Recent homicides that fill the news have all of us questioning the safety our communities where those at risk for inappropriate and illegal behaviors reside. Officials wonder if it is acceptable to allow these individuals to live, unsupervised, in the city, and how the authorities can prevent them from harming others. The CARE 2 is a preventative solution to help answer these questions: a tool that can identify who is at risk and interventions needed to prevent future violence. The recent capture of a serial murderer who was on parole is a prime example.

It is imperative that we are able to determine who needs higher levels of structure and supervision. Clinical judgment is only right about future risk of violence about 52% of the time. Those who presently using clinical judgment to determine the future risk of violence that an individual poses to the community, are not using the most up to date assessments provided by science. Other risk assessments for youth include the SAVRY and the PCL-YV. Adult assessments include the VRAG and the PCL-R

The criminal justice system has become the place where a large proportion of our chronically mentally ill people--those who have been released from psychiatric hospitals without sufficient community supports--find themselves, so it's vital that health professionals know how to help. The author, Dr. kathryn Seifert, is also the author of How Children Become Violent: Keeping Your Kids Out of Gangs, Terrorist Organizations, and Cults (Acanthus Publishing 2007 and winner of a 2007 IPPY [Independent Book Publisher] Award).

The lack of funding for the community mental health movement has mental hospitals discharging patients with serious and persistent mental health issues, without sufficient resources in the community to take care of their needs. Some of these patients are dangerous to themselves and others if not mandated to treatment. The lack of mandated treatment options for this forensically involved population has left our communities vulnerable. Recent examples of the tragic results of unmandated treatment, such as Virginia Tech, abound.

In order to control this situation and give health professionals the resources they need to aid the small group of mentally ill persons with forensic and dangerousness issues, Dr. Seifert developed two assessments: the CARE 2(Chronic Violent Behavior Risk and Needs Assessment) and the RME (Risk Management Evaluation for Adults). These measures aim to evaluate the risk of violence in children and adults and to determine individuals' treatment and intervention needs in order to reduce the risk of future violence.

The CARE 2 and RME measures also help professionals evaluate the risk that those who are dangerous pose to the community. They provide the information officials need to help prevent physical and sexual assaults. "Dangerousness is a separate issue from Mental illness. It is assessed differently, and in many cases there are interventions that can reduce the risk of future aggression or sexual offending.

These assessments were created specifically for situations where individuals pose a severe threat to the community. Authorities can use them to prevent future violence and to help community residents feel safer.

The majority of mentally ill people are not prone to violence. However, other background demographics (those who have been abused, neglected, or exposed to domestic violence in childhood, for example), in addition to untreated mental health and substance abuse problems, play a large part in the making of a violent individual. M mental health treatment is needed in the community, and we must make sure there is sufficient treatment for mentally ill offenders in the criminal justice system.

Dr. Kathryn Seifert is a psychotherapist with over 30 years experience in mental health, addictions, and criminal justice work. Dr. Seifert has authored the CARE and numerous articles. She speaks nationally on mental health related topics and youth violence. She is an expert witness in the areas of youth and adult violence and sexual offending. Her latest book is coming soon: How Children Become Violent. For more information go to http://www.drkathyseifert.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/714097



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Childhood obesity is considered by many to be an "epidemic" in Western countries, in particular, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. Childhood obesity may also be caused by various behavioral factors. The fact that obesity rates have tripled over the past two decades should give parents everywhere pause.

Obesity in Children
Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start kids on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Obesity in children should be a social concern. Because childhood obesity has been linked to increased risk for diseases such as: cardiovascular disease diabetes stroke certain cancers later in life. In schools where PE classes are offered, kids are now engaging in more activities that emphasize personal fitness and aerobic conditioning, rather than the competitive dodge-ball games you may recall from childhood.

Definition of Obesity
The medical definition of obesity is a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. The BMI, which is computed using height and weight measurements, has come to be the most internationally accepted definition of obesity. If your child's BMI is over the 95th percentile he or she meets the medical definition of obesity.[2]

Research on Obesity
Genetics and family environment play a role in childhood obesity. In a study of 548 children during a 19 month period, researchers examined the correlation of soft drink consumption to childhood obesity. They discovered children were 1.6 times more likely to be obese for every soft drink consumed each day.[1] Risk factors present in childhood (including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes) can lead to serious adult medical conditions like heart disease, heart failure, and stroke.

