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Digital Storytelling as a pedagogical tool in higher education is still an emerging technology with great potential for growth and innovation. While there has been a growing interest in the pedagogies of storytelling, its adaptation in digital classrooms is not yet fully realized. This paper reports on a current project developed within the social work program that focuses on applying programmatic approach to assessment and curriculum design using digital storytelling. The project was designed to create safe and supported learning environment for students that encourages the development of practice skills while exploring sensitive topics and issues pertinent to working with children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Videoconferencing is considered an alternative to face-to-face consultations and a possibility to help overcome access-to-care barriers in mental health care services. Barriers to child and adolescent mental health services are particularly apparent in the case of children and adolescents receiving child welfare services. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of research on videoconferencing in the mental health treatment of children and adolescents receiving support from child welfare services. Methods: This scoping review follows the review framework outlined by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The following databases were searched from January 2012 to April 2024: Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL Plus, Social Services Abstracts (ProQuest), Sociological Abstracts (ProQuest), and Google Scholar. Results: The search yielded 4322 unique records and resulted in the inclusion of 22 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The studies originated from Denmark, England, Australia, Norway, Canada, Chile, and the USA, and were grouped into four areas: (1) videoconferencing to increase access to mental health treatment for vulnerable groups (2) young people's perspectives (3) videoconferencing in interdisciplinary collaborative meetings, and (4) use, awareness, and acceptance of videoconferencing among health and social care providers. Conclusions: This scoping review shows that if videoconferencing in mental health care is to become an established and trusted method aimed at children and adolescents receiving child welfare services, several unresolved and potentially negative issues need attention and more research. This particularly applies to whether videoconferencing decreases or exacerbates inequalities in access to mental health services. A further question is whether new barriers are raised by screen-based treatment to threaten good therapeutic relationships, and by extension treatment quality and clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruptive behavior during adolescence is linked to severe problems for the youths later in life and poses challenges to the families, schools, and treatment systems these youths meet. This randomized controlled trial was conducted to examine the short- and long-term effectiveness of functional family therapy (FFT) for adolescents aged 11–17 referred for disruptive behavior to Child Welfare Services in Norway. One hundred sixty-one youths (Mage = 14.7, 45.9% female) were randomly assigned to FFT (n = 88) or treatment as usual (TAU, n = 73). Primary outcomes were parent- and teacher-reported youth aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior, internalizing problems, and social skills; youth self-reported delinquency (SRD) and negative peer involvement; and teacher-reported academic performance and adaptive functioning. Outcomes were collected before treatment (pretest), 6 months after pretest (posttest), and 18 months after pretest (follow-up). The results showed no intervention effect for FFT compared to TAU between pretest and posttest (p >.05). Significant improvements between pretest and posttest were found for youth receiving both FFT and TAU on parent-reported aggressive and rule-breaking behavior, internalizing problems, and social skills (ranging from d = 0.56 to −0.45) and youth SRD (d = 0.29). Between posttest and follow-up, however, a significant intervention effect in favor of TAU was found for parent-reported youth internalizing (d = 0.27). Significant improvements between posttest and follow-up were also found for youth receiving both FFT and TAU on parent- and teacher-reported aggressive behavior. Findings did not support the hypothesized superiority of FFT over TAU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pilot trials, Finnish caseworkers in child welfare services used an AI tool predicting severe risks faced by their clients. Based on interviews with the caseworkers involved, this article draws on those trials to discuss AI valences, or the range of expectations of AI's value and performance, in social work and beyond. While AI travels across sites of application and sectors of society, its value is often expected to come from the production of anticipatory knowledge. The predictive AI tool used by Finnish caseworkers offers an example: it turned past data about clients into predictions about their future, with an aim of authorizing present interventions to optimize the future. In the pilot trials, however, AI met the practice of social work. In contrast to generic expectations of predictive performance, caseworkers had contextual expectations for AI, reflecting their situated knowledge about their field. For caseworkers, anticipation does not mean producing pieces of speculative knowledge about the future. Instead, for them, anticipation is a professional knowledge-making practice, based on intimate encounters with clients. Caseworkers therefore expect AI to produce contextually relevant information that can facilitate those interactions. This suggests that for AI developments to matter in social work, it is necessary to consider AI not as a tool that produces knowledge outcomes, but one that supports human experts' knowledge-making processes. More broadly, as AI tools enter new sensitive areas of application, instead of expecting generic value and performance from them, careful attention should be paid on contextual AI valences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) definitively identifies anti-racism as a necessary component of social work education. This change supports an effort to ensure that coming generations of social workers are more than culturally competent, but rather actively anti-racist in their practice across the micro, mezzo, and macro spectrum. While some social work programs have already embraced anti-racist education, many still have significant work to do. The fact remains that every accredited school will be required to make this shift to stay in compliance with CSWE accreditation once the newly ratified EPAS comes into effect. Although changes are expected of social work schools/programs, guidance on how to make such changes has been scarce. This paper provides an overview of what is meant by anti-racist social work education and why it is important, inclusive of emphasizing the difference between rhetoric and praxis. Based on a narrative review of the literature related to social work schools/programs in the U.S. and Canada that began incorporating anti-racism prior to EPAS 2022, suggestions for encouraging strategies within both the implicit and explicit curricula that align with anti-racist social work education are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the prevalence of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) among children involved with the child welfare system (CWS), trauma screening is not yet a common practice. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of embedding a formal trauma screening process in statewide multidisciplinary evaluations for CWS‐involved youth. A retrospective record review was conducted with two random samples of cases reflecting both pre‐ and postimplementation of formal screening procedures (n = 70 preimplementation, n = 100 postimplementation). Findings from the record review indicate statistically significant improvements in the documentation of general, χ2(1, N = 170) = 18.8, p <.001, and specific, χ2(1, N = 170) = 10.7, p =.001, details of children's reactions associated with PTE exposure, as well as increases in providers' recommendations, χ2(1, N = 170) = 18.1, p <.001, and referrals, χ2(1, N = 170) = 4.5, p =.034, for trauma‐focused services. The early identification of trauma‐related symptoms may help connect children more promptly to trauma‐informed evidence‐based interventions, which may avert or mitigate the long‐term sequelae of child maltreatment and CWS involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unaccompanied minors (UMs) are children under the age of 18 who settle in a foreign country without a legal representative. In France, many UMs are left unprotected from child welfare services because assessment systems evaluate that they are not minors. In Paris, the non-governmental organization Médecins du Monde (MdM) offers unprotected UMs medical, psychological, and social care. In March 2020, the lockdown policy to contain COVID-19 constrained MdM to adapt its care provision model. This case study sought to answer the following question: how did volunteers and employees of MdM respond to the social and health needs of unprotected UMs during the spring 2020 lockdown in Paris? We analyzed a cohort of 58 UMs for eight weeks of lockdown using secondary quantitative data. We further explored the UMs' needs and the experience of phone consultations, through 15 interviews with MdM's program volunteers and employees. Time series showed a steady increase in UMs' needs. The program's adapted care provision likely contributed to reducing UMs' feeling of isolation. It also had several negative consequences for unprotected UMs, volunteers, employees, and Médecins du Monde's institution. This study highlights the role of non-governmental organizations in providing a particularly vulnerable migrant population – unprotected UMs – care and support, despite operational challenges in crisis times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Norwegian youth in out‐of‐home care move three times as frequently as their peers. Such placement instability is linked to negative outcomes in terms of social attachment, well‐being, educational achievements, health, and future opportunities. Norway implemented a new child welfare service reform in 2022 that increased the municipalities responsibilities for out‐of‐home care. The "incentive package" and "Barneløftet" were measures implemented to prepare the municipalities for these changes. This study evaluates how the implemented measures affect the number of moves within out‐of‐home care in Trøndelag county. An event‐study design with difference‐in‐difference estimates was used to study the effect of the measures. The data are Norwegian registers that include most children in out‐of‐home care from 2013 to 2021. The findings of this study indicate that increased support for foster care homes significantly reduces the number of moves. Increased placement stability is associated with an increased sense of belonging, thus facilitating positive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education prioritizes the use of research to inform practice. As university students, prospective social workers have a wealth of research available to them as well as librarians to help them find, evaluate, and use that information. However, access to much of this research ends once the student graduates--at a time when it is most needed to inform their professional practice. To address this challenge, a librarian and a social work faculty member worked with one class of students in their final semester of a bachelor's degree in social work program to promote awareness of information privilege and barriers to access, to expand their understanding of authority to include marginalized voices, and to utilize an open pedagogy assignment as a means of proactively addressing these challenges. This article describes what was learned from this effort, including the results of surveys conducted with students before and after instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the social significance of children's work in cashew supply chain activities in Ghana. Using survey and semi-structured interviews, we gathered data from 218 children working in cashew supply chain activities in Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis approach. The results show that children's involvement in various stages of cashew supply chain activities is highly gendered. Working in cashew supply chain allowed children to gain farming and life skills, earn income to meet some school expenses, and support household livelihood building efforts. Work allowed children to meet their peers outside of the home economy to engage in conversational activities that are not easily supplied by leisure activities. While there are perceived negative implications of children's work on schooling, we conclude by reiterating the need for policy to recognise the significant learning opportunities and social interaction for children working on family cashew farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 exacerbated the plight of street-connected children. This qualitative study was conducted to elucidate child welfare service providers' (CWSPs) experiences regarding the massive impact of COVID-19 on street-connected children in Dhaka city of Bangladesh. Ten CWSPs with direct experience of serving street-connected children during the pandemic were recruited purposively. Findings unveil that government administrative actions taken through lockdowns and restrictions disrupted the lives and livelihood of street-connected children. The pandemic situation caused job losses and restricted children's opportunities to earn, and intensified their sufferings from hunger, homelessness, and physical and sexual abuse. The children were displaced and detached from their peer network. They were deprived of education, healthcare, social services, and treatment facilities. Despite the risks of COVID-19 and movement restrictions, CWSPs came forward to serve the children with food aid and emergency services in collaboration with a few community-based voluntary organizations. However, the services were not enough to address children's needs and problems. Findings suggest that CWSPs should adopt strategies for community engagement and multi-stakeholder collaboration to provide better services to the street-connected children during emergencies. A mixed methods research focusing on child maltreatment could be helpful for better understanding of children's sufferings during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines archival documents, government papers and newspaper reports relating to the first three years of the government-run child welfare system in the Australian colony of Victoria (1864–1866) to present a case study that explores how historians might use emotion as a conceptual tool for engaging with the humanity of marginalised voices from the past, particularly for periods beyond living memory. It argues that studying emotion in public debate reveals important information about the (limited) ways in which colonial society valued vulnerable children of the poor, and that despite the systematic silencing of children within child welfare records, there remain opportunities to connect with their humanity. Through a case study approach, the article demonstrates that emotion can be a tool for developing a contrapuntal reading of sources that present different – sometimes directly contradictory – narratives of events. Thus, the article makes a contribution to the social history of child welfare and also offers approaches to understanding the humanity of people from the past that will be of interest to social historians more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-to-Peer Kinship Navigation (P2PKN) employs someone with lived