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After three years of joining efforts with more than 100 high-level health care professionals, attorneys, foster youth/caregivers/advocates, and the Department of Social Services, California has unveiled a sweeping set of guidelines aimed at cracking down on the overuse of psychiatric medication in foster care (de Sá, April 2015). The exhaustive efforts began in 2012 and have given birth to the new proposed measures which recently passed the Senate and are now in the Assembly to be finalized (de Sá, July 2015). [More]

The world received a pleasant surprise during the 2015 67th Annual Emmy Awards that honors prime time television. It had nothing to do with who won outstanding writing, directing, or acting award. The spot light was on the last presenter of the last award, which once again, the surprise had nothing to do with the category, but the presenter, Tracy Morgan. It has been over a year since he had appeared in Hollywood (Rose, 2015). He has been out of the spotlight not due to unable to obtain work in film, TV, or stand up. Tracy’s absence is due to recovery from a motor vehicle accident that killed one, injured many, and left him with traumatic brain injury along with other injuries. [More]

Monday September 14, 14 year-old Ahmed Mohamed was arrested when school administrators and local police suspected him of having brought a bomb to school. Family Systems Theory provides a unique conceptual framework with which to view Mohamed’s story in an attempt to move toward an objective explanation of events. [More]

The Papal visit to North America in late September is expected to bring with it a wave of not only spiritual change but social change as well. More than any other pope in history, Pope Francis has proved to be concerned with the way in which his power is able to affect the lives of people across a broad swathe of society. This leader, who has cast himself as more than a spiritual guide and more than a political figurehead, is poised to offer a challenge to millions to change the way that they think about social justice, the way that they think about others, and even the way that they see themselves within their own world. [More]

New York Fashion Week is not an event that is known for its inclusive nature, as couture modeling is often associated with waifish models in outrageous clothing that has become a media circus full of high profile celebrities. Nonetheless, it continues to harness a great deal of media coverage and is becoming an effective means of bringing light to issues. This year the Fall version of New York Fashion Week has among its runway newcomers an young woman who has been for the past six months working to redefine beauty. Her name is Madeline Stuart, and she is an 18 year old with Down Syndrome. [More]

There are those who say that pandas remind us of ourselves. Consider the way they sit when they eat. The females are far more mannerly than the males (just like homo sapiens?). As a panda chomps on a stick of bamboo using a thumb-like bone to grasp the bamboo, it looks remarkably human. It is said that the human brain is programmed to respond to this creature that has big eyes (accentuated by black markings), a high forehead, a big round head, and a body that is chubby and roly poly, just like a human baby. The panda brings out our protective, nurturing instincts. “What fools these mortals be” (Shakespeare, Midsummer Nights Dream) — the panda has no interest in us whatsoever. [More]

It’s an uncomfortable topic yet significant enough to talk about despite the uncomfortable feelings and awkwardness a frank discussion may elicit. Suicide. It’s in the news. People reading this blog may know personally someone who has attempted suicide or died by suicide. It’s such a significant issue throughout the world that public service campaigns have taken to multimedia formats to educate the public and to raise awareness that family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers can help prevent an untimely death due to suicide. September has been designated as the time of year to draw attention to the growing tragedy of death by suicide. Aside from the readily recognized tragic elements is perhaps the greatest tragedy correlated with suicide – many people do not realize suicidality is treatable and often preventable. [More]

The images are searing and undeniably heart wrenching - three year old boy’s body washed up on a pristine beach. The boy could be sleeping, in that curled up limp way that toddlers are known to sleep wherever they find themselves exhausted. He doesn’t look to be gone, as if he might just wake up and rub his eyes at any moment, then scamper away to play. A police officer approaches, then scoops him up in the following image. [More]

In August 2015 the Food and Drug Administration approved the first pill designed to treat lowered sexual desire in women. Depending on who is speaking, this decision is either revolutionary, a breakthrough to marvel at and sign of progress because it promotes the viewpoint that low sexual desire is a biological reality versus something existing solely in a woman’s head. Or it’s a mistake caused by the F.D.A collapsing from the pressure created by various lobby groups and a sad reflection of society’s penchant of viewing the aging process as something that needs to be fixed rather than accepted. [More]

A young African-American woman was excited to finally land the job of her dreams. Though, she would be traveling some distance from her home town, she was ecstatic about the opportunity. Little did she know that she would never have the chance to start the job. On July 13, 2015, the woman was found dead in a prison cell. Where did it all go wrong? How did this young aspiring woman end up in jail and dead? [More]