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Article Index Volume 16 - 18

Volume 21-22

Volume 19-20

Volume 16-18

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 3)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Lauderdale, Kelly, and Landuyt
Abstract:
Article PDF: 161003.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 4)

Title: Promoting Professional Involvement in the Development and Maintenance of Support Groups for Persons with Autism
Author(s): Carter, Matin and Wilson
Abstract: This study explores the aspects of support groups that ten adults with autism and their families find most useful. The findings outline the negative and positive experiences of social support and group support that were experienced by persons with autism and their families. Participants in the study stressed the need for flexible and high quality programming through support groups to address the isolation experienced by adults with autism. They suggested that they experienced greater levels of social support from support groups that engaged professional assistance, and included activities which provided instruction in social skills and opportunities to create enhanced social relationships.
Article PDF: 161004.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 18)

Title: Enhancing Social Work Practice Through Holistic Mindful Self-Care
Author(s): Wisner and Hawkins
Abstract: Social workers typically encounter a high level of job stress and numerous professional challenges. These stressors and challenges, if not effectively addressed, may result in compromised health and professional functioning. Mindfulness practices offer social workers an innovative and holistic self-care approach for minimizing the effects of these challenges. This article explores the concept of self-care for social workers, examines the role of mindfulness in social work in order to highlight the benefits of mindful and holistic self-care for social workers, and illustrates the practical application of mindful self-care skills. Potential directions for continuing education applications and future research are offered.
Article PDF: 161018.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 30)

Title: Becoming Trauma-Informed: Suggestions for Incorporating Research Findings into Practice
Author(s): Beldin and Rolf
Abstract: Trauma-informed care has become a fixture of current health care and mental health care practice. Social workers interact frequently with individuals who have experienced trauma, and are in a unique position to prevent long-term negative effects of trauma. In addition to assessing the presence of a history of trauma, social workers should also be seeking opportunities to promote resilience to mitigate the effects of trauma when possible. Suggestions for utilizing research findings on trauma in social work practice and education are discussed
Article PDF: 161030.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 34)

Title: Parent and Child Perspectives on the Adoption Experience: Risk and Protective Factors
Author(s): Warrener and Mi-Sung Kim
Abstract: This study was part of an exploratory qualitative research project investigating protective and risk factors to adoption adjustment of both the adoptive parents and the adoptee. This study used semi-structured interviews of nine parents who have been through the adoption process and eight adult adoptees who were recalling their experiences as adopted children. The sampling used a combination of purposeful, convenience, and snowball techniques. The emerging themes are discussed, incorporating perspectives from both the adoptive parents and the adoptee to gain practical understanding of adoption adjustment. Recommendations are made for future research and practice directions.
Article PDF: 161034.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 48)

Title: The Fragile U.S. Industrial Food System
Author(s): Kaiser and Kelly
Abstract: The food system of the United States is the envy of the world. The system developed in the latter half of the 20th century based on scientific knowledge and cheap energy while food growing moved from the family farm to larger scale corporate farming. Married with large scale processing and distribution, it became comparable to industrial production systems. The ‘Green Revolution’ produced higher crop yields by massive use of cheap oil for fuel and fertilizers along with a division of labor that replaced farmers with agricultural scientists. Recent criticism has targeted the ‘industrial food system’ (IFS) as destructive to the environment, unhealthy for consumers, and unsustainable. This article explores several areas of fragility in the IFS and the system’s ability to provide adequate food if a crisis or crises interrupted any one of several vulnerable parts of the system. Further, the roles of social work in working toward community based food security solutions as insurance against widespread famine and as an alternative providing a healthy, nutritious food supply are explored.
Article PDF: 161048.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 1 Page: 62)

