Social Work Practitioner Knowledge and Assessment of Late-Life Depression

Late-life depression has attracted considerable attention in the social work literature. This study examined levels of knowledge and self-efficacy (confidence) in evaluation of depression in late life among a random sample of social workers (N = 168) from the National Association of Social Workers. Relationships among knowledge on aging, job-related variables, and predictors of knowledge of geriatric depression were examined. Participants ranked depression as one of the most frequent clinical problems seen in practice, scored at the lower end on knowledge about aging, and experienced great difficulty on the items pertaining to suicide in the older adults.     

The parameters of prejudice: knowledge of ethics and age bias

This study examined two matters pertinent to social work practice: professional ethics and age bias among practicing social workers. Because social work ethics demand competent practice within one's area of proficiency, and because bias toward any segment of social work clientele impedes competent practice, prejudicial attitudes toward older people are problematic. This study found that age bias exists among practicing social workers (N = 367), with no discernible association between knowledge of professional ethical standards and age bias. The findings suggest a subtle and pervasive bias associated with work with older people. Positive bias was more prevalent than negative bias.     

Social Work Knowledge of Community-Based Services for Older Adults: An Educational Model for Social Work Students

Social workers are often the key link between older adults, their families and community-based services. Thus, knowledge about older adults and community-based care is imperative for social work practice. Evaluation data are provided on a national multisite effort (N = 353) from 35 schools to assure graduate social work student's competency related to community services for older adults. Results suggest that the educational model as described in this article sets forth positive outcomes in the education of aging savvy social workers. Ongoing social work education is needed to meet the burgeoning needs of the geriatric population.     

Interdisciplinary Geriatric Education

There is an absence of adequately trained social workers to meet the health and social service needs of a rapidly increasing aging population. Educators face the challenge of helping social workers in the field both to upgrade their gerontological knowledge and skills and to become functioning members of the emerging modality-the interdisciplinary care team. A historical review of gerontological social work education suggests that 'first generation' education programs based on a medical model of intervention gave way to the 'second generation' in which aging was viewed as a normative step in the life cycle. Currently gerontological social work education is entering the 'third generation' in which emphasis is on working with members of other disciplines to provide comprehensive care. This interdisciplinary geriatric health care is most readily taught as a continuing education, postgraduate experience. This 'third generation' of gerontological social work education is exemplified by the experience of the Hunter/Mount Sinai Geriatric Education Center. Interdisciplinary geriatric health care requires teaching by an interdisciplinary team and, to be effective, educators must themselves be equipped to function as member of the team. Barriers to interdisciplinary understanding and the factors necessary for interdisciplinary collaboration are detailed.     

A Psychometric Study of the Theoretical Orientations of Clinical Social Workers

Previous studies of clinical social workers have neither described a representative range of their theoretical orientations, nor have they established a firm relationship between professed theoretical orientation and either hypothetical or actual in-session behavior. A related question which has not been thoroughly examined is whether client problems constrain clinical social workers from adhering to specific theoretical orientations or "schools" of practice. This study therefore has two purposes: (1) to assess the psychometric properties of a range of theoretical orientation measures on a sample of clinical social workers, and (2) to determine how much of the variation in these measures is explained by: (a) professed theoretical orientation and (b) the problems for which specific in-session behaviors are used. These issues were investigated with analogues of clinical interviews and attitude scales which discriminate among helping professionals in terms of their theoretical orientations. The sample consists of 199 currently practicing M.S.W. and doctoral clinical social workers. Findings supported the validity and reliability of the scales and revealed that professed theoretical orientation explains approximately 5 to 20 percent of the variance in beliefs about the helping process. However, approximately 40 to 60 percent of the variance in hypothetical in-session behavior is explained by the problems for which those behaviors are intended. These findings suggest that while clinical social workers' beliefs about the helping process are weakly related to their professed theoretical orientations, their choices of specific in-session behaviors in hypothetical interviews are strongly influenced by the problems for which those behaviors are intended.     

Attitudes of Israeli Arab Social Workers Concerning Woman Battering

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between attitudes towards intimate violence, knowledge about causality and preferred societal reaction to the phenomena among Israeli Arab social workers. One hundred thirty (130) Arab Israeli social workers were drawn randomly from the National Social Work registry and completed the “Attitudes of professionals towards intimate violence” questionnaire. SSA (Smallest Space Analysis) was performed. Findings show that most Arab Israeli social workers viewed the men as responsible for woman battering. The correlational structure of both attributed causality and perceived societal response to woman battering displays a continuum: at one end, causes of violence are attributed to men, while at the other end we find, in smaller proportion, items which tend to blame the woman. Those who blame men tend to favor a punitive response and those who blame the women or both spouses tend to see intimate violence as a private matter, which requires no intervention. Double axial partition of the SSA map confirmed our hypothesis. Implications for social work with minority groups are suggested.     

