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Social workers have been at the forefront of research and advocacy to improve nursing home care for several decades. However, United States (U.S.) regulations have not kept pace with professional standards, as nursing home social services workers are still not required to have a degree in social work and many are assigned caseloads that are untenable for providing quality psychosocial and behavioral health care. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)'s recently published interdisciplinary consensus report, The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff (NASEM, 2022) makes recommendations for changing these regulations, reflecting years of social work scholarship and policy advocacy. In this commentary, we highlight the NASEM report recommendations for social work and chart a course for continuing scholarship and policy advocacy to improve resident outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the self-care needs of African American family caregivers, a community-engaged approach was used to develop and implement a half-day virtual self-care program. This study evaluates experiences of program attendees. All attendees were emailed an electronic survey containing Likert-type and open-ended questions. Responses were examined for patterns and key content-related categories using inductive content analysis. Eleven attendees responded to the survey. All 11 strongly agreed (64%) or agreed (36%) that the event met their expectations and/or needs. In addition to providing opportunity to take time to engage in self-care, the event created a virtual space for women to focus on themselves. Women spoke about three distinct ways the event met their needs: (1) learning and trying new things, (2) access to resources, and (3) having a shared experience. These findings suggest that virtual programs may be used as an additional resource to support the health of African American women caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Care transitions (CT) are critical junctures in the healthcare delivery process. Effective transitions reduce the need for subsequent transfers between healthcare settings, including nursing homes. Understanding social services (SS) involvement in these processes in nursing homes is important from a quality and holistic care perspective. Using logistic regression, this study examines structural and relational factors identified with higher involvement of SS in care transitions and admissions. SS directors from 924 nursing homes were evaluated in relation to SS involvement in care transitions and admissions processes. Results suggest the level of SS involvement in care transitions and admissions are associated with structural factors such as size of facility, geographical location, ratio of FTE's to beds, ownership status, and standalone SS departments, as well as relational factors, including perceptions and utilization of SS staff by facility leadership, coworkers, and family. Additionally, SS staff with higher levels of expertise and with social work degrees are less involved in admissions tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing home (NH) residents have high psychosocial needs related to illness, disability, and changing life circumstances. The staff member with the most expertise in addressing psychosocial needs is the social worker. However, federal regulations indicate that only NHs with 120+ beds need hire a social services staff member and that a "qualified social worker" need not have a social work degree. Therefore, two-thirds of NHs are not required to employ a social services staff member and none are required to hire a degreed social worker. This is in stark contrast to NASW professional standards. Reporting findings from this nationally representative sample of 924 social services directors, we describe the NH social services workforce and document that most NHs do hire social services staff, although 42% of social services directors are not social work educated. 37% of NHs have a degreed and licensed social worker at the helm of social services. The odds of hiring a degreed and licensed social workers are higher for larger NHs, especially if not-for-profit and not part of a chain. NH residents deserve psychosocial care planned by staff with such expertise. Quality of psychosocial care impacts quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study recruited 150 community dwelling Korean immigrant elders to understand the role of information and communication technology (ICT) use on social support and life satisfaction by utilizing purposive sampling methods. Hierarchical multiple regression results indicated that a high level of smartphone use was significantly related to a high level of social support from families. High levels of smartphone use and social media use were significantly related to a high level of social support from friends. In addition, a high level of social media use was significantly related to a high level of life satisfaction among Korean immigrant elders. The findings of this study may provide insights for social service practitioners working with Korean immigrant elders to develop culturally appropriate services by using ICTs for improving social support systems and quality of life among the population. Future research with a longitudinal and experimental design can be conducted to better understand the long-term patterns of findings and causal relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advance care planning involves a meaningful conversation about residents' end of life goals with the health-care team and documenting these wishes in advance directives; however, these conversations are not taking place early enough or with strategies that allow nursing home residents' preferences to be meaningfully integrated into care plans. This article outlines a new model that nursing home social workers can use to initiate advance care planning discussions called Take it to the Resident. This model was tested with 11 long-term stay nursing home residents. Data were collected through structured memos and field notes. Summative content analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Take it to the Resident facilitated a discussion about advance care planning and allowed residents to consider their wishes before engaging family members. Although discussions took place, some residents were hesitant to document their wishes formally through advance directives. The results of this study support the utility of continued testing of this model. Having empirically supported tools for nursing home social workers is critical to increasing advance care planning conversations and empowering residents to document their wishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advance directive (AD) completion can improve transitions between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNF's). One Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovations Demonstration Project, The Missouri Quality Initiative (MOQI), focused on improving AD documentation and use in sixteen SNF's. The intervention included education, training, consultation and improvements to discussion process, policy development, increased AD enactment, and increased community education and awareness activities. An analysis was conducted of data collected from annual chart inventories occurring over four years. Using a logistic mixed model, results indicated statistical significance (p <.001) for increased AD documentation. Greatest gains occurred at project mid-point. The relationship between having an AD and occurrence of transfer to a hospital was tested on a sample of 1,563 residents with length of stays more than 30 days. Residents who did not have an AD were 29% more likely to be transferred. A logistic regression was conducted, and the results were statistically significant (p <.02). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the impacts of Covid-19 on nursing facilities in the U.S. It mentions that Covid-19 pandemic has presented several challenges for social services staff in nursing homes. It discusses that ability to assist residents with video calls and maintain regular communication declined over time.

