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Rural communities have struggled to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite slower spread at the start of the pandemic in these areas, by 2021, they experienced higher death and hospitalization rates compared with urban areas. Increased mental health issues including stress, depression, and anxiety were also reported in rural areas following the start of the pandemic. Young people in these communities were significantly impacted by COVID-19, reporting increased stress and mental health issues. To examine the effects of COVID-19 on these local rural communities, authors conducted a survey in coordination with their community partners. The survey was completed by 119 participants across three rural counties and included 69 questions from the Pandemic Stress Index and the World Health Organization COVID-19 Rapid Quantitative Assessment Tool. Authors' results indicated that age, depression, and anxiety were predictors of higher self-reported COVID-19 impact. The strongest predictor of high pandemic impact in the sample was the combination of depression and anxiety symptoms. Authors used these results to inform their partners about the need for increased mental health services that are tailored for young adults in their communities. More research is needed to determine which services will be most beneficial and how to best reach those in need. Social workers in both public health and mental health settings are poised to help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerontological interventions should address the various geriatric syndromes suffered by the elderly, such as neurodegenerative diseases. Therapeutic lying is an effective and humanizing strategy to deal with dementia, used by various disciplines in the social and healthcare fields. This intervention strategy is made up of all the different responses to reality that are given to a person with cognitive impairment. This study analyzes the validity of the Spanish adaptation of the Attitudes toward Lying to People with Dementia (ALPD) questionnaire, given to 253 social workers who directly and indirectly intervened with older people suffering from cognitive impairment in public and private centers in Spain during the year 2022. The results of the validity and reliability analyses support the psychometric quality of ALPD for use in Spanish social workers. The statistical results indicate a good fit of the bifactor model (person-focused and lie-focused) and show the questionnaire to be reliable, with adequate psychometric properties. The article concludes with a discussion of practical, formative, and ethical challenges for social work in the field of geriatric services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the findings of an online survey designed to collect information about substance use (licit, illicit, or pharmaceutical) and mental health (depression or anxiety) among social workers. Among the 489 participants, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) screenings indicated symptoms of depression and anxiety at a higher prevalence than those of the general Canadian population. There were relatively few correlations between mental health scores and substance use. PHQ-9 total score significantly predicted past-year antidepressant use and past-year sleeping medication use. GAD-7 total score significantly predicted past-year benzodiazepine use and past-year melatonin use. Effects of substances (e.g. cannabis, alcohol, benzodiazepines, cocaine, ecstasy) were predominantly beneficial or nonproblematic (e.g. enjoyment/pleasure; socializing enhanced; concentration/focus improved). Subjective experiences of social workers should be sought to understand potential relationships between mental health scores and enhancement effects of substance use. Substances are being used, at least in part, for their performance-enhancing effects to meet the expectations of day-to-day life. Interventions can shift toward root causes, with institutions held more accountable for supporting social workers and promoting "workplace care." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Underrepresentation of care home residents in research has resulted in a poorer evidence base for health care in care homes. Fewer opportunities to take part in research, as well as assumptions made by others about their interest or wishes, creates challenges for residents' inclusion in research. Early discussions about research preferences and wishes may be beneficial. This qualitative study aimed to explore stakeholders' views about how care home residents can be supported to communicate their wishes about research participation. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 stakeholders: care home residents (n = 5), relatives (n = 5), care home staff (n = 5), other health and social care professionals who work with care homes (n = 6), and care home researchers (n = 4). Interviews were conducted virtually or face-to-face and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Views about resident research participation, the barriers and facilitators to their inclusion, and the role of advance research planning were iteratively organized into three themes: (i) We're of no value to research; (ii) Research is difficult; and (iii) Advance research planning: good in theory, challenging in practice. Subthemes were also identified, and findings were discussed with a Patient and Public Involvement group for additional reflections. Conclusions Stakeholders identified a number of barriers to including care home residents in research, including knowing their preferences about research. The development of interventions to facilitate communication that can be adapted to individuals' requirements are needed to support discussions and decision-making with care home residents about wishes and preferences for future research participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and community service organizations (SCSOs) may be a promising new environment to more successfully reach people with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP) for smoking cessation support. However, studies that investigate clients' perspectives of the suitability of SCSOs as a setting to discuss smoking are scarce. This study aimed to (i) investigate the suitability of smoking cessation support provided by SCSOs, according to people with a low SEP, and (ii) explore their reasons for considering it suitable or unsuitable. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 individuals with a low SEP who smoked regularly (N = 14) or had smoked regularly (N = 5). They have been in contact with SCSOs in a specific neighborhood in Amsterdam. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Participants generally considered SCSOs as suitable for providing smoking cessation support, as professionals are involved, build a relationship of trust, and offer personalized and holistic support. SCSOs are located nearby and familiar, they provide support in both group and individual settings and might offer additional supportive (group)activities. A number of participants expressed doubts about the waiting time for support, the fact that the needed support might exceed professionals' expertise, and the lack of aftercare. SCSOs can be an additional opportunity for providing smoking cessation support that aligns with the circumstances of lower SEP people. To harness the potential, smoking cessation could be integrated into education programs and training among professionals could be promoted. Policy changes within and outside SCSOs would be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers have a greater than average risk of suffering burnout syndrome. In the same way as the professionals, students too can suffer academic burnout. However, few empirical studies have studied burnout and protective factors in social work students exclusively. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been described as a protective factor for burnout both in the professional and the academic context. The present study aims to explore which components of EI predict the burnout domains in students studying a degree in social work, in Spain. To this end, 87 social work students completed a questionnaire in which information was gathered on EI, burnout, average grade in the degree, and sociodemographic variables. The regression analysis results indicate that the students with poorer academic success and from higher years reported greater symptoms of burnout. Regarding the components of EI, emotional clarity and emotional repair predict the academic efficacy perceived by the students. These results highlight the importance of including EI in academic policies to promote the design of EI training programs aimed at developing EI skills, particularly emotional clarity and emotional repair, as a way of improving the perception of efficacy in social work students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Income inequality has been increasing for decades and is now known to be related to many downstream health outcomes, where greater inequality is a predictor of poorer health. Results of investigations into the relationship between income inequality and suicidality have been mixed. This study leverages the most recent data available from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study to investigate the relationship between state-level income inequality and suicide mortality. A series of rigorously controlled logistic regression models, employing multiple measures of inequality, and various suicide mortality case-control specifications are used to investigate the phenomenon. Results indicate that the odds of suicide mortality increase with inequality, and this result is invariant across all models. A reduction in the Gini coefficient from the highest to lowest values of income inequality observed in U.S. states may reduce the odds of suicide mortality by 20 percent to 55 percent or more. Findings have application for social workers and other mental health professionals with respect to clinical assessment and treatment. Likewise, community organizers, policy advocates, and legislators should be aware that policy solutions reducing income inequality in the United States are a mechanism for alleviating the suicide mortality burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study expands knowledge on what motivates engagement in policy practice (PP) by exploring the place of personal values, which reflect individuals' general motivations and context-specific motivations—the motivations to study social work—in predicting the intention to incorporate PP into their practice. The sample of this cross-sectional study comprised 280 BSW students in Israel, and the study employed the Portrait Values Questionnaire–Refined, Social Work Career Influence Questionnaire, and the PP Intention Scale. Path analysis showed that personal values were associated with PP intention both directly and indirectly through the motivations to study social work. However, the mechanisms differ for self-transcendence versus self-enhancement and openness to change versus conservation values. A stronger PP intention was associated with a higher preference for openness to change versus conservation values mediated by the social change motivation to study social work. The total effect of the preference for self-enhancement versus self-transcendence values on PP intention was nonsignificant. This resulted from the contradiction between the negative direct and positive indirect effects (through the social change motivation) of these values on PP intention. The study results underscore the place of personal values and motivations to study social work in explaining PP intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on administrative burden has focused on cognitive, material, and social resources, leaving emotional strategies and processes largely unexplored. This study begins to address this research gap by elaborating the concept of emotional capital in the context of citizen agency. The article uses the concept of emotional capital to analyze claimant anger in response to administrative burdens examining the question: how do citizens understand and maneuver the potential benefits and risks of expressing their anger when experiencing administrative burdens? The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork in Danish job centers involving interviews with seventy-one claimants and observations of ten conversations between caseworkers and claimants. The article contributes to theorize the role of emotions in citizen-state encounters by showing that emotional capital works as a resource moderating the experience of and coping with administrative burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates how the identities of frontline professionals are (re)constructed in their talk about their everyday work activities. Based on a study of a mental health and addiction counselling service organization in Ontario, we illustrate that when talking about acting in accordance with their organizational policies, the social workers' identities are disciplined by and appropriated from addressing the practices of documentation and regular meetings with their supervisors that constitute the routine processes of organizing. However, when discussing instances where they override the organizationally sanctioned rules, their identities are disciplined by the aspiration of fabricating a client-centred caregiver identity adopted from the dominant discourse in their profession. We, therefore, counterbalance the understanding that professionals' identity work related to their deliberate micro-emancipation acts are merely an expression of agency and argue that their preferred resistant identities pertaining to their self-declared apparent deviation from the organizational order are also made within frameworks of disciplinary power. By delineating that both discursive conformity and resistance cut across the boundaries between acting in alignment with and against organizational guidelines, we unveil an underexplored complexity of conducting professional identity work associated with the interrelationships between practices of talk and action that has largely been overlooked in prior scholarship. We, therefore, offer an action-related analysis of discursive identity work that extends beyond the context of this study and informs future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite social work's about three decades of history and most populations being at risk of multiple natural disasters, Nepali social workers are yet to establish their foothold in the sector of disaster in Nepal. Part of this has happened due to ineffective curriculum on disaster and social work. And hence, this article proposes how the curriculum for disaster and social work can be advanced in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service quality is important to social workers and service recipients. However, limited research has explored the relationship between interference between work and family and service quality among social workers. According to conservation of resources theory, this study investigated how interference between work and family affects social workers' service quality through emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of work support. The hypotheses were examined using data from 1,417 Chinese social workers collected during the China Social Work Longitudinal Study in 2019. The methodological design of this study includes hierarchical regression analysis and moderated mediation analysis. The results reveal that interference between work and family domains negatively affected service quality through emotional exhaustion as a mediating factor, whereas work support mitigated the direct (indirect) effects of work–family interference on emotional exhaustion (service quality through emotional exhaustion). This study presents a holistic understanding of how and when interference between family and work influences service quality. The findings encourage social work organisations to develop appropriate interventions targeting work–family conflict and emotional exhaustion to improve service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gap between fieldwork demands and academic