Causes of Obesity
Causes include overfeeding; providing only high calorie beverages to satisfy thirst; using food to solve problems, relieve stress, or as a reward; and not providing enough opportunities for exercise. Although there is some evidence to suggest that genetic (passed down from mother and father to their child) factors play a role in which foods and how much a child wants to eat, the most important causes likely may be more related to personal behavior and dietary habits.

Without a substantial change in diet or exercise, obesity can lead to life-threatening conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep problems, cancer, and other disorders. While 35% of parents thought that their child's school was not teaching them enough about childhood obesity, most understood that the focus and responsibility lies with the parents. Understanding the causes of obesity and the ways in which it can be treated will help you help your child feel better about themselves and their future health.

[1] Childhood Obesity - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childhood_obesity
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/977915




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Whatever your current situation, whether you are seeking promotion, looking to change career, about to start a new job, taking your first steps into teaching or management, the Health and Social Care sector has something to offer you.

If you have been looking for a job, full time or part time to raise income for your family or build a career around your children, there is room for you in health and social care, the job loss within this sector is very low.

What exactly do I need to do?
The starting point is you need to discover your interest and be willing to develop yourself. There are many aspects within the health and social care sector therefore you will need to decide what client group you would prefer to work with - children, young adults, elderly, individuals with disabilities (physical, cognitive and learning disabilities), specialized care ( stroke, mental disorders, dementia etc)

You will also need to decide the kind of environment - hospitals, care homes, individual homes or education and training.

Once you have made your decision, consider where you are now and what you need to do to get to where you want to be. In most cases your experience and training will count and you need to get both but for some it is how to package their existing experience and training to get the job they desire - You need to improve on areas such as CV writing and interview skills.

Here is a breakdown of courses that you can do to move to the next level.
NVQ Health and Social Care Level 1- This is usually a two weeks training that introduces you to the principles of Health and Social Care. You do not need to be in employment to do this training as it is meant to give you a fundamental understanding of the role of a care worker or support worker. This is the first building block if you are new to Health and Social Care. This course comprises of a one week workshop experience and the second week is a practical experience within a health and social care environment. Afterwards you receive a certificate of attendance. Some of the topics usually covered are:

  • Basic nursing procedures
  • Communication
  • Health and Safety at Work
  • Moving and handling procedures
  • Incontinence care
  • First Aid
  • Infection Control
  • Basic food hygiene
  • Safeguarding and protecting individuals
  • Confidentiality
  • Report writing

Most employers will require you present certificates of attendance for some mandatory training in healthcare such as Manual Handling Training, First Aid Training & Basic Food Hygiene. By Law, when you get a job your employer would organize an induction which would provide you with information specific to your role.

Pay rates for this level range from £5 - £8 per hour depending on the employer
NVQ Level 2 - This is the ideal level for you if you are working in Health and Social Care, providing support to professionals, carrying out clinical care, health or personal care to individuals in a hospital or community- based health care setting. It really doesn't matter if you are new to the job you can enroll on this course. These days if you have been working without an NVQ or other qualification you will be advised by your employer to consider enrolling on NVQ 2 as you may not be allowed to keep your job from the year 2010. Many other employers would only offer jobs to care workers with a minimum of NVQ 2.

This course comprises of 4 mandatory units and 2 optional units based on a skill scan. The mandatory units are:
HSC21- Communication and record keeping
HSC22- Health and Safety at Work
HSC23 - Develop your practice
HSC24 - Protection of Individuals

You will be allowed to choose your 2 optional units from a list based on your skills and job role. This is a very interesting course and you will find it easy if you have been working according to your organizational policies and procedures. Having NVQ 2 Adults would qualify you to work with all groups of adults although you may need to attend trainings in specialized areas coupled with your existing experience, for example if you currently work with the elderly and wish to work with individuals with learning disability, your NVQ 2 adults is relevant except that you will need some additional training which are short courses.