Soft,small, malleable,and slow: Corporeal form and movement in social workers' and police officers' talk about practice in a Multi‐Agency Safeguarding Hub

Child and family social workers in Britain are increasingly working in multidisciplinary settings such as Multi‐Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASHs). This article uses discourse analysis techniques to examine data from an ethnographic study of children's social workers and police officers working together in a MASH, considering the corporeal forms and movements that practitioners evoked in their talk about practice. Social workers used metaphors of slow movements and soft, small, and malleable bodies, in contrast to the fast movements and firm trajectories alluded to in police officers' talk. The paper draws on this analysis to identify differences in social workers' and police officers' forms of knowledge and ways of valuing practice implicit in their accounts of good practice. It contributes to recent discussions of space, mobility, and embodiment in social work literature and shows how discursive analyses can add to the developing knowledge about these matters. The paper suggests that evaluations of multiagency settings such as MASHs should attend to practitioners' distinctive forms of knowledge and imagination.     

SOCIAL WORK WITH GROUPS IN THE GENERIC BASE OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

Social work with groups in generic practice requires more integration of group process theory and group work methodology in relation to two questions: What is important for all social workers to know about groups and group work and when is the group the most appropriate method-of-choice in generic practice? Important premises and knowledge for this practice are the relationship of the individual to the group; the small group as a microcostic social system; and especially, the stages of group development. This knowledge base and the understanding of the "curative factors" or "change mechanisms" in groups is suggestive of the selective use of groups for providing services in generic social work practice.     

Social Work and End-of-Life Care

Abstract

This paper reviews the professional literature with respect to the social work profession's involvement in end-of-life care. The search process was conducted by entering key words in various combinations to electronic databases. Eligible articles were required to address one of the following: roles and activities of social workers in providing end-of-life care; core principles valued by social workers in the provision of end-of-life care; and barriers to provision of effective end-of-life care. The literature from 1990 through July 2004 was searched most rigorously. Based on this review, suggestions for where the profession of social work should focus its energies are offered. These key areas include focusing on generating empirically-based knowledge for practice and policy analysis and developing a system of social work education that addresses the unique knowledge and skills needed to participate in end-of-life practice as competent and informed professional practitioners. Current initiatives with regard to critical areas are summarized.     

Open spaces,supple bodies? Considering the impact of agile working on social work office practices

There has been a shift towards social workers in many areas of the UK being based in large open plan offices and working more flexibly and remotely in space. This approach is commonly referred to as ‘agile working’. The paper explores the impact of agile working on social workers' practices and experiences in office spaces. It discusses data from an ethnographic study of children's safeguarding social work teams in two locations. One team was based in a large open plan office and was engaged in agile working, the other team was located in a much smaller office and was not using this approach. Data from observations of practice, analysis of material spaces, and interviews with social workers and those responsible for planning office space are examined. The paper concludes that there are qualitative differences between such spaces which are due to agile working arrangements and which are likely to impact significantly on social workers' experiences of practice, interactions with colleagues and development of practice knowledge. The data also suggest a lack of understanding in social work of the spatial requirements of practitioners and the significance that private and open space has for children's social work in the current UK context.     

Recognizing and addressing child neglect in affluent families

This paper explores how social workers intervene with affluent parents when there are child protection concerns about neglect. Based on data gathered from a small‐scale exploratory qualitative study with 30 practitioners from 12 local authorities across England, this study examined three overarching questions: (a) How do social workers identify risk factors for vulnerable children in affluent circumstances? (b) Which factors inhibit or enable social workers' engagement with resistant affluent parents when there are child protection concerns? (c) What kind of skills, knowledge, and experience is necessary for social workers to effectively assert their professional authority with affluent parents when there are concerns about abuse and neglect? The findings revealed that indicators of neglect can be difficult to identify and challenging to respond to when parents are affluent. Results indicate that social workers have to navigate complex power relationships with parents who are able to use their class privileges to resist their interventions. The paper concludes with a discussion of social workers' skills and capacities for engaging highly‐resistant affluent parents in the child protection system.     

Social work knowledge of community-based services for older adults: an educational model for social work students

Social workers are often the key link between older adults, their families and community-based services. Thus, knowledge about older adults and community-based care is imperative for social work practice. Evaluation data are provided on a national multisite effort (N = 353) from 35 schools to assure graduate social work student's competency related to community services for older adults. Results suggest that the educational model as described in this article sets forth positive outcomes in the education of aging savvy social workers. Ongoing social work education is needed to meet the burgeoning needs of the geriatric population.     

Preparing Social Work Students to Work with Grandparents in Kinship Care

Summary

Grandparents in kinship care represent an expanding population of older adults assuming primary parenting responsibilities for their grandchildren at a time when many grandparents may also be experiencing developmental changes accompanying their own aging process. Research documents a lack of social workers prepared to respond to the needs of an aging population in general, and grandparents in kinship care in particular, as curricular content on this population has been limited in undergraduate and graduate social work programs. This article describes an infusion model proposed for an undergraduate social work program's GeroRich Project designed to introduce content on an aging population in four foundation courses to expand students' knowledge of older adults and grandparents as kinship care providers.     