knowledge necessitates the sharing of tacit knowledge to ensure continuity of context-appropriate professional knowledge. The research describes and explains patterns of minority social workers' sharing of their previously tacit knowledge, the knowledge's significance and the context where it was acquired. In data drawn from in-depth semi-structured interviews with twenty children and youth workers in Arab welfare bureaus throughout Israel, Arab social workers exposed tacit knowledge they had revealed and shared concerning prolonged institutional deprivation in out-of-home settings that dramatically limited their ability to ensure the minors' rights. This knowledge was shared in four ways: retention, transmission between colleagues, documentation for the future and publication. Social workers invested insufficient efforts to share their tacit knowledge, due to inappropriate relevant professional training and lack of a suitable infrastructure and organisational culture. They were aware that sharing and dissemination of their previously tacit knowledge could serve three players in the Children and Youth Services: the target population (giving them a voice), professionals (uniting their ranks for collective action) and government institutions (reflecting the reality and equipping them with data concerning service gaps). Social work should reconsider the potential value of sharing such knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored how day-to-day social work practice with children and families in Wales responds to poverty, building on case studies already published in the other three UK nations. A case study design was used. The sites were locality teams in two local authorities, differing in their children looked after rates and trajectories of these over time. Qualitative research methods included practice observations; interviews with staff; focus groups; mapping of decision-making processes; and a sample of family case narratives. In one local authority, the range of data was similar to the other UK nation case studies. However, in the second, data collection was adapted to the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) lockdown context. Some evidence was found of narratives that emphasised the cultural, rather than material, aspect of poverty, and blamed parents for making inappropriate spending choices. Poverty alleviation was generally seen as outside of social workers' control and requiring earlier help before social services involvement. In one of the local authorities, there was some awareness shown of the impact of poverty on parenting. In the other, that took part in the study during 2020, the exacerbating effects of families in lockdown were described, including the lack of family support due to pandemic restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of the spiritual climate in enhancing job performance is acknowledged, yet there exists a notable lack of empirical understanding regarding mechanisms, particularly in the social work profession. This study aims to address this gap by examining the serial mediation effect of organisational commitment and work engagement in delineating the relationship between spiritual climate and job performance. A sample of 1,023 social workers from H City, China, was procured using a multistage cluster random sampling approach. The results of the serial mediation analyses show a direct positive effect of spiritual climate on job performance (b = 0.130, p  < 0.001) and significant indirect effects through organisational commitment (b = 0.640, p  < 0.001) and work engagement (b = 0.516, p  < 0.001), underscoring the crucial roles these variables play in mediating spiritual climate's influence on job performance. Findings reveal a sequential mediating pathway from organisational commitment to work engagement, operating between spiritual climate and job performance. This research clarifies the complex mechanisms linking spiritual climate and job performance, augmenting the limited empirical knowledge within the social work profession. Additionally, it offers practical implications for meeting social workers' spiritual needs at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is scant research on the experiences and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer/questioning young people growing up in care in the UK. This article reports on a national survey of local authorities (LAs) in England, which aimed to explore what data LAs collect relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as exploring existing LA policies and practices in relation to LGBTQ+ young people growing up in out-of-home care. The survey asked about policy, recording, support and training. Respondents were senior managers in LAs with responsibility for looked after children. The survey response rate was 78 per cent (n  = 118). The survey found a lack of specific policy relating to this population and little central recording of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data, although most LAs suggested information would be recorded in individual case records. LAs described a variety of ways in which they supported LGBTQ+ young people in practice at both individual and organisational levels but highlighted a lack of staff knowledge and confidence. Training provision was more likely to be provided for social workers than for foster carers or residential staff. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arab population in Israel is an ethnic, national, Indigenous minority experiencing discrimination and inequality, especially in education, health and welfare. This population's constant societal change is coupled with social problems such as violence, crime, unemployment and poverty. These characteristics pose many challenges to social workers, particularly those empowered by the Youth Law (Care and Supervision), 1960, known as child protection officers (CPOs). Besides the usual challenges CPOs face, additional challenges stem from the Arab population's being a traditional, collective society with a mistaken view of the CPO's role and also from the state's discriminatory policy. This exploratory qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews, of thirty Arab CPOs in Israel revealed challenges related to the role and to CPOs' representation in the Arab population, namely, as having power backed by the law and being closely linked to the national establishment and institutions. Additional challenges include the lack of community-based treatment facilities, the absence of Indigenous knowledge in training and treatment and the lack of a mechanism to protect Arab CPOs from burnout and dropout. The findings are relevant to societies with minority populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An estimated five billion people use social media globally. The digital world enables networking and community-building beyond geographical and jurisdictional boundaries, it can facilitate information-sharing and knowledge development, and facilitates speedy access and communications links. On the other hand, digital and social media platforms can also be sources and purveyors of hurt, discrimination, defamation, hatred, abuse, cyberbullying and disinformation. Their increased usage within professional practice has become a nascent area for scholarly debate and research. Our scoping literature search indicated that there are very few studies examining this issue within the profession. This article seeks to address a considerable gap in the research by reporting the findings from an exploratory study in Ireland focusing on social workers, probation officers and social work students. Three hundred seventy-nine participants completed an online survey on their experiences of using social media, with eighty-three (21.9 per cent) participants indicating that they had experienced online and digital abuse and harassment. Facebook, Twitter (now X), and email were the top three sources of abuse and harassment by platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education focuses on preparing students for the profession. To this end, many educators utilise reflective journals in their courses. Reflective