Pay rates for this level range from £6.50 - £10 depending on the employer
NVQ Level 3- At Level 3, the Health and Social Care NVQ has two pathways: "Adults" and "Children and Young People". This qualification is designed for workers delivering care and support often without direct supervision or probably working on their own in an individual's own home.
If you are undertaking some supervisory or developmental responsibilities for other care workers or you are involved in other specialist tasks with some degree of responsibility or independence e.g. administration of medicines, NVQ 3 in health and social care is relevant to you.
Common job roles that would qualify you to do the NVQ 3 are senior care workers, team leaders, domiciliary care workers, home care organizers and community support workers.
You will be required to complete 4 mandatory units and 4 optional units based on a skills scan. The mandatory units are:

HSC31 - Promoting Communication
HSC32 - Promoting Health and Safety
HSC33 - Reflect on and develop your Practice
HSC34/ HSC35 - Protecting children (HSC34) or Adults (HSC35)

You will be allowed to choose your 4 optional units from a list based on your skills and job role. This is also a very interesting course and you will find it easy if you have been practicing within health and social care.
There is also a possible progression unto management and teaching roles which requires you achieve qualifications at Level 3 or Level 4. Do you want to know what the A1 Award is about? Or you have heard about PTTLS 7303 and you are wondering what these courses are all about, visit our website today for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2780433




The first misunderstanding is that the Disability Discrimination Act is still current. This is not correct. All the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) are still required, however what has been changed is that the DDA has been repealed with the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Act is designed to remove barriers to social mobility and equal opportunities, and help build a fairer society. The Equality Act brings together over one hundred pieces of equality legislation. It details disability as a protected characteristic. The Act protects disabled people from discrimination arising from disability, direct discrimination, combined discrimination (dual characteristics), harassment and indirect discrimination.

Secondly, the definition of discrimination has changed. Most people do not discriminate against people with disabilities intentionally. More often, discrimination occurs through lack of knowledge, lack of experience or thoughtlessness. Ideally everyone should be treated the same, however treating everyone the same is not the same as treating people equally. Sometimes we need to acknowledge that people are different and provide services or support to accommodate that difference. This is often referred to as positive discrimination. For example, providing additional support for students with learning difficulties or providing a private area to accommodate people with different religious beliefs are examples of positive discrimination. With the Equality Act, all the previous discrimination legislation still applies and nothing has been removed from the requirements, there have only been additions.

The third misunderstanding is that equality is about treating everyone the same. The Equality Act for disabled access is about giving equal access to facilities and services for everyone regardless of their ability. You should ensure that your buildings are fully accessible. If you do not change anything and treat everyone the same this would not give everyone equal access. The Equality Act has not changed what is meant by discrimination. It has just combined the different circumstances in which discrimination may occur and has given more support to people who have protected characteristics.

Fourthly, the Equality Act isn't relevant to me. The Equality Act covers eight protected characteristics: age, sex, religion or belief, disability, marriage and civil partnership, race, gender reassignment and sexual orientation. The Act protects anyone who currently has or has had a disability. It also protects people who do not personally have a disability from being harassed or discriminated against because of their association with a disabled person. The Act also protects someone who is mistakenly thought to be disabled. The Act is applicable to all service providers in Great Britain; but it does not apply to Northern Ireland. Employers, qualifying bodies, education, public transport and private clubs/associations with 25 or more members are also affected. Under the Act employers, service providers, qualifying bodies and educational sectors are required to make reasonable adjustments and to provide auxiliary aids. If you are in one of these sectors, you will need to plan carefully to ensure that there are no potential barriers that may prevent disabled people using your services or facilities. Reasonable adjustments depend on different circumstances, including the cost of any changes, the benefit resource and how practicable the changes are. Service providers need to plan ahead and minimise barriers that prevent disabled people from using their services. One way to determine barriers is to carry out an access audit.

