Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick DBH, LCSW, CCM, CCTP, FCM

Veterans’ Care at Risk Under Trump as Hundreds of Doctors and Nurses Reject Working at VA Hospitals Amid concerns about the stability of the agency, records show nearly 40% of the doctors offered jobs at the VA from January through March of this year turned them down — quadruple the rate of rejectio...

NEW: Doctors and Nurses Reject VA Jobs Under Trump, by @davidarmstrongx.bsky.social @ericumansky.bsky.social @vernalcoleman.bsky.social

Kennedy’s rejection of mRNA vaccines thwarts scientific progress — and threatens national security, experts say Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to discontinue funding for mRNA vaccines has alarmed scientists. But it is also a matter of national security, experts say.

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s decision to discontinue funding for mRNA vaccines has alarmed scientists. But it is also a matter of national security, experts say.
www.statnews.com/2025/08/07/k...

Federal mRNA funding cut is 'most dangerous public health decision' ever, expert says Many public health experts and scientists say they are stunned by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s decision to cancel nearly half a billion dollars in federal funding for future vaccine develop...

It’s mind boggling how many additional people this administration is killing.

“I have been in this business for over 50 years on the front lines of public health…And I can say unequivocally that this was the most dangerous public health decision I have ever seen made by a government body.”

Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary People url:https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2836881?utm_source=bluesky&utm_campaign=content-shareicons&utm_content=article_engagement&utm_medium=social&utm_term=080725

Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research Vaccine experts and people steeped in pandemic preparedness expressed horror at the news that RFK Jr. has shut the door in U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research.

Health secretary RFK Jr. shuts door on U.S. investment in mRNA vaccine research www.statnews.com/2025/08/05/m... via @statnews.com

Screen Every Adult for Unhealthy Alcohol Use, USPSTF Says Task force finds insufficient evidence for a similar recommendation in adolescents

The practical application of this action are curious. Will behavioral health be embedded in every primary care setting? Every Adult for Unhealthy Alcohol Use, USPSTF Says www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/... @ificinfo.bsky.social @drhowardliu.bsky.social

The Role of Safety Planning in Suicidal Behavior Prevention Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among children and adolescents in the US.1 Both suicide deaths and treatment seeking for suicidal behavior have increased in the past decade.2,3 A majorit...

#SafetyPlanning in #SuicidalBehaviorPrevention is critical....An important read for all healthcare professionals who work with #Children and #Adolescents
@drhowardliu.bsky.social @madocforhealth.bsky.social @ameracadpeds.bsky.social @afspnational.bsky.social
@jbsinger.bsky.social

CDC Urged to Preserve Funding for Overdose Prevention Call to action comes as Susan Monarez, PhD, takes the lead at the agency

CDC Urged to Preserve Funding for Overdose Prevention www.medpagetoday.com/publichealth...

“Among older men, research has found that those who die by suicide don’t have particularly severe social or health challenges, but do have traditionally masculine traits such as being closed off to feelings & less willingness to articulate vulnerability.”

We must overcome the stigma of seeking help

National guidelines for assessing preeclampsia risk are ineffective, study finds Researchers call for reform after a new study found U.S. preeclampsia guidelines lead to a high rate of false positives.

National guidelines for assessing preeclampsia risk are ineffective, study finds www.statnews.com/2025/07/17/u... via @statnews.com

ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows A new analysis shows that health insurance premiums for Obamacare are set to soar next year, as financial help that subsidized the cost expires. Congress is not likely to extend the subsidies.

#ACAInsurance will cost far more next year....
The #AffordableCareAct will not be so #Affordable

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

That was my understanding as well! The chapter looks at suicidality across the developmental life stages and distinct populations, particularly those more marginalized and minoritized. It provides an overview to our interprofessional colleagues not trained in behavioral health (e.g., nursing)

Trump Admin Hands Over Nation's Medicaid Enrollee Data to ICE ICE given access to personal data of 79 million enrollees

Trump Admin Hands Over Nation's Medicaid Enrollee Data to ICE www.medpagetoday.com/washington-w...

An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk — and it’s been rising The people most at risk from suicide aren’t adolescents in angst or those experiencing a midlife lull, but men age 75 and older.

Doing a fair amount of research for my next book with chapter slated on Suicide. Interesting new research on an overlooked demographic that has the highest suicide risk — and rising @jbsinger.bsky.social @drhowardliu.bsky.social @newsocialworker.bsky.social

Your Credit Score Is Shaped by the Neighborhood Where You Grew Up What helps poor kids grow up to make better decisions about money? A new study of 25 million people finds an unexpected answer.

“Places where poor children grow up to have higher credit scores are also places where poorer and wealthier people are more likely to interact, or be friends.”

Another example of the impact of communities and individuals leaning in to help poor kids.

www.wsj.com/economy/cred...

The Supreme Court Won’t Explain Itself In their decision allowing the Trump administration to dismantle the Department of Education, the justices didn’t offer one word of reasoning.