journaling is recognised in the literature as essential for the construction of students' professional identity, yet few studies have explored how journals serve this purpose and the specific ways in which journal writing contributes to shaping social workers' professional identity. This qualitative phenomenological study examined thirty Israeli social work students in their final year of undergraduate studies, before entering the field. Written during a practicum course, their journals were thematically analysed, revealing four themes of journal writing: (i) using personal experiences to construct a professional identity; (ii) acquiring professional concepts and skills by linking theory to practice; (iii) journal writing as professional retrospection; and (iv) journal writing as a safe resonant space for self-development. The discussion elaborates on the significance of each theme for the development of students' professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supervision is a key link in social work practice and plays an important role in the cultivation of social work professionals. This study investigated the impact of social work internship supervision on the employment intention of 271 social work interns from five universities in Guangxi, China. The results show that the employment intention of male students is higher than that of female students, and the employment intention of interns with urban household registration is higher than that of interns with rural household registration; internship investment and school–enterprise cooperation have a positive impact on the exertion of the supervision function, but internship investment plays a full mediating role between the supervision function and employment intention, whilst school–enterprise cooperation regulates the relationship between the supervision function and internship investment. Real factors, such as economy and social status, continue to be important factors influencing social work students' employment intention. When conducting social work internship educational activities, schools should create a favourable internship environment and working conditions for interns and maintain good cooperation with internship organisations. This will facilitate internship supervision and enhance employment intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the experiences of secondary traumatic stress of Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students' field education process in Turkey. In the scope of the research, nineteen BSW students, eleven of whom were female and eight of whom were male, who performed field education were interviewed. A semi-structured interview form consisting of twenty-three questions was used to collect the data. The obtained data were analysed using the descriptive analysis approach of qualitative research. The findings express the different experiences of BSW students in challenging cases encountered during the field education process and effects of challenging cases after field education and coping. Based on the research findings, it was concluded that BSW students are at risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress throughout the entire field education process, and some recommendations were developed in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the experiences of overseas-qualified Hong Kong social workers in England, specifically focusing on the challenges they encounter while preparing for or working in the social work sector and the strategies they employ to navigate these challenges within the unique English social context. It offers valuable background information for comprehending the journeys of migrant Hong Kong social workers as they transition into a new social work environment. Using qualitative enquiry, ten experienced Hong Kong social workers, who had moved to England in 2021, were selected as participants. This study contributes significantly to the literature on transnational social workers by emphasising the critical role of continuing professional development (CPD) for transnational social workers during their relocation process. It addresses complex transnational issues, such as cultural differences, language barriers, professional development and the integration of global and local intervention skills and practices, filling existing gaps in the literature. This research also provides insight into the importance of CPD for transnational social workers during their relocation and transnational experiences and the potential for advancing their local social work practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of an empowerment perspective to treatment of female trauma survivors with co-occurring mental health and substance use concerns has been found to be beneficial. Meditation is a mental health intervention that has the potential for increasing feelings of empowerment amongst this population. This qualitative study explores the experiences of female trauma survivors with co-occurring disorders engaging in a meditation intervention and its impact on their feelings of empowerment. Grounded theory approaches were used to analyse in-depth interviews with participants (N  =   32). Results from analysis of the data show the process through which meditation allowed the women to gain empowerment in order to develop skills to heal on their own. This study provides evidence of the use of meditation as a viable strength-based intervention for social workers in order to increase feelings of empowerment amongst female trauma survivors of interpersonal violence with co-occurring disorders. Future research should expand understanding of this empowerment pathway by exploring the impact of meditation within other populations with high levels of trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to present empirical evidence on the factors that facilitate the emergence of moral suffering and the consequences of the phenomenon in social workers published between 2018 and 2022. A systematic literature review was conducted in Scielo, Scopus and Web of Science, and eighteen articles were selected for analysis. Most of the articles are qualitative research reports and use interviews as data collection instruments. The studies primarily involve social workers working in the fields of healthcare and childhood, aiming to understand the factors influencing moral distress. Moral distress is conceptualised as arising from working conditions and organisational factors. The main consequences of the phenomenon are in the mental health of professionals and at the organisational level. Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and burnout are reported, as well as organisational difficulties such as high turnover and the intention to quit the job. Despite the serious consequences of the phenomenon, evidence on this topic is scarce, particularly in Latin America, where no studies on the subject have been found. The precarious working conditions that social workers face in this geographical area show the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the Global North, professional learning for social workers has become a matter of concern. Efforts to 'fix' the problem have focused narrowly on formal methods of learning and show limited connect with recent research. In this article, we report on findings from a mixed-method longitudinal cohort study, which examined early career social workers experiences of learning over the first five years of professional practice. Drawing on a repeat-measure annual online survey, our findings provide an inside-view of how early career social workers in Scotland experience work-based learning over time and how professional learning for social workers can be enhanced. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis and reflexive thematic analysis respectively and integrated using a convergence coding matrix to identify meta-themes. Our findings support an integrative, developmental and ecological approach to professional learning, embedded in a value-led understanding of social work as practice. We invite the profession to embrace and embed learning as a 'practice of value', both as an antidote to managerial approaches to practice and learning and as a way of valuing the extraordinary work that social workers do. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to critically engage Chris Maylea's 2020 provocative call to end official social work by suggesting that the debate it sparked has the potential to expand the contemporary social work discourse. This article explores the complexities and potential dangers of Maylea's radical call, particularly its susceptibility to co-option by neo-conservative agendas. Whilst the idea of calling for the end of official social work may seem absurd, the article maintains that it might serve as an intellectual tool to overcome the 'imaginary inertia' that arguably plagues discussions about reforming the profession. Drawing on Michel Foucault's concept of 'episteme' and Gaston Bachelard's 'categories of the real', it suggests that Maylea's call for abolition challenges the established boundaries of what is considered possible and probable in the critical social work discourse. This might open new avenues that might otherwise remain invisible to reimagine the future of the profession. Consequently, it is posited that imagining the end of official social work may align with and expand opposing calls for reformation of the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The postdisaster experiences of 167 social work students in the aftermath of the Great Flood of 2016 were examined. Using a cross-sectional survey design and validated self-report measures, the current study examined the association between students' protective factors (hope, altruism, spiritual support; at 8, 20, and 12 items, respectively) and six adaptive coping mechanisms, and further sought to determine whether such associations varied according to students' race (white vs. African American). Six hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using each of the adaptive coping strategies (acceptance, active coping, positive reframing, self-distraction, planning, and venting). Results showed that students' race moderated the associations between altruism and active coping, spiritual support and active coping, spiritual support and self-distraction, altruism and planning, spiritual support and planning, and altruism and venting. The decomposition of the significant interactions indicated that the effect of altruism on active coping, planning, and venting was greater among white than among African American participants; the effect of spiritual support on active coping, self-distraction, and planning was greater among African American than among white participants. Recommendations include educating all students about risks incurred when working with traumatized populations. Research examining postdisaster coping responses of social workers can inform culturally responsive supervision approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article shares insight on preparing for social work practice. It recognizes the role of social workers in countering violence triggered by racism and remembers the legacy of community leader and former social worker Rhaune Laslett, particularly her leadership of the Voluntary Neighbourhood Service Unit. It points out the importance in social work education to develop an understanding of the exercise of power, as well as the need for professional development through research and training.

Recovery-oriented practice has become taken for granted and seen as the most ideal way of working for social workers alongside other allied health practitioners in the mental health field. Recovery-oriented practice is defined as a person-centred and strengths-based approach, providing interventions, as well as facilitating environmental and multidisciplinary resources to support the individual's independence. The applicability of recovery in a child and youth mental health (CYMH) context, however, continues to be questioned. Although some research has explored what recovery means for young people, there is scant literature that examines how recovery-oriented practice is enacted when working with children and their families. This scoping review, guided by the Arksey and O'Malley's framework explores how recovery is conceptualised and translated into practice with children aged two to twelve years who have identified 'mental health concerns' and their families. Qualitative and grey literature from the last twenty years was thematically analysed. The findings highlight the primacy placed on global recovery-oriented principles and expose the superficial articulation of the application of recovery-oriented practice with children. Findings underscore the need to critically investigate how social workers enact recovery approaches when working in a clinical CYMH setting, dominated by the medical model which prioritises evidence-based intervention and marginalises children's knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of simulation-based education (SBE) in social work is growing. However, there is a lack of substance use training, for both post-qualified social workers and undergraduate social work students. This study addressed a gap in undergraduate substance use education around prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and its impact on foetal development. A mixed methods approach was used with undergraduate social work students across two universities in the Southwest of the UK. Both groups received a taught session on foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), completed pre- and post-taught session questionnaires assessing FAS knowledge, and had the opportunity to interact with the FAS neonate simulator. Creative activities around interaction with the FAS simulator enabled feedback on thoughts, feelings and practice implications. Findings revealed increased pre- to post-FAS knowledge and enhanced understanding of the long-term impacts of gestational alcohol use for the developing child. Social work students felt more aware of the impact of alcohol use during pregnancy and were more confident to address these issues through future practice. The use of FAS neonate simulators as a pedagogic tool is beneficial to help elucidate student knowledge on alcohol use during pregnancy and to increase confidence working with people who are pregnant who may be using alcohol or substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is much policy support internationally for 'strengths-based approaches' which work collaboratively with people seeking support. Such approaches aim to recognise the strengths in individuals, those around them, and their communities, to support people to be independent and focus services and support where most needed. However, there is little evidence of how such approaches work in practice or whether they are effective. The Three Conversations (3Cs) is one such approach. Development of practice and future evaluation requires that these approaches are better understood and articulated. To address this challenge, we worked collaboratively with three UK local authorities to understand how 3Cs is operating in practice, and how its evaluation could be considered. We used interviews and workshops with staff, carers and people receiving services, data collected by sites, and wider consultation to develop a theory of change setting out how 3Cs is thought to best operate and be implemented. We identified potential benefits and pitfalls when implementing 3Cs, and barriers to successfully incorporating 3Cs as 'business as usual'. The theory of change, presented in this article, can be used to support implementation of strengths and relationship-based practice and its meaningful evaluation, and has relevance beyond The Three Conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertainty is a concept related to, but distinct from, risk. Risk has been defined as the portion of the continuum from complete certainty to total ignorance that can be estimated using tools of probability. Uncertainty, on the other hand lies in the portion of the continuum of knowability that is incalculable and uncontrollable. It is well established that estimating risk probabilistically in the child protection context