Due to societally imposed stigmatization, lesbian and gay (LG) older adults fear and prolong accessing long-term care (LTC) even though they need LTC at higher rates. Interventions that decrease negative attitudes toward LG older adults among LTC staff are a first step in addressing this problem. In this study, the influence of intergroup contact (IGC) on LTC staff members’ attitudes toward LG was explored through the use of storytelling as a training mechanism. An embedded mixed-method approach was employed to collect and analyze responses of 60 LTC staff who participated in a storytelling event. Participants completed pretests, posttests, and participated in audio-recorded group discussions. The findings showed that storytelling had a significant (p=0.001) and positive effect (d=0.57) on participants attitudes toward LG. Qualitative analysis revealed 90 codes, 13 process codes, and 4 themes: making meaning of stories, seeking understanding, application to LTC setting, and debating. When guided by IGC theory, storytelling has potential for positively influencing attitudes of LTC staff members toward LG older adults. There is a need for longitudinal work to further test this model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In July of 2015, the Federal Register published for public comment proposed rule changes for nursing homes certified to receive Medicare and/or Medicaid. If the final rules are similar to the proposed rules, they will represent the largest change in federal rules governing nursing homes since the Nursing Home Reform Act which was part of OBRA 1987. The proposed changes have the potential to enhance the quality of care and quality of life of nursing home residents. Many of the proposed changes would directly affect the practice of social work and would likely expand the role for nursing home social workers. This article discusses the role that members of the National Nursing Home Social Work Network (NNHSW Network) played in developing and submitting a response to CMS. The article provides the context for the publication of the proposed rules, describes the process used by the NNHSW Network to develop and build support for comments on these rules, and also includes the actual comments submitted to CMS. Social work education programs and continuing education programs throughout the country will continue to have an important role to play in helping to prepare social work students and practitioners for a career in long-term care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on the pilot delivery of an evaluation method to gauge student learning of gerontological competencies. Using a pretest and posttest design, data were collected on 46 students over 3 classes. Results indicated significant improvement in how students rated or perceived their competencies skill level between pretest and posttest scores (p < .01). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes a competency-based educational approach to course development, implementation, and evaluation. The course model is presented, including its philosophical base. The authors hypothesized that student participation in a competency-based graduate gerontology course would increase their perceived competency level. Results indicate that students (N = 74 students; 2008–2011) rated their competency skill level as higher at posttest than at the pretest (pairedt-tests,p <.01), as measured by the Geriatric Social Work Competency Scale II. In addition, pretest/posttest results on the Myths of Aging checklist and Expectations Regarding Aging survey supported increases of perceived knowledge of older adults at posttest (p <.01). This project illustrates the benefits of organizing and implementing competency-based curriculum so that students are better prepared to work with older adults when they graduate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers the author's views on protecting academic freedom at public colleges in the United States and announces that this is the last issue that she will supervise as editor-in-chief. The author recommends reading material including two articles, "Academic Freedom in Post-September 11 America: A Research Guide" by Janet Beuthe Anderson and "The Fate of Academic Freedom" by Cary Nelson, which are published in other journals. The editor-in-chief successor, Dr. Lorraine Gutiérrez, is mentioned.

The article presents the author's views on promoting professional social work values in the classrooms and in the curricula of social work education. Studies on the political ideology of social work students and on citizenship and tolerance of different viewpoints are cited. The criteria for a discursive democracy model are mentioned. The author argues that the classroom environment can be an effective means for developing political tolerance in a democracy and lead to political diversity in social service.