kinship caregiving experience in providing support to others experiencing similar challenges. This study examines if P2PKN improves concrete resource benefits application and enrollment and how it compares to other study groups (peer-to-peer plus innovations, formally trained kinship navigators, and usual child welfare services). Using data from the Children's Home Network Kinship Navigator randomized control trial, this study compared the application and enrollment data for kinship caregivers in Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) Child Only Program for different types of kinship care program groups. Study findings revealed that P2PKN excelled at connecting caregivers to concrete resources and had significantly higher TANF application and enrollment rates than other groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helping children and parents remain together, despite significant parent or child problems, is a key objective of child welfare services. One option is to place whole families together into out-of-home settings. We searched peer-reviewed and gray literature and solicited input from international networks to identify the range of family placement programs available. We identified three key types of "shared family care." Shared Family Foster Care (SFFC) involves sharing of care and intensive modeling of effective parenting by a host family that engages in mentoring of the parent and parenting of the child. Shared Residential Care (SRC) programs involve sharing of care and intensive modeling of effective parenting by professional staff as they engage parents and children in what had often been child-only residential programs. Family Residential Treatment Programs (FRT) also place parents and children in residence together. FRT programs are often aligned with inpatient treatment units. Active programs that illustrate each type are described. Through this typology and detailed information of currently active shared family care programs, policymakers and program designers can consider which kinds of programs have the most potential for implementation and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews the institutional concepts associated with child protection in Bogota, Colombia, from the 16th century to the present, and studies how these concepts merged with the neoliberal discourse at the beginning of the 21st century in the care practices that are carried out. The article shows how state institutions in charge of child protection base their activities on ideological representations that involve techniques of control, surveillance and punishment of domestic units, which are presented as dysfunctional insofar as the children are seen as vulnerable. The article concludes that this exercise perpetuates social and spatial segregation in the city to legitimise the governance of child care. Ethnographic work carried out in the period between 2012 and 2017 in the Centro Único de Recepción de Niños (Unique Child Reception Centre) in Bogotá, is taken as a point of reference for the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the tension between the child's best interests principle and children's participation and examines the inherent challenges and different approaches to reconcile the dilemma in law and practice: how can children's best interests be reconciled with their right to be heard? By exploring different systems' institutional approaches and empirical ability to implement and honour children's right to participation in national contexts, this article reviews the literature and suggests a framework for understanding participation through a lens of a global typology of child protection systems. Drawing on the conceptual and empirical reviews and elements from the deliberative ideal for decision-making, the article concludes by drawing up a sketch for a best interest model for meaningful, respectful and successful participation with global applicability. The model aims to enhance children's citizenship and legitimacy of decision-making in child protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on interviews, this article explores how the monitoring of foster homes is experienced by children and youths who have been exposed to what they consider abusive behaviour by foster parents. Using a thematic narrative theoretical framework, the article shows that a common narrative in the youths' accounts is a story of mistrust towards social workers and monitoring officers, which relates to a general mistrust towards the child welfare service. The young individuals are reluctant to tell monitoring officers about how they truly experience their situation in their foster home. At the same time, some of the youths have difficulty comprehending what normal parenting behaviour is like, due to previous experiences of neglect from adults. The article discusses how successful monitoring of foster homes largely stands or falls on the children's and youths' ability to disclose their experiences to their supervisors and monitoring officers. We argue that the youths' narratives tell a story of disempowerment. This represents a dilemma in the monitoring of Norwegian foster homes and in the children's right to protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the government purchase of social services in China as a window by which to investigate the evolving relations between the party-state and social organizations. Going beyond the conventional focus on state–non-governmental organization (NGO) dynamics in urban areas, we explore the expanded role of social organizations in rural service provision under state-led campaigns of rural modernization. Engaging with institutional theory and the consultative authoritarianism thesis, we argue that NGOs initially operated in an emerging organizational field where they exercised considerable autonomy in setting agendas and designing services. As the party-state's incentives to utilize and co-opt the social work profession grow, however, we observe a trend towards incorporation, wherein social workers now play a bigger role alongside the strengthening of state control over the sector. Through tracing the inception and eventual termination of a decade-long social service project in Guangdong, this article shows how state incorporation might undermine the future role of NGOs in rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on findings of an international scoping review of literature on social work in libraries. The review explored how social work is practised in libraries, and barriers and facilitators to embedding professional social work within public libraries. Using a literature search protocol, databases were systematically searched, and results refined through several phases of data screening, resulting in 16 articles eligible for inclusion. The dataset was thematically analysed by the research team. Data analysis revealed that most articles emanate from research undertaken in metropolitan settings in the United States, and that empirical research has typically been small-scale, using qualitative or mixed methods. Most articles described social work as multidimensional, including direct contact roles with library visitors, as well as indirect practice with library staff for professional development purposes. In the dataset, authors acknowledged the changing role of libraries that sees a greater focus on addressing social justice issues with increasingly diverse populations of library visitors and their evolving needs - a focus in common with social workers' practice. Authors identified opportunities and challenges regarding interprofessional collaboration between social workers and library staff, including role boundaries and sustainability. Building on these themes, implications for future research and interprofessional practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procurement is a widely adopted collaborative approach for acquiring new systems in the public sector. It exemplifies a situation in which the early stages of digital system design