is unreliable and prone to error under conditions of high uncertainty—particularly when making decisions on the long-term needs of a child. This is true whether risk is estimated using professional judgement, statistical algorithms or a combination of both. In other disciplines, tools have been developed that transition decision making away from the probabilistic reasoning associated with judgments of risk (the 'Predict and Act' paradigm) to procedures that do not rely on the probabilistic estimation of risk (the 'Monitor and Adapt' paradigm). A pragmatic approach to adapting existing assessment procedures developed within the Predict and Act paradigm to align more closely with the Monitor and Adapt approach is presented. It is suggested that a key component of such an adaptation would be integrating case formulation into routine child protection practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study calls into question some of assumptions within social work education and practice regarding the transformational potential of reflection-on-practice. Participants (n  = 34) in this simulation-based study each engaged in two clinically focused simulations, each followed by an interview which included observing segments of their video-recorded simulations. The objectives of this study are to make some sense of the misalignments between participants' post-simulation reflections of their practice behaviours, and the practice behaviours observed by the research team, and later by participants themselves. Findings illustrate that: (i) how clients and the session are understood in the moment can be different than how they are understood post-client engagement; (ii) reflections of practice behaviours can be tied to how individuals want to be, which are not necessarily aligned with how they are in the moment; and (iii) reflections are intertwined with awareness of oneself. These results identify some of the limitations of individualised reflective activities, and demonstrate the powerful potential of collective reflection on recordings of simulations to challenge memory distortions, retrospective biases and to promote greater accountability to ourselves as social workers, and to those we work with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur has called for 'a revolution in mental health care to end decades of neglect, abuse and violence...enabl[ing] a long overdue shift to a rights-based approach' (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 2017). Principles underpinning social work practice with people living with mental distress who receive diagnoses such as schizophrenia, personality disorders and bipolar disorder, align with sought after changes. Using Cooperative Inquiry and referring to the Model of Holistic Competence in Social Work, this study investigated mental health social work seeking to foster this shift. Findings confirmed inherent discordance between social work values and mental health care dominated by biomedical and neoliberal views. Upholding social work values in this context involves complex practice, integrating procedural and meta-competencies. By incorporating skills in relational practice and advocacy; knowledge of multiple explanatory frameworks for mental health and mental health systems literacy; self-regulation; fostering tenacity whilst addressing 'othering'; and judgement informing choices around conformity and confrontation, social work navigates tensions associated with this discordance. This paper highlights the nature of values-based social work practice as aligned with mental health reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnographic research in social work is extremely valuable, yet not very commonly applied. In this theoretical article, I delineate the historical bond and ethical alliance between ethnography and social work, as well as highlight the empirical value that ethnography can offer the social work profession. By so doing I render visible the affinity between ethnographic research and the discipline of social work. I conclude by examining the relations between slow scholarship and ethnographic research as a means of resistance to the corporate neo-liberal university setting, encouraging social work scholars to do more ethnographic work. Such work can make a potentially significant contribution to social work practitioners, service users, policy makers, educators and scholars and encourage social science with meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this scoping review was to establish the breadth of the academic literature regarding the barriers and facilitators to social work practice in schools as perceived by School Social Workers (SSWs). Following the PRISMA-ScR Scoping Review Framework, 42 articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. Five interrelated themes related to the barriers and facilitators to SSW practice were identified: (1) Inadequacy of service delivery infrastructure; (2) SSWs' role ambiguities and expectations; (3) SSWs' competency, knowledge and support; (4) School climate and context; and (5) Cultivating relationships and engagement. This scoping review found that social workers perceive far greater barriers than facilitators when delivering services in school settings, with limited evidence related to the facilitators that enhance School Social Work (SSW) practice. Further research regarding the facilitators of SSW practice is needed, specifically in countries where research on this topic is emergent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the psychological factors affecting the public's attitudes towards social workers. The study was based on the theory of human values and aimed to investigate the role of personal motivational goals reflected in values on attitudes towards social workers. In addition, we tested the contact hypothesis in the context of social work. The study was conducted in Israel using a stratified representative sample that included individuals who had no contact with social workers during the last 3 years (n  = 303) and those with such contact (n  = 220). In the inexperienced population, values affected the perception of social workers indirectly through the opinions of others. In the experienced population, personal experience with social workers affected their perception and support of their struggle. Finally, a higher preference for self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values was associated with stronger support of the social workers' struggle to improve their working conditions in both the experienced and inexperienced populations. The results of the present study advance the theory of human values and the contact hypothesis in the context of social work. In addition, they have important implications for social work practice, permitting social workers to understand their clients better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multicultural societies, social workers from diverse groups, including ethnic minority groups, may be engaged in policy practice. Their involvement is emphasised as important and essential to reducing gaps between the majority and the minority. Frontline managers may play a crucial role in legitimising minority social workers to act in policy arenas through forging the organisational culture. Their discretion of involvement can be influenced by institutional opportunities. Interviews with frontline managers in Arab localities in Israel reveal that institutional rules—in the contexts of local government, state and culture largely shape the perceptions of managers as well as the practices and processes in organisations regarding involvement of minority social workers in policy arenas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on findings from a research study on social workers who practised in Christchurch, New Zealand, following two disaster events: the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 and the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. The concept of posttraumatic growth (PTG), with particular reference to vicarious PTG, double exposure and shared resilience, is also explored in relation to this research. Data were gathered