Strong quake shakes Southern California

Strong quake shakes Southern California
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
07-29) 11:53 PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) --
A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, and the jolt was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and slightly in Las Vegas.
Preliminary information from the U.S. Geological Survey estimated the quake at magnitude 5.8, centered 29 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles near Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said there were not immediate reports of damage or injury in Los Angeles.
The quake struck at 11:42 a.m. PDT. Buildings swayed in downtown Los Angeles for several seconds. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/29/state/n114525D55.DTL
check back later for updates

Update from SFGate


Quake shakes S. California; No injuries reported
By ROBERT JABLON, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/29/state/n114525D55.DTL&tsp=1

U.S. soldiers deploy to bring medical help to Romania

U.S. soldiers bring medical assistance to rural villages in Romania
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Monday, July 28, 2008

BABADAG, Romania — U.S. soldiers are traveling to isolated rural settlements in Romania to provide health care to people who seldom see doctors, dentists or veterinarians.

They are part of a Humanitarian Civil Assistance team, including Romanian medical personnel, vision specialists, dentists and veterinarians, that is nearing the end of a six-week mission to Romania. Their services are in conjunction with this year’s Joint Task Force East rotation.

JTF East involves the deployment of 900 U.S. personnel to Romania and Bulgaria to train over the summer.

Capt. Robert Dennis, who is deployed to Romania as an intensive care nurse with the 212th Combat Surgical Hospital, said the assistance team visits four villages each week and sees between 65 and 80 patients in each village.

The 34-year-old Philadelphia native said most villages don’t have a doctor and residents must go to a larger town for care. For specialized care, villagers must go to a big city such as Tulcea, Bucharest or Constanta, he said.

"Many of the roads are dirt tracks so they can’t get to the larger cities unless they have a functioning mule," he added.
go here for more
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56401

Arkansas soldier returns to destroyed home needs your help

She is being redeployed in August and is worried about getting her parents settled first. Can anyone help them out with a donation or helping the family rebuild so this soldier will not have an extra burden to worry about?

Soldier on leave returns to burning home

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jul 29, 2008 9:32:10 EDT

LITTLE FLOCK, Ark. — An Arkansas soldier serving with the Army in Iraq came back to the state on leave to surprise her family but instead found her family’s home destroyed by fire after a lightning strike.

Rebecca Beaird, 20, arrived July 23 and spent the day with family. When she and the family returned to the home later that night, they found that a fire had gutted it. Beaird had lived there with her parents and two sisters since 1999.

“It was sad because you think about everything that’s in there. My family lost everything,” Beaird told KHOG television.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/07/ap_housefire_072908/

O'Reilly, Savage, Hannity on accused church shooter's reading list

I wonder if they ever understand what their words do to people? The kind of trauma created by their hatred for the people of this church trying to help others was fed by their words.

O'Reilly, Savage, Hannity on accused church shooter's reading list
Diane Sweet
Published: Monday July 28, 2008


Jim Adkisson, the 58 year old man being held in a Knoxville, Tennessee jail on murder charges stemming from a shooting during a children's musical at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church on Sunday, is said to have had a array of right-wing political books in his home, along with brass knuckles, empty shotgun shell boxes, and a handgun discovered by police who searched his home.

A report from the local Knoxville news details the findings from Adkisson's home, along with key statements from a document written by Adkisson related to an apparent motive behind the violent attack that rocked the suburban community:

"Adkisson targeted the church, Still wrote in the document obtained by WBIR-TV, Channel 10, 'because of its liberal teachings and his belief that all liberals should be killed because they were ruining the country, and that he felt that the Democrats had tied his country's hands in the war on terror and they had ruined every institution in America with the aid of media outlets.'

"Adkisson told Still that 'he could not get to the leaders of the liberal movement that he would then target those that had voted them in to office.'

"Adkisson told officers he left the house unlocked for them because 'he expected to be killed during the assault.'

