Good morning!

Sorry for the delay ⁠— We had some trouble getting this edition out of the door.

Today’s question: This social work pioneer and journalist was the first person to document the lynching of African Americans. She led anti-lynching campaigns, worked with others to create the foundations of modern social work, and found the Alpha Suffrage League, a group for African-American women who supported the woman’s right to vote.

As usual, the answer is at the end of the newsletter.

News

The DSM’s 70th Anniversary

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) is approaching its 70th year. And that hasn’t been without its fair share of controversy and criticism.

For example, some have criticized the DSM, arguing that it has pathologized what is “normal” and that it has contributed to an enormous and greedy pharmaceutical industry for mental health. Yet another criticism is the lack of “objective diagnosis” in the field. In other words, mental health professionals diagnose based on symptoms, which is not ideal. Imagine if your doctor was to diagnose you with cancer because you had a lump in your knee and pain.

Of course, although the criticism is not with merit, there are benefits to the DSM. It allows people to be diagnosed, which could help them to receive appropriate and helpful treatment. It also allows researchers to be able to define what they are studying. In essence, having an identical mental health lexicon that we can all use allows us to research and treat people more effectively.

As we seek to improve or replace the DSM, there are different candidates. Among these is The Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP), which seeks to remedy the current system by providing a framework that:

• Views mental health as a spectrum, and not as a “you have it or you don’t” system

• Simplifies the classification of mental health diagnoses

• Adheres to the most up-to-date research

Other social work-related news

• $425 million will be used to create a new institute for children at the University of Oregon

• Trauma haunts journalists, human rights workers in Myanmar

• Missouri food stamps applicant sues the state for its ineffective and inhumane social services system

Policy

Newsom’s New Plan

Homelessness is one of the defining problems of our generation. Every city, state, and country on the planet faces challenges around this important issue.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom outlined a new plan that seeks to remedy two problems in helping those who are homeless: One, obtaining more supportive services, and two, helping those who are too sick to understand that they need care.

Among his proposals is “Care Court”, which would require counties in the state to provide comprehensive treatment to people who suffer from psychosis. Care court would allow people who struggle with psychosis to be brought to court if:

• They are suspected of a crime

• Involuntarily held in treatment, but the treatment is ending

• A family member or outreach worker believes they cannot care for themselves

After this, a clinical support team would help create a treatment plan for the client which could include psychotherapy, psychiatric care, and housing. And should the person not accept care, this would result in a criminal case.

Other reads on policy

• Georgia bill HB 1013 would ensure that private insurers provide mental health coverage, and would help get people into mental health or substance abuse treatment

• Mayor of Seattle Bruce Harrell says he “inherited a mess” as he discussed his initiatives on crime prevention and mental health

Research

Drinking and geography

Does where we live affect how much we drink? New research says that it does.

A recent study by the researchers of the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University sought to better understand how the availability of alcohol affects alcohol use in parents of young children. The researchers chose this population for a few reasons, one of them being that these parents are particularly influential in that they care for younger children.

The researchers found that:

• Parents living in neighborhoods with more bars drink more often and higher volumes

• Parents with activities in areas with more on-premise outlets such as bars and restaurants drink higher volumes

• Parents with activities in areas with more off-premise outlets such as liquor and convenience stores drink lower volumes.

Other reads on research

• Is micro-dosing effective?

Answer: Ida B. Wells

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