Blog

Dr. Aarti Nair received her bachelor's degree in psychology and anthropology from St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, India. She came to the United States to pursue her master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Upon graduating, she worked at the Center for Autism Research and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, sparking her long-standing interest in the neural substrates of autism spectrum disorder and neuropsychology.

In listening to the stories of refugees—harrowing experiences of escape, family separation, poverty, exposure to war-related atrocities, and immeasurable cultural bereavement seem to be common occurrences. And today refugees face a threat like never before—one that could prove to be more devastating than the political violence forcing them to flee their homelands. That threat is COVID-19. Refugees have been dubbed the most vulnerable people in the world to coronavirus1 given the precarity and uncertainty of the situations they endure.

Social Work Practice and Religiously Affiliated Organizations Social work practice has a long relationship with religiously affiliated organizations (RAOs) and Christian churches, also known as congregational social work (CSW). Regardless of this long relationship, there is a lack of clear practice guidelines for social workers to follow when engaged in CSW. Without a clear path to walk, these social workers are at risk of violating their National Association of Social Work (NASW) code of ethics and exposing themselves to litigation, especially when fulfilling volunteer roles.

I have always enjoyed travelling. I have travelled the world by air, sea, and land--each providing its own unique perspective and experience. Some of my earliest memories are of plane rides, greyhound bus treks, the rhythmic cadence of trains hastening down the track, and cramped road trips across the country. The pleasure and vacation trips were always fun, but what I enjoyed most was travel with a mission and purpose. One of my first trips of this nature was in the early nineties, when as a teenager I travelled to Bucharest, Romania to help build a church.

Kelly R. Morton, PhD is a Professor of Family Medicine and Psychology at Loma Linda University. She has been a leader in bringing training and research grants to the School of Behavioral Health. These grants aim to both provide opportunities for student funding and enhanced training in health and primary care psychology. We celebrate Dr.

A few weeks ago I was driving home with my three teenage sons--the oldest being 14 and a set of 13-year-old twin boys--from a local edible plant nursery that has stayed open during this COVID-19 crisis. We had gone by to pick up some herb and vegetable plants for the small garden we recently started in the back of our condo. On the way home, one of my boys said, "You know, the thing that I hate most about this pandemic is that I can't hang out with my friends." For many teens, socializing with their friends is a large part of their daily lived experience. From school t

I have never been prouder of any group of graduates than I am this year. This final year in your program has included unimaginable circumstances. Yet, in spite of everything, you rose to the challenges and succeeded. Through it all you have demonstrated that you strong and deeply committed to your professions and serving others.

Post-incarceration mental health in older adults study: an underexplored other health disparity More than ever, long-term incarcerated older adults are being released into their communities. Many find themselves ill-prepared to function in a society that has changed significantly during their incarceration. As a result, this growing population continues to gain attention as many poorly reintegrate due to their complex physical health, mental health, and social needs.

Dear Faculty, Students, and Staff: The centuries of racial, social, economic and political injustices in our country are clearly not resolved.

In 2001, I was working with families who had a child with cancer in Seattle, WA. It was an emotionally demanding job in which I walked through some very dark times with these families. One such time was during the crisis of September 11. I checked on the families I was working with, worried that a national trauma like this could strip away their remaining resiliency. What I heard from them, though, surprised me.