define the boundaries and constraints of a new system that must be specified in the tender document (i.e., a binding offer). Researchers and government officials have long recognized the benefit of end-user participation in system design. Given the central role of the pre-tender phases in procurement processes, however, there is a need to better understand what affects user participation in such early stages. In this paper, we research a procurement process in municipal Child Welfare Services in Norway. We focus on caseworkers' participation in procuring a future case management system. We build on the concept of participatory infrastructuring to characterize how the meaning of participation was shaped through three overarching participatory infrastructuring practices of decision-making within a rigid procurement process: (i) scaling up the project, (ii) negotiating participation in meetings with potential suppliers and in tender documents, and (iii) positioning caseworkers as subject experts. The analysis of these practices reveals that the definition of user needs in the tender documentation and the creation of knotworks define both the boundary conditions and the modalities of participation. We contribute to the conversation on participatory infrastructuring in Computer-Supported Cooperative Work by discussing how participatory infrastructuring provides a conceptual understanding of participation in the context of municipal systems procurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the question of whether the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School is still the most effective theoretical framework for current social and empirical work. The author identifies challenges to the continuation of this tradition, including internal divisions within the Frankfurt School and diverse interpretations of its philosophical foundations. They also highlight three challenges resulting from societal and intellectual changes: the colonial past of Western societies, the ecological crisis, and uncertainties about interdisciplinary research. The author suggests that reconfiguring social categories and developing new terms and notions may be necessary to address these challenges, raising the question of whether this revised social theory would still be in continuity with the Frankfurt School's social theory. The article argues that the Frankfurt School's social theory has limitations, particularly in relation to alternative perspectives on nature and the need for interdisciplinary research. The author proposes a thorough revision and adaptation of the interdisciplinary research program and social theory, emphasizing the importance of critical analysis and interdisciplinary research in understanding and overcoming social domination. [Extracted from the article]

The DBH professional association offers various events on current topics in social work, offender assistance, and criminal policy in the year 2024. These continuing education and further training opportunities are primarily aimed at employees in probation services, supervisory probation, correctional facilities, forensic clinics, and other interested individuals. Webinars on the use of artificial intelligence in criminal law, a conference on supervisory probation, workshops on the Good Lives Model and intercultural competence in working with offenders, as well as a professional discussion on supported housing after release from prison are offered. Additionally, there is a web seminar on migration law and its impact on the practice of probation and offender assistance. The DBH information provides information on a webinar series on various topics in the field of probation and offender assistance. The webinars cover topics such as domestic violence, supervisory probation, human rights-oriented social work, establishing contact and motivation, confidentiality and trust protection, social administrative law and citizen's income, as well as current empirical findings from desistance research. Seminars on de-escalation methods and techniques are also offered. Further information and registration options can be found on the website www.dbhonline.de. [Extracted from the article]

The increased national focus on racism and white supremacy has encouraged social workers to look more closely at racism in the profession, which includes racism that occurs in social work education. This study specifically examines social work students' experiences with racism in social work classes. A convenience sample of current and former students (n = 293) provided quantitative and qualitative responses to a survey that was sent to social work programs and posted on social work-related websites. Findings indicated that half of the students of color and one-third of the white students experienced or witnessed racist incidents in social work classes, perpetrated by students and faculty alike. Though the vast majority of respondents noted that the classroom generally was a safe environment to discuss race, and that they felt comfortable voicing concerns about racism, only half of the incidents were addressed, and it was usually students, not faculty, who raised concerns about the incidents. Through centering student voices, this study supports the need for actions to be taken by schools of social work to prevent and to address racism in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A second touchstone of Burghardt's critique is social work educators' abdication of defending the profession against the neoliberal onslaught. A third component of Burghardt's critique is our field's disregard for social workers' job quality: the exploitatively low pay, modest or no benefits, and punishing working conditions. Second, social work schools should embody just and fair labor practices, and social work teaching jobs should be good jobs. [Extracted from the article]

Left-behind children are one of the main issues in China's child welfare services. The change in the family environment has destroyed these children's original levels of resilience. Hence social service and support from social organizations are needed. The study examines the impact of different types of social support social organizations provide to enhance the resilience of left-behind children in rural China. Types of social support analyzed include material, mental, informational, behavioral, and social interaction support. Data was collected from 384 rural left-behind children using a pre-coded questionnaire. Respondents were randomly selected from Guangxi, China in 2022. They had an average age of 12.781 years, with 45.83% male and 54.17% female. Multiple linear regression was used to conduct an empirical analysis of the different types of social support provided by social organizations. The results found that material, mental, informational, and behavioral support provided by social organizations had significant effects on the resilience of rural left-behind children in China. Further research should be conducted on the importance of providing material, mental, informational, and behavioral support to left-behind children to better help improve their resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2024 Frank R. Breul Memorial Prize has been awarded to Jessica Pac, Sophie Collyer, Lawrence Berger, Kirk O'Brien, Elizabeth Parker, Peter Pecora, Whitney Rostad, Jane Waldfogel, and Christopher Wimer for their article "The Effects of Child Poverty Reductions on Child Protective Services Involvement." The article demonstrates that certain policy packages aimed at reducing child poverty could also decrease investigations by child protective services (CPS) by up to 19.7 percent. The policies could particularly benefit Black and Hispanic children, addressing racial disparities within CPS systems. The prize is awarded annually for the best article published in the Social Service Review (SSR) in the previous year. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Video consultations has been suggested to lower the threshold for child and adolescent mental healthcare treatment. This study explores how young people receiving child welfare services experience video consultations in child and adolescent mental healthcare. The study is part of a larger Norwegian study of access to health services for this target group. Methods: The study has a mixed methods design including qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey, with young people receiving child welfare services. The qualitative interviews included 10 participants aged 15–19. The survey included 232 participants aged 16–24 of which 36 reported having received video consultations in mental healthcare. The interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey data was presented as frequencies to clarify the distribution of positive and negative perceptions of video consultation. Results: The results show that the participants experienced video consultations as more superficial and less binding, compared to in-person sessions. They raised concerns of the therapeutic relationship, however some found it easier to regulate closeness and distance. In the survey several reported that their relationship with the therapist got worse, and that it was much more difficult to talk on screen. Moreover, a large proportion (42%) claimed that video consultations did not fit their treatment needs overall. However, a minority of the participants found it easier to talk to the therapist on screen. Conclusions: The study reveals important weaknesses and disadvantages of online therapy as experienced by young people receiving child welfare services. It is particularly worrying that their criticism involves the relational aspects of treatment, as children receiving child welfare services often have relational experiences which make them particularly sensitive to challenges in relationships. This study shows that youth involvement in decision making of video consultations in therapy has been rare. Clinicians should be aware of these young people's doubts regarding the quality of video consultations in child and adolescent mental health care. Further studies should examine how user involvement can be incorporated in video consultations in therapy and how this could improve experiences and the quality of video consultations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social workers use interventions in the expectation that they will make a positive difference for their clients. However, research about the effectiveness of interventions is typically presented at the group level, which places great demands on social workers' ability to apply such results to the needs of individual clients. Further, the content and effects of "service as usual" (SAU) interventions that social workers typically offer are often not known, making it difficult for social workers to identify what aspects of the intervention any client change can be attributed to. Using indicators of clinically meaningful change (CMC) strengthens social workers' ability to identify what, if anything, works in any given intervention for their individual clients, and also motivates their curiosity to identify the efficacious components of SAU. CMC refers to changes in an individual's outcome measures that are reliable or are large enough to be considered "important." We present five indicators to analyze CMC in a child's psychological well-being measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and illustrate their use with two empirical examples from the project Me and My Foster Family. The examples demonstrated that conclusions regarding CMC can vary depending on the indicator used, the baseline assessment, and the magnitude of raw-score change on the measured outcome. To assess change at the individual level it is important to address questions of measurement reliability and the yardstick for judging when a change is large enough to be considered "important." Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced Academic Support (EAS) is an intervention designed to improve academic achievement among children who receive support from the child welfare services (CWSs) in the home. We investigated the effects of EAS in a randomized controlled trial in Norway. In total, 82 families who received support from the CWS were included in the study (37 in the intervention group, 45 in the comparison group). Both groups were invited to a pretest, posttest, and follow‐up measure of the children's math and reading skills, their teachers' evaluation of their academic competence, and of parental involvement in children's education. CWS workers, parents, and children reported the dosage of academic support received. In the intervention group, 48% of families received the threshold dosage of EAS needed for the intervention to be considered as delivered. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention and comparison group on the children's math and reading skills, or their teachers' evaluation of the children's academic competence. Given the variation in intervention delivery and the limited statistical power, limited conclusions about the effect of EAS can be made. Important lessons from implementation in CWS and on conducting a pragmatic randomized trial are discussed. Practitioner Points: We investigated the effects of Enhanced Academic Support in a randomized controlled trialThere were no differences between the intervention and comparison group on the children's math and reading skills, or their academic competenceThe lack of effects may be due to variation in intervention delivery and the limited statistical power, and important lessons from the trial are discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Confusion over what constitutes appropriate childrearing practices in culturally diverse settings may result in the stigmatization of ethnic minority families and over-reporting to child welfare services. This study explored stakeholders' views on (in)adequate supervision across cultural and socioeconomic groups and how they assess the risk of harm in cases of lack of supervision. Focus group discussions were held with (a) adult caregivers (n = 39) and adolescents (n = 63) in family-based care from French-speaking Quebecers and migrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, and South Asia; and (b) professionals (n = 67) in the education, health, child welfare, and security sectors in Quebec. The main criteria used to assess the appropriateness of supervision were the maturity, level of ability, age, and sex of the child, as well as contextual factors, such as proximity of other people, location, and type and duration of the activity. Mobility and immobility notions are used to explore the developmental considerations of competence and readiness within the home and in other social environments where adults' and children's perceptions of safety and maturity may differ, as well as the need to move away from rigid policy implementation. This paper advocates for careful consideration of the capacity and agency of children affected by migration in the provision of childcare support and their meaningful participation in research and decision making in matters that affect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing social problems from a feminist perspective is an important step in creating more just and equitable societies, bringing to light the unknown aspects of the problems and their power relations and raising awareness at micro and macro levels. Rereading a question on a feminist level makes it essential for women to be the starting point and to address all the negativities created by patriarchal, oppressive and hierarchical relationships. The anti-coercive, empowering and emancipatory paradigms of social work are parallel to the philosophy and arguments of feminist theory. This study aimed to address the problem of sexual abuse from a feminist perspective, whose complexity and discretion are intertwined and manifested similarly, albeit with different dynamics, in many societies. In this context, the study draws attention to the