional groomers with male virility, and illusions that women want this from men...Dominance as a norm, if we remove the sexual component, also negatively impacts other key social relationships, in particular, that of parent and child..."

How the Simpsons Can Contribute to the Therapeutic Session, D’OH!
American Counseling Association (Warren Corson III)

"Using contemporary examples can help clients understand difficult topics, terms and concepts...we search for the esoteric explanations of life’s mysteries in an attempt to help educate our clients when a simple example...can do wonders..." 

Negative Thoughts Can Lead to Bouts of Depression
Healthy Place (Jack Smith)

"Our thoughts control our feelings…So what is a cognitive therapy solution that can apply to depression or anxiety? For me, one is the STOP sign technique. When I start the negative thoughts, I close my eyes and try to envision a STOP sign in intimate detail…"

The Joy of Concrete Tasks
Dr. Ann Becker Schutte

"When you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted, sometimes the best place to start is the one where you can get your results quickly–doing a concrete task.  And let me say this:  anything counts...When you wash the dishes, or clean out a drawer–you have instant results..." 

To Stay Awake Without Coffee
Ari Hahn, LCSW, PhD

"all you need to do is to talk about the good things that happen to you to somebody who is willing to listen and you will feel more full of life...Moreover, the results suggest that sharing positive experiences can increase vitality for up to two weeks!..."

Mindfulness/Pain Management:

The Expanded Self with Dr. Daniel Siegel - (free)
scheduled for October 30th at 1PM eastern (moved from Oct 16th as incorrectly listed on site)

To listen live by phone, dial: 206-402-0100 (alternate#: 501-707-0312), then enter Access Code: 272072#
To listen live online, click here
To download audio after talk is over, click here

"Siegel suggests intentionally moving cultural evolution towards re-defining the self not as a singular noun but as a plural verb, an ever-emerging interdependent "selfing" process..."

The Pain Toolkit Webinar - (free)
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability

November 17, 2011 at 12:30pm PDT - This half-hour webinar features Dr. Pam Squire who will take you on a tour of the resources offered in the Pain Toolkit.

Utilizing Science, Technology and the Arts to Transform Pain - (recording avail at all hrs)
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability

"This webinar offers some fascinating highlights on: immersive VR research: promising early results, studies in the use of robotics to alleviate anxiety, new developments in using social media to combat social isolation..."

When Meditation Isn't Enough: Going Beyond Acceptance to Healing
psychotherapynetworker.org

"Many therapeutic attempts to integrate mindfulness have adopted what I’ll call the passive-observer form of mindfulness—a client is helped to notice thoughts and emotions from a place of separation and extend acceptance toward them..."

Private Practice:

Therapist Media Cheat Sheet: Look Good And Sound Smart On TV
Julie Hanks, LCSW

"10 Tips to help you look and sound like an expert when TV interviews come your way...Find out who is interviewing you, how long the interview will be, and who watches the show so you can tailor your interview to fit the format and show yourself in your best light..."

Social Media:

Open Science Summit - The Future (the End?) of "Intellectual Property"
Integral Options Cafe

This post includes a video from the summit covering the above topic. "The Open Science Summit unites researchers, life science industry professionals, students, patients and other stakeholders to discuss the future of collaborative science and innovation."

Teaching virtually, not virtually teaching
Classroom to Capitol (Melinda Lewis)

"This semester has been a sort of revelation to me–that the online and in-person learning do not need to happen in these discrete chunks, but can and, indeed, should truly blend throughout the course so that students become accustomed to learning in both venues simultaneously..."

Using Social Media Effectively and Powerful Tactics Workshop for Nonprofits
Beth's Blog (Beth Kanter)

"The overall goal was to provide participants with a combination of insights and practical tips to help them be effective...Session covered the best practices for planning and implementing an integrated content strategy..." Note: valuable presentations are included!

Which one of these was your favorite? Please share your comments and/or thoughts. I love hearing from you :)

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