via qualitative interviews with twenty-three registered social workers conducted in 2021 and analysed through a reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal Christchurch social workers believed, due to their involvement in disaster response work, that their practice skills were enhanced, and they gained new understandings of trauma, including the positive changes which can occur as a result of exposure to traumatic experiences. The social work participants also considered their interpersonal and professional relationships as essential to the development of their own sense of resilience. This article concludes with a discussion on the implications of these findings and PTG theory for contemporary social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Custodial parents, often single mothers, face challenges regarding child maintenance, including a lack of financial commitments from non-custodial parents for their children's welfare. The evidence suggests that there is a strong link between child maintenance and poverty as well as other family violence issues. In addition to their primary child and family protection duties, child protection practitioners in Ghana have a mandate to assess child maintenance concerns. This dual responsibility may have the advantage of promoting holistic child and family practices, but it could also negatively impact families when practitioners overly focus on one responsibility at the expense of the other. We sought to understand and show whether families who reported child maintenance concerns to the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in Ghana experienced challenges beyond child maintenance and whether practitioners identified these primary protection concerns in their assessments. Findings from qualitative in-depth interviews with seventeen parents show that these families experienced domestic violence, marital conflict and child abuse and neglect beyond the scope of a standard child maintenance case. The findings highlight the importance of child protection workers conducting comprehensive family assessments to resolve 'hidden' family difficulties when establishing child maintenance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has predominantly centred on the negative conflicts of the interplay between work and family obligations, with limited attention paid to the concept of work–family enrichment, particularly within the context of social work. Furthermore, little is known about the underlying mechanisms through which work–family enrichment influences social workers' life meaning. To address these gaps, this study endeavours to scrutinise the serial mediation pathway involving self-efficacy and work engagement in elucidating the relationship between work–family enrichment and life meaning. A sample of 1,023 social workers (mean age = 36.24) is methodically selected through a multistage cluster random sampling approach in Hangzhou City, China. The empirical results provide evidence supporting a serial mediation path from self-efficacy with work engagement is posited to operate between work–family enrichment and life meaning. These findings hold both theoretical and practical significance, offering insights relevant to social workers, supervisors and their organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing turnover rate of social workers in China has garnered widespread concern despite limited evidence-based investigation at the organizational level. This study extracted data from a sample of 4,399 social workers and the extended job demands/control/support model to explore the effects of organization-level factors on social workers' turnover intention. The findings indicate that larger organizational size, diminished perceived organizational support, and a weaker sense of organizational cultural identity are predictors of heightened turnover intentions among social workers. An intriguing finding was that, in contrast to workers in smaller organizations, those in larger entities did not exhibit a significant difference in terms of job demands and job control. However, they reported markedly lower levels of perceived organizational support and organizational cultural identity compared with their counterparts in smaller settings. These insights underscore the imperative for organizational managers to proactively furnish comprehensive support systems for social workers and cultivate a robust sense of organizational cultural identity, thereby mitigating the risk of turnover intentions and fostering a more stable workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article addresses social work's singular conceptual and analytical contribution to the field of epidemics. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze how social work studies overlap to construct epidemic narratives. The author collected 601 articles from the Social Services Abstracts database and carried out a targeted search within 20 social work journals. Five epidemic narratives were identified: (1) a psychosocial consequences narrative, (2) a social work competence narrative, (3) a social risk factors narrative, (4) a misinformation narrative, and (5) a power matrix narrative. Results highlighted the social success of psychosocial perspectives prevalent in classic public health narratives. This understanding relies on a "politics of access" perspective and advocates for the improvement of current social services. The findings revealed that social work does not have a conceptual specificity in the field of epidemics but, rather, its current distinctive contribution mostly lies in its use of social work–centric inquiries that analyze social work practices and describe the consequences experienced by social work actors during epidemics. The author argued that the social work literature could benefit from analyses informed by a "politic of emancipation" that are less prominent in the analyzed studies. Avenues for future research are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines possibility for motivational interviewing (MI) physician and social work partnership to facilitate and maximize patient potential in rehabilitation units and clinics. Topics discussed include overview on MI, patient and provider benefits of physician and social work partnership, and three skills that are very much social work aligned central to MI practice which includes active listening, patient empowerment, and empathy.

The opioid epidemic has claimed more than 1 million lives in the United States over the past two decades. The persistent increase in deaths indicates that current strategies intended to decrease the negative consequences of opioid use are inadequate. Harm reduction strategies are designed to promote safer substance usage and reduce overdose mortality rates, yet the implementation of harm reduction programs is inhibited by community- and provider-level stigma against people who use opioids, coupled with limited understanding and insufficient education about harm reduction approaches. Despite ongoing research, engagement in opioid treatment programs remains a challenge, and the opioid crisis continues to disproportionately harm marginalized populations. This article describes how social workers are prepared to play a larger role in opioid use treatment because they are trained with the skill set and values necessary to facilitate access to harm reduction programs, promote engagement in substance use treatment, and create and advocate for interventions to address problematic substance use, especially in high-need communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on stress sensitization theory and stress proliferation theory, this study was designed to identify adverse childhood experience (ACE) classes and their relationships with perceived stress and self-care behaviors. Hypotheses were that (a) there would be diverse ACE classes among African American social work students; (b) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have greater levels of perceived stress than those in low ACEs; and (c) the identified classes embedded in high/multiple ACEs would have lower levels of self-care behaviors than those in