Search

In the past 2 decades, social work education has increasingly advocated for inclusion of trauma-related content in educational programming. Yet, to date, little is known about the current state of trauma education and training in social work programs. The aim of this study is to describe trauma education and training in accredited, North American social work programs. The data are from an online survey of 192 social work educators from 165 universities with accredited social work programs in the United States (n=151) and Canada (n=14). Participants were asked whether trauma-specific education is offered, and if so, to provide the formats used to deliver the content, the type of curriculum used, and evaluation efforts. Most programs (67.9%) reported integrating trauma education into existing courses, with 61.4% of BSW programs and 65.4% of MSW programs offering some form of trauma education. Results suggest that social work educators are recognizing the importance of including trauma education in their programming. However, more evaluation is needed to identify specific trauma content being presented.

It is well established that successful transitions into adulthood vary greatly by numerous factors (e.g., race, gender); yet, understanding of ways that disability-related factors shape transitions into adulthood are less clear. While individuals with disabilities, generally, often fall short of their non-disabled peers in achieving many early adult milestones, fuller conceptualisations that recognise the diversity among individuals with disabilities are warranted. Informed by recent findings suggesting the variability of experiences of young adults with disabilities by disability type and severity, as well as disability frameworks that focus on 'normative' population outcomes as proxies of activities and participation among individuals with and without disabilities, this study uses data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to describe and compare the success of young people by disability status, type, and severity as they transition from high school, enrol in college, or gain employment. Findings derived from logistic regression models suggest consistent disadvantages for individuals with cognitive disabilities relative to peers with physical disabilities as well as peers without disabilities across important early adult transitions. Policy and practice implications to address these inequalities are discussed.

To contribute to best practices in educating social work students on environmental justice, we report the results of a study evaluating a module that was incorporated into the course Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE). A mixed-methods design was used to examine student attitudes toward environmental justice. Participants were 61 Master of Social Work students from three cohorts. The students provided pre- and posttest responses to the Climate Change Attitude Survey. Students also offered 33 comments in response to an open-ended question about views on climate change. Overall, findings revealed increases in beliefs that climate change is negatively affecting the environment and that this change has a disproportionately negative effect on populations served by social workers. Feedback indicated students viewed the module as contributing to their learning. Results suggest that integrating environmental justice content into core courses like HBSE is a promising approach to strengthening environmental justice education in social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The McKinney-Vento Act (MVA) is the primary federal policy addressing homelessness in America with specific mandates designed to ameliorate the effects homelessness has on educational attainment for school-age children. The extent to which this policy is implemented may have far-reaching effects for homeless children. The MVA Implementation Scale (MVAIS) was developed for the purpose of providing a tool for assessing school-based social services personnel's perceived knowledge and awareness of implementation of the MVA within their service areas. This study tests the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the 26-item instrument. Method: Data were collected from a purposive sample of school social workers (N = 201) attending a Mid-Western regional conference in order to examine the reliability and the validity of this measure. Results: The hypothesized factor structures were confirmed. Findings also indicated high levels of reliability among items, as well as initial evidence of instrument validity. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that the MVAIS adequately measures participant's perceived implementation of the MVA. Future implications for research and practice are discussed. (Contains 8 tables.)

Purpose: Student-mothers from low-income families are three times as likely to drop out of college as female students without children. Yet, the economic and social benefits of postsecondary education for low-income mothers underscore the importance of examining environmental barriers to completing college for these women. Methods: The intent of this study, therefore, is to develop and validate an instrument, the school support scale, aimed at measuring the perception of emotional and tangible college support among student-mothers from low-income families. Results: Findings show excellent reliabilities for emotional ([alpha] = 0.944) and tangible ([alpha] = 0.888) subscales and indicate that student-mothers who perceive faculty and staff as supportive tend to have strong commitments to the institution (p = 0.01). Applications: The 22-item scale can be used as an "early-warning" tool for college counselors and administrators to support student-mothers in identifying and removing barriers that contribute to problems associated with college retention of low-income mothers. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

Objectives: The objective of this study is to establish the factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), an instrument designed to measure parenting practices among parents of elementary school children. Methods: Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) procedures are used to validate the APQ with 790 parents of children, ages 6-10. Results: Three subscales emerged representing parenting practices associated with child behavior management (positive reinforcement, positive discipline, and negative discipline). CFA fit indices indicated adequate fit with the model, with all items loading significantly on their respective factors. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the APQ can be used to measure parenting practices associated with child behavior management among parents of children, ages 6-10. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)

