Incorporating self‐determination into substance abuse prevention programming for youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood

Youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood are at higher risk for alcohol and substance abuse disorders than general population youth. At the same time, these youths are often recipients of strong clinical intervention, often at levels considered unnecessary, for other mental health or behavioural challenges. Because of this, there is sometimes resistance from providers to offer services such as substance abuse prevention programming as it may be seen as contributing to youths' overclinicalization, stigmatization, or retraumatization. Using thematic content analysis, this qualitative study analysed focus groups with community stakeholders providing recommendations on support services for youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood to derive strategies for delivering substance abuse prevention programming in a way that enhances youth self‐determination. Findings were organized by self‐determination theory's 3 key psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. All three needs were represented in stakeholder recommendations, which were translated into strategies for bolstering youths' achievement of each need. Strategies include a mix of those already present in motivational interviewing‐based brief substance abuse prevention interventions as well as more unique strategies that are much less frequently employed but that may better meet the needs of youth with foster care experience.     

程度副词"非常"的有关偏误分析

以外国学生在运用程度副词"非常"时所出现的病句为例,归纳出五种常见的偏误类型并分析、论证了其偏误成因即"非常"对动词、形容词的兼容选择及偏误成因;"非常"与程度副词的共现及偏误成因;"非常"与否定副词的连用及连用后对形容词、动词的选择及偏误成因;"非常"对"比"字句的选择及偏误成因;"非常"的静态程度定性与动态性的不相容及偏误成因.     

A tangled web: parental contact with children in kinship care

Contact between parents and children in care is a contested area. Parental contact is recognized to be important, yet may present protective issues; in the kinship care environment, it brings the particular challenges of complex family relationships. Seeking the parents' perspective in a child protection context is difficult and therefore under‐researched. This paper describes a nested study within an Australian research project on family contact in kinship care in which the perspectives of 18 mothers and 2 fathers were sought via in‐depth interviews. Mothers and fathers described strong feelings of disempowerment in the context both of their family and the child protection system. The relationship between parent and caregiver emerged as a significant issue. All of the parents wished to remain in contact with their children in a meaningful way, whether or not they were likely to resume their children's care; however, contact arrangements presented many difficulties for them. Mothers articulated the need for services that are more empowering and respectful, rather than oriented towards them as failed parents. In order to build appropriate models of support and intervention, we argue for a more inclusive conceptual frame for family life that gives greater recognition to the role of non‐custodial parents in the lives of their children.     

Parental substance misuse and child protection in a British sample. A survey of children on the child protection register in an inner London district office

The relationship between parental misuse of alcohol and/or illegal drugs and child maltreatment has received considerable attention in the USA, while comparatively few British studies have been published. In both countries, research suggests that it is a large and growing problem and that it has a significant negative impact on children. This study looks at 50 families with 95 children on the Child Protection Register (CPR) in an inner London area through an examination of files and social workers' rating of parental substance misuse as a child protection concern. Parental substance use, as defined by social workers, was considered by social workers to be a cause for concern in 52% of families. Alcohol (in 24% of families) and heroin (in 16%) were the main substances of concern. Substance misuse was strongly related to neglect and cases were twice as likely to be subject to care proceedings. Very little involvement of substance misuse professionals in child protection procedures was found. Different profiles of social work concern were found for alcohol and for illegal drugs. Reasons for this difference and areas for further research are discussed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing change using psychoanalytic theory in children and families social work

ABSTRACT

This article focusses on psychoanalytic theory of change and how this can be used by Children and Families Social Workers. It firstly summarises change theory from a psychoanalytic perspective and provides a theoretical overview. The article then discusses the author’s experience of working with a family where domestic abuse and substance abuse were the presenting issues and where assessment work focussed on the child’s father. The article seeks to demonstrate how psychoanalytic theories of change can be utilised by Social Workers to understand and affect change when working with complex family dynamics.     