The fifth and final misunderstanding is, our business is fully compliant with the Equality Act. The Act is anticipatory, and is not something an organisation can be deemed compliant in. Unlike health and safety, where there are explicit standards you are expected to achieve or exceed, for access you have to consider in advance policies, barriers, or procedures which could discriminate against a potential user, and make reasonable adjustments to modify them. Any disabled person can take civil action against an employer in an Employment Tribunal, or service provider, in the County Court, if they feel they have been discriminated against. The consequences for discrimination under The Equality Act 2010 are primarily financial, where compensation is awarded to the claimant (without a maximum penalty), but in practice the moral and reputational damage that would also result may be of more concern.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5811964



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Take the stress out of career progression by taking these simple steps to prepare yourself for the job you want. Firstly, you need to prepare prior to completing an application to any job. There are a number of things that you need to clarify which may help you to start the essential preparation that will kick start your career progression wherever you are currently, in terms of jobs, training, or position.

Goals: It is important to know where you want to get in life, is this new step going to take you where you want to go or is it someone else's goal? If it's the right job for you, really go for it!

Planning: Plan your work, work your plan! What do you need to do to get this job? Make a plan and ensure you review if it is working.

Self discovery: You are not an empty vessel; we all have a story to tell of our experiences and knowledge, write out your story and do not forget the interesting bits, then review it and see what aspects of what you have written meet the requirements of the job documentation.
Prediction exercise: Complete this simple questionnaire and allow your true aspirations to come through:

Where do you want to get to in the following time frame?

1 month

6 months

5 years

10 years

How ambitious are you and what is getting in your way? Do not be modest about it and try to take responsibility about what things you have or have not done to get where you want to be.
List your achievements

Chart your career journey:

Chart your successes using a time line. Look at what contributions you make in the world at large, to your family and friends, at work. Think about what you would like to contribute in your chosen field. Be aware of your strengths

What am I to you?' questionnaire:

Select 5 of your friends and ask them to describe your strengths and attributes by listing them using one or two word descriptions only.

If this is too scary, you should list 5 of your attributes and strengths and write them down. Then get a dictionary and look up the definitions of the words you use to describe yourself. Get a Thesaurus and look up the synonyms. Spend some time seeing if you are comfortable with the descriptions.

Finally, all of this work will have given you useful information about your self that you can write about, speak to and build on; it is really about you as a person, not as an invention but grounded in reality. You will now also be aware of the areas you may need to develop in order to meet your goals and aspirations. You may have highlighted areas which you need help with where for example a mentor or coach can help you with. Remember though, take on your own goals and make sure you stay on track and go for it!

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Radio frequency identification technology is offering a variety of new ways to protect our most important assets-our kids.

Risks and challenges are an inherent part of parenting, but we now have creative and safe methods for diminishing some of the risks and facing the challenges with a smart and safe backup. Take babies, for example. One of the secrets most covered up in hospital maternity wards is the ease with which newborns can be switched or abducted, receive the incorrect medication or food by an overworked nurse, or not have their diapers changed.

In time, that baby will grow, and will quickly begin to explore the world. While the parents will wish to keep their toddler safe and close, the child will strive to push its limits and seek new frontiers. An RFID bracelet would enable him or her that degree of freedom and autonomous exploration, without the risk of the child straying off into danger. Malls and parks would thus become all the more open and accessible for both the parents and the toddler.

As the years go by, the child will have increasingly more independence and space. RFID could be a quiet and unobtrusive companion in a variety of situations, such as on school buses. How can parents ensure that their child boarded the correct bus? How can the bus driver know at which stop to drop off each student? And what if the regular driver is sick or on vacation? An RFID system can easily be programmed to alert a driver to exactly who needs to get off at each stop, and at what time.

Imagine the security of knowing that your child's bus driver has airtight information regarding all of his or her transportation needs. And no less important, parents would be able to see, through a real-time Web interface, whether their child got onto the correct bus and off at the right stop-and when that occurred. The user-friendly interface would also enable parents to alter the programmed route if, for instance, their child were going to visit a friend, or attending a sporting event.

In addition, children and adolescents could use RFID tags as a replacement for money or keys, to open smart doors, pay at the school cafeteria, buy a soft drink and more. Such technology could also be utilized to enrich educational experiences. For example, lifting a tagged object could cause its name to show up on a television or computer screen.

