The Social Worker

by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD (Editor’s note: This is the third “What I Wish” article by SaraKay Smullens. These articles address far-reaching issues affecting the social work profession.) How has an anti-immigrant, specifically anti-Muslim, anti-BIPOC, antisemitic, anti-women’s choice conspiracy theory become U.S. policy, deeply threatening our precious rule of law and supporting the determination to bring back white male domination of America?

Last week, a client sat in my office describing how she had stopped taking her prescribed medication after reading online that it would “rewire her brain permanently.” Another client, a teenager, came in convinced he had multiple personality disorder based on TikTok videos, despite no clinical evidence supporting this self-diagnosis. These scenarios, once rare, have become routine in mental health practice—and they are exactly why this book matters for every clinician and social worker.

by Dr. Dava R. Wilson, LCSW-S Picture this: You're halfway through your lecture on child welfare policies when you notice Sarah, usually an engaged student, has gone pale and slipped out of the classroom. Or consider Marcus, who consistently arrives late and seems unable to focus during discussions about domestic violence. As educators in social work and related fields, these scenarios aren't uncommon—they're windows into the complex realities our students bring to our classrooms.

VITAL TOPICS: SOCIAL WORK & FILM by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD Before I write a word about the 2025 exceedingly unsettling satirical comedy, The Roses, a remake of the 1989 film, War of the Roses, based on the 1981 novel of the same name, I must say how grateful I am that the marriage counselor consulted by the film’s protagonists is not portrayed as a social worker.

VITAL TOPICS: SOCIAL WORK & FILM by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD However full your schedule, find time for The Pitt, nominated for 13 Emmys in major categories. You will be rewarded by a riveting 15-episode Max series, each episode documenting an hour in the 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. shift of Michael Robinavitch, MD, a.k.a. Dr. Robbie, played by Noah Wyle.

by Adam McCormick, MSSW, PhD Childhood trauma is a profound force that often leaves an indelible mark on the lives of those it touches. For social workers, this imprint can resonate not only in their personal lives but also in their professional work. Over the past three years, I have interviewed countless social workers about the ways their own childhood trauma shows up in their work.

by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD First and foremost, happy Social Work Month! We are each deeply fortunate to be part of our proud and historic profession. Our profession is one that asks a great deal of us and often has been labeled as “an impossible” one.

Vital Topics: Social Work & Film by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD A Real Pain is essential film for those in the social work and related professions to experience and to recommend, brilliantly written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg, and starring Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin.

by SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD With gratitude to Dr. Bettie Bassett-Roundtree, social work mentor and inspiration As we approached Thanksgiving and the holiday season, many—perhaps most—in our proud, historic profession struggled with the toll of societal burnout, the simmering anger and divisions in our country, our world, also reflected within our profession.

by Beverly Wertheimer, PsyD, MSW I was giving advice about balanced diet and exercise to one of my children when she stopped me and quipped, “Mom, every time you give me advice, you take a year off my life.” Advice-giving was apparently reducing life expectancy more than diet and exercise were adding to it. Parents love to give advice. It’s like we possess a yearning to impart decades of knowledge and wisdom into each interaction with our kids.