The prevention of underage drinking and related outcomes focuses on strengthening protective factors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health ( N = 3,862), the authors examine the effects of protective factors from three domains of adolescents' lives (individual, familial, and extrafamilial) on experiencing negative consequences of alcohol use, while controlling for relevant risk factors, among youth who have already started drinking. Results showed that protective factors had relatively little influence on not experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences, regardless of social context. One individual protective factor, strategic decision making, was related to negative drinking outcomes in cross-sectional models. In longitudinal models, maternal attachment reduced the likelihood of experiencing negative outcomes over time. The effects of the risk factors remained strong in all models. Findings suggest "mixed-methods" preventive approaches, attending to risk factors, and including strategies to strengthen protective factors across multiple domains of adolescents' lives when striving to affect negative drinking-related outcomes. (Contains 4 tables.)

We surveyed randomly selected parents in one state (N = 1, 081) to examine sources they used to gain child-rearing information. On average, parents used five sources, most commonly books and family members. Usage patterns generally followed the "digital divide" perspective whereby higher education levels were associated with greater usage. Logistic regression results of Internet use showed, however, that being younger and unmarried increased the likelihood of use, indicating the Internet's potential for reaching potentially vulnerable parents.

Students taking a class together belong to a group where members typically develop a sense of connection to each other by engaging in mutual support and assistance through shared experiences and knowledge. Some have argued that the lack of face-to-face interaction precludes such processes and prevents the effective teaching of social work in an online environment. When online students were asked what they liked most and least about their classes, one-third of the responses referred to ideas that reflected interactions among students and with faculty. These comments were evaluated in the context of Shulman's (1999) processes of mutual aid. This exploratory study suggests that despite a lack of face-to-face contact, mutual aid is relevant to online students and could be used to strategically enhance the delivery of course content in an online environment and facilitate a sense of connection among students. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The literature on engaging families in prevention programs is informed by the Health Beliefs Model (HBM), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Family Systems theory. Although useful, these frameworks have not facilitated the development of prevention-based practice strategies that recognize different levels of prevention (i.e., universal, selective, and indicated). This article contributes to the literature on parent engagement by (a) summarizing the research on factors that affect parent engagement, (b) proposing an integrated model for engaging parents that incorporates the various levels of prevention, and (c) suggesting engagement strategies for universal, selective, and indicated prevention programs within this integrated model. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

School-based mentoring programs that promote academic success and prosocial behaviors among youths are of interest to school social workers. Because these programs are relatively new, little has been reported on the effectiveness of the services or the benefits to participants. The authors examined outcome evaluations of eight school-based mentoring programs to compare the organizing frameworks, evaluate whether and how best practices were integrated into program service structures, determine evaluation methods, and assess participant outcomes. Most of these programs are guided by a prevention-focused, risk and resilience framework, with a configuration of program services that incorporates recommendations from best practices models. However, questions remain about dosage, program outcomes, and other issues unique to school-based programs. These results also suggest that evidence demonstrating the benefits of school-based mentoring programs among youths is beginning to accumulate. Nonetheless, the next generation of evaluations needs to use more rigorous research methods to confirm these findings. Recommendations to school social workers about program design and evaluation are also presented.

This is an exploratory study that makes use of survey research methods and a convenience sample (N = 222) to examine how urban school social workers' perceived knowledge of neighborhood and community risk and protective factors affect their levels of self-reported effectiveness in practice tasks. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the analyses demonstrate that differences in levels of social work licensure, ethnicity, and geographic location of service predict perceived levels of effectiveness in practice tasks. This research highlights a specific area of school social work practice that needs greater focus and research, and the authors discuss implications for school social work practice and research. (Contains 7 tables.)

Beliefs about the consequences of using alcohol, alcohol expectancies, are powerful predictors of underage drinking. The Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire-Adolescent form (AEQ-A) has been widely used to measure expectancies in youth. Despite its broad use, the factor structure of the AEQ-A has not been firmly established. It is also not known whether it assesses similar constructs (i.e., measurement invariance) between boys and girls. This article reports on a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of a shortened version of the AEQ-A with 310 youth, ages 10-16, to determine whether a two factor, positive and negative expectancy structure held for this sample and to test measurement invariance across gender. The results support evidence of a 2-factor, positive and negative structure for the abbreviated version of the AEQ-A and show that it assesses equivalent alcohol expectancy constructs among males and females. These findings have important implications for cognitive based approaches to alcohol prevention.