In short, RFID has unending potential to enable parents to protect and educate their children, while giving them the independence they need to grow into mature individuals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6553114



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In this modern society we all need to be encouraged to make significant changes in how we manage and deal with stress, to raise the profile of the effects of stress and offer each other information and advice on how this might be done. As a Social Worker I believe workers need a chance to feel powerful, relaxed and nurtured by participating and having access to the appropriate facilities which would aid stress management and relief.

Unfortunately there is an astonishing disillusionment in the profession as well as a sense of helplessness.

The pressures and demands of being a Social Care Professional can at times be intolerable and relentless. Professionals have to become involved in peoples lives and this can be scary and daunting. We often feel unsupported and overwhelmed by the nature and enormity of our tasks. Some are blamed and scapegoated, others feel powerless compared to others in our own or other professions.

The almost probable certain future of the continuation of this is that workers will

1. Get more and more frustrated about the lack of positive outcomes from their hard work

2. Continue to take on blame for cases that go wrong.

3. Leave the professions due to limited job satisfaction

4. Less people will join the professions

5. Vulnerable people will not get their needs met adequately

6. Our society will loose some of the most dedicated workers that we have.

Key things which are required to counteract this poor outlook:

Caring Professionals need to have rewarding opportunities to breathe and be nurtured in a caring environment. This would promote and protect the physical and mental health of those who require is so that they can continue to meet the needs of dependent and vulnerable people in their care and in the community.

Celebration and support for Social Workers carrying out their roles in the communities is crucial. By celebrating the role of Social Workers we would acknowledge their importance in our communities and organisations.

The Education and training to workers and employers on strategies to deal successfully with the effects of stress by raising awareness, offering advice and information is underdeveloped and must evolve as it is in other professions.

Retention of Social Workers and Foster Carers, qualified and unqualified workers, paid and unpaid workers in the communities will be a by- product.

Helping those facing difficult circumstances to deal with stress will actively counteract the feeling of disaffection and demoralisation in front line Caring professions.

We can then engender a positive impact on new people joining or considering joining the profession so that they receive a positive recommendation that Social Care Workers, Social Workers and Foster Carers are looked after, valued and supported.





If you have been unsuccessful in job applications or if you have had bad experiences in interviews you will probably benefit from discussing these with a mentor or coach.
Most materials available for practicing and developing interviewing skills are worth looking in order to hone your skills.

Use them in conjunction with these useful tips:


  • Be on time, dress appropriately, and be courteous and respectful.


  • Acknowledge to yourself how nervous you are, then you get that out of the way and can concentrate on how good you are; attitude make s a real difference.


  • Identify the reasons why you want this job. If you are desperate to move jobs your answers to questions and your body language may convey "give me a job, I need to get out of my current one".


  • Identify the main principles and vision of the firm that you are working for or intend to work for. Look at the corporate literature. Some company's vision statements may hold the key to what drives them and you will get down to the exact core business. Then consider how you will answer your questions based on these visions and principles.


  • Be prepared to answer the questions from a mixture of perspective of a worker, client or service user and manager. Customer care or customer focus in most organizations is what comes through strongly for most interviewing panels. A worth while exercise to do prior to interview is to spend time identifying who the customers are and who the major stakeholders are and what is important to them.


  • Organizations need a range of workers to keep the corporate vision going and to provide the company with newness and innovation. You will not usually know which type they are looking for prior to your interview, so it is essential that you put over a balanced presentation with glimpses of innovation and corporate flavor.


  • Do you work in the past or will you help the company create a brand new future? "What I did and how I did it" must be balanced with "what I found out needs doing and how I will do it". You will probably be posed several of these kinds of questions.


  • Bad experiences shine through so try not to bad mouth any one. If you are asked to answer a question about something going wrong answer fully about what you learned about the scenario but give brief bullet point details about the example.


  • Really offer the interviewers a full repertoire of your skills and knowledge. They need to see a time line with examples applicable to the job you are applying for.


  • Do not bore the interviewing panel.


Finally, get good feedback, re-evaluate and keep going until you get the job you want.


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