relationship between feminist theory, social work and sexual abuse through the literature review, and offers suggestions on how to gain a feminist perspective on micro, mezzo and macro-level social work interventions with children and their families who have been subjected to sexual abuse and how feminist approach can be in practice and to present discussion to practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field education provides students with the opportunity to supplement classroom learning with the hands-on practice needed to be successful after graduation. However, in recent years, field education has encountered several challenges including a changing societal environment, placement scarcity in the face of increased enrollment, and strict guidelines for the provision of adequate supervision. In response to these challenges, semi-structured qualitative interviews with 35 social work field education coordinators, directors, faculty liaisons, field instructors and field supervisors were conducted throughout the prairie region of Canada between July and December of 2020. These interviews were aimed at determining innovative, promising, and wise practices that would address the various challenges in the provision of field education while also providing a pathway forward to the transformation of more sustainable social work field education practices. Findings indicate that there is a need for additional supervision strategies and increased flexibility within field placements, as well as a greater focus on the need for decolonization within the social work field education sphere. The emergence of COVID-19 was also discussed as both an exasperating factor within the current field education system while simultaneously creating an opportunity to reevaluate and restructure current field education practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2010, changes were made to the Norwegian Health Personnel Act. This led to all health personnel being obliged to support the patients' children and families. The aims of this study were to investigate whether health personnel contacted or referred the patients' children to family/friends or public services. We also investigated if there were factors in the family or the services that increased or decreased the degree of contacts and referrals. In addition the patients were asked whether the law had been a help or even a burden. This study was part of a larger multi-site study of children of ill parents conducted in five health trusts in Norway. Method: We used cross-sectional data from 518 patients and 278 health personnel. The informants completed a questionnaire addressing the law. Data were analyzed by factor analysis and logistic regression. Results: The health personnel contacted/referred children to different services, but not to the degree desired by their parents. Only a few contacted family/friends, or the school and/or the public health nurse, those representing the helpers who live closest to the child, and thus well situated to participate in help and preventive efforts. The service most often referred to was the child welfare service. Conclusion: The results indicate a change in contacts/referrals for children from their parents' health personnel but also reveal remaining needs for support/help for these children. Health personnel should strive to write more referrals and take more contacts than the current study suggests, to secure adequate support for children of ill parents in Norway, as intended in The Health Personnel Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: High turnover rates have been a problem for Norwegian child welfare and protection services for years. The main aim of this study was to identify which factors affect Norwegian child welfare and protection (CWP) workers intention to quit their job and whether there is a difference between experienced (< 3 years) and less experienced workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 225 Norwegian child welfare and protection workers. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Turnover intention was examined using a variety of job demands and resources as possible predictors. T tests were used to study mean differences in variable scores between experienced and less experienced workers and linear regression analysis was employed determining predictors of intention to quit. Results: For the total sample (N = 225) the most important predictors for intention to quit were workload, burnout, engagement, and views on leadership. Higher emotional exhaustion and cynicism, and low professional efficacy predicted a higher score on the intention to quit scale. High engagement and leadership satisfaction predicted lower scores. The effect of workload was moderated, such that intention to quit among less experienced workers increased more with high workload than it did among more experienced child welfare workers. Conclusions: The conclusions are that job demands affect experienced and less experienced CWP workers differently and that when designing preventive efforts to reduce turnover this must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a close analysis of the feature film What Will People Say (2017) by the Norwegian-Pakistani director Iram Haq through the lens of shame as a filmic emotion experienced both by the Pakistani mother in the film and by the Norwegian majority viewers. The film's reception reveals a polarized discourse that pitches the Norwegian majority against minority women and builds up the myth that shame in contemporary Norway exists primarily as an import phenomenon in diasporic communities such as that of the Pakistanis. My analysis shows how paying careful attention to the Pakistani mother's role in the story and the Pakistani family's interactions with the Norwegian Child Welfare Services becomes a productive avenue to challenge the polarized discourse and build up a sense of mutuality and community in multicultural Norway. In essence, the article shows how Norwegian majority viewers can share the shame of Pakistani minority women when they are willing to approach the mother's shame as more than simply a twin sister of honour and embrace their own embarrassment at the way the Norwegian Child Welfare Services treat the film's main character, a Norwegian-Pakistani teenage girl whose family sends her to Pakistan against her own will. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite the gains on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), recent nationwide surveys have consistently revealed a decline in EBF rates in Ghana. The World Food Programme implemented an intervention for Enhanced Nutrition and Value Chain (ENVAC) which was based on three pillars including pregnant women, lactating women, adolescent and children under two years old being beneficiaries of the third pillar since the first 1000 days are critical for averting malnutrition. The social behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions implemented as part of this project have a potential to increase EBF among beneficiaries but this has not been measured. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of EBF practice among mothers with children under two years old who were beneficiaries of the ENVAC project and its associated factors in northern Ghana. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 339 mother-child pairs in two districts of the northern region of Ghana. Participants were mother-child pairs who benefitted from the ENVAC project, which used SBCC strategies to promote good feeding and care practices as well as address other causes of malnutrition during antenatal care and child welfare clinic services among pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children under two years. We used WHO standard questionnaire to assess breastfeeding practices. Factors associated with EBF were modelled using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Exclusive breastfeeding was 74.6% (95%CI = 69.5% -79.2%) in the ENVAC project areas, a 31.7% points higher than recent national levels. Adjusted analyses showed that EBF practice was associated with increasing maternal education: moderately educated women [aOR = 4.1 (95% CI = 2.17–7.66), P<0.001], and high [aOR = 9.15, (95% CI = 3.3–25.36), P<0.001], and access to pipe-borne water in households [aOR = 2.87, (95% CI = 1.11–7.43), P = 0.029]. Conclusion: A social behaviour change communication strategy implemented by ENVAC to lactating mothers likely improved exclusive breastfeeding practice in two districts of northern Ghana. EBF practices were higher among beneficiaries with high education and households with access to pipe-borne water. A combination of SBCC strategies and maternal and household factors are likely the best way to increase EBF rates in impoverished communities and warrants further investigation through future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation of evidence‐based programs (EBPs) to a new cultural setting is often preferred over the comprehensive process of developing a new program. Intervention fidelity has been suggested as a predictor of successful transportation. The present study examined whether fidelity and parent behavior improved when implementing the U.S.‐developed Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch‐up (ABC) intervention in Norwegian child welfare services (CWS). 11 child welfare workers received training and supervision to become ABC parent coaches. Fidelity was assessed through video‐recordings of parent coaches' in vivo feedback at each home‐visit session. Parent sensitive behavior was assessed using video‐recordings of parent–child interactions, recorded before each ABC session. Mixed effects modeling showed that ABC fidelity increased over the course of training and supervision. Furthermore, parent behavior improved over the course of families' exposure to the intervention. These demonstrate that an EBP transported to a novel cultural setting can obtain promising levels of fidelity and intervention outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If a child's well-being is at risk of considerable harm within their own family, state institutions usually intervene. In severe cases, the parents' right to rear is suspended. Cases of risk assessment and potential state intervention are decided within a conflict between parents' rights and claims of children for protection. There is, we argue, a standard model of normative assessment underlying these decisions: It rests on premises rooted in classic liberal political philosophy, which is prevalent in many Western societies, such as a strong commitment to individualism, a separation of private and public, or a conceptualization of children as lacking the status of full right holders. We proceed in three steps. Based on cases in social work and child welfare offices, firstly, the article proposes an inductive approach to describe the problem. Second, we point out the most critical problems and shortcomings of the standard model. On this basis, third, we develop an alternative, pragmatistic perspective on child welfare and state intervention. It argues that child welfare must be understood more broadly as a societal concern than merely as a matter of the legitimacy of state intervention. A practice-oriented section follows to show what conclusions can be drawn from our alternative model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on social work services provided to children at hospitals remain limited. This study reports the status of social work service provision for children at several hospitals in Vietnam and identifies any influencing factors. This study involved thirty in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Most of the hospitals in this study provided the following social work services: support and consultation services for social work-related problems for children, health education and communication services, resource mobilization and coordination services, and health worker support services. The study found factors that hinder the provision of social work services for children at Vietnam's hospitals. Moreover, central and provincial hospitals deployed better social work services for children than district hospitals, with more favorable factors at central and provincial hospitals. Pediatric specialty hospitals provided better social work services for children than general hospitals, with more favorable factors at pediatric specialty hospitals. The findings are a useful reference for policy makers, researchers, and policy makers worldwide. Future studies should pay more attention to differences in hospital levels and types of hospitals in providing social work services to children from the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of the first survey-based study in Portugal about the level of involvement of social workers in social policies, aiming to determine if policy practice is embedded in Portuguese social workers' professional practice and which factors may enhance or constraint such practice. Combining the Civic Voluntarism Model by Verba and colleagues and the Policy Practice Engagement Model by Gal and Weiss-Gal, which were considered as the main predictors of social workers' engagement in policy practice, this study followed a quantitative approach, based on 265 valid answers to an online survey obtained through snowball sampling. The findings showed a low level of engagement in policy practice activities among the social workers, especially those requiring a greater public exposure and acting with the media, policymakers, or public officers to share opinions, make a proposition, or report a problem. Considering the main factors of the socio-political context, the professional context, the organisational context, and individual factors, the findings showed that individual factors explained most of the differences in the social workers' involvement in policy practice, especially when considering interest and efficacy. This study pointed out the need for further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence-based interventions, which are typically supported by data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs), are highly valued by providers of human services like child welfare. However, implementing such interventions in the context of a randomized clinical trial is a complex process, as conducting an RCT adds extra tasks for providers and complicating factors for provider organizations. Utilizing the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment Framework, this study examines factors that facilitate or impede success in the implementation of evidence-based interventions in the context of a largescale trial of SafeCare,® a child maltreatment intervention. Methods: Qualitative data were obtained as part of a larger mixed-methods study involving a cluster randomized trial comparing SafeCare to usual services for caregivers within nine child welfare agencies across four states. Between May and October 2017, individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 21 child welfare administrators and 24 supervisors, and 19 focus groups were conducted with 84 providers. Data were coded iteratively and grouped into themes. Results: Several interconnected themes centered on facilitators and barriers to SafeCare implementation in the context of a randomized clinical trial. Facilitators included: (1) Benefits afforded through RCT participation; (2) Shared vision and sustained buy-in across system and organizational levels; and (3) Ongoing leadership support for SafeCare and the RCT. Barriers that hindered SafeCare were: (1) Insufficient preparation to incorporate SafeCare into services; (2) Perceived lack of fit, leading to mixed support for SafeCare and the RCT; and (3) Requirements of RCT participation at the provider level. Conclusions: These data yield insight into an array of stakeholder perspectives on the experience of implementing a new intervention in the context of a largescale trial. This research also sheds light on how the dynamics of conducting