A Study of Cognitive Complexity in the Education for Social Work Practice

This study investigates cognitive complexity in interpersonal discriminations as it relates to selected aspects of the decision-making process in social work practice. Differences in data transmission and selection of interventive activities between graduate social work students who scored high on Carr's Interpersonal Discrimination Test were compared with those who scored low. As predicted, subjects who scored high on interpersonal discrimination transmitted more information about clients dissimilar to themselves and specified a greater number of interventive alternatives than did those who scored low. Implications of the findings are discussed in terms of selection for the profession and in the identification and ordering of learning experiences in the curriculum     

Impact of Social Work Education on Student Attitudes and Behavior concerning Oppression

Although human service professionals increasingly are the victims of violence, no data exist on the prevalence of violence in the undergraduate field setting, and only one study has addressed the incidence of violence at the graduate level. To fill this gap in the research, the authors surveyed 121 social work students and 96 field instructors at the undergraduate and graduate levels to identify safety issues, compare incidents of violence, and to examine agency policies on violence prevention and management. Findings revealed that undergraduate and graduate students experienced verbal abuse, as well as physical violence. Field instructors were verbally abused or threatened by clients, but did not report any verbal abuse by students; they also reported physical assaults by clients and paraprofessionals. Students reported that, although they received some classroom instruction on safety issues in practice, agencies used as practicum sites often did not have policies on violence or did not inform students of those policies. The authors suggest that curriculum materials on violence and safety issues be integrated into the curriculum or included in field placement seminars. They also recommend that the Council on Social Work Education mandate the inclusion of such content.     

The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Clinical Social Work

Abstract

Social work has a history of treating the whole person in his/her environment, however, the effort to be scientific in our approach to clinical practice often has obscured our examination of the religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of our clients and in our own lives. Consequently, there has been very little guidance to date on how curriculum can help integrate the professional identities of MSW/MDiv students. An elective practice course, “The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Clinical Social Work” in our accredited graduate social work program provides a transitional space for this integration to occur through a guiding framework of psychodynamic, systems, and postmodern theories.     

Learning to Care

Practice simulation exercises involve interaction with people who portray standardized clients in typical social work practice contexts. They are followed by feedback from these “clients” and from peers and instructors. This article delineates the conceptual background and previous use of this educational methodology and illustrates its application within a graduate health social work practice class. A preliminary evaluation found enthusiastic endorsement of this approach among students, with very strong agreement that all three components of the project-interaction with simulated clients, receipt of feedback, and participation as observers-prove useful. Practice simulations can allow transformative learning for participants and provide a useful classroom method for incorporating conceptual foundations into practice behaviors.     

Teaching Trauma Theory and Practice in MSW Programs: A Clinically Focused,Case-Based Method

Social workers provide much of the mental health treatment in the United States, and, given the ubiquity of trauma, most clinical social workers will provide treatment to trauma survivors during their careers. Therefore, trauma theory and practice must be included in MSW curricula and taught as a clinical course. This paper suggests that experienced clinician instructors teach trauma theory and practice classes using a case-based method. Bringing case material into the classroom helps prepare students for the complexities and challenges of treating survivors of trauma. To demonstrate how cases can help students connect theory to practice, the paper presents the treatment of a Central African asylum seeker recovering from trauma. The case emphasizes the centrality of the therapeutic relationship and illustrates the use of several evidence-supported trauma interventions along with core principles of social work practice. Finally, the paper suggests that social work educators consider developing a structured method of integrating cases into the trauma curriculum.     

Including Curriculum Content on Lesbian and Gay Issues

Abstract

This paper presents a rationale for requiring content on lesbian and gay issues in the social work curriculum. Recent research suggests that a considerable percentage of social workers possess homophobic attitudes. Some support exists for making education a tool to reduce negative attitudes toward the gay population. However, students are unlikely to receive adequate information about this population before they enter the social work curriculum. The goals of including content on lesbian and gay issues are to decrease homophobic attitudes and to prepare students to provide effective social work practice with lesbian and gay clients. Methods and resources for incorporating content on lesbian and gay issues in human behavior, direct practice, policy, community organization and research courses of the social work curriculum are presented.     

Spirituality and social work practice at historically Black colleges and universities

ABSTRACT

In 2011 the Council on Social Work Education Religion and Spirituality Work Group was organized “to promote social workers’ knowledge, values, and skills for ethical and effective practice that takes into account the diverse expressions of religion and spirituality among clients and their communities.” In this article we discuss how the mission, charters, and goals of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) addressed the domains of religion and spirituality from their inception. More specifically, the focus of this discussion is the epistemology of spirituality and religion at HBCUs from historical and contemporary perspectives. Content on the exploration of the related themes, religion and spirituality, as manifested in the curriculum, cultural milieu, and social environment of HBCUs will be described. Additionally, we document the role and influence of the African American community, church, and political insurgency. These forces, coupled with the inability or unwillingness of established social service agencies and other social institutions to address issues of inequality and marginalization of African Americans, influenced the essence of the content offered in HBCU schools of social work. Spirituality, advocacy for material aid, and critical race theory are themes that were prevalent in HBCUs curriculum. Finally we show that this “unique HBCU curriculum” was brought about primarily by environmental factors such as racism, segregation, and financial uncertainty, leading to what Du Bois referred to as a double-consciousness.     