The lack of explanation by #SCOTUS is as concerning as the dismantling of the #DepartmentofEducation itself
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

The IRS Is Building a Vast System to Share Millions of Taxpayers’ Data With ICE ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.

ProPublica has obtained the blueprint for the Trump administration’s unprecedented plan to turn over IRS records to Homeland Security in order to speed up the agency’s mass deportation efforts.

Claim Denials: Low-Income Patients From Disadvantaged Racial And Ethnic Groups Experienced The Largest Burdens | Health Affairs Journal Insurance claim denials are a common source of administrative burden, especially for patients with private health insurance. Contesting denied claims requires considerable investment from physicians a...

Well here's a bit to chew on.
Patients from historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups or with low household incomes experienced the largest burdens from claim denials.
www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/...

The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics

The D.E.I. Industry, Scorned by the White House, Turns to ‘Safer’ Topics www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/b...

George Mason Is the Latest University Under Fire From Trump. Its President Fears an “Orchestrated” Campaign. When university president Gregory Washington received notice that the Trump administration had opened an investigation into complaints of antisemitism, he was “perplexed.” But there are signs it may b...

George Mason Is the Latest University Under Fire From Trump. Its President Fears an “Orchestrated” Campaign. w/ @chronicle.com

A must-read. Medical ableism kills & scars disabled patients in all kinds of ways. With the sharp acceleration of eugenics, especially by the Trump regime, so too will disabled people be affected. And as noted in the article, it's amplified so many times over where race is concerned. Superb article.

Gallup has new polling on immigration. Topline findings:
-Americans hate Trump's immigration policy (35% approve, 62% disapprove)
-Share who say immigration is a "good thing" for the country just hit an all-time high (79%)

news.gallup.com/poll/692522/...

Academic groups finalize counterproposal to Trump’s research overhead cuts Ten groups representing universities, medical centers, and others have wrapped up an alternative to the Trump administration's plan to cut billions of dollars in research overhead payments.

A coalition of academic organizations has finalized a proposed alternative to the Trump administration’s plan to cut billions of dollars in research overhead payments.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/10/a...

DOJ Subpoenas Doctors Over Youth Gender Care Attorney General says those that 'mutilated children' will be held accountable

Mutilated?????? DOJ Subpoenas Doctors Over Youth Gender Care www.medpagetoday.com/washington-w....

New study highlights how to improve mental health integration in primary health care A staggering 92% of South Africans living with mental health conditions are not receiving the treatment they need. Yet, research continues to show that collaborative care—where mental health and prima...

Important research on #IntegratedCare out of S. Africa
medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07... @ificinfo.bsky.social @iaphs.bsky.social

The Foster Care System Has a Suicide Problem. Federal Cuts Threaten To Slow Fixes. - KFF Health News Children and young adults in the U.S. foster care system suffer from mental health disorders and die by suicide at far higher rates than the general population, yet the system doesn’t uniformly screen...

Ongoing challenges to mental health access put youth in the foster care system at risk. Enhanced #SuicideScreening is a must, as it assess to #SuicideHotlines. #LQBTQIAplus youth are at particularly high risk kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

2026 Strategic Plan

Pop quiz. What's the first goal of @cswe.bsky.social's 2026 - 2030 Strategic Plan? If you said "Anticipate the implications and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and other disruptive technologies and position CSWE to be a leader in this area...", you would be right!
#SWTech #AI

HHS announced today they will consider Head Start a welfare program, not an education program, and will subject it to new citizenship requirements. This goes against decades of legal precedence that all children in America have a right to education. Announcement here. www.hhs.gov/press-room/p...

KFF bar chart titled "Veterans with Medicaid have higher disability rates than those who are not covered by Medicaid." The chart shows the percent of veterans ages 19 and older who have a disability by health care coverage and age group, in 2023. Overall 49% have Medicaid, 29% do not; ages 19-26 18% have Medicaid, 13% do not; 27-49 33% have Medicaid, 17% do not; 50-64 51% have Medicaid, 20% do not; and 65+ 55% have Medicaid, 40% do not.

49% of veterans with Medicaid report having a disability, vs. 29% of veterans not covered by Medicaid.

The gap is wider among veterans ages 50 to 64, with 51% of Medicaid enrollees reporting having a disability vs. 20% of those with other coverage. on.kff.org/4lcgx1c

Three KFF pie charts illustrating that immigrants make up about one in six hospital workers in the U.S., with specific statistics for overall staff (immigrant share 16%), clinical workers (immigrant share 17%), and nonclinical workers (immigrant share 15%), based on KFF analysis of American Community Survey data from 2023.

Immigrants account for about one in six hospital workers, including among clinical and nonclinical workers.

Learn more about the role that immigrants play in the hospital workforce, overall and by occupation and state: on.kff.org/4lNZ9jo