Using the NIAAA brief alcohol screener in social work practice for selected prevention targeting youth

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the use of brief screeners in social work practice to identity adolescents in need of selected interventions for alcohol and other drug use problems. Brief screeners can increase access to alcohol or other drug intervention services and promote the diffusion of evidence-based interventions to underserved communities when integrated in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) initiatives. The two-item NIAAA Brief Alcohol Use Screener is discussed as a developmentally tailored assessment tool that can be integrated into SBIRT in social work practice to improve detection of early-stage alcohol problems among adolescents who lack routine access to preventative health care. The use of brief, empirically supported alcohol screeners in trainings for social work students and new professionals can enhance their preparation and competence to offer child and adolescent clients appropriate selected intervention options to reduce harms associated with underage alcohol use.     

Belonging to the library: humanising the space for social work education

Abstract

This article describes the running of four Living Libraries on a UK postgraduate social work course. A Living Library is a metaphoric remodelling of a conventional library where people, as authors of their experiences, provide specialist knowledge based on authorial areas of expertise. In the Living Libraries discussed here, ‘Living Books’ carried stories of social work—their narratives were of lived experiences as people using social care services; as carers in personal relationships with others who use social care services; or, as social work practitioners. The focus of this article is on those Living Libraries involving the participation of the first two of these groups. Drawing on social psychology, phenomenology and human geography, we propose that a Living Library can act as a connective space within social work education by engendering a discursive forum where all participants—people with experiences of services, students, practitioners and social work educators—are given both the freedom and obligation to talk openly about their differential experiences, fears and hopes for social work. Through this process, opportunities are created to consider how improvements that meet all stakeholders’ interests may be achieved.     

Individualization and Prevention

SUMMARY

In 1905, Massachusetts General Hospital initiated the first medical social work program in the United States. Based on the writings of its leaders, this paper presents the early history of medical social work in the United States. Inspired by developments in European health care that emphasized the community context of disease, medical social work pioneers saw a need to individualize the patient while also promoting public health measures in the community, improving the patient's environment to eliminate the causes of disease. In addition, since they served patients because of their diseases rather than their poverty, medical social workers were among the first to provide social work services to the non-poor. In spite of their emphasis on environmental change, many of early medical social work leaders had an anti-institutional bias; they were suspicious of large-scale solutions for what they saw as fundamentally individual problems. Consequently, methods for promoting individual adaptation developed more rapidly than methods for promoting environmental change. Ironically, the medicalization of social problems in contemporary times has resulted in a focus on individual pathology rather than social and lifestyle causation in health, even as the rising cost and complexity of the system challenges health care consumers in the United States. Reaffirming the environmental emphasis of medical social work pioneers provides a way for today's health care social workers to incorporate environmental modification into their practice and promote the health of all citizens.     

Wo'Lakol Kiciyapi

ABSTRACT

This pilot study hypothesized that the ancient traditions of help and healing among traditional Lakota people represent an alternative or complementary model for understanding a distinctive approach to American social work theory and practice which includes “shamanic” or spirit healing as a constituent part of the help and healing process. Thirty-two individuals, Including traditional Lakota elders, educators, leaders, and mental health providers, were interviewed about their views on traditional ideas of help and healing and about social work and social service practices. The findings show that there were distinctive approaches to ensure social health and well-being among pre-reservation Lakota peoples, and that the traditions of help and healing are intimately linked to the “natural law” and to the ceremonial life of the tribe. The findings show a resurgence of traditional healing practices among the Lakota with important implications for Social Work theory and practice.     

Dementia: challenges for social work education in Europe

ABSTRACT

Dementia has been identified as a global challenge across the spectrum of health and social care (World Health Organisation. (2012) Dementia: A public health priority. Geneva: WHO). This paper will explore the implications of this for social work education and the challenges it poses. There is a lack of this focus on social work with older people and people with dementia (pwd) in social work education. Based on calls for an infusion of content on ageing and dementia in social work curricula, paper proposes that we should adopt a person-centred philosophy alongside gerontological social work competencies to achieve this. The specific aim of this paper, therefore, is to explore how we can use these ideas as teaching tools to engage social work students in the discourse on dementia and to develop appropriate skills to work with pwd, their families and carers.     