Human behavior is dynamic, influenced by changing situations over time. Yet the impact of the dynamic nature of important explanatory variables on outcomes has only recently begun to be estimated in developmental models. Using a risk factor perspective, this article demonstrates the potential benefits of regressing time-varying outcome measures on time-varying explanatory measures in longitudinal models. The authors apply event history analysis techniques to demonstrate a methodological strategy that accounts for changes over time in two family risk factors for high school graduation. In a sample of 686 low-income youth attending school in an urban district, the authors found that maternal employment status and income are significant predictors of high school graduation only when conceptualized and measured as time-varying influences. The implications for policy and practice and, from a methodological perspective, for the use of time-varying explanatory variables in event models are discussed. (Contains 3 tables.)

This study explores the impact of information and communications technology (ICT) use on rural child welfare practice using a technology‐in‐practice framework to derive the social structures that are instantiated by rural child welfare workers (CWWs) and to examine their agency as actors. ICT use was tracked, and interviews were conducted with rural CWWs who work with children and families to gain an understanding of and describe their day‐to‐day ICT use at the practice level. Findings demonstrate that CWWs enact social structures along four frames: bureaucratic structure, family centricity, ICT context and information–documentation culture. In terms of agency, CWWs not only are constrained by but also exert some influence on the social structures they enact through facilities (material resources), norms and interpretive schemes. These findings have implications for how ICT can be used to facilitate the CWW–client relationship and the need in rural areas for increased infrastructure to support CWWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use is one of the major social problems facing youth today. The research on risk factors associated with onset and continuation of use is extensive. Typically, reviews of the literature categorize risk factors by environmental domain (i.e., family, peer relations, neighborhoods). This review extends this framework by examining studies that focus on the changing nature of risk factors for substance use among teenagers. The underlying assumption is that, especially during adolescence, these relations are dynamic and shift across time. Five time-related mechanisms are identified and used to describe the research. The article concludes with a discussion about the implications for future research.

Developed Web-based exercises designed to promote interaction in a distance education environment to test the hypothesis that instructional technology offers opportunities to promote mutual aid among students. A student survey uncovered various issues in the application of mutual aid in a distance education course. (EV)

A core value in social work is the importance of the worker-client relationship. Communication is a key factor in this relationship. The pandemic, marked by a dramatic, rapid increase in communication through information communication technology (ICT), has underscored both challenges and benefits for the worker-client relationship. Informed by communication theories, this paper provides a conceptual framework for examining ICT interactions between workers and clients at the generalist practice level. The review revealed four challenges (e.g., more permeable worker-client boundaries) and five benefits (e.g., increased opportunities for social presence). Factors to be considered in guiding tool selection are: (1) communication medium "bandwidth", (2) mutual directionality, (3) privacy and confidentiality, (4) message formality, and (5) complexity of message content. Implications for practice, education, and research emerged from this framework. For instance, increased methods of communication via technology can enhance social workers' social presence in relating to clients. However, social workers must know how and when to use which tools. Finally, evidence is needed regarding how ICT use affects the worker-client relationship. Moving forward, we recommend applying communication theories to guide research on the impact of ICT on the worker-client relationship with the goal of establishing best practices for ICT use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human behavior is dynamic, influenced by changing situations over time. Yet the impact of the dynamic nature of important explanatory variables on outcomes has only recently begun to be estimated in developmental models. Using a risk factor perspective, this article demonstrates the potential benefits of regressing time-varying outcome measures on time-varying explanatory measures in longitudinal models. The authors apply event history analysis techniques to demonstrate a methodological strategy that accounts for changes over time in two family risk factors for high school graduation. In a sample of 686 low-income youth attending school in an urban district, the authors found that maternal employment status and income are significant predictors of high school graduation only when conceptualized and measured as time-varying influences. The implications for policy and practice and, from a methodological perspective, for the use of time-varying explanatory variables in event models are discussed. Keywords: event history analysis; high school dropout; maternal employment; poverty; time varying