An increasing number of state governments offer performance-based contracts to private agencies for the delivery of child welfare services; however, little is known about how this system impacts child welfare workers. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to gain a better understanding of frontline workers' employment satisfaction in a state that utilized both public and performance-based systems of care. Qualitative findings revealed that developing positive relationships with families enhanced job satisfaction, whereas workers found administrative responsibilities to be dissatisfying. Quantitative results indicated that private agency workers were more likely to report satisfaction with work environment and extrinsic rewards; however, no statistically significant differences in employment expectation were identified between public and private agency employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the author's views on the psychosocial care of patients in nursing homes by social workers. The author reflects on the welfare and quality of life of nursing home residents, noting that psychosocial interventions are necessary but not always available. The author also discusses social work education, collaborative educational models, and aging in the U.S.

This article presents the author's views on the effect of the 2009 economic decline on higher education. The author discusses how the economic recession can affect student loans, financial aid, and the availability of jobs for students in social work education, noting students' concerns about their futures. Information is provided on the gross domestic product, economic hardship, and university faculty, enrollment, and stability. The effect of the Great Depression on universities and public education is described as well.

The article discusses several reports published within the issue including one by Sharlach on family caregiving, one by Damon-Rodriguez on the importance of core competencies and another by Yedidia and Tiedemann on the perceived needs of family caregivers.

This article presents information from editor Colleen Galambos on the publication of papers on social work research in the periodical. The author discusses her nomination as editor-in-chief and her previous work as editor of the "Health and Social Work" journal. The author also discusses how she restructured the publication's editorial process in terms of its Council on Publications, the Editorial Advisory Board, manuscript submission, and peer reviewing. Information is also provided on required formatting and citation styles for research submissions.

This article focuses on the role of social justice in social work and social work education. A study produced by the National Association of Scholars found problems in the education of social justice in social work education. The author believes that various definitions of social justice may account for a lack of clarity of the issue.

This article discusses The John A. Hartford Foundation CSWE SAGE-SW Project through an historical reflection of curriculum development within the profession. The project's relationship to several curriculum building models is also explored. A curriculum development tool for combining the Hartford Competencies with the CSWE EPAS requirements is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to provide data regarding the use of infusion of gerontological materials throughout curriculums to enhance students' attitudes toward older adults, their knowledge of aging-related issues, and their perceptions of gerontological social work. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare outcomes for graduate social work students who were and those who were not exposed to gerontological infusion. Results indicated that exposed students experienced a greater improvement in their view of aging-related career opportunities and in their belief in the importance of gerontological social work. Treatment group students also showed greater gains in self-rated aging knowledge. Both treatment and control group students had significant gains in a test of aging-related knowledge. Pedagogical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human service agencies are facing profound changes as a result of variations in current societal political, social and environmental forces. This paper provides a review of the literature on organizational change in an effort to determine which strategies are most successful in facilitating this process and achieving desired results within agencies. Models, methods and approaches are discussed. Five principles to increase success in organizational change are proposed: (1) develop a system for continuous discussion and feedback for entities likely to be impacted by the change including those within the organization and ones at the outside constituency levels; (2) prepare the organization for change; (3) ensure that there are methods, processes and resources available to provide education and training regarding new technologies, policy changes and the change process itself'; (4) using employee participation, develop a system to recognize and reward employees for achieving targeted results and organizational goals; and (5) use the organizational change effort to build into the agency a continuous process for change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review of the literature revealed mixed reviews on the impact of managed care on mental health service delivery. Research supports that managed care contributes to a reduction in inpatient costs and an increase in outpatient service use. Other studies suggest that there are problems with access and quality of care. An additional issue is whether or not, and to what extent, mental health services are "carved out" from physical health for patients. This study discusses the findings of a qualitative analysis of Medicaid managed care recipients on the barriers and enabling factors to obtaining mental health services in a full carve-out managed care model. Results indicate that reduced access, quality of care problems, and a lack of integration of care exist. Additionally, recipients' interactions with managed care, service providers, and caseworkers affect their mental health care. The results also report on the tactics used by recipients to cope with service problems. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed and recommendations for service delivery and evidence-based education are delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of beliefs and attitudes on poverty and housing is important to researchers and social workers interested in examining the role that belief structures have on the development of policy and programs in these areas. This article reports pilot study findings of a new scale, The Poverty and Housing Scale (PHS), that measures this concept and evaluates its psychometric properties. Preliminary reliability was in the very good range. Examinations of content and face validity provided support of the instrument as a valid measure of beliefs and attitudes on poverty and housing. The factor analysis emerged a one factor, 13-item scale. Unlike other related scales, the PHS attempts to link the social factor of poverty and housing together. Theoretical and methodological strengths and weaknesses are considered and the implications for social work practice are discussed. The authors provide recommendations for additional testing of the instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a preface to the April 2004 issue of the "Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment."