Mental Illness,Social Construction,and Managed Care

Abstract

Managed care is creating a social reality that affects the lives of millions. Mental health coverage under health care plans is a function of how mental illness and its proper treatment are defined. These definitions are shaped by social actors competitively seeking to satisfy their particular interests. This paper examines the influence of privatized managed behavioral health care on these evolving social definitions, as evidenced in published works, written reports, and legal actions. It is written from the perspective of social workers as providers of services and advocates for social justice. Options for social work responses to managed behavioral health care are explored.     

Sociocognitive factors and perceived consequences associated with alternative forms of alcohol use

Objective: Popular media have highly publicized alternative forms of alcohol use (eg, eyeballing, inhaling alcohol vapor) among college students as a growing concern, possibly associated with severe health risks. Formative research indicates rarity of use. Participants and Methods: College students (Study 1: n = 411; Study 2: n = 687) completed an online survey. Results: Findings confirmed infrequent use of alternative methods of alcohol use and low likelihood of trying them in the future (Study 1). Participants indicated varied reasons for possibly trying each alternative form of alcohol use, but consistently perceived consequences for all forms (ie, health concerns), as well as very low perceived approval from close friends (Study 2). Social and environmental contextual factors associated with possible use were also explored. Conclusions: College students in the current sample have low prevalence and future likelihood of alternative forms of alcohol use. This information can be used by campus health practitioners to promote accurate normative data for alternative forms of alcohol use. However, with increased perceptions of approval and media presence, future trends could change. Findings revealed important risk factors for these potentially hazardous forms of alcohol use.     

Social influences on use of cigarettes,e-cigarettes,and hookah by college students

ABSTRACT

Objectives: (1) Compare social norms and perceived peer use between college student cigarette, e-cigarette, and/or hookah users and nonusers; and (2) determine variables associated with social influences. Participants: Undergraduate students attending a large university in the Southeast United States (N = 511). Methods: An April 2013 online survey assessed use of 3 types of tobacco, social norms, perception of peer use, number of smokers in life, exposure to secondhand smoke, and demographic characteristics. Results: Participants indicated greater acceptance of emerging tobacco products than for cigarettes and consistently overestimated the percent of peers who use various tobacco products. Males and current users had higher social norm scores for all 3 forms of tobacco. Conclusion: To counter marketing of alternative tobacco products, education about the dangers of their use needs to be implemented across college campuses as part of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy that also includes tobacco-free campus policies.     

Family Functioning and Satisfaction of Former Residents of a Non-Therapeutic Residential Care Facility: An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

Recently there has been a resurgence in discussions among government policy-makers regarding the use of non-therapeutic residential care as an alternative to kinship and family foster care. If informed decisions are to be made regarding foster care alternatives, evaluation is needed of how children fare in residential care facilities. This study looks at the family relationships and life satisfaction of 76 adults who resided in a residential care facility as children. The overall positive results suggest that the negative reputation of non-therapeutic residential care facilities may not be wholly deserved. The authors hope that this information can assist social workers and policy-makers in making important decisions about the appropriate use of residential care with our country's future population of foster care children.     

Substance use disorders and COVID-19: the role of telehealth in treatment and research

ABSTRACT

Telehealth, or the use of telecommunications and virtual technology to deliver health care and engage with patients outside of traditional health-care facilities, can play an important role in addressing the treatment and study of substance use disorders (SUDs) during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. COVID-19 and related safety restrictions have thrust healthcare workers and researchers into a new reality of healthcare that relies heavily, or even exclusively, on telehealth methods. These changes have forced treatment providers and researchers to be agile in adopting these methods in order to maintain continuity of patient care and data collection. There are unique considerations that should be taken into account as telehealth practices continue to augment SUD care and research, even when restrictions have been lifted. Overall, we propose that telehealth can support innovation in treatment and research focused on SUDs and should be an integral part of our work, beyond COVID-19.     