Title: Social Work Education in China: The Way We Were and the Way Ahead
Author(s): Tsui and Pak
Abstract: In April 2012, the China government announced its decision to train 1.45 million social workers in the period from 2011 to 2020, to achieve the national goal of “one social worker serving a community.” In this rapid development, 500 training institutes and 50 top universities will provide social work programs at different levels. According to the national plan, there will be 30,000 MSW graduates and 300 DSW graduates in 2020. To fulfill these training needs, at least 3,000 social work teachers possessing both academic qualifications and professional status as registered social workers are needed. The authors, as participants and observers in the process of the development of social work education in China in the last two decades, will conduct a historical review of the development of social work education. At the same time, we shall identify key issues associated with the rapid growth of social work education to be addressed in the near future. All these efforts will be directed toward providing a clear picture of the development of social work education in China and its related issues to the western world.
Article PDF: 161062.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 3)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Lauderdale
Abstract:
Article PDF: 162003.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 5)

Title: Reflecting on the Need for Social Workers to Consider Various Models of Disability When Working with Parents of Children with Autism
Author(s): Carter and Wilson
Abstract: This qualitative study explores the reactions of twenty-two parental self-help group participants to their experiences of having children with autism in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The parents reported on their experiences through the availability, and lack of, formal and informal social support. The authors focus on how the parents and the professionals, such as social workers, perceive disability. Perspectives that are offered by the professionals who serve the parents are usually medically, scientifically, and psychologically framed with little understanding of disability as socially constructed. The findings suggest that professionals, as well as the parents of children with autism, need additional perspectives of conceptualizing and framing the experience of disability. The authors present the implications for social work, suggesting the need for educational opportunities that concentrate on varying perspectives of disability when working with persons with disabilities and their families.
Article PDF: 162005.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 19)

Title: Social Work Engagement in Early Childhood Education and Care Advocacy and Policy
Author(s): Moodie-Dyer and Collins
Abstract: The social work profession is in a position to advocate for policies that will have an impact on early childhood education and care (ECEC). Social workers should work to promote access to quality ECEC to ensure safety and learning for children, and economic stability for families. The involvement of social workers in the political arena is critical for enacting policies that adequately address ECEC issues. Through improving advocacy and ECEC curriculum in social work, further development of scholarship in this area, and participating in fields of practice that work towards better ECEC policies, social workers can become more influential in this area. This article will discuss strategies to incorporate ECEC advocacy and policy into social work education, scholarship, and practice.
Article PDF: 162019.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 31)

Title: The Efficacy of Two In-Service Training Programs: From the Perspective of Program Directors and Supervisors
Author(s): Crohn and Williams
Abstract: This is a report of the second part of a study concerning the efficacy of two in-service training programs at a large, urban social service agency. Part one (Crohn & Berger, 2009) surveyed the reactions of staff-participants in these trainings. Phase two, reported here, involves the perceptions of thirty-three of the agency’s program directors and supervisors concerning the same two in-service training programs. The survey participants completed an online questionnaire and also made comments. While both programs in general achieved their stated goals, an unexpected finding was that the most valued aspect of the training programs included the administrative benefits for the program directors and supervisors and the perceived informal learning benefits for their staffs. Descriptive statistics and qualitative data are included.
Article PDF: 162031.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 47)

Title: Mental Health Clinicians’ Reports of Their Cultural Intelligence
Author(s): Arias
Abstract: Culturally intelligent individuals are more apt to display cultural competence and adapt their behaviors in cultural situations that are unfamiliar to them. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to explore mental health clinicians’ reports of their cultural intelligence. Thirty-four mental health clinicians, social workers, and nurses employed by a state-operated mental health clinic reported moderate levels of cultural intelligence as measured by the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). Recommendations for practice include ongoing clinician self-assessment of cultural intelligence to improve service delivery, professional development that uses an experientiallearning approach, and professional development activities that apply professional development best practices designed to enhance CQ capabilities.
Article PDF: 162047.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 56)

Title: Caring for Your Clients While Caring for Your Baby: Responsible and Ethical Planning for Parental Leave
Author(s): Dombo and Bass
Abstract: The current literature on “maternity leave” is dated, reflecting a traditional view of childbearing that is not relevant to those who are adopting, about to become fathers, or are single parents. The guidance given to professionals must reflect the changing composition of family. This article offers a review of the literature on planning for the arrival of a child, and explores ethical issues for consideration in developing a plan to take leave for welcoming a new child into their family. Case vignettes of four therapists are presented and utilized to formulate of a set of practice guidelines and discuss implications for practice.
Article PDF: 162056.pdf

