Multiple Objectives In Undergraduate Social Welfare Programs

A three-year action-research project that placed social workers and graduate students in community police departments stimulated a rethinking of traditional social work attitudes and practices. Issues uncovered included: selection of staff and students, attitudes about the law, confidentiality, motivating the reluctant client, and sensitivity to police-social worker perceptions of each other. The process of achieving cooperation with police and community agencies is described. Social work education is challenged by the need to produce professionals who will be effective in police-social work interprofessional cooperation as well as offering useful social services to previously unserved populations.     

Multicultural Content in Social Work Graduate Programs

ABSTRACT

This paper reports the results of a national survey of Deans and Directors of graduate social work programs and of social work faculty responsible for teaching graduate-level multicultural courses. The findings indicate the use of a combined infusion and designated course model is the most prominent in addressing the CSWE diversity curriculum content requirement. Although there is substantive content on traditionally oppressed minority populations, there is an increasing number of groups and topics under the banner of diversity. There is heavy reliance on traditional teaching methods and little consistency in the educational resources used to teach the courses. The demographic composition and perceptions of social work faculty who teach multicultural courses are reported. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Evaluation of Distance Education Programs in Social Work

SUMMARY

Social work courses and programs delivered with distance technologies continue to increase in number. This article reports on current social work education research on distance courses and programs, and makes recommendations for future distance education research. Distance education research in other fields is described to give context for social work efforts.     

Scholarly Productivity of Social Work Graduate Programs

Abstract

This research compares the scholarly productivity of ten leading social work graduate programs with 35 randomly selected Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited graduate programs. The data reports that, when comparing group averages, the ten leading social work programs had greater scholarly productivity than the 35 randomly selected programs. These findings were statistically significant. However, when comparing individual programs, a notable number of the randomly selected graduate programs had much higher rates of scholarly productivity than some of the ten leading social work graduate programs. The implications of these findings for social work practice and education are discussed.     

Senior Faculty Perceptions of Social Work Journals

Abstract

Academic journals are the primary means of disseminating new knowledge. A journal's prestige is a key determinant of its contents' visibility, readership, impact on practice, and use and citation in future research. This article presents a method for assessing the prestige of journals in the diverse field of social work, and demonstrates its application in a 1990 survey in which 421 senior faculty at accredited graduate schools of social work rated the familiarity and perceived quality of 120 journals in their field. The findings have value for researchers seeking to publish their work in the most appropriate journal and for persons attempting to assess the scholarly contribution of social work educators.     

Ethnic Minority Curriculum in Baccalaureate Social Work Programs

A survey of 87 accredited baccalaureate social work programs assessed ethnic minority content in the curriculum. Respondents described specialized courses, those with a "primary focus" (75-100% of course time) on ethnic minority curriculum, in three major topical areas: (1) curriculum content, (2) resources (e.g., textbooks, guest speakers, case studies), and (3) future implications. The majority of respondents (68%) participate in programs with these specialized courses, and indicate that curriculum content is broad in scope. They perceive resources as being readily available, current program curricula as adequate, and a strong momentum for future growth.     

Autonomy and Visibility in Undergraduate Social Work Education

Autonomy and visibility are important issues for social work education. Although a specific accreditation standard on autonomy exists, research reveals limitations in autonomy can result in difficulty attaining or maintaining accreditation. In 1980, accredited undergraduate units identified themselves using more than 50 different titles. By 1990, this diversity had been reduced, and the more common title “Social Work Program” was used by more than one third of all units. What is unknown is whether these changes resulted in more freestanding programs or more programs within a host department and greater or less visibility and autonomy. To explore these issues, questionnaires were sent to all U.S. accredited baccalaureate social work programs. Results indicated that the majority of respondents perceived the established governance and administrative structures of their programs as either adequate or very adequate. However, nearly 25% of the respondents found the support staff arrangement unsatisfactory. Moreover, more than one third of respondents indicated a desire for greater autonomy and more than two thirds desired more visibility of their programs.     

Models of Interdisciplinary Programs in Social Work Doctoral Education

Social work doctoral programs increasingly embrace an interdisciplinary orientation and structure. In this paper, the strengths and weaknesses of interdisciplinary doctoral education are assessed in light of the ultimate training objectives. Six alternative models of interdisciplinary programs are identified based on the content of knowledge and the structure of the program, and the relative costs and payoffs of each model are analyzed. Such analysis should assist educational decision makers to evaluate more systematically their actual or planned doctoral program.     

Quantifying Globalization in Social Work Research: A 10-Year Review of American Social Work Journals

Measured by the prevalence of journal article contributions, geographic coverage, and international collaboration, this literature review found an increasing level of globalization with respect to American social work research and contribution to the social work profession from 2000–2009. Findings suggest changes are needed in global awareness and leadership to further increase globalization.     

