Professional social work education in end-of-life care: contributions of the Project on Death in America's Social Work Leadership Development program

Social work education in both BSW and MSW level courses is missing vital content about end-of-life care, palliative care, and bereavement. End-of-life care training opportunities through continuing education programs have also been limited. This deficit is significant because a vast number of social workers are already confronted with end-of-life issues on a daily basis in a variety of practice settings. Through the Project on Death in America, Social Work Leadership Development Awards initiative, many programs and models for professional social work education and training in end-of-life care have been developed and are presented in this article. These include: end-of-life care courses, symposia, training manuals, certificate programs and fellowships. Although the curricula continue to be refined, many of these programs are available to practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills and their curricular models are available to social work educators for possible replication.     

Professional Social Work Education in End-of-Life Care

Abstract

Social work education in both BSW and MSW level courses is missing vital content about end-of-life care, palliative care, and bereavement. End-of-life care training opportunities through continuing education programs have also been limited. This deficit is significant because a vast number of social workers are already confronted with end-of-life issues on a daily basis in a variety of practice settings. Through the Project on Death in America, Social Work Leadership Development Awards initiative, many programs and models for professional social work education and training in end-of-life care have been developed and are presented in this article. These include: end-of-life care courses, symposia, training manuals, certificate programs and fellowships. Although the curricula continue to be refined, many of these programs are available to practitioners to advance their knowledge and skills and their curricular models are available to social work educators for possible replication.     

Seeing flowers through the mist: how social workers in disability services retrospectively view their educational experiences related to case management in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

This article is principally designed to examine social workers’ retrospective views on their past educational experiences with case management in disability services to supply a deficiency that very little literature attention has been paid to how prior professional education shape their case management practice. Using qualitative methods, 13 social workers selected by purposive sampling were invited to participate in in-depth interviews. The qualitative data were analysed to generate some themes. Three themes found are “from ‘rarely heard of it’ to ‘remember it being referred to’”; “buy a lottery ticket before starting a field placement”; and “Ambiguity”. These themes indicate that social work education related to case management was lagging behind, which may exacerbate social work’s polarisation and lead to social workers’ confusion about their professionality. As a result, an urgent need for greater knowledge of case management in university education and in-service training should be addressed in Hong Kong.     

Educating undergraduate group workers: increasing confidence through experiential learning

This article documents the results of a study examining the extent to which undergraduate social work students attained increased confidence in group work facilitation. Social work students participated in 8-week experiential groups with the expressed purpose of exploring their own viewpoints and experiences of diversity. The study highlights the application and effectiveness of experiential learning theory in social work education Results indicate students perceived enhanced self-assurance in group leadership. Outcomes also denote increased sensitivity to issues of diversity. As a consequence, students expressed a commitment to continuing their education regarding cultural diversity. Implications for group work training and culturally competent practice are incorporated.     

社会工作专业实践教学研究

本文首先探讨了当前我国社会工作专业教育需要增加实践教学,其次论述如何设计实践教学的内容,最后论述了实践教学的各种保障措施。笔者认为,当前我国社会工作专业实践教学应做好如下方面的工作：不断丰富实践教学的手段;建立与之相关的见习实习基地和制度;完善各方面的保障制度和措施等。     

Visioning the Future of Gerontological Digital Social Work

ABSTRACT

Gerontological Social Work education has been substantially altered by the advancement of today’s digital technologies, influencing both the training and tools required to ensure student success in social work research, policy, and practice. The goal of this paper is to present the state of the science on gerontological digital social work education, identify implications for emerging technologies, and define areas for social work student competencies and proficiencies to advance the field of gerontological digital social work. This paper underlines the role of gerontological digital social work education in preparing future researchers, practitioners, and policymakers when engaging in Digital Therapeutic Teams. We provide insightful considerations pertaining to emerging technologies which present unique opportunities for innovation. Furthermore, this paper presents training and education opportunities for social work education in preparing future gerontologist practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to engage in multidisciplinary team efforts and leverage digital technologies and digital therapeutics.     

社会工作专业教育课程设计模式的人文主义取向

社会工作专业教育课程设计模式的讨论与探索对于本土化社会工作专业人才的培养规格相当重要。尽管在西方社会工作专业教育发展的历程中出现过很多有特色的模式,但专业本身的性质决定了社会工作教育课程设计模式必须更多的强调实践与反思。本文认为人文主义取向是建构当下适合中国本土化和符合社会工作专业人才培养目标教育模式必须要考虑的主要因素。     

Community Reentry and Older Adult Offenders: Redefining Social Work Roles

The number of older adults in US prisons continues to rise. In 2002, adults ages 50 and older made up 8% of the US prison population, up from 4% a decade prior. Many older offenders are released to communities that are poorly equipped to meet their special needs. and largely unprepared for the social and fiscal costs of their reentry. The focus of gerontological social work education on the returning older adult offender has been limited. This article examines social work roles in the community reentry/reintegration of older adult offenders. Best practices from the gerontological social work literature are presented and implications for social work practice are discussed.     

The nursing home crisis: a consumer study of Texas nursing home care

This article discusses the findings of a consumer-oriented survey to ascertain the perceptions of Texas nursing home residents, their families, and nursing home administrators about what factors they believe contribute to quality of care. The findings from previous studies and established practice standards are then used to further delineate the practice roles and functions of social workers in nursing facilities (NFs) and to inform social work curriculum.     