Year: 2013 (Vol: 16 No: 2 Page: 65)

Title: The Quality of Life in Ideal-typical Welfare Regimes: The Case of the Republic of Korea
Author(s): Choe, Kelly and Kyonne
Abstract: During past decades, the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) achieved a high rate of economic growth, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita reached $22,720 in 2012. This strongly capitalist society is prospering; however, life satisfaction ratings have lowered, and the suicide rate has increased. This, along with other factors, is leading the Korean nation to explore the development of a social welfare system and policies, here called “regimes.” This study analyzes secondary data to explore the difference of the people’s quality of life in several ideal-typical capitalist welfare regimes: social democratic, corporatist democratic, liberal, and conservative. Using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) life satisfaction ratings and the suicide rates as the indicators of quality of life (QOL), differences between various regimes were tested. Based on the results the study suggests and discusses the ideal-typical welfare regime for the Republic of Korea’s rapidly developing, democratic, capitalist society.
Article PDF: 162065.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 3)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Lauderdale
Abstract:
Article PDF: 171003.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 5)

Title: Student Care Teams in Higher Education: A Role for Social Work Faculty
Author(s): Sullivan, Karam, Mardis, Cappiccie, and Gamm
Abstract: The post-Virginia Tech/Northern Illinois University era has raised awareness about threat assessment and distressed students on college campuses. While literature is emerging on best practices and protocols on how to implement student care teams, less has been written about the composition of these collaborative units. A faculty representative is an important contributor to the process; however, certain academic disciplines may provide a better fit for the goals and objectives of the group than others. Administrators at 181 institutions across the country completed a survey regarding both the membership and issues facing these multidisciplinary teams. Faculty from social work and other social science fields were identified as being part of teams at some institutions. This article explores the potential role of social work faculty as an integral part of student care teams, focusing on roles, contributions, and specific tasks to facilitate awareness and educate other faculty members about distressed students and available resources.
Article PDF: 171005.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 15)

Title: When University Employees Must Be Absent: Reflections of Personal Stress and Organizational Coping Strategies
Author(s): Collins, Fuller, and Mathis
Abstract: This article is written by three full-time female university social work educators who experienced role strain related to extended personal illness and caregiving demands. The first employee is a Black tenured faculty member and the other two are term-faculty members; one Black and one Caucasian. Using our personal stories, we illustrate the value of supervisory sensitivity and flexibility within an organizational structure when faculty and staff face personal stressors that affect their ability to fulfill their workload agreements. The paper offers suggestions that university deans, department heads, or college-level personnel might consider when helping faculty and staff to identify ways to maintain work, cope with extended illnesses and stressful family responsibility, and reduce workload stress while they address plans to achieve stability in their personal and professional lives.
Article PDF: 171015.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 28)

Title: Six-word Memoirs: A Reflection of Social Work Professional Competency and Identity
Author(s): Bolin, Crews, Countryman-Roswurm, and Grant
Abstract: Six-word memoir projects have been featured in multiple media sources, classrooms, churches, and community events around the world. The premise is to use six words to inspire conversation, communicate an issue, or gather multiple memoirs or essays to make a desired impact. Seventy-nine participants completed a survey and a “six-word memoir” while attending a professional social work conference. Social work students and practicing social workers composed six-word memoirs that were analyzed using qualitative methods to determine differences in professional identity, ethics, and perceptions of competency. Three categories of social work identity were identified in the memoirs: personal identity, professional identity, and integrated identity. Further, findings indicate that students and professionals have a strong sense of identity with the values, ethics, roles, and competencies of the social work profession. Implications for social work education and practice are provided.
Article PDF: 171028.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 39)