This paper examines the theoretical assumptions of resiliency theory and tests these assumptions through a qualitative research design. Eighteen professionals were interviewed to gain a clearer understanding of what conditions practitioners thought act as buffers to life stress and contribute to coping and resilience. Themes that frequently emerged from the data included personal attitude, spirituality/religion, education, and multilevel attachments. The data identified important practice skills to enhance client resilience. Implications for practice and education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of elders continues to grow, the supply of masters-level gerontological social workers falls short of the documented need. Using symbolic interactionism as the theoretical framework, this study explored factors influencing graduate social work students' employment in aging-related jobs following graduation. The impact of gerontological education, aging attitudes and anxiety, extent and quality of elder contact, perceptions of gerontological social work, and student demographics were examined. Additionally, degree of contact with elders and the need for gerontological knowledge in their current jobs was examined for graduates in both aging and non-aging positions. Surveys were completed by second year MSW students one month prior to graduation and again six months post-graduation. Results indicate that 20% of all graduates were employed in aging-related positions and that the majority of all graduates had contact with elders and used gerontological knowledge in their jobs, regardless of their field of practice. Aging knowledge and skills, frequency and quality of elder contact, gerontological internships, and undergraduate gerontology courses were positively associated with aging-related employment. Logistic regression revealed that contact frequency and rewarding interactions with older clients were significant predictors of aging-related work. Educational implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing population of older adults in this country has created a growing demand for gerontological social workers. Despite this demand, few graduate level social work students indicate a preference for working with older clients. Using symbolic interactionism as a theoretical framework, this study sought to identify factors predictive of MSW students' interest in securing post-graduate geriatric employment. The contributions of closeness to elders, contact with elders, education, attitudes toward aging, and rewarding interactions with elders were examined. In the final model rewarding interactions with older clients, contact frequency, and geriatric skill level emerged as significant predictors of students' desire to pursue aging-related employment (F (8, 128) = 17.8, p < .0001, R² = .54). Implications for social work education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines pivotal events within the social work profession that have attempted to codify social work and gerontology curriculum. Key dilemmas in developing a common base of social work practice are identified. Similar debates that have occurred within gerontology curriculum are discussed along with recent developments in the advancement of gerontology content within the social work curriculum. The Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) SAGE-SW competencies are discussed and applied to the CSWE's Education and Policy Standards. Practice applications and future directions are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of computer training ill social work education will continue to increase as the profession becomes more globalized and technological. It is the authors' premise that social work education must include the integration of training in computer technology. One resource available to educators is the Internet. The world wide web contains a vast amount of information on policy and social issues. This article discusses the use of web based learning exercises to simultaneously teach social policy and enhance student computer skills. Two learning exercises are presented which are designed for use in social work policy courses. The authors present their teaching experiences and provide suggestions on using this approach in the classroom environment. Information on resources and useful URL's for policy research is included in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of rituals for healing purposes is documented in anthropological contexts and within Eastern and Western religions. Therapeutic rituals are used in a variety of clinical social work contexts, most notably with individuals, groups, and families. This article explores the use of therapeutic ritual on a community level with survivors of rape. This collective context promotes intrapersonal and interpersonal healing, challenges rape myths, and allows the expression of group values and shared meanings. The candlelight vigil and the stone‐throwing ceremony, two community healing rituals developed by the author, are presented as a method to promote individual and community growth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The integration of computer training within social work education is necessary for social workers to keep abreast of technological changes occurring within human service agencies. This article presents several techniques to integrate computer simulations and Internet research within the baccalaureate curriculum. Emphasis is placed on the use of these techniques to teach policy and macro practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Case management is an effective social work practice model widely used with elderly clients. However, its structure and orientation to service delivery can lead to ethical conflicts for the practitioner. This article discusses four types inherent in the case management model: autonomy vs. paternalism, fiduciary relationship to the agency vs. fiduciary relationship to the client, protection of client confidentiality vs. sharing client information, and distributive justice vs. injustice. Practice techniques are offered as a as a means to reduce ethical conflicts experienced by the practitioner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on issues related to quality of life for elders in the U.S. It examines the meaning of quality of life and two ethical principles--autonomy and beneficence. Quality of life refers to a concern for a person's well being in terms of physical, emotional, and spiritual. It involves efforts directed toward improving a person's existence with an emphasis on a good and meaningful life. Quality of life is equated with adequate income and material possessions, good physical health and quality of care, psychological rewards such as feelings of self-worth and self esteem, and social factors such as relationships with others, and communication. Autonomy refers to a group of ideas including self governance, individual liberty and independence, privacy, individual choice and self-regulation, while the principle of beneficence contains the notion that one increases the good for others while simultaneously decreasing harm. The article also presents several sections of the White House Conference on Aging's resolutions that relates with quality of life for elders in the U.S.