"Inside the house, officers found 'Liberalism is a Mental Health Disorder' by radio talk show host Michael Savage, 'Let Freedom Ring' by talk show host Sean Hannity, and 'The O'Reilly Factor,' by television talk show host Bill O'Reilly."
click post title for more

Inhumanity Worth Dying For

Inhumanity Worth Dying For
By Brilliant at Breakfast

Even before I read this AP article breaking the news that Jim D. Adkisson had opened fire on a Tennessee Unitarian Universalist Church yesterday, murdering two people, I knew what the motive was. We have a Unitarian church in my hometown of Hudson, Massachusetts. Those who read my last blog may recall my doing a short photo essay last May about the more than 4600 American flags that they’d planted on their property to memorialize those troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The poet and arch-liberal Percy Bysshe Shelley once complained to a friend that there wasn’t a single religion based on charity rather than faith. The Unitarian church comes the closest to realizing Shelley’s ideal of a religion based on charity. Unitarians welcome everybody into their houses of worship, including gays. The sign outside my local Unitarian church even features the multicolored flag indicating their longstanding invitation to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. I’m not religious, to say the very least. Yet their liberal, secular humanitarianism has earned my neverending admiration and fiercest respect.

Over the decades, they have fought effectively for women’s and gay rights, sheltered the homeless, fed the hungry. Yet this admirable body of work was considered too liberal by an unemployed man, such as the kind they would've gone out of their way to help, who’d taken two lives yesterday, including a church usher who’d bravely put his own body in the way to shield the others.

A signed, four page letter was found in the SUV of the miscreant explaining his intentions to kill as many people as possible then himself during a children’s production of Annie. The church’s views and biases were too liberal for Jim D. Adkisson.

Yes. To some people (think Conservatives), helping the downtrodden, helpless and disadvantaged is a sin worth dying for, a sin worthy of Old Testament vengeance. Murder is a lesser sin than fighting for gay rights or equal rights for women.
go here for more
http://airamerica.com/blog/2008/jul/28/inhumanity-worth-dying

If you read the Sermon on the Mount, you will get a better understanding of what Unitarian Universalists are. Aside from not believing in the Holy Trinity, they get the message of Christ.

I am Greek Orthodox and fully believe in the Holy Trinity. Others do not. I believe in freewill and our seeking redemption for sins thru Christ, as well as the ability of people to become saints in service of the Lord. The willingness to die for what they believe in required a special connection between God and themselves. When we think of the "willingness to die" it is not just the physical body, but also willing to surrender the personal desires that stand in the way of truly being connected to God. If we are willing to not stand in judgment of others, as the Bible tells us, then we are doing the will of God. It's far to easy to judge others than to try to understand them or put ourselves in their place. If we look at only the "sin" we see, then we do not look at the needs they have as a human, as a child of God. If we refuse to acknowledge that Christ said all sins are equal in the eyes of God, then compassion for all is unobtainable.

Matthew 5
The Beatitudes 1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MATT%205-7

My greatest wish is not to see God with my own eyes. I can see the existence of Him everyday. I see it when I come in contact with other Chaplains, setting themselves aside and taking care of the needs of others. I see Him when I witness the compassion of a nurse taking care of a dying patient in a hospice. I see Him when I look at picture of a solider cradling a wounded child in his arms. I see it when I watch a fire engine rushing to the home burning because they know someone's life may be in danger. I see it when a police officer is trying to stop a person with evil intent from taking the life of someone else. The existence of God can be seen in others if we take the time to look for Him in them.

My greatest wish is to hear the sound of Christ's voice with my own ears. People tend to get things pretty twisted up in their own minds when they do not understand what God really wants out of them. Saul did. After Christ was crucified, Saul was convinced that followers of Christ were evil. He did all he could to hunt them down and wanted nothing more than to see them obliterated. He believed it was what God wanted. He had things twisted inside his own brain until he heard the voice of Christ calling down to him. Saul understood how wrong he had been and dedicated the rest of his life spreading Christianity to the gentiles. He became known as Paul.

There are many people today getting things twisted in their own minds. They believe that vengeance is their's to take instead of God's.

The Fulfillment of the Law
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=MATT%205-7

What does this mean? It means that we are to keep the commandments. They are not cruel or hateful, but a love letter from God. The first part of them is about loving God and the rest are about loving each other, treating them the same way we want to be treated. The words "until everything is accomplished" confuses me. This part gets twisted up in my own brain because of what comes next.