Title: Orientation Programs for Master’s of Social Work Students: Rethinking Content and Format
Author(s): de Saxe Zerden, Brighma, Dews, and Todd
Abstract: This exploratory article examines the structure and content of orientation programs for master’s of social work (MSW) students attending 74 U.S. schools of social work. The role of orientation in students’ academic and professional success receives little attention in the social work education literature or from governing bodies such as the Council on Social Work Education. This exploratory study uses quantitative and qualitative survey data to examine the content and format of MSW orientation programs. Study findings offer a first step toward better understanding programmatic efforts to prepare students for successful matriculation through MSW curricula. Moreover, results will help faculty and administrators think critically about the role of MSW orientations in professional socialization and advancing the core values of the profession.
Article PDF: 171039.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 46)

Title: A Survey of Continuing Educations Programs Conducted by Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education
Author(s): Landuyt and Morgan
Abstract: Social work is a field that continually evolves as new interventions are piloted and best practices are further developed. In order to provide the best services possible for their clients, social workers must remain aware of developments within their field. Additionally, social workers have an obligation through the NASW Code of Ethics to remain competent and participate in continuing education (CE) courses. Most states have also made obtaining CE hours a requirement for licensure renewal. In response to this demand, many CE programs have opened across the country. Because CE requirements and administration are operated on a location-by-location basis, there is often little communication or coordination among CE programs. This is a detriment to the profession, as there is much that programs can learn from one another. A first step in increasing coordination and communication is to gather information from the various CE programs by developing and distributing a CE survey. The collection and dissemination of data from this survey will serve as a benchmark and a resource for CE program directors, program administrators, and the broader social services community. Also, such data can inspire future collaboration between programs, which has the potential to improve the overall quality and effectiveness of CE programs.
Article PDF: 171046.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 1 Page: 61)

Title: Building Partnerships for Serving Student Veterans: A Professional Development Roadmap
Author(s): Selber, Chavkin, Marshall, and Shaffer
Abstract: Veterans are returning home and fueling a huge increase in student enrollment at universities, but many universities are unprepared about how to serve this new group of student veterans. To help these veterans succeed, universities could benefit from professional development on how to build and implement pathways of success. This article presents a professional development roadmap for developing services for student veterans on campus, the basic elements of a best–practices model, and examples of partnerships developed by social work faculty and students to support services for student veterans.
Article PDF: 171061.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 3)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Carter, Hanes, and MacDonald
Abstract:
Article PDF: 172003.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 5)

Title: Exploring Social Work and Disability in U.S. Schools of Social Work
Author(s): Hanes, Carter, MacDonald, McMurphy, and Skinner
Abstract: Progressive change toward greater inclusion of disability-related education has occurred in American university-based schools of social work. An online survey of deans and directors of all accredited U.S. schools of social work indicated that while some schools are just beginning to offer disability-related courses, others have had a long-term commitment towards disability-related education. However, the number of students enrolled in disability-focused courses, field placements with clients with disabilities, and faculty and social work students with disabilities remains quite low. The authors discuss a number of barriers to recruiting and supporting students and faculty with disabilities in American schools of social work.
Article PDF: 172005.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 18)

Title: Disability Disclosure Among College Students with Psychiatric Disabilities in Professional Majors: Risks and Implications for Rural Communities
Author(s): Thompson-Ebanks
Abstract: The author sheds light on the increased challenges faced by college students with psychiatric disabilities in professional programs located in rural areas. Anchored in the literature, the prevalence of disability stigma and the reluctance of students to disclose their disabilities to disability services are highlighted. This article suggests an anti-stigma initiative for social work education to counter disability stigma and increase disclosure with particular relevance to rural postsecondary institutions.
Article PDF: 172018.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 29)

Title: Exploring Resiliency in Parents and Families of Adult Children: Living at Home with a Dual
Diagnosis
Author(s): Carter, Coyle, Currie, and Cragg
Abstract: The authors explore the coping abilities of parents of adult children with developmental and a mental health disability commonly known as having a dual diagnosis (DD). This subgroup of aging parents reports a lower quality of life and fewer social supports (Chou, Lee, Lin, Kroger, & Chang, 2009; Perkins & LaMartin, 2012), correlating with levels of parenting stress (Spratt, Saylor, & Macias , 2007). The authors explore how social support affects the coping abilities and quality of life for parental caregivers of adult children with DD and make a number of recommendations for caregivers as well as practitioners.
Article PDF: 172029.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 43)

