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February 22, 2018

In Brief: Brown Bag Lunch Topic to Address Responding to Hostility

Have you ever had a student or co-worker suddenly become loud and fixated on something that isn’t going their way? What about at home: Is there someone in your house who “flies off the handle” at unexpected times? Has someone called you names or accused you of causing a problem when you were merely doing your job? Families, co-workers and student services staff who interact with individuals experiencing mental illness can find themselves in situations like these — situations that can be described as potentially violent encounters.

The Mental Wellness Task Force of the University Senate’s benefits and welfare committee is hosting a bring-your-own-lunch brown bag presentation, Under Attack at Home or Work: How to Respond to Hostility, on Thursday, March 15th, from noon to 1 p.m. in the William Pitt Union Kurtzman Room. The presentation will demonstrate tactics for responding in these types of hostile situations, designed to keep yourself safe and to help to calm yourself down afterward.

The program will be presented by Christina Newhill, professor of social work in the MSW and Ph.D. social work programs with a joint appointment with the Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

The University Store on Fifth will be at the March 15th brown bag lunch with copies of Newhill’s book, “Client Violence in Social Work Practice,” as well as the current titles in the Mental Wellness Book Club: “An Unquiet Mind,” “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics,” “When Panic Attacks,” “Man Enough” and “For One More Day.” Additionally, the book club and University Store on Fifth will have an open house on Tuesday, March 6, where titles will be available to purchase at a discount.

 


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