Murder
21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b]will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,[c]' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
25"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[d]

When you read Leviticus it is very hard to understand this part. Could it be that things got twisted up there as well? This is what I mean when I say it would be the greatest wish to hear the voice of Christ so that I would be able to understand what He was talking about in the Sermon on the Mount. I try to live my life by the Beatitudes and will keep trying until I do hear His voice.

What I do know is that to hate anyone as much as this man did, blaming the people of Tennessee Unitarian Universalist Church for all that was wrong in his own life, had everything to do with hatred. Adkisson wanted to find someone to blame for what he lacked in his life and he took his anger out on the closest target because of what he heard with his ears from others. When we try to do what we believe is right, what God wants, we either take care of each other or take it out on each other. Seems to me that when we take care of each other, that has more to do with God than hatred ever could.



Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos

Namguardianangel@aol.com

http://www.namguardianangel.org/

http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

Are Social Workers replacing Mental Health Professionals in the VA?

There is a place for Social Workers in the VA, but there is a concern that they are replacing licensed Mental Health Councilors and therapists. Are the Social Workers experts on PTSD? Do they have to have special training to take care of veterans with PTSD? If not, then is this practice part of the problem? Here is a look at what the VA says about the role of social workers.

CORRECTED COPY
Department of Veterans Affairs
VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030
Veterans Health Administration
Washington, DC 20420
July 2, 2004
SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS: ACCREDITATION AND REIMBURSEMENT FROM THIRD-PARTY PAYERS
1. PURPOSE: This Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive outlines the requirements for ensuring the competence of clinical social workers for accreditation and the licensure requirements for clinical social workers by VHA, Medicare, and TRICARE for the purpose of third-party reimbursement.
2. BACKGROUND
a. Ensuring the clinical competence of all disciplines is extremely important as VHA facilities continue to be accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and as the facilities move toward generating more revenue from third-party insurers (i.e., Medicare and TRICARE). Though similar, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) requirements for an employee to qualify as a “Social Worker” are not identical to the requirements of third-party payers for Social Work services to be reimbursable. It is important that VHA continue to provide the necessary structure and training to ensure the competence and licensure of social workers employed by VHA so that their services are appropriately reimbursed.
b. Definitions. The following definitions assure that social workers meet the requirements for third-party reimbursement.
(1) Clinical Social Work. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) defines Clinical Social Work as follows: “Clinical social work shares with all social work practice the goal of enhancement and maintenance of psychosocial functioning of individuals, families and small groups. Clinical social work practice is the professional application of social work theory and methods to the treatment and prevention of psychosocial dysfunction, disability, or impairment, including emotional and mental disorder. It is based on knowledge of one or more theories of human development within a psychosocial context. Clinical social work services consist of: assessment; diagnosis; treatment, including psychotherapy and counseling; client-centered advocacy; consultation; and evaluation. The process of clinical social work is undertaken within the objectives of social work and the principles and values contained in the NASW Code of Ethics.”
(2) Social Worker, VHA
(a) Within VHA, a Social Worker is defined as: “An individual who has a Master's Degree in Social Work from a school of social work, which is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.”
THIS VHA DIRECTIVE EXPIRES JULY 31, 2009
VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030 CORRECTED COPY
July 2, 2004
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(b) All candidates hired after August 14, 1991, must possess a license, certificate, or registration, issued by a State to independently practice social work. Title II, Section 205 of the “Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000” allows VHA social workers to obtain and maintain out-of-state licenses, consistent with the licensure laws for other clinical disciplines in VHA.
NOTE: Exceptions can be made for certain new appointments, subject to meeting the full requirements within 3 years of appointment, or 1 year from the time that the social worker meets the full State prerequisites for licensure, whichever is greater.
(3) Social Worker, CARF. CARF no longer defines “social worker” or any other discipline. Rather, CARF standards identify members of interdisciplinary teams, which includes social workers. The standards state that: “The organization ensures that the individual team members provide services consistent with:
(a) State practice acts,
(b) Licensure requirements,
(c) Registration requirements,
(d) Certification requirements,
(e) Their educational degrees,
(f) Professional training to maintain established competency levels,
(g) The program’s on-the-job training requirements, and
(h) Professional standards of practice.”
NOTE: The program needs to be prepared to identify how verification of these issues for individual team members is addressed by the organization by statements of intent.
(4) Clinical Social Worker (CSW), Medicare. For purposes of Medicare reimbursement, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides the following information:
(a) Definition. A Clinical Social worker is an individual who:
1. Possesses a master's or doctor's degree in social work;
2. Has performed at least 2 years of supervised clinical social work; and
CORRECTED COPY VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030
July 2, 2004
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3. Either:
a. Is licensed or certified as a clinical social worker by the State in which the services are performed, or
b. In the case of an individual in a State that does not provide for licensure or certification, has completed at least 2 years or 3,000 hours of post-Master's Degree supervised clinical social work practice under the supervision of a master's level social worker in an appropriate setting such as a hospital, Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), or clinic.
(b) CSW Services Defined. Title 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 1861 (hh)(2) (i.e., the Social Security Act) defines “clinical social workers services” as those services that the CSW is legally authorized to perform under State law (or the State regulatory mechanism provided by State law) of the State in which such services are performed for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. Services furnished to an inpatient of a hospital or an inpatient of a SNF that the SNF is required to provide as a requirement for participation are not included. The services that are covered are those that are otherwise covered if furnished by a physician or as an incident to physician’s professional service.
(c) Outpatient Mental Health Services Limitation. All covered therapeutic services furnished by qualified CSWs are subject to the outpatient psychiatric services limitation in the Social Security Act Sections 2470ff (i.e., only 62 ½ percent of expenses for theses services are considered incurred expenses for Medicare purposes). The limitation does not apply to diagnostic services (see Sec.2476.5 of the Social Security Act).
(5) CSW, TRICARE. For purposes of TRICARE reimbursement, authorized providers include CSWs. CSWs may provide covered services independent of physician referral and supervision. The CSW must:
(a) Be licensed or certified at the master’s level as a CSW by the state where care is provided;
NOTE: For New Jersey, Indiana and Wisconsin, TRICARE Standard accepts ACSW-level certification in the National Association of Social Workers, or the Diplomate status granted by the American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work.
(b) Have a Master's Degree in social work from a graduate school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; and
(c) Have a minimum of 2 years or 3,000 hours of post-Master's Degree clinical social work practice under the supervision of a master's degree level social worker in an accredited hospital, a mental health center, or other appropriate clinical setting.
NOTE: When a patient has an organic medical problem, a physician must concurrently manage the patient’s care.
VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030 CORRECTED COPY
July 2, 2004
4
(6) JCAHO. JCAHO does not define “social worker”; however, the Human Resources Standard (HR.2) states that, “Departments will provide an adequate number of staff members with the experience and training needed to serve and fulfill the department’s part of the hospital’s mission.” The standard goes on to state that, “For each employee or contracted personnel, the department verifies the following elements, where relevant:
(a) Education and training are consistent with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and hospital policy;
(b) The individual is licensed, certified, or registered; and
(c) The individual’s knowledge and experience are appropriate for the individual’s assigned responsibilities.”
3. POLICY: It is VHA policy that licensed clinical social workers are independent practitioners whose services are reimbursable by various health insurance carriers, including TRICARE and Medicare, and that VHA will provide accreditation to social work staff in order to obtain third-party reimbursement.
4. ACTION: Integrating these definitions and planning for the VA of the future, the Office of Social Work Service has developed the following guidance for managers at the network and local levels. This guidance for the programmatic and organizational components of VHA Social Work positions is necessary to ensure that VA is prepared to pursue reimbursement opportunities.
a. Functions. VHA social workers are qualified to perform the following functions, from which their core competencies are developed.
(1) Development of psychosocial databases and histories;
(2) Psychosocial assessments and psychosocial diagnoses;
(3) Psychosocial casework and treatment planning;
(4) Psychosocial treatment (individual, family, and group);