Integrating Religion and Social Work in Dual Degree Programs

Abstract

This article offers challenges, suggestions and examples for integrating insights from religion and social work in the context of masters level dual degree programs that link social work and other fields of study about religion, such as theology, pastoral counseling, and religious studies. The author first relates some personal and professional experiences regarding his own journey during the past 30 years in trying to find ways to connect religious studies, pastoral counseling, and social work. Next, the article presents suggestions for mutually beneficial ways that fields for studying religion and social work can challenge each other. Finally, several practical suggestions are given for designing integrated religion and social work dual degree programs.     

Learning Style Preferences of Undergraduate Social Work Students

It has been identified that undergraduate social work students have distinctive learning needs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning style preferences of a group of undergraduate social work students enrolled at a large Australian university. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, Index of Learning Styles and Success Types Learning Style Type Indicator was distributed to 606 students enrolled in an undergraduate social work degree at one metropolitan Australian university. A total of 116 questionnaires were returned, providing a response rate of 19.14%. The results indicated that converging and assimilating, intuitive and sensing, thinking, judging and perceiving learning styles were favoured by this group of social work students. It is recommended that educators understand and take into consideration the learning style preferences of undergraduate social work students when developing curricula and evaluating teaching approaches, especially when planning and implementing education initiatives. This will help create effective learning environments, appropriate learning opportunities and a contemporary curriculum for social work students.     

The Role of Social Workers in Welfare to Work Programs

Summary

Welfare to work is an important arena for understanding the changing nature of social policy and practice in Australia, the UK, Hong Kong, and the United States. This article discusses some key policy and practice issues in respect to social work professional training and practice. Welfare to work programs focus on “active” measures and stress the importance of “responsibilities” for all people of working age to support themselves through employment. The programs are being implemented in different ways across these different countries but in all cases the focus is increasingly on groups of people who may require substantial levels of assistance to meet their needs and to help them find and sustain employment.     

Application of E-Therapy Programs to the Social Work Practice

The many applications of the use of e-therapy in social work practice are reviewed. Salient issues regarding technological interventions, including ethical dilemmas, are elucidated. Applications discussed include the use of this evidence-based technology in treatment of substance abuse, anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health diagnoses. Most significantly, e-therapy provides means of reaching 85% of clients who need services yet do not receive them.     

Comparative Stress Levels in Part-Time and Full-Time Social Work Programs

Abstract

A survey of 119 graduate social work students revealed higher levels of stress among part-time students than among full-time students. Off-campus, part-time students reported higher levels of stress than either on-campus, part- or full-time students. Thirty-eight variables, representing three major groupings of stressors (program factors, external factors, and stress indicators), were examined and analyzed to compare the perceived stress level of students from full-time and part-time programs.     

Suicide in Adolescent American Indians: Preventative Social Work Programs

Suicide is a leading social problem among the adolescent American Indian community. This literature review examines the demographics of American Indian adolescents who attempt suicide, along with the effects it has on the entire family/community. This paper describes various programs used to address individuals, while correlating them to specific use within the American Indian population. The authors look at the effectiveness of the Adolescent Suicide Prevention Project, American Indian Life Skills Development Curriculum, and Zuni Life Skills Development, along with the draw-backs associated with the implementation of each program. The importance of incorporating culturally specific programs and addressing the issue at a community level in an attempt to enhance the well-being of at-risk American Indian Adolescents is emphasized.     

Educational Linkages between Undergraduate Education in Social Welfare and Professional Social Work Education

Schools of social work in the United States and in Canada have for many years, supported and encouraged their faculty to accept visiting professorships or research appointments in foreign schools of social work. This program has benefited both faculty and students through enriched course content. However, only in recent years have more than a few faculty from foreign schools of social work joined the faculties of schools of social work in the United States and Canada as visiting professors. There is no question that these faculty members have made a contribution to social work education in the schools where they were resident. This author provides insights on how visiting professors might affectively contribute as members of faculty and questions the emphasis we are presently giving to methodology at the expense of our commitment to the ideological and moral base of social work.     

Ethnic Minority Social Work Mental Helath Training Programs:

This article reports on the critical mental health issues and concerns of ethnic minority groups of color. Accomplishments are summarized from National Institute of Mental Health ethnic minority social work clinical training programs. Goals and proposals are suggested for addressing ethnic minority mental health needs. Personnel and curriculum recommendations are offered to enhance the effectiveness of social work mental health interventions.     

Potential Employers' Views of the Ideal Undergraduate Social Work Curriculum

Abstract

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) curriculum design is generally considered a collaborative process involving educators, students, practitioners, and employers. The social agency contributes in critical economic, pedagogical, and political ways. The literature is ambiguous, however, regarding compatibility of educators' and practitioners' views on curricula, homogeneity of perceived training needs, and societal changes necessitating curriculum revision. In this study, 77 agency personnel reported their views of 56 BSW curriculum items. The development of communication competence, the mastery of content on socialization and the small group, and the cultivation of basic social work values were commonly viewed as essential. BSW program directors, graduates, and potential employers generally had compatible views. Practice conditions—especially service position (direct or indirect), field of practice, and client age group—influenced curriculum priorities. Changes in educational priorities across a decade were minor, with increasing emphasis on ethical practice, especially as related to confidentiality.