Decolonizing my hair,unshackling my curls: an autoethnography on what makes my natural hair journey a Black feminist statement

ABSTRACT

There is unquestionably a buzz in US Black women’s communities about a trending “natural” phenomenon. Sales of chemical relaxers (sometimes dubbed “creamy crack” among the US Black community) have dropped 34 percent since 2009, while sales of “natural” hair care products that promise to non-chemically enhance or beautify “natural” curls are up exponentially. Corresponding to the rise in sales of “natural” hair care products are beauty blogs, YouTube instructional videos and supportive social groups—such as “natural hair” meet-ups, which have organically emerged for, and been mostly created by, Black women as a tool to support and nurture women as they take this journey. In this article, I use Black feminist P.H. Collins’s work because her understanding of the relationship between knowledge, consciousness and empowerment provides a framework or point of departure for grasping my own lived experience of going “natural” with regards to modes of oppression and methods of resistance.     

Applying health determinants and dimensions in social work practice

Dimensions and determinants related to physical health, mental health and well-being can be used as tools in social work practice. These frameworks are useful for assessment, planning and intervention activities in complex client situations, alerting social workers to consider diverse features and processes that influence well-being in people's lives. They can be applied in social work with individuals, families, groups, and communities. In our view health and well-being need to be viewed holistically, broadly and in each unique situation, changing over time over the life course. Literature based on key word searches of concepts we use in our teaching and research and that has informed our conceptualisation of dimensions and determinants in physical health, mental health and well-being, is reviewed. A case illustration is presented to illustrate how the dimensions and determinants are used to inform practice and compare and apply alternative frameworks. Finally, the implications of these and other frameworks for social work, not only in health care settings, but also in other fields of social work practice, are discussed.     

Responsive engagement in mental health services for foster youth transitioning to adulthood

ABSTRACT

As youth near the transition to adulthood and aging out of the foster care system, exposure to stress increases, especially for youth who have less-than-adequate support systems. Although mental health problems among foster youth often continue into adulthood, service use decreases dramatically within a year of turning age 18. Understanding how foster youth experience mental health services as they transition from care provides social workers and other mental health professionals important insight that can lead to specific, targetable strategies. This study sought to explore what situations were helpful in supporting mental health as foster youth transitioned to adulthood. Focus groups and interviews with former foster youth and professionals informed the development of a quantitative instrument, which was used to identify the most supportive and frequently encountered situations former foster youth experienced. Findings indicate the most helpful situations were those in which professionals and mentors were flexible and responsive to their individual needs and trusted their ability to make decisions. Supportive adults who honored their choices and collaborated in decision-making were also helpful. Engaging, empowering, and partnering with transition-age youth may increase the likelihood of positive mental health outcomes for this population, offering implications for family-centered, strengths-based practice.     

Access to Interprofessional Continuing Education in Integrated Care Through Digital Instructional Technology

ABSTRACT

In preparing the workforce for integrated care, continuing professional education serves a critical role. Within a rapidly changing health care landscape, matriculated students now benefit from pedagogical innovations supporting integrated care, particularly interprofessional education, and working professionals must not be excluded from this transformation. University-based digital instructional programs can support the learning needs of working professionals, providing an alternative and complement to brick-and-mortar classrooms and ad hoc onsite trainings. This paper describes the structure, content, digital approach, and outcomes of a continuing education program in integrated behavioral health and primary care, housed in a school of social work at a major university. The challenges of interprofessional digital education are described and future directions are suggested.     