中国日语学习者惯用语偏误与构式语法

日语惯用语是一种典型的构式,它与句型对立、并列构成构式的下位分类。构式间误用即相同图式构式框架下的近义的实例构式的误用,这些实例构式间存在着相似性和差异性。ためになる和薬になる二构式的差异性表现为：在形式上ためになる前一般为领属定语,凸现的是领属关系;薬になる前一般为性质定语,凸现的是定性关系。在意义上薬になる的当事仅限于负面事物。而ためになる不仅没有这一限制,反而以正面事物为主。构式内偏误为相同构式里构式义、词汇义的误用。试验证明,学习者水平越高,对构式义的掌握程度越好;学习者水平越低,受构式中词汇义影响就越大。与构式语法“人们只能通过模仿和记忆才能掌握其形式和意义之间的关系”的观点吻合,中高级学习者对构式的模仿记忆的数量和频率都居高位,所以他们出现构式性偏误几率较低。     

Empowerment in Coalitions Targeting Underage Drinking: Differential Effects of Organizational Characteristics for Volunteers and Staff

Social work has adopted the Grand Challenge to reduce and prevent alcohol misuse and related consequences. This study extends previous research through a macro examination of distinct roles within coalitions implementing prevention strategies targeting underage alcohol use. The purpose was to determine whether hypothesized relationships among organizational characteristics, empowerment variables, and perceived effectiveness differed for 2 subgroups (i.e., volunteers and paid staff). The sample was comprised of 357 survey participants affiliated with a statewide substance abuse initiative. Structural equation modeling was used to examine hypothesized relationships between study variables and found differences among subgroups. Results can inform organizational processes within coalitions that focus on engaging different groups to have a stronger impact on community issues, such as substance use consequences.     

The Development of Employment-Based Education on Substance use for Social Workers in England: Embedding Substance use Training in Frameworks of Continuing Professional Development

Service users in the social care sector affected by substance use need a workforce which is skilled at protecting and supporting them, and who are able to carry out their roles and responsibilities with confidence. Workforce/Learning Development departments in children's and adults' services in England play an important role in preparing social workers to engage effectively with service users and to develop as practitioners. Drawing on data from a survey of 94 Workforce/Learning Development departments, this article examines the development of employment-based education on substance use. Only 33% of these departments had a dedicated training strategy or series of programmes on substance use, although more than half (59%) provided tools for identifying and assessing substance use. A wide range of professionals were involved in the development of this training, particularly those in specialist safeguarding and substance use roles. Social work and substance use textbooks are the main source of materials accessed to support training development. A lack of strategic engagement with substance use in social care was one of the barriers cited to adequate training provision. Implications for social work education include the importance of embedding AOD education in post-qualifying training frameworks at both university and employer levels.     

A space of safety: Children's experience of equine‐assisted group therapy

Owing to a shift in alcohol and other drug practice towards a more ecological understanding of the impact of problematic parental substance use, children who were previously forgotten by practitioners are increasingly being included in alcohol and other drug service provision. Occurring concurrently with these changes has been a boom in interest in non‐talk‐based therapies to enhance child well‐being. Examples of such therapeutic interventions include adventure‐based activities, theatre, yoga, music, and purposeful interaction with animals. The latter approach, increasingly delivered by social workers, is known as animal‐assisted therapy and involves the inclusion of animals in a goal‐directed intervention. Equine‐assisted therapy (EAT) is a specialised branch of animal‐assisted therapy in which horses are used to cofacilitate therapeutic interventions. Although EAT practitioners argue horses are uniquely effective therapeutic animals, a strong evidence base has not yet developed. The present study utilised qualitative methods to explore children's individual experiences of an EAT program. Thematic analysis of interview data found that EAT is beneficial to children experiencing problematic parental substance use as it offers an environment in which children can feel safe and secure and are supported to grow, personally and socially, by mastering fears, making new friends, and improving their interpersonal behaviours.