Preparing Social Work Students for Interdisciplinary Practice

Summary

This article reports findings of an MSW interdisciplinary practice curriculum experiment. A diverse group of students at ten schools of social work were provided with specialized fieldwork and training. The agencies represented a broad array of services, fields of practice client populations and professional disciplines. Students encountered frequent interdisciplinary disputes and often found social workers coordinating interdisciplinary teams, a role upon which social work curricula rarely focus. This specialized experience seems to have not only enriched students' preparation for interdisciplinary work, but also deepened their understanding of social work as a unique discipline.     

The Contribution of Law and Social Work to Interdisciplinary Community Development and Peace Building in the Middle East

SUMMARY

Reducing inequity and strengthening civil society are both intrinsically related to peace building. This article outlines how social work and legal theory, coupled with an interdisciplinary practice framework, advance the development of community networks for the promotion of social rights as a medium for peace building in the Middle East. The combined effect of human rights advocacy, civic engagement, and the structuring and building of community, work to reduce inequality and promote civil society. Examples of interdisciplinary practice as implemented through the initiative of the McGill Middle East Program in Civil Society and Peace Building are presented. Finally, implications for interdisciplinary training for schools of social work are discussed.     

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.     

Social Work Internship in Public Housing: An Interdisciplinary Experience

A prior experience with a community organization fieldwork unit in public housing ensured the School of Social Work's participation in a federally sponsored demonstration project. A social work internship in public housing provided an opportunity for change in the nature of student tasks and the environment for field experience. Principles shaping the focus and content of the internship included: an interdisciplinary framework providing for faculty and student development from the Schools of Public Health, Engineering, Architecture, Business Administration, and Social Work; and total responsibility for task assignment, which afforded students an opportunity to organize and develop major programs.     

Peer-Learning Networks in Social Work Doctoral Education: An Interdisciplinary Model

Peer-learning networks (PLN) can be valuable tools for doctoral students. Participation in these networks can aid in the completion of the dissertation, lead to increased scholarship productivity, and assist in student retention. Yet, despite the promise of PLNs, few studies have documented their effect on social work doctoral education. This article explores aspects of an interdisciplinary PLN focused on child welfare. This study used a questionnaire with scaled survey items and open-ended questions to examine the use, benefits, and challenges to participating in the PLN. After a brief review of the literature, this article presents findings from the study, discusses the implications for social work education, and concludes by explicating strategies for developing PLNs in social work education programs.     

Socially Engaged Art and Social Work: Reflecting on an Interdisciplinary Course Development Journey

This article shares key questions guiding our process of building interdisciplinary bridges between social work and art to contribute to social justice-oriented education. Through a focus on socially engaged art, we discuss the purpose and forms that these practices take and the role of the audience/participants when working for social change with communities. We then present a proposed course outline that brings social work and socially engaged art together. Our hope is that this discussion will guide others interested in working through interdisciplinary collaborations, as can be seen by the growing interest in the mix of art and social work in practice and education.     

Learning Clinical Practice by Simulation in Law and Social Work

This paper discusses the development and evaluation of a package that was designed to simulate the Family Court of Australia. The origins of the simulation derive from the problems associated with access to the Family Court as it is a closed court, and the need to examine the relationship between two professions that work in the Family Court. The point of the simulation was to examine the unexpected effects which may not be obvious from simple discussion of the subject. The simulation provided a situation where the less rational aspects of court work could manifest themselves. Law students found many new interpersonal problems when they were confronted with the idiosyncrasies of clients, and trainee counsellors found the intricacies of the law daunting.     

The Relevance of Sensory Processing Disorder to Social Work Practice: An Interdisciplinary Approach

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a disruption in the organization of sensory input, and affects up to three million children in the United States. SPD can have a serious impact on the ways that children behave, play, and learn, and yet, it may be overlooked or misunderstood by social work practitioners. The purpose of this article is to inform social work practice regarding SPD, strengthening the biological component of biopsychosocial assessment. After an introduction to the disorder, this article discusses differential diagnosis and practice implications, and concludes with a statement on interdisciplinary treatment.     

Social Work and Social Justice

This study evaluated 99 baccalaureate social work students' reactions to simulation kits that replicated visual impairments common with the aging process. Through qualitative research methods, students' preconceived notions and reported incidents of ageism were assessed in light of their reactions to increased understanding of visual changes. The outcome was greater self-awareness and critical reflection of ageism and discrimination. Students reported enhanced awareness of personal, social, and professional implications. This research supports previous data which suggest that increased exposure to activities that simulate the disabilities and experiences of oppression in older adults provide an opportunity to reduce ageism.     

Tutor and Student Experiences of Teaching and Learning Law in UK Social Work Education

In a project researching the outcomes of teaching law in social work education, students and tutors were asked to reflect on their experiences of both the academic curriculum and how learning was translated into practice. Curriculum documents in the eight participating universities were also analysed.

At times distinctive orientations emerged from approaches to teaching and practising social work law articulated by tutors and students, and captured in course documentation. On what contributed to effective teaching outcomes, both students and tutors emphasised the application of law learning to practice and the importance of considering learning styles. For students, law learning remains a complex challenge but with a clear interface with social work values. Teaching can help to reduce anxiety about practising social work law but familiar barriers to learning and its application in practice also surfaced. In addition to the time allocated to law learning, development of legal knowledge and skills was greatly affected by the priority given to this aspect of practice during placements.

The openness of practice assessors and managers towards the legal rules and students who use their legal and ethical literacy to advocate for particular outcomes for service users was a crucial factor positively affecting the student experience.     

Working on Treatment Teams: Educating Social Work Students to Function as Addiction Specialists within Interdisciplinary Groups

Social workers specializing in the addictions field invariably work with multiple disciplines. Any intervention must be organized in consideration of various fields of practice such as mental health, criminal justice, child welfare, and health care. As part of their education, social workers become adept at understanding the influence of factors associated with physical, mental, and social functioning. Thus, they learn to appreciate the need for interdisciplinary collaboration. However, once students become practitioners, they are often left on their own to solidify their specific role as addiction specialists among several other professionals. Working as a member of an interdisciplinary team can be taught in the classroom. The authors apply Bronstein’s model for team collaboration to build a method for teaching interdisciplinary work specific to the role of the addiction specialist. Within the interdisciplinary team model, students take on the various team roles and decide the importance of these roles in a substance use case study. They are taught how to assess, diagnose, identify appropriate evidence-based methods, build client objectives and goals, solidify concrete action plans, and evaluate effectiveness. As these methods have yet to be researched in the classroom, the authors offer recommendations for evaluation and future research.     

Social Work

No abstract available for this article.     

Social Capital: An Interdisciplinary Concept*

Abstract This paper sets forth an interdisciplinary interpretation of social capital that will permit the concept to be used with precision in scholarly and scientific work. If the interpretation is accepted, the social capital concept cannot be regarded as a social theory, nor as a statement of normative goals. The interdisciplinary concept proposed here is applied to rural studies.     

Heterosexism and Social Work

Abstract

This study examined heterosexism among 409 Illinois school social workers. Heterosexism was found to be negatively correlated with “education about” and “positive contacts with” gay and lesbian individuals and positively correlated with “religiosity.” Most respondents showed some level of heterosexism with a few having very high levels. Only 15% were non-heterosexist. Respondents reported receiving little or no education about sexual minorities in their social work training. Most indicated that the training received was not adequate preparation for working with gay and lesbian individuals. Amount of education received increased with each of CSWE's educational mandates about sexual minorities but had no significant effect on heterosexism.