Title: Literacy and Disability: A Study of Transformation
Author(s): Driedger and Hansen
Abstract: Low literacy rates and unequal access to education are a huge form of exclusion for disabled people worldwide. It has been estimated that around 50% of disabled adults experience literacy barriers, such as lack of access to information and physical, print and verbal barriers. In hopes of remedying this situation for persons with disabilities in Canada, we, as co-investigators, worked with Making a Connection, a three-year Canadian participatory action research study, with Independent Living Canada (ILC), the national organization of independent living centres, (a national group of organizations run by and for disabled people to provide consumer-run services).
Article PDF: 172043.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 52)

Title: Enhancing Independent Living within Community Services for People with Physical Disabilities in Ontario, Canada
Author(s): Hauch
Abstract: Provincial governments in Canada such as the Province of Ontario are becoming overwhelmed with the financial expense of rising health care costs associated with keeping patients in the hospital because they lack community support. At the same time, provincial governments have become aware of the potential savings by providing attendant care services for people in need. In the following article, I examine how existing community care programs can provide attendant care services and also explore how to incorporate into service delivery a disability rights focus through the Independent Living philosophy
Article PDF: 172052.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 63)

Title: Engaging with Technology Governance in Social Work Education: An Essential for Preparing Future Social Work(ers)
Author(s): Wolbring & Diep
Abstract: The special issue Preparing Social Work Professionals to Work with Persons with Disabilities of the International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education focuses on the challenges of nation states to develop professional and social worker training programs that address the issues and concerns of people with disabilities. We contribute to this issue a technology angle. We provide answers to the following questions: (a) is social work as an academic field engaged in the governance of technology as a means to influence how technologies are used, (b) is the field of social work visible in the area of three concrete emerging technologies (social robotics, brain machine/brain computer interfaces, and neuro-enhancement/cognitive enhancement), and one general area of technology application (human enhancement). We found no engagement of social work with technology governance and no mention of social work within the emerging academic literature of the technologies covered. We discuss these findings in light of how academic articles and the 2012-2016 global social agenda generated by the International Association of Schools of Social Work and the International Council on Social Welfare have outlined social work’s purpose, highlighting in particular the impact on people with disabilities.
Article PDF: 172063.pdf

Year: 2014 (Vol: 17 No: 2 Page: 76)

Title: Last Word
Author(s): Lauderdale
Abstract:
Article PDF: 172076.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 3)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Landuyt
Abstract:
Article PDF: 181003.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 4)

Title: Enhancing Practice Skills: The Value of Care Management Training
Author(s): Rowe, Dunning, and Chung
Abstract: Professional development training is critical to skill enhancement, but its effectiveness has been understudied. A pretest-posttest study that included 103 care managers was conducted to evaluate the extent to which participation in a professional development training enhanced care managers’ practice skills (communication skills, supportive skills, and linking skills). Group differences in training effects among social workers, nurses, and other care managers were also examined. The results revealed that communication skills and supportive skills increased following training. The greatest benefit of the training was found for those without a social work or nursing degree. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
Article PDF: 181004.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 16)

Title: Training Fidelity as an Important Precursor for Outcomes of Relationship Education Programs
Author(s): Antle, Sullivan, Barbee and Karam
Abstract: Intervention fidelity has become an important consideration in research on the effective practice. Research on fidelity for clinical protocols and school-based interventions has consistently found a link between intervention fidelity and positive program outcomes. While there is a substantial literature on the effectiveness of marriage and relationship education programs, there has not been a documentation of the process by which fidelity of these programs can be measured or the link between fidelity and outcomes. This manuscript describes the development of a fidelity assessment process and preliminary fidelity data for the Within My Reach relationship education program, a derivative of the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP). Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Article PDF: 181016.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 25)