low ACEs. Recruited from one of the South's historically Black colleges and universities, 186 African American social work students completed an online survey. Latent class analysis found three classes fit the data best: low ACEs, high divorce/abuse/neglect, and high/multiple ACEs. Students in the high divorce/abuse/neglect class had the greatest levels of perceived stress and significantly greater perceived stress levels than the low ACEs class. The low ACEs class had greater self-care behaviors than students in the other two ACEs classes. The study revealed diverse ACE classes and the effect of more ACEs on greater perceived stress and lower self-care behaviors, supporting the importance of using a range of approaches to support African American social work students with different ACEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Few proven dementia-care programs are integrated into community-based agencies. We report on the acceptability and effectiveness of an evidence-based program, Care of People in their Environment (COPE), delivered by community-based agency staff. Research Design and Methods Pretest/post-test design with 3 data points (baseline, 3-month program completion, 6-month follow-up). COPE was delivered by 6 occupational therapists and 4 social workers at 2 agency sites with people living with dementia and caregivers. Staff assessed the interests and abilities of people living with dementia, home safety, caregiver challenges, and readiness to learn strategies. Staff provided dementia education, stress reduction, and nonpharmacological techniques tailored to caregiver-identified challenges. Acceptability (3- and 6-months), included completed sessions, upset with and confidence managing care challenges, strategies used, and program satisfaction. Effectiveness (3- and 6-months) included people living with dementia's health events (falls, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and 911 calls), rehospitalization risk and functional dependence; and caregiver well-being and readiness. Benefits by in-person (n  = 188) versus virtual/hybrid (n  = 46) delivery due to Coronavirus Disease-2019 were evaluated. Results Of 843 dyads screened, 271 (32.1%) enrolled, 246 (90.8%) completed COPE, and 234 (95.1%) completed ≥1 follow-up. Regarding acceptability, caregivers completed about 8 sessions, reported improved confidence and upset (p  < .001), most implemented strategies 3-months (72.8%) and 6-months (83.5%), and expressed high program satisfaction. For effectiveness, compared to baseline, odds of people living with dementia's health events were lower including rehospitalization risk, although functional dependence increased; caregiver well-being (3-, 6-months, p  < .001) and readiness (3-months, p  < .01) improved. Outcomes did not differ by delivery mode. Discussion and Implications Acceptability and effectiveness were strong. COPE resulted in tangible improvements for families regardless of delivery mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beginning in 1906, the teachers who developed the profession of school social work conducted home visits to bridge communication between the school and home. In the more than 100 years that the profession has continued, home visiting has remained a cornerstone. Despite its continued importance, there remains a lack of comprehensive instruction on how to conduct effective home visits within higher education or professional development programs. This article aims to address this gap by acknowledging the limited research focused specifically on home visiting in school social work and consults the broader home visiting research, applying it to the unique setting of school social work. This article will delve into the purpose and benefits of home visiting, strategies for effective data collection during visits, cultural competencies necessary for fostering productive outcomes, and safety considerations for school social workers. Through this exploration, this article's authors aim to provide valuable insights and guidance for school social workers striving to enhance their practice and strengthen connections between schools and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School social work (SSW) roles are often surrounded by ambiguity across schools, districts, states, and nationally. The School Social Work Association of America's National Practice Model and National Evaluation Framework, along with the National Association of Social Workers' Standards for School Social Work Services are the guidance provided at the national level for practitioners and scholars alike. This study examined each of these pieces to thoroughly understand existing critical components of SSW practice. Comparing and analyzing these critical components across all three resources through systematic content analysis led to findings that illuminate the limited shared components. This call for action—to unify SSW practice models and frameworks in a way to prescribe justice-oriented work—comes from these findings, which indicate that current national-level resources are disjointed, incohesive, and lack focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, which are the foundational values of the social work profession. A unified framework would not only represent the current challenges and needs of SSW practitioners, but would also help establish clear roles, responsibilities, and boundaries for SSW practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Social and Community Service Organizations (SCSOs) are a potential setting to reach and support people with a low socioeconomic position who smoke, yet smoking cessation is not widely supported by SCSO professionals. Aims and Methods This study aims to identify SCSO professionals' (1) potential activities to support smoking cessation and (2) barriers and facilitators in undertaking these activities. Between July and November 2022, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 professionals recruited through SCSOs in Amsterdam North, including participation workers, welfare workers, parent and child counselors, budget coach, debt counselor, welfare work, community sports, and community center coordinators. Data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results Eight activities were identified that could support the client either directly (ie, recognizing smoking clients, discussing smoking and smoking cessation, referring clients, providing smoking cessation counseling, offering help around services) or indirectly (ie, collaboration with relevant network partners, implementing smoke-free environments, enhancing professional skills). Various barriers and facilitators were identified related to the (1) client and their environment (ie, clients' readiness and social environment), (2) interaction between professional and client (ie, topic sensitivity), (3) professional (ie, professional is non-smoker, knowledge, and self-efficacy), (4) professionals' work environment (ie, necessity, responsibility, priority, and time), and (5) smoking cessation services (ie, availability of appropriate services and referral process). Conclusions There is potential for SCSO professionals to support smoking cessation, but several barriers hinder their efforts. To address these barriers, it is essential to take into account the factors that SCSO professionals believe facilitate the provision of smoking cessation support. Implications This study provides insight into how the potential of SCSOs in Amsterdam North to support smoking cessation efforts among people with a low socioeconomic position can be harnessed. Barriers were found at multiple levels (client, professional, client-professional interaction, and organizational) and these findings imply that stakeholders across these levels will need to prioritize smoking cessation to facilitate and stimulate SCSO professionals in supporting smoking cessation. A concrete action would be to offer SCSO professionals additional training in conversational skills to discuss smoking. As a prerequisite, easily accessible and suitable smoking cessation services should be available in the neighborhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]