The relationship between marriage and family therapists and complementary and alternative medicine approaches: a qualitative study

In this article, we delineate the qualitative phase of a mixed-method research study focused on understanding the relationship between Clinical Members of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and complementary alternative medicine (CAM). Based on an analysis of the data derived from telephone interviews with 54 respondents, we describe four themes: definitional issues, depth of awareness of CAM, fit with MFT, and ethical considerations. Our discussion focuses on the findings of this phase, considerations from the quantitative phase, and reflections on the research study as a whole. While acknowledging the limitations of the study, we conclude that the growing awareness of and involvement with CAM approaches and practitioners among MFTs suggest a need for further education for both professionals and clients. We also note the importance of additional research support for the use of CAM practices.     

Cross-national differences in work-nonwork conflict

The present study examines the level of work-nonwork conflict found in eight countries categorized by value dimensions of individualism/collectivism and masculinity/femininity. Results indicate that masculine/collectivist countries have the lowest level of work-nonwork conflict. In addition, it was found that in masculine/collectivist countries, the work role dominates over the nonwork role.     

The Planets Aligned: Is Child Protection Policy Reform Good Luck or Good Management?

Abstract

Governments across Australia are struggling to address escalating child protection notifications, a marked increase in the number of children in State care, a decrease in the number of foster carers and chronic workforce shortages in child welfare services. This paper explores the reform process that culminated in the proclamation of the Victorian Children, Youth and Families Act, 2005 and represents an aspect of the response in Victoria to these wider issues. It explores the history of the reform from the perspective of key actors from government, non-government sectors and academics who participated in the process. The paper explores the “ingredients of social policy reform” and how the change process was managed in Victoria. It does not seek to evaluate the reform but rather to understand the complex processes through which a propitious moment for reform was both seized and constructed.     

Advanced Concentration Macro Competencies for Social Work Practitioners: Identifying Knowledge,Values, Judgment and Skills to Promote Human Well-Being

The Association of Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) was formed in 1987–88; thereafter, the annual ACOSA meetings became part of the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Annual Program Meeting (Roberts-DeGennaro, 2002 Roberts-DeGennero, M. (2002). History of ACOSA. http://www.acosa.org/history.html (http://www.acosa.org/history.html)  [Google Scholar]). ACOSA's purpose is “to promote teaching, research, and social work practice in the areas of community organization and social administration” (ACOSA, 2011a Association of Community Organization and Social Administration. (2011a). Goals and Focus for the Decade, Approved by the ACOSA Board of Directors, January 11, 2011. http://www.acosa.org/CO_ACOSA_Goals_Focus.pdf (http://www.acosa.org/CO_ACOSA_Goals_Focus.pdf)  [Google Scholar]). Most schools of social work have some required content for students in the areas of policy practice, program development, community planning, organizational development, administration, management, and community and neighborhood organizing. Organizational members sought to support these areas with research, best practice identification, and effective teaching/learning strategies.     

Texts and the ontology of organizations and institutions

This paper examines the problem of how institutions and the phenomena called formal or large-scale organization exist—the problem of the ontology of organizations and institutions. It addresses this problem using an approach that has been developed as part of a sociology exploring the social from women's standpoint, from which standpoint the extra-locality and objectification of these forms of organization are problematized. For the most part, sociology formulates the phenomena of organizations and institutions in lexical forms of organization, institution, information, communication and the like, which suppress the presence of subjects and the local practices that produce the extra-local and objective. This paper argues that texts (or documents) are essential to the objectification of organizations and institutions and to how they exist as such. It suggests that exploring how texts mediate, regulate and authorize people's activities expands the scope of ethnographic method beyond the limits of observation; texts are to be seen as they enter into people's local practices of wrking, drawing, reading, looking and so on. They must be examined as they coordinate people's activities.     

Accomplishing family reunification for children in care: An Australian study

Whilst child protection systems are concerned with removal of children from their families in the interests of safety, the capacity of child welfare systems to return children safely to their families of origin is of central importance. The multidimensional standardised assessment tool, the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale—Reunification (NCFAS-R) was used by practitioners to assess family strengths and needs in case planning and reunification decision making. The current paper examined (1) whether NCFAS-R domain ratings at intake and closure differ by characteristics of parents and children; and (2) whether reunification is predicted by NCFAS-R score at closure.