Title: Development of Community-Based Prevention Programs in Ukraine: Training Seminars for Child Welfare Officials and Professionals
Author(s): Close and Bogolyubova
Abstract: This study addresses the training seminars outcomes for the five-year-long project on development of community-based prevention programs in Ukraine. The primary objective of the project was to change the system from the old institutional model to one that focuses on preventive models within the community. Were the participants given the appropriate training needed to develop community-based prevention programs for children who were at risk for institutional placement? The methodology was based on the perception and participation of trainees, community members, and clients. The outcomes of the training revealed that significant impacts occurred at mega-, macro-, and micro-levels in Ukraine.
Article PDF: 181025.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 36)

Title: Faculty Perceptions of Professional Licensure: Implications for Social Work Education
Author(s): GlenMaye and Bolin
Abstract: This study reports the findings of an exploratory study addressing the perceptions of social work educators toward social work licensure. An online survey invitation was sent to approximately 1500 social work educators, with a response rate of 24% (n = 361). Licensure issues, including pass rates, the role of license exams in determining practice competence, and the impact of licensure on teaching, were explored. The findings indicate that social work educators agree that licensure is an important issue, but are not in agreement about requirements for faculty licensure.
Article PDF: 181036.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 49)

Title: Working with Special Needs Adoptive Parents: Insiders’ Perspective on What Professionals Need to Know
Author(s): Home
Abstract: Raising children with special needs means learning to parent differently. Social workers can help if they are knowledgeable about disability. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. This paper presents findings from a Canadian study on challenges and supports of parents whose adopted children have disabilities, disorders, medical conditions or pre-natal substance exposure. Interviews with18 families, 3 parent associations and 5 social workers revealed challenges around parent preparation, understanding the child’s needs, accessing resources, and advocating effectively. Limited post-adoption support and gaps in both professional education and community awareness make a difficult situation worse, but high quality continuing education can help.
Article PDF: 181049.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 1 Page: 56)

Title: Perceptions of Social Support Among Canadian-Born and Non-Canadian-Born Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities
Author(s): Carter
Abstract: This qualitative study highlights similarities and differences in how Canadian-born and non-Canadian-born parents of children with developmental disabilities perceive the social support available to them. All parents reported positive and negative experiences with formal and informal supports, including concerns over finances and the effects of stigma. Particularly, NCB parents expressed difficulties in learning how to obtain supports due to isolation caused by geographical distance from family members and cultural influences that caused them to hesitate to ask for help. Implications for social work suggested that there is still a perceived global need for greater supports for all parents, especially NCB parents.
Article PDF: 181056.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 4)

Title: From the Editor
Author(s): Lauderdale
Abstract:
Article PDF: 182004.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 6)

Title: Sustaining the Field Education Seminar: Promoting Reflective Journaling and In Class and Online Discussions
Author(s): Bolin and Cress
Abstract: This exploratory study describes use of online discussions, in class discussions, and traditional journaling for social work students in field education. One hundred seventy-seven (N = 177) social work students in two schools of social work were surveyed. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) ten competencies were used to develop an original 13 item Likert scaled student self-assessment for field education reflection. The ten CSWE-defined competencies were then used to assess differences in the students’ reflection experiences. Forty-four percent of students in practice reported using journals, 111 (63%) students required classroom discussions, 44 (25%) were required to journal, and 96 (54%) were required to use online discussions. Those students using interactive online and classroom discussions demonstrated higher mean competency levels than those using traditional journaling. Students using all three techniques scored highest on their perceptions social work competencies.
Article PDF: 182006.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 15)

Title: Sustaining Learning Initiatives through a Student-Led Accessibility Planning Committee
Author(s):  Cragg, Nikolova and Carter
Abstract:      The University of Windsor School of Social Work and Disability Studies Accessibility Planning Committee [APC] has been in operation since 2001 and works towards improving the educational experience for students, faculty, and staff with accessibility and disability concerns. Student members researched the accessibility committees of other educational institutions and could not identify any similar committees focusing on accessibility for persons with disabilities which were also student-led, emphasizing the innovativeness of the committee. Interviews were conducted with former members of the committee to research the effectiveness of collective learning in the sustainability of the committee and our goals.
Article PDF: 182015.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 24)