对社会工作专业实习教育的几点思考

社会工作专业实习教育是社会工作教育的重要环节,事关学生专业价值观的培养、专业知识与技巧的内化、专业能力的提升等重大问题。本文结合自身开展社会工作专业实习的一些体验和反思,就社会工作专业实习教育提几点思考。     

社会工作专业实践教学研究

本文首先探讨了当前我国社会工作专业教育需要增加实践教学,其次论述如何设计实践教学的内容,最后论述了实践教学的各种保障措施。笔者认为,当前我国社会工作专业实践教学应做好如下方面的工作:不断丰富实践教学的手段;建立与之相关的见习实习基地和制度;完善各方面的保障制度和措施等。     

What do we know about child neglect? A critical review of the literature and its application to social work practice

Child neglect is a difficult and complex area of practice for social workers and other childcare professionals. To work effectively, practitioners need a good grasp of relevant literature and research – a point underlined by the moves to incorporate ‘research mindedness’ and ‘research literacy’ into social work education, training and practice. This paper aims to contribute to the debate around research literacy by looking in more detail at the research and knowledge base informing work with neglected children and their families, and considering the ways in which this can be applied in practice. In the first part of the paper, we provide a critical overview of the main aspects of research knowledge, summarizing ‘what we know’ currently about child neglect. Next, we look at some of the difficulties associated with this body of knowledge and at some of its limitations. Having noted these concerns, however, we go on to suggest ways in which the research evidence can be used in mainstream social work. We draw out some of the consequences for work with children and with their parents as well as considering the implications for social workers and their agencies.     

The Use of a Workshop on Group Work for Field Instructors to Enhance Students' Experience with Group Work in the Field Practicum

To enhance student's learning about group work in the field practicum, one undergraduate program provided a continuing education workshop to field instructors in which core group work content was identified as were suggestions for how they could provide appropriate learning opportunities for their students. Results suggest that such training may positively affect students' opportunities to practice group work. The findings also are consistent with previous research that has demonstrated that social work students often have only limited opportunities to practice group work in the field.     

Research Note: Education and Training in Genetics in Social Work Programmes Across the United Kingdom

Correspondence to Rachel Iredale, Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd CF37 1DL. E-mail: riredale{at}glam.ac.uk Summary Genetics is an issue which has only recently come on to theagenda, but it is one that will rapidly assume great significanceas the twenty-first century approaches. This article describesa survey of social work course directors in the UK, undertakento assess their opinions of the likely impact of the new geneticson future social work practice. The results provide baselinedata on education and training on genetics in social work programmesin the UK. Only a small proportion of colleges in the UK currentlyteach genetics, partly because of full curricula, and partlybecause genetics is not perceived to be relevant to contemporarysocial work practice. Other attitudes of social work coursedirectors to the new genetics are also described.     

Practitioner Competence in Social Work

Practitioner competence is becoming an increasingly important priority within the social work profession. A skill training program designed to promote practice competence was developed to examine problematic situations for social workers. Previous training programs have emphasized basic skills but have not attempted to teach skills in specific problematic situations. This pilot training program was evaluated using a time-series design replicated across four subjects. Results show that students made gains on all measures after the introduction of the training. These results suggest that social work students can enhance their practice skills and competence through training of this nature.     

实践视角下社会工作课程应用性改革

现阶段我国高校社会工作专业教育存在一系列问题:课程设置的实践应用性导向不明确、专业教育实践模式的应用性导向不够、专业实习督导缺乏等。本文在梳理国内外相关研究的基础上,就社会工作课程应用性改革的迫切性和必要性以及实践视角下社会工作课程的改革思路进行探讨。社工课程改革应以技术性课程设置为逻辑框架,加大实践训练课程的课时安排,注重培养和提高学生的实践能力。     

Coming Together: Factors that Connect Social Workers to Group Work Practice

Group work is an effective method to intervene with various populations in multiple settings. However, research has demonstrated that social workers are often not prepared for the realities of group work practice. In this study, the lens is turned on professional social workers that identify as group workers about the motivations and factors that contributed to their practice of group work. The goal of this research is to provide data and related insights that will enhance the preparation of social workers for the realities of contemporary group work practice. The study also identified factors that would enhance group work education in both the classroom and field education settings.     

Responding to the 2015 CMS Proposed Rule Changes for LTC Facilities: A Call to Redouble Efforts to Prepare Students and Practitioners for Nursing Homes

In July of 2015, the Federal Register published for public comment proposed rule changes for nursing homes certified to receive Medicare and/or Medicaid. If the final rules are similar to the proposed rules, they will represent the largest change in federal rules governing nursing homes since the Nursing Home Reform Act which was part of OBRA 1987. The proposed changes have the potential to enhance the quality of care and quality of life of nursing home residents. Many of the proposed changes would directly affect the practice of social work and would likely expand the role for nursing home social workers. This article discusses the role that members of the National Nursing Home Social Work Network (NNHSW Network) played in developing and submitting a response to CMS. The article provides the context for the publication of the proposed rules, describes the process used by the NNHSW Network to develop and build support for comments on these rules, and also includes the actual comments submitted to CMS. Social work education programs and continuing education programs throughout the country will continue to have an important role to play in helping to prepare social work students and practitioners for a career in long-term care.