Caring for Persons with Serious Mental Illness

Abstract

This article places evidenced-based knowledge of practice within the social context of care and proposes five policy objectives and specific policy and program changes to address care needs of people with serious mental illness. In spite of demonstration programs that provide the basis for proposed policy initiatives throughout the United States, treatment provision for this population remains inadequate and their safety and well-being continues to be at risk. The authors suggest that treatment initiatives need to be tied to stable policies protecting the mentally ill from adverse social context changes. The authors conclude that policies are needed that will enhance housing assistance, independent social functioning, personal empowerment, and treatment engagement. In addition, efforts are needed to make better use of inpatient hospital care, to better understand the role of assisted treatment, and to better develop consistent long-term fiscal support for the seriously mentally ill. They offer specific policy recommendations for changes in HUD programs, Medicaid and Medicare funding, and treatment programming that address these needs.     

Shit is good: Mental health social work with lives of squalor

This paper investigates the phenomenon of three clients living in squalor, all of whom have severe and enduring mental health problems, and are on the caseload of a mental health social work team. By thinking about the clients both individually and as a group, within a psychoanalytic framework, it attempts to understand their squalor in a new way, with particular regard to the transference and countertransference experienced by the practitioner. By making use of social work literature as well as that concerning organisations and community care, it also discusses the impact these clients make on the wider community around them, and examines some of the dilemmas faced by the practitioner. The implications for social work are serious and far-reaching and these are discussed with regard to long-term intervention as well as professional and personal scrutiny.     

PUBLIC–PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR MATERNAL HEALTH IN AFRICA: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

ABSTRACT

The concept of public and private partnerships raises growing interest and hope from international development agencies, governments, and communities as an alternative strategy in social welfare delivery. Conceptualized as a strategy to build and capitalize on the tangible and intangible assets and resources endogenous to social organizations and communities, individually and collectively, this article embraces an asset-based approach to analyze the potency of such a framework in enhancing maternal health care delivery in developing countries such as Senegal and Mali. These countries face growing retrenchment of the state from social service delivery and scarcity of human and financial resources, which call for innovative approaches and sustainable solutions in addressing pervasive deficits in health service delivery. Drawing from empirical field research conducted in Senegal and Mali, this article examines the trend toward public–private partnerships and its gender impacts and critically analyzes the challenges and opportunities it offers conceptually and practically to address and improve equity in health care delivery, particularly safe motherhood and maternal health care delivery in developing countries.     

Social workers as mediators

Abstract

This paper discusses the significant contribution social workers have to make to the growing field of mediation and alternative dispute resolution. The theories and practice skills of social work have major relevance to mediation. A sound generic social work education, combined with specialist study in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, ensures that social workers are well prepared for practice as mediators.     

Mental Health Care for American Indians in Prison

Abstract

Based on an earlier finding that as many Native Americans in upstate New York received mental health care in prison as outside of prison during a 10-month period, this study was designed to investigate if prisons had become an alternative treatment option for Native Americans with a mental illness in New York State. The study was not able to answer this question due to the limited number of cases and to outside constraints. However, it is possible from the results to provide a picture of mental health needs and attitudes among Native American inmates which is surprising and instructive for those who provide psychiatric care to American Indians, either within or outside of prison walls. A noteworthy finding was the importance placed by these inmates on the use of culturally appropriate ceremonies to assist in their rehabilitation. Low rates of serious mental illness among the American Indian sample highlight the need for further study in this area.     

Social Work with Homeless Mothers: A Strength-Based Solution-Focused Model

ABSTRACT

Social workers are increasingly called upon to provide services to homeless families, the vast majority of which are mother-headed. Drawing on empirical findings from the literature on homeless families and the practice literature on solution-focused and strength-based practice, this article describes and illustrates how principles and techniques of these two approaches to practice can be used to empower homeless mothers to resolve their housing crisis and restabilize their families after an episode of homelessness. Examples are given for how social workers can use these principles and techniques in various stages of the helping process.