Existential social work and the quest for existential meaning and well-being: A conceptual framework

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to conceptualize “existential social work.” A greater understanding of what existential social work means may enable social workers and those studying social work to see how its practice can reveal “the truth” about human existence and how they, as professionals, can enhance existential meaning and existential well-being among their clients. In such work, existential social workers have at their disposal tools such as the Frankl therapeutic approach to existential analysis (i.e., logotherapy) as well as spiritual-sensitive modalities (prayer and mindfulness). To interpret and understand apparent phenomena in the therapy is the ultimate goal with existential social work practices, thus providing clients with the opportunity to discover the meaning that exists in themselves. In addition, these practices pave the way for existential well-being.     

Viewing psychopathology through a trauma lens

Many symptoms and behaviors associated with a range of psychiatric disorders, including those not designated as trauma- or stressor-related, result from unprocessed and unintegrated traumatic experiences, requiring therapeutic assessments and interventions that consider the complex dynamics brought on by trauma. While the focus on symptoms in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) may lead practitioners away from a consideration of etiology when choosing interventions, the exclusions of “disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified” in DSM-IV and “developmental trauma disorder” from DSM-5 may further predispose practitioners to disregard traumatic etiology and symptoms when assessing, diagnosing, and treating clients. Because a majority of recipients of public mental health services suffer deleterious effects from trauma exposure, social work and other mental health professionals have an ethical responsibility to incorporate trauma-based screenings, assessments, and interventions with clients. Thus, trauma-informed evaluation and treatment approaches must be included in graduate curricula, practitioners must seek continuing education to supplement their knowledge and practice skills, and agency administrators must provide inservice training to professional staff.     

A Comparative Study of Two Different Teaching and Curricular Arrangements in Human Behavior and Social Environment

In this paper we examine using social work faculty to teach Human Behavior and Social Environment content to undergraduate social work students versus using faculty from other departments. We formulated three hypotheses: social work students from a program with “IN” (taught by social work faculty) HBSE courses learn a wider range of theoretical orientations, are more capable of utilizing HBSE knowledge in practice, and are more sensitive to. human relations than are those from a program with “OUT” (taught by other faculty) HBSE courses. The data suggested that there were no significant differences between students.     

Teaching self-care: The utilization of self-care in social work practicum to prevent compassion fatigue,burnout, and vicarious trauma

ABSTRACT

Field practicum is paramount to social work pedagogy in the preparation of emerging direct practice professionals. Field students integrate foundational knowledge as they implement practice skills learned in the classroom during the social work practicum experience. Working with clients who are suffering is inevitable in direct social work practice and field practicum students can be exposed to a broad range of intense emotional experiences as they assist clients in need. Integrating self-care skills, techniques and strategies into daily social work practice becomes essential to prevent compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma. Incorporating self-care skills into the field practicum enhances opportunities for transformative student learning and helps to strengthen professional socialization during this critical educational experience. This article highlights the implementation of professional self-care instruction, use of activities and written student critical reflection assignments designed to enhance the practice experience through incorporating self-care education and strategies among undergraduate students within the field practicum seminar.     

Graduate Education for Social Change

ABSTRACT

Is it possible to conduct an effective, progressive, and politicized program for graduate students in our contemporary conservative context? This article evaluates the outcomes over seven years of a pioneering program in Political Social Work. Based on survey data of Political Social Work alumni, it addresses four outcome measures: enrollment, satisfaction with curriculum and field opportunities, job and career development, and persistence of political ideology and practice. While being “political” during the past decade is clearly different than it was in the 1960s, the evidence proposes that political content and practice can have a significant place in both social work education and the field. More specifically, the study demonstrates that politicized social workers in the 1990s were able after graduation to secure employment, sustain progressive values, and practice political social work.     

The Community Practice Pilot Project

ABSTRACT

The Community Practice Pilot Project tested an approach for preparing students for work in organizations in which no social workers were employed. Field placements were clustered in a small geographic area. Classroom learning was linked with field instruction, advising, and Experiential Learning. Goals included integrating content on community-based practice into the foundation curriculum, exposing students to community building initiatives, and influencing the master's curriculum. The Project provided some evidence that early exposure to community initiatives has a positive influence on increasing student enrollment in macro concentrations and courses. Implications for social work include viewing the “environment-surrounding-the-person” as a starting point for instruction in foundation methods courses.     