(5) Case management;
(6) Information and referral services,
(7) Resource brokering and community organization;
(8) Admission diversion;
(9) Discharge planning and coordination;
CORRECTED COPY VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030
July 2, 2004
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(10) Aftercare planning and follow-up services;
(11) Independent documentation in medical records;
(12) Patient advocacy;
(13) Crisis intervention and management;
(14) Patient and family education;
(15) Consultation; and
(16) Counseling patients regarding advance directives.
b. Clinical Mental Health Social Work Functions. VHA CSWs, licensed by a State, who have the training and expertise, and who have authority delegated to them from the Executive Committee of the medical staff or the facility’s appropriate approving body through clinical privileging or an approved scope of practice statement. The decision to delegate the authority to perform these clinical mental health social work functions is made at the local facility level and must be made in accordance with VHA policy and accreditation standards. CSWs delegated to perform clinical mental health social work functions must participate in provider-specific data analysis, which compares provider-specific data of licensed clinical social workers with data from providers with comparable clinical privileges, or comparable delegations of authority. Additional functions which may be provided are:
(1) Individual, family and group psychotherapy;
(2) Independent DSM-IV diagnoses; and
(3) Mental Health Compensation and Pension examinations, under the supervision of a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist.
c. Competency Assessment. The competency of individual social workers must be assessed, maintained, and improved on an annual basis, through a variety of mechanisms. The facility Social Work Executive participates in, or oversees the competency assessment of all social workers. This assessment includes, but is not limited to:
(1) Review and/or verification of applicant credentials and qualifications;
(2) Confirmation of experience, education, and abilities during orientation;
(3) Review of medical record documentation;
(4) Periodic supervisory observation of or participation in client interviews;
(5) Peer review;
VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030 CORRECTED COPY
July 2, 2004
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(6) Feedback from peers and interdisciplinary professionals;
(7) Results of customer satisfaction and other surveys and outcome studies;
(8) Demonstration of competency using skills inventories and checklists;
(9) Annual and mid-year performance appraisals; and
(10) Continuing education. NOTE: Requirements need to be developed locally, corresponding to the requirements for continued licensure by the individual state. Where such requirements are not defined, continuing education requirements should follow the guidelines established by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
c. Supervision. Social workers hired after August 14, 1991, who have not yet attained their State licenses are to be afforded clinical supervision by a qualified social worker, in order to meet the minimum prerequisites needed to take the State licensing examination. Similarly, social workers hired with no prior VA experience must be supervised on a frequent basis for the first year in order to ensure that they receive individual instruction in each of their duties and that their performance is closely monitored.
d. Professional Guidance. Regardless of the structure of the organization, the facility’s Social Work Executive must participate in competency assessment activities, performance appraisals, and the development of relevant continuing education programs.
NOTE: A Social Work professional standards board should be created in each VHA facility to review and recommend approval or disapproval of requests for clinical privileges and clinical scope of practice statements from social workers.
5. REFERENCES
a. NASW Standards for the Practice of Clinical Social Work, NASW, 1989.
b. VHA Handbook 5338.4.
c. Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2000, Title II, Section 205, “Qualifications of Social Workers,” signed November 1, 2000.
d. CARF Manual 2003, Medical Rehabilitation, Section 3 - CIIRP.
e. Medicare Carriers Manual, Part 3, Claims Process, Change Request 710, Section 2152, “Clinical Social Worker Services,” dated March 2000.
f. Social Security Act, Section 1861(hh).
CORRECTED COPY VHA DIRECTIVE 2004-030
July 2, 2004
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g. TRICARE Non-Network Provider and Medical Office Manager Handbook, Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, TRICARE Management Activity, pages 34-35, dated November 2002.
h. “Human Resources Standards,” Joint Commission 2003, pp. HR.1-HR.2, May 2003.
6. RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: The Office of Social Work Service (11CCSW) is responsible for the contents of this Directive. Questions may be referred to 202-273-8549.
7. RESCISSION: VHA Directive 98-013, dated February 23, 1998, is rescinded. This VHA Directive expires July 31, 2009.
S/ Jacquelyn Vassanelli for
Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, FACP
Acting Under Secretary for Health
DISTRIBUTION:
CO:
E-mailed 7/2/2004
FLD:
VISN, MA, DO, OC, OCRO, and 200 – E-mailed 7/2/2004
http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1108