an RCT may affect efforts to implement interventions in complex and high-pressure contexts. Findings highlight the importance of aligning knowledge and expectations among researchers, administrators of organizations, and supervisors and providers. Researchers should work to alleviate the burdens of study involvement and promote buy-in among frontline staff not only for the program but also for the research itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the help of Cite Space software, the authors analyze the research hotspots related to the “double reduction” policy and social work, and then discuss the feasibility of social work to help the “double reduction” policy of education. The mechanism and relationship between ecosystem theory and social work practice are explained, and the changes of student-centered education ecology from the perspective of ecosystem theory are analyzed. From the perspective of ecosystem theory, the authors propose that social work can attempt to intervene education from the levels of students’ micro system, intermediate system, outer system and macro system, social work can serve the “double reduction” policy by way of assistance, coordination, link and feedback. Finally, combined with the development status of school social work, from the perspective of concept, system, organization and funds, they put forward some suggestions on the embedded development of social work to help the “double reduction” policy of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way of delivering social services in primary care settings all over the world. In March 2020 the lockdowns in every European country forced the population to adjust their lives to the new scenario. Welfare states had to quickly respond to the urgent social and economic needs of the citizens. Therefore, social workers were compelled to modify their standard procedures to overcome the difficulties they faced during the first months after lockdown orders were issued due to COVID-19. The present research analyzes the interviews conducted with twelve Spanish social workers to find out their perceptions and concerns about the consequences of that period. Results showed great changes in the way of delivering social services (simplifying procedures and managing an increasing workload), but also demonstrated different strategies that these professionals implemented to prevent burnout or compassion fatigue (team spirit, efforts to develop interinstitutional coordination, support to civil society in non-profit initiatives). Implications in organizational aspects are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the case in I Torn Apart i is by no means airtight, Roberts makes an argument that deserves serious engagement that, taken as a whole, the child welfare system's exercise of state power as directed at Black communities is abusive. In addition to the empirical evidence base, a defense of child welfare should also return to whether first principles can be used to justify state child welfare systems, especially in light of Roberts's challenge, and state those principles explicitly. I Torn Apart i serves as bill of particulars itemizing a number of moral claims against the child welfare system and as a prayer for relief where Roberts outlines remedies to address racial disparities in the system. [Extracted from the article]

The development and implementation of interventions to prevent child maltreatment (CM) is particularly challenging in view of the numerous stressors experienced by families within the child welfare system (CWS). Difficulties engaging families, particularly those who are most vulnerable, can lead to lower program dose and poorer outcomes. This qualitative study, conducted as part of a larger process evaluation, explored participant perspectives of a newly developed, multi-component, community-based intervention designed to reduce the risk of CM in families with young children. The study involved one-to-one interviews with a sub-sample of mothers (n = 12) recruited through statutory and community-based social work services. Several brief program satisfaction questionnaires were also completed by parents. Mothers reported a stronger parent–child bond and greater use of positive parenting strategies (e.g. improved communication and discipline strategies) following the intervention. Facilitator and group support emerged as strong themes throughout the interviews and were important factors in facilitating engagement and reducing drop-out. High levels of program satisfaction were also reported. The study findings demonstrate how a multi-component program, which combines an evidence-based treatment (EBT) with community-based supports, may offer a promising approach for social work practitioners in reducing CM and in better meeting the more complex needs of families within the CWS. However, a more thorough understanding of the factors which promote program engagement and retention, is crucial to maximizing the benefits of interventions designed to support more vulnerable families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally there has been a movement to reform investigative work in child welfare and protection systems. These reforms have aimed to introduce national frameworks that systematize the way assessments are carried out. Several reports have identified shortcomings in the way that child protection investigations are carried out in Norway. Consequently, there is a need for improvement. However, an attempt to change practice within an organization has little hope of succeeding unless the organization implementing the new practice accepts that a change in practice is needed. The aim of this study was to examine child protection agency managers' views on the advantages and disadvantages related to implementation of an assessment framework in Norway. Electronic survey questionnaires were distributed to the managers of all Norwegian child protection services. The response rate was 68% (N = 217). The majority agreed that the use of an assessment framework is helpful in child welfare and protection services investigations in general, and helpful in terms of facilitating child and family participation. This study indicates that some prerequisites would need to be present for successful implementation of an assessment framework: training, supervision and ongoing support, and sufficient resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides brief biographical information about several authors who have contributed to the field of philosophy, psychiatry, and psychology. The authors come from diverse backgrounds and have expertise in various areas, such as neurodiversity, tic disorders, phenomenology, psychiatry, addiction, schizophrenia, and functional somatic disorders. Their research focuses on understanding and exploring different aspects of mental health and human experiences. [Extracted from the article]

Drawing on research with Inuit mothers from Arviat, Nunavut, this article explores child welfare social services in Nunavut, Canada. Since its inception in the 1950s, the state's model for child welfare has always been at odds with Nunavummiut life, culture, and beliefs. This article highlights how the design and execution of model of child welfare has provided the majority of decision-making power to Qallunaat (non-Inuit). Through an examination of the experiences of Arviarmiut mothers (Inuit mothers from Arviat, Nunavut), this article considers this model of child welfare in light of how it contributes to fear and a lack of understanding concerning child welfare involvement, as well as its impact on child and family well-being. Based within literature that supports the development of an alternative Indigenous model to child welfare, this study offers critical insights concerning child welfare within Inuit communities in Arctic Canada, and describes Arviarmiut mothers' recommendations for an Inuit-developed and -led, culturally centered model of child and family wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]