Using a sample of 705 early-career child welfare workers, client-perpetrated violence (CPV), a form of workplace violence, was examined to determine whether CPV experiences differ by worker responsibilities and demographic characteristics and how CPV influences workers' intent to leave their child welfare positions. Results showed that protective investigators experienced more nonphysical violence (being yelled at or cursed at), while those providing longer-term case management services experienced more physical assaults. Analyses indicated no significant relationships between CPV and intent to leave, although there were significant differences in worker characteristics and the type of CPV experienced. Implications for training and organizational responses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past 2 decades, social work education has increasingly advocated for inclusion of trauma-related content in educational programming. Yet, to date, little is known about the current state of trauma education and training in social work programs. The aim of this study is to describe trauma education and training in accredited, North American social work programs. The data are from an online survey of 192 social work educators from 165 universities with accredited social work programs in the United States (n=151) and Canada (n=14). Participants were asked whether trauma-specific education is offered, and if so, to provide the formats used to deliver the content, the type of curriculum used, and evaluation efforts. Most programs (67.9%) reported integrating trauma education into existing courses, with 61.4% of BSW programs and 65.4% of MSW programs offering some form of trauma education. Results suggest that social work educators are recognizing the importance of including trauma education in their programming. However, more evaluation is needed to identify specific trauma content being presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that successful transitions into adulthood vary greatly by numerous factors (e.g., race, gender); yet, understanding of ways that disability-related factors shape transitions into adulthood are less clear. While individuals with disabilities, generally, often fall short of their non-disabled peers in achieving many early adult milestones, fuller conceptualisations that recognise the diversity among individuals with disabilities are warranted. Informed by recent findings suggesting the variability of experiences of young adults with disabilities by disability type and severity, as well as disability frameworks that focus on 'normative' population outcomes as proxies of activities and participation among individuals with and without disabilities, this study uses data from two waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to describe and compare the success of young people by disability status, type, and severity as they transition from high school, enrol in college, or gain employment. Findings derived from logistic regression models suggest consistent disadvantages for individuals with cognitive disabilities relative to peers with physical disabilities as well as peers without disabilities across important early adult transitions. Policy and practice implications to address these inequalities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review is to examine ways a resilience framework might inform social workers' understanding about how to mitigate risks for youth who use Internet and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Eligibility criteria: This review identified original research published between January 2006 and December 2019 that used a resilience framework to assess outcomes of youth, ages 10–19, who use ICTs. Methods of synthesis: A narrative synthesis grouped articles based on conceptualizations of resilience, risk, and protection; methods; and populations. Results: A search identified 13 peer-reviewed studies that used resilience and its relationship to outcomes. Most studies identified resilience as a mediator or moderator that buffers the effect of harm. Conclusions: Social workers who wish to mitigate risks for youth who use ICTs might focus on interventions that strengthen resilience. Currently, resilience is inconsistently conceptually defined, and more robust research is needed regarding ICT use by marginalized youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examined views of research-supported parenting interventions across three stakeholder groups that have critical roles in child welfare—case managers, clinicians, and judicial representatives in one rural community. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with members in each stakeholder group. Two analytic approaches were used. First, views on the selection of research-supported interventions, strengths and weaknesses, and professional collaboration in implementation were examined. Second, several factors in the literature impacting research-supported interventions were used to compare views. All stakeholder groups supported the use of research-supported therapies while agreeing that the overriding importance in selecting any therapy was to ensure the best "fit" with a client. Professional collaboration was considered essential in a variety of forms and combinations by all groups. The results highlight important considerations in selecting and implementing research-supported parent therapies. Recommendations to continue and expand this line of research are articulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined changes in the perceptions of physical and emotional wellbeing of early career child welfare workers (n = 578) using four waves of data collected during their first 18 months of employment. Measures for physical wellbeing included self-reported physical health and a scale for sleep disturbances. Measures for emotional wellbeing included self-reported mental health and a scale for psychological distress. Compared to baseline, perceptions of physical and emotional wellbeing significantly worsened during the first six months. Self-reported physical wellbeing appeared to stabilize over time; however, emotional wellbeing continued to decline. Implications for agencies, including supervisory support and employee assistance programs are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child welfare workforce turnover has been well studied, although there is limited understanding of factors related to the timing of departure. This study examines predictors of early job departure among newly hired child welfare workers. Data come from the first two waves of a longitudinal study. The sample for this analysis included 1,257 respondents. Hierarchical logistical regression was used to investigate worker characteristics and organizational influences on early departure. Early leavers, or those who left within the first six months, were 14.8 percent (n = 186) of the sample. Regression results indicated that two worker characteristics—years of previous work experience and major of college degree—predicted early departure. Two measures of organizational influences during the transition from training