Rules changed

Department of Veterans Affairs VHA DIRECTIVE 2008-033
Veterans Health AdministrationWashington, DC 20420 July 14, 2008
SUPERVISION OF PSYCHOLOGISTS AND SOCIAL WORKERS PREPARING FOR LICENSURE
1. PURPOSE: This Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive clarifies the duties and responsibilities of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff who are licensed independent practitioners and who serve as clinical supervisors to psychologists or social workers who are not yet licensed to practice at the independent level.
2. BACKGROUND
a. VHA Psychology Qualification Standards (VA Handbook 5005, Pt. II, App. G18) require that a VHA psychologist must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. It allows an exception to this requirement for individual psychologists, for a period not to exceed 2 years from the date of employment, on the condition that such a psychologist provide care only under the supervision of a psychologist who is fully licensed.
b. Social Work Qualification Standards (VA Handbook 5005, Pt. II, App. F7) require all social workers hired after August 14, 1991, to possess a license, certificate, or registration, issued by a State, to practice social work independently. Exceptions can be made for certain new appointments, subject to meeting the full requirements within 3 years of appointment, or 1 year from the time that the social worker meets the full State prerequisites for licensure, whichever is greater.
c. Because most state licensure laws require postgraduate clinical supervision experience, many newly-hired psychologists and social workers who are recent graduates work under the supervision of a licensed clinician while completing full licensure requirements.
d. Definitions(1) Supervision. Supervision consists of clinical consultation between the independent practitioner serving as supervisor and the psychologist or social worker who is not licensed, for the purposes of monitoring, informing, and guiding the provision of services.

(2) Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy refers to a specific psychological treatment modality utilized to address a DSM-IV diagnosis.

(3) Psychosocial Counseling. Psychosocial Counseling is a primarily educational service provided to address a psychosocial problem.
THIS VHA DIRECTIVE EXPIRES JULY 31, 2013
http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1716

Mental health and substance abuse social workers assess and treat individuals with mental illness or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Such services include individual and group therapy, outreach, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation, and teaching skills needed for everyday living. They also may help plan for supportive services to ease clients’ return to the community. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are likely to work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, individual and family services agencies, or local governments. These social workers may be known as clinical social workers. (counselors and psychologists, who may provide similar services, are discussed elsewhere in the Handbook.)

Other types of social workers include social work administrators, planners and policymakers, who develop and implement programs to address issues such as child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, poverty, and violence. These workers research and analyze policies, programs, and regulations. They identify social problems and suggest legislative and other solutions. They may help raise funds or write grants to support these programs.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm#nature

This is what a clinical social worker is

Clinical social workers provide mental health services for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders in individuals, families, and groups. Their goal is to enhance and maintain their patients' physical, psychological, and social function.

Educational requirements
Clinical social workers must have a master's or doctorate degree in social work, with an emphasis on clinical experience. They must undergo a supervised clinical field internship and have at least 2 years of postgraduate supervised clinical social work employment.

Clinical social workers are approved providers in most insurance and managed care plans, and practice in the following settings:

Private practice
Medical facilities (e.g., hospitals)
Mental health clinics
Child welfare agencies
Schools
http://www.mentalhealthchannel.net/csw.shtml

Pastor's son dies in car crash but he still believes

Please Pray for Pastor Greg and the Laurie Family:
Christopher Laurie, son of Pastor Greg Laurie and Cathe Laurie, was called home to be with the Lord on Thursday morning. Christopher, 33, died in a car crash while driving to Harvest Christian Fellowship, where he had served as the church's art director for the past three years. In addition to his parents, Christopher is survived by his wife, Brittany, and daughter, Stella, as well as his brother Jonathan. Christopher and his wife are expecting another daughter in November. More information will be posted at harvest.org as details become available. We ask that you pray for the Laurie family in this time of mourning. You may pass along your condolences and thoughts for the Laurie family by posting a comment at Pastor Greg's blog.

go here to watch Pastor Greg talk about his loss
http://blog.greglaurie.com/?utm_source=harvest.org&utm_medium=banner
If you lost someone you love, I hope you find some comfort there.

Advocates Seek Aid For Homeless Female Veterans

Advocates Seek Aid For Homeless Female Veterans

By ANN MARIE SOMMA Courant Staff Writer


Caroline Contreras says a rape at Fort Dix, N.J., 20 years ago derailed her military career and sent her on an inexorable path of addiction and homelessness.

