Social Work and Transitions of Care: Observations from an Intervention for Older Adults

Making the transition from hospital to home can be challenging for many older adults. This article presents practice perspectives on these transitions, based on a social work intervention for older adults discharged from an acute care setting to home. An analysis of interviews with clinical social workers who managed 356 cases (n?=?3) and a review of their clinical notes (n?=?581) were used to identify salient themes relevant to care transitions. Concepts developed and discussed identify the role of surprises after discharge, an expanded view of the client system, and relationship building as instrumental in carrying out effective care transitions.     

Health and distress in social workers: Results of a national survey

Abstract

This study investigated the physical and emotional health status of professional social workers as well as their levels of distress. The results of this national survey of 668 randomly selected NASW‐member social workers indicated that while most were healthy and satisfied with work and relationships, 17% experienced distress, defined as substance abuse, emotional problems, and/or physical illness. The distressed social workers were more likely to experience difficulties in many areas of their lives, including dissatisfaction with work and low self‐esteem. Some of the social workers reported seeking help for personal/ emotional problems, but very few sought help for alcohol/other drug problems.     

The only child 1 : A study of one hundred only children living at home with both parents,referred, to a child guidance clinic

This study examined differences in attachment typology, early histories of unresolved trauma and loss, and intergenerational patterns of substance abuse in a high-risk sample of African American, White, Mexican American, and Native American mothers involved with the child welfare system. The Adult Attachment Interview and Chemical Dependency Assessment Profile were used to collect data from 24 mothers who were in-patients at a substance abuse treatment center. Consistent with attachment theory mothers classified as secure/autonomous (46%) had positive early attachment relationships, although several mothers in this group had histories of unresolved trauma and loss. The insecure classification included 21% dismissing and 33% preoccupied. The unresolved classification included mothers from all racial/ethnic groups who had histories of trauma and loss. Results indicated prevalence of substance abuse in all racial/ethnic groups as well as patterns of intergenerational substance abuse in the aforementioned attachment classifications.     

3D Collaborative Virtual Environments: Exploring the Link between Collaborative Behaviors and Team Performance

Increasingly, organizational work is conducted by virtual teams interacting across boundaries of space and time. Despite advances in collaborative technologies, members of virtual teams often find the experience challenging and a far cry from physically “being there.” In response, immersive and interactive three‐dimensional collaborative virtual environments (3D CVEs) are emerging and purported to address the shortcoming of earlier technologies. How teams will interact and ultimately perform in a 3D environment remains to be seen. In this study, drawing from group and communication theories, we explore the link between collaborative behaviors and the performance of virtual teams working in a 3D CVE. We report on the results of a controlled experiment consisting of 39 virtual teams of 91 individuals. Through cluster analysis, we identify distinct patterns of collaborative behaviors associated with differential levels of performance. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of how the unique spatial and visual characteristics of 3D CVEs may transform virtual work.     

Life Planning Services: Helping older placed children with their identity

Life Planning Services for Older Children is a time-limited and intensive approach for working with youngsters who are or have been in the American foster care system. The program is designed to help children and adolescents explore the way in which their life experiences influence their selfimage as well as to examine the availability of family membership for the present and the future. The program staff work to strengthen existing family connections or to help youngsters look at alternatives. After examining the impact of identity on placement, the author describes some of the methods used by Life Planning Services staff to help placed children meet the challenges of adolescent identity development.Sheila Merry, Kay Donley, and Betsy Cole are thanked for their helpful comments and suggestions.     

Disability and Attitudes to Family Care in Britain: Towards a Sociological Perspective

Attitudes to family care are critical to the quality of community support offered to people with physical and mental handicaps. Yet despite their importance, they have attracted comparatively little social research. This paper examines the 'hotchpotch' of material which is available through the eyes of psychology and sociology. The potential of the psychologist's four-part anatomy of attitudes is recognised: the perceptual, evaluative, affective and behavioural components. However, attention is drawn to the narrow, consensual framework within which these components are often placed, and an alternative sociological or structural model is developed for family care, where the attitudes of disabled people and their relatives are seen as products of the family's socio-economic role. The conclusion discusses some of the policy implications.     

Psychiatric nursing recruitment. Roles for educators and nursing staff

Recruiting new nurses to a relatively unpopular specialty in the midst of a nursing shortage is challenging. However, the literature offers educators and clinical nursing staff important insight regarding the promotion of student interest in psychiatric nursing. Clearly, a collaborative effort is needed. Educators and clinicians should work together to provide students with a satisfying psychiatric nursing experience. Through a combination of effective, intellectually stimulating classroom instruction and positive, welcoming clinical experiences, educators and clinical nursing staff may increase the number of nursing graduates who pursue this rewarding specialty.