Preparation for practice: embedding the development of professional identity within social work curriculum

Newly qualified social workers often enter challenging interdisciplinary settings where they need to be able to clearly articulate a distinctive professional identity. To prepare for these realities, this paper discusses how the development of professional identity has become increasingly central to qualifying social work curriculum at an Australian university. Preparation for social work practice has long been the focus of research in a number of countries, with a significant emphasis on knowledge and skill acquisition, rather than on the development of an overarching professional identity that is also underpinned by shared values and sense of professional purpose and expectations. Against this backdrop, the paper describes initial changes that have been made within core social work courses to progressively embed the development of professional identity more consciously across their studies, to be better prepared for contemporary challenges in the workplace. It is concluded that further changes are needed to fully transform the curriculum, and that the impacts of these changes be systematically evaluated in relation to preparedness for practice.     

Untreatable families? Suggestions from literature

The purpose of this paper is to highlight insights from literature, which suggest that some families are unable to respond to intervention and treatment. Discussion of this aspect of family functioning is notably missing from the discourse on family preservation. There will be an outline offered of the factors that may be contributing to this reality, one consequence being that children wait indefinite periods of time for lasting arrangements to be formulated for their future. Suggestion will be offered as to how concurrent planing approaches may help to achieve timely decision-making and lasting outcomes for children.     

Changing compatibility of cohabitation and childbearing between young British women born in 1958 and 1970

We investigate the effect of parenthood on whether non-marital unions led to marriage or parting for two cohorts of British women when they were aged between 16 and 29. We compare the effect of conceptions leading to births and the presence and characteristics of children on the odds that a cohabitation was dissolved, or that it was converted to marriage, for women born in 1958 and 1970. A multilevel, multiprocess, competing-risks model allows for multiple cohabitations per woman and endogeneity of fertility status. We find that cohabiting couples’ response to impending parenthood and the presence of children changed over time. In particular, the proportion of cohabiting couples who married before a birth decreased and, in the 1970 cohort only, the risk of dissolution declined during pregnancy. There is also evidence that the presence of a child cemented a cohabiting union for women from the 1970, but not the earlier, cohort.     

Developing and Leading Telephone Groups

Telephone groups are an important for meeting the needs of clients who cannot get to face-to-face groups, or prefer the convenience of meeting by telephone. This article describes the knowledge and skills that social group workers need to develop, implement, and lead telephone groups. Particular attention is paid to the clinical adaptations that are needed when leading telephone as compared to face-to-face groups using examples from caregiver psychoeducational and support groups.     

With strings attached: Philanthropic funding and greater inclusiveness

A dominant theme of the philanthropy research literature is conservative funder influence on social movements. In this paper we look at a “reverse” case, focusing on a philanthropic funder using financial clout to move non-profit organizations in a more liberal direction. We interviewed a random sample of 48 executive directors from the 634 non-profit organizations that were funded recently by the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado (GLFC). GLFC required grantees to change personnel policies toward greater inclusiveness and to publicly acknowledge GLFC funding. Directors responded to interview questions on reactions to sponsorship and changes in diversity and inclusivity. Results show retaliation, a serious form of resistance or pushback, was rare and is more common from external sources, especially donors, than internal sources (e.g. staff; p < .05). Because some organizations are diverse prior to grant application, further increases in organizational personnel diversity and constituent outreach are difficult. Therefore, the efficacy of attaching strings to funding was mixed.     

Seeing red: Quality of an essay,color of the grading pen,and student reactions to the grading process

Undergraduates read one of the four vignettes depicting a student essay on social stratification, comments by the instructor, and a grade. In a 2 × 2 factorial design we manipulate independent variables of quality of the essay and color of the grading pen. We test hypotheses that a higher quality essay and an aqua grading pen results in higher teaching evaluations. MANOVA show no statistically significant differences on two instrumental evaluation items: instructor is knowledgeable and organized. Statistically significant differences are observed for quality of the essay and color of the grading pen on three expressive items of instructor is nice, enthusiastic, and has rapport with students. Results suggest that instructors should use a grading pen of a neutral color.     

Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and childhood sexual abuse survivors

This study explored Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples with childhood sexual abuse survivors (CSA) and their partners. Half of the couples in this study reported clinically significant increases in mean relationship satisfaction and clinically significant decreases in trauma symptoms, and thematic analyses identified numerous areas where trauma survivors were challenged in fully engaging in the therapy process. In particular, trauma symptoms such as affect dysregulation and hypervigilance were identified to play a role in the challenges that survivors experienced in fully engaging in the EFT process. Results of these thematic analyses yielded clinical recommendations for working with CSA survivors and their partners in EFT for traumatized couples. Recommendations for future study were articulated.