Understanding Secondary Trauma: How Social Workers Can Care for Themselves While Supporting Others
Have you ever walked away from a client session feeling completely drained—but unsure why? Listening to clients recount the trauma they’ve endured or witnessing first-hand the conditions in which they continue to live puts us at risk of experiencing secondary trauma, a common occupational hazard for social workers that can impact our mental health and […]
Fundraising for a Cause: How Human Services Orgs Can Get Ahead Early
You see the difference your organization makes every day — the families finding stability, the people accessing essential services, the communities growing stronger, and everyone else who’s positively impacted by your work. But to sustainably continue doing that work, you need a strategic fundraising plan. Successful fundraising for human services organizations deeply connects donors to […]
Diversifying Funding for Nonprofits: 7 Tips for Long-Term Stability
Relying on a single donor or revenue stream is rarely a stable business model, especially for nonprofits trying to create impacts in their communities. Diversifying funding for nonprofits helps organizations maintain financial stability and branch out far beyond their existing network. Many nonprofits use a combination of income streams, including government grants, corporate partnerships, and […]
The Role of Social Work in Preventing Burnout for Caregivers and Educators
When your day starts with caregiving and ends with paperwork, burnout isn’t a risk—it’s a reality. Burnout within the caregiving and education sector is at an all time high, with 44% of K-12 teachers reporting “always” feeling burned out. The same is true for professional caregivers, who are tasked with supporting our most vulnerable, and […]
Improving the CCR Between Healthcare, Law Enforcement, and Victim Services
Survivors of crimes like sexual assault or domestic abuse often must work through multiple systems — including emergency rooms, police departments, shelters, and counseling services. When these systems don’t communicate effectively, survivors are left managing the fallout: telling their story repeatedly, receiving conflicting information, or losing access to support entirely. These breakdowns aren’t always caused […]
Using Technology to Strengthen Victim Services: Sexual Assault and Beyond
For sexual assault victims and victims of other violent crimes, help should never be out of reach. But barriers like geography, fear, stigma, and limited service capacity too often put help out of reach. Fortunately, technology is helping to change that. From text-based crisis hotlines to personal safety apps, technology is reshaping where, when, and how […]
Supporting Mental Health Awareness Month: How to Connect Social and Health Services
Behavioral health services in the U.S. are facing unprecedented demand, a reality that comes into sharper focus each May during Mental Health Awareness Month. In 2023 alone, more than 59 million adults, nearly one in four Americans, experienced a mental illness, yet nearly half received no treatment at all, according to the Health Resources and Services […]
Spring Into Action: Social Work With Families to Help Them Rebuild
Social work with families focuses on a wide range of issues, from financial stability to emotional dynamics, giving you lots to consider in your treatment plan. It requires a family-centered approach that includes clients in the decision-making process early on, empowering them to take control of their goals and objectives. The best family-centered practices, such […]
The Role of an Individual Employment Plan in Workforce Development
The path to employment is rarely a straightforward one, especially for job seekers who are navigating barriers like a limited education, housing instability, or a long period of unemployment. For those working in workforce development — whether in nonprofits, government agencies, or community programs — the challenge isn’t just helping people find jobs; it’s helping […]
Developing the 9 Core Competencies in Social Work
Social work is a practice-driven profession where your ability to adapt and advocate determines your impact. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) defines nine core social work competencies that serve as the backbone of an ethical, effective practice. What Are the Council on Social Work Education Competencies? The CSWE’s nine competencies are the gold […]