to casework were significant predictors of early departure: (1) caseload size the first week after training and (2) role ambiguity. These findings suggest that organizational attention to the orientation and socialization of newly hired child welfare professionals are likely to be instrumental to preventing early turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) negatively affect biopsychosocial development and functioning across the lifespan. Social workers in generalist practice are likely to serve individuals with a history of childhood adversity. Currently, there is no standard requirement for the topic of ACEs to be addressed in baccalaureate social work education. Our teaching note addresses this gap in the curriculum by establishing a need for baccalaureate social work students to receive trauma-specific education early in their academic careers. Human Behavior in the Social Environment is proposed as a course in which this content can be easily incorporated. Recommendations for future directions are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased attention to former foster youth pursuing post-secondary education has resulted in the creation of college campus based support programs to address their need. However, limited empirical evidence and theoretical knowledge exist about these programs. This study seeks to describe the application of systems theory as a framework for examining a college campus based support program for former foster youth. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 program stakeholders including students, mentors, collaborative members, and independent living program staff. Using qualitative data analysis software, holistic coding techniques were employed to analyze interview transcripts. Then applying principles of extended case method using systems theory, data were analyzed. Findings suggest systems theory serves as a framework for understanding the functioning of a college campus based support program. The theory’s concepts help delineate program components and roles of stakeholders; outline boundaries between and interactions among stakeholders; and identify program strengths and weakness. Systems theory plays an important role in identifying intervention components and providing a structure through which to identify and understand program elements as a part of the planning process. This study highlights the utility of systems theory as a framework for program planning and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding alcohol use onset among young adolescents is critical in identifying their perceptions, socialization, and decision making that will assist in prevention efforts. This study examined children's beliefs about alcohol. We conducted focus groups with 18 youths in grades 3 through 8 to explore their views about (1) the risk and protective factors of underage drinking and (2) the consequences of alcohol use. Findings suggest that youths' perceptions of media content, use of family members as verbal and behavioral referents, non-family member adults' alcohol use, and peer factors are concomitant processes that youths consider in formulating beliefs about alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The McKinney-Vento Act (MVA) is the primary federal policy addressing homelessness in America with specific mandates designed to ameliorate the effects homelessness has on educational attainment for school-age children. The extent to which this policy is implemented may have far-reaching effects for homeless children. The MVA Implementation Scale (MVAIS) was developed for the purpose of providing a tool for assessing school-based social services personnel’s perceived knowledge and awareness of implementation of the MVA within their service areas. This study tests the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the 26-item instrument. Method: Data were collected from a purposive sample of school social workers (N = 201) attending a Mid-Western regional conference in order to examine the reliability and the validity of this measure. Results: The hypothesized factor structures were confirmed. Findings also indicated high levels of reliability among items, as well as initial evidence of instrument validity. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that the MVAIS adequately measures participant’s perceived implementation of the MVA. Future implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Student-mothers from low-income families are three times as likely to drop out of college as female students without children. Yet, the economic and social benefits of postsecondary education for low-income mothers underscore the importance of examining environmental barriers to completing college for these women. Methods: The intent of this study, therefore, is to develop and validate an instrument, the school support scale, aimed at measuring the perception of emotional and tangible college support among student-mothers from low-income families. Results: Findings show excellent reliabilities for emotional (α = .944) and tangible (α = .888) subscales and indicate that student-mothers who perceive faculty and staff as supportive tend to have strong commitments to the institution (p = .01). Applications: The 22-item scale can be used as an “early-warning” tool for college counselors and administrators to support student-mothers in identifying and removing barriers that contribute to problems associated with college retention of low-income mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study is to establish the factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), an instrument designed to measure parenting practices among parents of elementary school children. Methods: Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) procedures are used to validate the APQ with 790 parents of children, ages 6—10. Results: Three subscales emerged representing parenting practices associated with child behavior management (positive reinforcement, positive discipline, and negative discipline). CFA fit indices indicated adequate fit with the model, with all items loading significantly on their respective factors. Conclusion: Findings suggest that the APQ can be used to measure parenting practices associated with child behavior management among parents of children, ages 6—10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is an exploratory study that makes use of survey research methods and a convenience sample (N = 222) to examine how urban school social workers' perceived knowledge of neighborhood and community risk and protective factors affect their levels of self-reported effectiveness in practice tasks. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the analyses demonstrate that differences in levels of social work licensure, ethnicity, and geographic location of service predict perceived levels of effectiveness in practice tasks. This research highlights a specific area of school social work practice that needs greater focus and research, and the authors discuss implications for school social work practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]