Fears surrounding getting older, such as quality of life and retirement after a long career, are common, and resources are available to help, says licensed clinical social worker Sharon Prager. Additionally, being as active as possible through volunteer work or exercise classes, for example, and a positive mindset can improve well-being and provide purpose, experts say.

Children who attend Ashland Elementary School in north St. Louis -- where gun violence is common -- say they are accustomed to the sound of gunfire and know what to do when they hear it. "The trauma has become normal, the stress has become normal," says school social worker Stephanie Moore.

First Nations Dr. James Makokis identifies as "two-spirit," a term indigenous LGBTQ people use to refer to their identification with femininity and masculinity, and helps transgender patients with medical and mental health needs, with the goal of addressing homophobia and transphobia. "Our people always accepted diversity and a lot of times our people have forgotten that because of what we've gone through," Makokis says.

Researchers examined more than 2,200 twins born in the UK between 1994 and 1995 and found that those with a higher perception of their family's social status at age 18 had reduced mental health problems, were more likely to have higher educational attainment and be in training or employed, as well as had lower odds of criminal convictions, compared with their twin siblings with lower family social standing perceptions. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., has introduced legislation that would give privately insured people three annual visits each for primary care and outpatient behavioral health care without being charged a copay or fee. The bill aims to make such care accessible without cost being a barrier, she says.

A bipartisan bill in Kansas would prevent insurance companies from denying mental health treatment when a doctor says a patient needs it, among other measures. The goal is to get mental health care treated the same way as physical care by insurers, say its sponsors, state Sens. Molly Baumgardner and Tom Holland, who named it after a woman whose family says she died due to overdose after struggling to get treatment.

Make the word "priorities" singular by addressing the most important task at hand with all your energy and time instead of trying to do more, writes Wally Bock. This prioritization can cover today, this week or a longer span, he writes.

Leaders build trust by keeping commitments, being consistent in their behavior, not revealing sensitive information and providing important data to their team, among nine qualities cited by John Stoker. "Look to offer support and address others' needs and concerns to increase the success of those that rely on you in some way," he writes.

A recent study from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine said social workers play a crucial role in the nation's health care system but are often not compensated fairly for the important work they do. Participate in tomorrow's webinar. Please visit this link to dig deeper into the report and learn how you can elevate the social work profession in health care.

Award-winning social worker Raymond Monsour Scurfield recently wrote the NASW Press book "Faith-Based and Secular Meditation: Everyday and Posttraumatic Applications." Listen to this episode of NASW's Social Work Talks podcast episode to get advice from Scurfield on how social workers can incorporate meditation into their practices.