But what the 48-year-old veteran says she remembers most painfully is how her government let her down when she finally sought help.

Last year, Contreras showed up at the U.S. Veterans Administration facility in West Haven homeless and ready to sober up and deal with the trauma of the sexual assault by fellow servicemen.

She completed the VA's substance abuse treatment program, restored her self-worth after working with a therapist and shed her destructive coping skills. When she was ready to leave the program to rebuild her life, the VA had no place to send her.

Women-only shelter beds in the state were full. Transitional housing wasn't available. The best the VA could offer her was a bus ticket to a shelter in Massachusetts.

"It brought me back to the way I felt when I was raped," Contreras said. "I was insignificant. I wasn't worthy. No matter what I did, I couldn't get the respect of a male veteran."
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http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJUL08/nf072808-7.htm

We have faith in troops, but do we deserve their faith in us?

While trying to catch up on what I missed while I was in Ohio, I planed on just doing the long post on the IFOC conference and then just focusing on getting these stories posted. So much for plans. This story ended my temporary self imposed rant silence.

For Rafael Castro, as for many other combat vets, it's been anything but easy
By: Jeffery Kurz , Record-Journal staff


MERIDEN - After he returned home from serving in Iraq, the city declared July 6, 2005 "Rafael I. Castro Day."

Not much has gone well for the 32-year-old Castro since. In the ensuing three years, Castro's marriage fell apart and he lost connection with his children. He's had run- ins with the law and has not been able to hang on to a job. And now he is about to lose his Meriden home.

On a recent early afternoon, garbed in his Army Reserve fatigues, Castro sat on the stoop of his Plumb Avenue house, shakily holding a cigarette in the fingers of one hand and an eviction notice in the other. The notice had appeared on his door that morning, telling him he had until the end of this month to clear out.

The letter was confirmation of what Castro had been expecting for a while, but that didn't make it easier. He led a brief tour inside the home, empty save for a few mementos from his service in Iraq and a handful of scattered, small American flags.

"I'm getting ready to leave," he said, wistfully. "My American dream is at an end."

"These days, I just don't know how I feel about my country," he said.
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http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJUL08/nf072808-8.htm

When Rafael Castro said "These days, I just don't know how I feel about my country," it made me furious. Think about this for a second. We have faith in them but when it's all said and done, their mission is over, can they say the same thing about us? Do we ever prove they can have faith in us? Do we ever even come close to it?

Sure we can use a lot of words, wave the flag and sing patriotic songs. The military bloggers can put up thousands of posts supporting what the troops are doing, but I hardly ever read any post on what we are not doing for the troops. They will post about the good things organizations are doing but never seem to want to touch what is not being done. The "liberal" bloggers do a good job of covering what is not being done but most of them fail to post about good things happening. On that I'll be the first to admit the good reports are hard to find.

Take this quote from George Washington. It's the one I use when I send out emails and do posts like this one. "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

When the GI Bill came out, it was suppose to be about taking care of this generation and rightly earned, but what it left out was other generations. When McCain made his speeches against this bill, he said it was "too generous" and would "cause the troops to leave the military" but he never explained how anything could be considered "too generous" to the men and women risking their lives everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When will we ever get any of this right? When will the troops ever say this country has been too good to them? Will they ever say they were taken care of promptly for their wounds and all their needs met? Will homeless veterans ever say that? Isn't it time veterans like Castro knew how we feel about them by making sure the government reflects that all the way?

British doctor shot dead on Caribbean honeymoon

British doctor shot dead on Caribbean honeymoon

David Batty and agencies guardian.co.uk, Monday July 28 2008

A newlywed doctor has been shot dead during a robbery while on her Caribbean honeymoon, police said today.

Catherine Mullany, formerly Bowen, and her husband, Benjamin, of Pontardawe, near Swansea, south Wales, were asleep when robbers apparently burst into their holiday cottage at the Cocos Hotel in south-west Antigua.

Mrs Mullany was pronounced dead at the scene and her husband was taken to hospital with a severe gunshot wound to his neck after hotel guests discovered the couple and called police at around 5am yesterday, according to the Antigua Sun newspaper.

The couple, both 31, had arrived in the Caribbean on July 14 and had been due to return home today.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/28/internationalcrime