Title: Notes from the Field: Understanding Why Sibling Abuse Remains Under the Radar and Pathway to Outing
Author(s): Meyers
Abstract: Summary: Although there is increased research on sibling abuse, it continues to remain underrecognized. As a phenomenon in need of greater attention, this paper strives to broaden awareness of sibling abuse. The sibling relationship is presented as an influential force that when besieged by abuse has significant ramifications for the victim. Sibling abuse is highlighted as impactful as parent-child abuse and is compared to sibling rivalry and teasing as a way to discern its magnitude and establish it as non-normative. Potential factors which keep sibling abuse under the radar are explored. With an understanding of familial, cultural, and institutional structures that contribute to its oversight, action is proposed that would expand attentiveness: protection and intervention can occur through multiple planes including academia, child welfare, and clinical practice.
Article PDF: 182024.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 32)

Title: A Collaborative Approach to Professional Development: A Systems Change Initiative Using Interagency Learning Circles
Author(s): Collins-Camargo, Sullivan and Atkins
Abstract: This paper describes the use of an interagency learning circle model to create sustainable change in one state’s out-of-home care system related to professional development, implementation of best practices, and collaboration. Public and private agency child welfare workers and resource parents participated in peer consultation groups designed to pursue these goals. Outcome evaluation results revealed modest increases in knowledge of best practices and perceived collaboration. Process evaluation results, however, provided insight into the impact of challenges experienced and lessons learned related to the implementation of this initiative, within the complex interagency dynamics of a public/private partnership in child welfare.
Article PDF: 182032.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 47)

Title: Continuing Education Practices and Interests of Nursing Home Social Service Staff
Author(s): Cassie
Abstract: Continuing education (CE) practices and interests of nursing home social workers are assessed. On average, social workers reported 18 CE hours in the past year. Common topics were dementia (65.8%), behavior management (50%), and advanced directives (48.3%). Race, perceived time available, and years at work place were associated with CE. About 73% of the sample indicated they were interested in participating in CE in the future. Commonly requested topics included behavior management (51.3%), depression (34.8%), dementia (33%), and mental illness (31.3%). Those with higher levels of education were more likely to desire to participate in CE in the future.
Article PDF: 182047.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 55)

Title: The Significance of the Supervisory Relationship in Field Practicum
Author(s): Collins, Bryson and Wells
Abstract: Practicum is a critical element in social work education that prepares students for field work. The practicum field supervisor enhances the student’s clarification of roles and purposes, provides orientation to the agency, and ensures that the student’s performance expectations are clear and realistic. In the context of the field practicum, supervisors can encourage students to achieve competencies and practice behaviors in field that equal the performance in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significant role that practicum field supervisors’ play in teaching practicum students’ knowledge, values, and skills within the practicum setting. Additionally, the importance of professional image is also discussed. Included is a case study that is aligned with the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) core competencies, and practice behaviors that apply the principles of transformational leadership in supervision.
Article PDF: 182055.pdf

Year: 2015 (Vol: 18 No: 2 Page: 63)

Title: Book Review: Empowering Workers & Clients for Organizational Change
Author(s): Anita Kiessling-Caver
Abstract: “Empowering Workers and Clients for Organizational Change,” by Marcia Cohen, MSW, PhD and Cheryl Hyde, MSW, PhD, is designed as a textbook for social work students studying topics related to advocacy and change within human services organizations. The authors’ focus is the creation of change in human service organizations. They stress that social workers are obligated to recognize organizational gaps and/or inefficiencies in client service delivery. The authors explain that in order to most effectively empower clients, the structures within the organization that block optimal client service delivery must be changed through the work of the social worker. The text supports and expands the idea that social workers can be agents of change even in positions that are typically viewed as powerless, such as when one is a student. Book Information: Empowering Workers & Clients for Organizational Change. By Marcia Cohen & Cheryl A. Hyde, (2014) Lyceum Books, Chicago, IL. Edition: 2014 paperback, 232 pages, ISBN: 978-1-935871-34-7, $34.95.
Article PDF: 182063.pdf