Public Willingness to Utilize Psychiatric Social Work Services

This paper reports the results of a survey of New Orleans residents concerning knowledge about and willingness to utilize the services of psychiatric social workers. The research was inspired by the complaints of some psychiatric social workers that the public neither understands nor utilizes their services. Analysis of the survey findings indicates that this assessment is only partially correct. The public does possess a general knowledge of psychiatric social work and does grant the occupation relatively high prestige. Twenty-five percent of the sample could imagine themselves ulilizing the clinician's services. However, only one variable explored in this research is directly linked to use propensity: family contact with psychiatric social workers. The implications of this finding for increasing public use of clinical services are discussed.     

A Comparative Study of Child Abuse Risk Assessment in the United States and Korea

The perceptions and judgments of social workers who interview the child and family are especially significant factors in child abuse assessment process. The current study describes and compares child protection workers’ assessment processes in Korea and the USA through the use of case vignettes and in‐depth interview. The responses from social workers in these two countries were compared and discussed in the areas of: risk assessment; perception of the main problems; tolerance of corporal punishment; and judgments about appropriateness of interventions. Most revealing was that Korean social workers determined abuse based on their child abuse definition and the US Army FAP social workers determined abuse based on their definition, which was affected by legal standards and cultural differences. Korean social workers are more likely to remove a child from the home, even in mild cases, but US FAP social workers would recommend child removal from the home as a last option. The social workers that participated in this survey play a vital role in the safety of children in child protective services. Both countries can benefit from sharing information to improve the child protection services delivered. Social workers' professional judgment leads to objective and consistent outcomes and are less likely to compromise child safety in the decision making process.     

Older Workers in Intergenerational Child Care

Thirty-four older workers in one of five intergenerational child care settings participated in a study exploring the effects of their participation in intergenerational child care programs. The purpose o the study was (1) to identify and describe a sample of older child care workers and (2) to identify characteristics of the older child care workers or the work experience which significantly impact on their lives. The older workers completed a written questionnaire, standardized life satisfaction scale, and interviews. The results suggest that participation in intergenerational child care programs supports the notion of generativity and enhances productive aging. Older workers reported increases in feeling needed, valued, and a sense of self-worth, and increased social contact. Over 90% of the older workers reported that their job expectations were met and that they felt the children had benefitted from their work. Positive changes in attitude about children's growth was positively related to the older workers' personal growth. Older workers also reported greater personal growth when they worked in excellent child care centers as compared to good or fair quality centers. Younger teachers reported positive changes in the classroom environment with the presence of older workers. These findings have implications for training older adults as child care workers and for social policy issues concerning older citizens' roles in our society.     

A Comparison of Rural and Urban Older Adults in Iowa on Specific Markers of Successful Aging

This study examines the differences between rural and urban older adults on level of life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, focusing on the effect of social support. Data were collected through structured interviews at senior centers and senior meal sites in eastern and southeastern Iowa. The Duke Social Support Index (DSSI), the Life Satisfaction Index-Z (LSI-Z), and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS15) were used. Correlations (Pearson's r), independent sample t-tests, and multiple regression were computed. Findings indicated that urban residents reported more depressive symptoms, as compared to rural residents. Subjective level of social support was a stronger predictor of life satisfaction and was more negatively related to depressive symptoms among rural than among urban older adults. Results suggest that social workers who work with aging people need to be aware of rural–urban differences in mental health. Furthermore, social workers need to have knowledge of older adults' social networks and work to ensure greater opportunity for social interaction.     

Welfare program participation among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers in China

Xu Q, Guan X, Yao F. Welfare program participation among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers in China Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 10–21 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare. An estimated 225 million Chinese people have migrated to cities from China's rural areas over the past two decades. These rural‐to‐urban migrant workers have greatly challenged China's welfare system. The pre‐reform welfare system was a duel scheme with an urban–rural distinction in which rural residents were not covered by state‐run welfare programs and had to rely on their families and rural collectives. The development of employment‐based social insurance programs in 1999 made social welfare programs available for rural‐to‐urban migrant workers. Using an anonymous survey conducted in seven cities across China in 2006, we found that social insurance program participation rates were low among rural‐to‐urban migrant workers. Individual factors, including lack of knowledge of welfare programs and of a willingness to participate, and macro‐level factors, including type of employer and industry, are critical in determining migrant workers' participation in welfare programs. Implications for policies and practice are discussed.     

Business Social Responsibility: Perspectives of Businesses and Social Workers

ABSTRACT

This article compares the attitudes of social workers and business employees regarding the community involvement of businesses and the role of social workers in this involvement. The study, based on a structured questionnaire, was conducted in Israel and consisted of 316 participants from two cohorts: social workers and business employees. The principal findings show that social workers are more inclined than business employees to recommend that social workers increase their involvement in business social responsibility (BSR); business employees are more likely than social workers to advocate that the latter assume managerial functions; both groups support a low level of influence for social workers on decision-making processes and a role of exchange of knowledge rather than full partnership. The discussion addresses the implications of the findings for increasing social workers' involvement in BSR and cooperation with the business sector.