Prevalence of Traumatic Events and PTSD Symptomatology Among a Selected Sample of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

University faculty and mental health counselors often work with students in distress which may be related to their experiences with traumatic accidents, interpersonal violence, or natural disaster. Traumatic events can have long-lasting effects, which include somatic complaints, substance abuse, “flashbacks,” and a reduction in memory and recall. The purpose of this study is to identify the number, types and severity of traumatic events that occur among a student sample from three academic departments (Sociology and Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Human Development) at a rural southern university. The sample of 234 undergraduate students confirmed previous research regarding the high number of self-reported traumas among college students. The study found that college-aged women are much more likely than men to report trauma and to seek counseling and treatment for its effects. Significant differences were noted in distributional patterns for men and women when reporting exposure to stressful events. The study's findings serve as an important indicator of the need for prevention, early recognition, and treatment for trauma victims. Suggestions are also provided to assist administrators in implementing the appropriate workplace and academic accommodations for PTSD victims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504).     

Areas of Concentration in the Graduate Curriculum : A Three-Dimensional Model

“Areas of concentration” has been identified as an organizing concept around which the graduate social work curriculum may be restructured. The evident need for correspondence and congruence between social work practice specializations and educational areas of concentration suggests the utility of analyzing the various ways in which social work practice has been conceptualized over time. This analysis has revealed an irreducible minimum of three major dimensions of social work practice which, in various combinations, provide a three-dimensional model for identifying areas of concentration in the graduate social work curriculum.     

The Group-Centered BSW Curriculum for Community Practice

ABSTRACT

The “mundane extreme environment” of racism and poverty follows us into the new millennium (McAdoo, 1986). In response, I propose a group-centered curriculum for community practice as the professional foundation for social work education. Shifting the curricular focus from individual development to social development and from a domestic perspective to an international human rights perspective, the group-centered curriculum would teach social group work, inter-group work, and inter-professional practice as methods for promoting social and economic justice.     

Repositioning Risk in Social Work Education: Reflections Arising from the Threat of SARS to Social Work Students in Hong Kong during their Field Practicum

The social work profession has always been involved in dealing with uncertainty and risk in the life politics of clients. However, it is not easy for young social work students to translate this philosophical disposition into their real life practice with clients. In spring 2003, when the SARS epidemic broke out in Hong Kong, a group of social work students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong were doing their fieldwork practicum. Suddenly confronted by a collective sense of risk in their role as social workers, the students went through a period of unrest, as performing their helping duties brought with it a simultaneous exposure to personal risk. This paper is based on four focus group interviews with these social work students, to understand how they processed their experience of risk during their exposure to the SARS crisis, and how they connected the experience to their social work practice with clients. It is found that the predicament arising from the exposure to personal risk brought about by the SARS crisis during the students' field placement engendered the reflective process that enabled a renewed and personalized meaning of professionalism. The results provide a basis for reflection among social work educators on the role of risk in the training of prospective social workers, and on how social work education can better prepare students for practice in a high‐risk environment.     

Linking research,theory and practice in personal and professional development: Gender and sexuality issues in social work education

It is important for social work students to learn how to articulate and develop their own personal theories for practice. It is also important for them to learn how to handle their own personal issues (which they often find difficult and prefer to avoid); and to incorporate them into their theories. In this paper we will explore some of the links between research, practice and theory by considering gender and sexuality issues in social work education. We offer some suggestions on introducing these issues to social work students in such a way that the development of personal social work theories is encouraged. Using examples from our current teaching practice about child abuse, bullying and domestic violence, it will be argued that the importance of theory for understanding and applying research, as well as for addressing difficult personal issues, has been seriously undervalued in social work education.     

The Value Base of Social Work

Values may be conceived along three basic dimensions which would account for the major value orientations shared by social workers and related to all aspects of their professional practice. These are: preferred conceptions of people, preferred outcomes for people, and preferred instrumentalities for dealing with people. Distinguished from “knowledge,” and adequately refined, these categories of values might constitute a guide for planning and action in social work practice and education. The predictability of professional behavior which might then result would also define the expectations of clients and society with respect to what the social work profession stands for and what it does.     

Domestic violence research: Theoretical and practice implications for social work

Identified in the late eighties as the number one public health risk to adult women by the Surgeon General of the United States, domestic violence remains the leading cause of injuries to women, ages 15 to 44, more common than muggings, auto accidents and cancer deaths combined (U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, 1992). Academics and practitioners have assessed the problem and its potential solutions using both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Yet, how far have we come and how much do we really know? This paper will attempt to answer these questions by critiquing the “current state of affairs” of domestic violence research. Common theories of causation and their applications to social work theory and practice will be delineated and an ecologically based intervention for domestic violence will be proposed.