On August 8, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter stating a particular parent's circumstances qualified her to take time off using the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to attend special education meetings. Although the letter addresses the concern's of a specific family, the principles in the letter have a broad application.

Everyone who has been job searching knows the struggles of landing the ideal position. But they're probably tired of hearing the same kind of advice that's being touted over and over again; namely suggestions on how to tailor your resume or follow up with people in your social networks.

People who go into social work are by nature caring and compassionate. They have a sense of commitment to the groups and individuals in our society who don't have much of a voice, among them the poor, and especially children. Their caseloads are bloated, their hours are long and the rewards are few. But they do their jobs faithfully, knowing that they can't fix everything and accepting that there will be a degree of frustration that accompanies their profession.

Can you imagine coming out from under anesthesia only to learn that you had no voice? This is exactly what happened to one Long Beach Resident after undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. In order to remove the cancer, 75% of his tongue had to be removed. Palos Verdes Peninsula News reported on Harvey Swartz's experience and the rehabilitation he received from an unlikely source.

Embracing "it's okay to say no" can be difficult at any stage in your career. Learning to say no keeps what doesn't belong in your career and life from crowding out what should be there. Make room for the career you want by learning to say no.

We all know some unsung hero in our life i.e., some person who may not have fame or fortune but who has done a great deal to help the people in their community. Every now and then, WGLT's "The Leadoff Podcast" brings you the story of one such person. One of them is Beth Beaty, a social worker at Grove Elementary School in Normal IL. Beth regularly goes above and beyond to help the kids at Grove Elementary as well as other people in the community.

When you think pet therapy, the first images that come to mind are probably dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, or horses. But what about llamas? Anyone can benefit from animal-assisted therapy, from children to adolescents to seniors, whether it's on a personal-level or used to improve the overall well-being of an entire community.

Everyone wants to be good at what they do. When you were thinking about what you wanted to be when you were a kid, you probably never thought, "I want to be a moderately good firefighter." You always imagined yourself doing well and people recognizing you. It's human to want success, appreciation and recognition.

Police and fire departments in Dallas, TX have teamed up with Parkland Hospital to rethink how they can respond to 911 calls resulting from mental health crises. One way to do this is to place a social worker in the dispatch center for triage calls while sending out a special team of mental health professionals to areas with the highest concentration of calls involving mental health.