bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Ratification of Inadequate Surrogate Motherhood Agreements and the Best Interest of the Child
Authors: Baase Mathabo
Published: June 2019

South Africa has developed domestic legislation governing all surrogacy matters within the country. These provisions are contained in Chapter 19 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005.

In Ex parte MS; In re: Confirmation of Surrogate Motherhood Agreement 2014 2 All SA 312 (GNP), the commissioning parents did not adhere to the requirement provided by Chapter 19. The parties to the (initially informal) surrogacy agreement authorised the artificial fertilisation of the surrogate mother prior to the confirmation of the surrogate motherhood agreement by the court. In considering the best interest of the resultant child, the High Court decided to ratify the inadequate surrogate motherhood agreement.

This discussion aims to establish whether the court's judgement in Ex parte MS; In re: Confirmation of Surrogate Motherhood Agreement 2014 2 All SA 312 (GNP) was in accordance with the provisions of current legislation and case law. It furthermore aims to answer two primary questions: firstly, whether adjudicators should make use of the best interest of the child when ratifying inadequate surrogate motherhood agreements; and secondly, in what manner the court should go about implementing the best interest of the child when validating inadequate surrogate motherhood agreements.

It is submitted that courts should refrain from applying the best interest of the child as a constitutional right in inadequate surrogacy matters where the child is yet to be born alive, in accordance with the Digesta Texts. Parties to the invalid agreement should rather be instructed to make use of a section 22 parental responsibilities and rights agreement, a section 28 termination agreement, or adoption as provided for by chapter 15 of the Children's Act.
Household energy needs and utilization patterns in the Giyani rural communities of Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Masekoameng KE , Simalenga TE , Saidi T
Published: June 2019

A study was conducted in the rural communities of the Giyani district in Limpopo Province, with the aim of identifying types of energy resources used and the patterns of utilization of such energy sources. Surveys were conducted in three villages and semi-structured questionnaires were used to interview 20 randomly selected households per village. Focus group discussions were also held in each of the surveyed villages. Data obtained in all surveyed villages showed that fuel wood is the main source of energy for cooking and heating while paraffin and candles are mainly used for lighting. Wood in these villages is very scarce and communities spend 5 to 6 hours per trip collecting fuel wood. Women using the loadhead method of carrying wood and occasionally wheelbarrows are the main source of labour used in collecting fuel wood. The paper concludes that there is a need to promote sustainable energy resources and technologies such as the use of improved wood and charcoal stoves. Furthermore, the paper recommends the promotion of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, which have a potential of being adopted in the area. It is also argued that policies which enhance integrated rural development and promote sustainable energy utilization in rural communities need to be put in place and implemented.
Consumer choice in an energy efficient lighting context
Authors: Nkomo Jabavu Clifford
Published: June 2019

Wide use of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) offers opportunity for residential savings with favourable environmental benefits. The size of the South African residential market shows that there are strong opportunities to be optimised. To exploit such opportunities, it is important to look at strategies that influence independent and interdependent consumer choice in lighting, and to examine how far these strategies have been successful in promoting the market penetration of CFLs. While this is so, there are some areas of concern about the performance of the product that have to be addressed, as well as need for public action arising from external diseconomies of consumption.
Constructing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory using energy balances: the case of South Africa for 1998
Authors: Blignaut JN , Chitiga-Mabugu MR , Mabugu RM
Published: June 2019

This paper discusses the procedures and results of constructing a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory for South Africa, using the official national energy balance for 1998. In doing so, the paper offers a snapshot of the South African energy supply and demand profile and encompassing greenhouse gas emissions profiles, disaggregated into 40 economic sectors, for the reference year. For convenience, energy supply and use are reported in both native units and terra joule (TJ), while emissions are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents and reported in giga-gram (Gg). While carbon dioxide makes an overwhelming contribution to global anthropogenic GHG emissions, the inclusion of methane and nitrous oxide offers considerable richness to the analysis of climate change policies. Applying the energy balances, it was possible to compile a comprehensive emissions inventory using a consistent methodology across all sectors of the economy. The inventory allows the economic analyst to model various economic policies either with fuel as an input to production, or the consumption of fuel or the emissions generated during combustion, as a base of the analysis. The dominant role of coal as a source of energy, with a total primary energy supply (TPES) of 3.3 million TJ or 70 per cent of the total TPES, is clearly shown. Emissions from coal combustion (263 783 Gg of carbon dioxide equivalents or 74.7 per cent of total emissions) are henceforth the largest contributor to total emissions, estimated to be 352 932 Gg carbon dioxide equivalents.
Performance evaluation of a 2 MW wind power project
Authors: Khambalkar V P , Karale D S , Gadge S R
Published: June 2019

This work is the analysis of the energy generation of a 2 MW wind power project installed at Motha, District Amaravati, in the state of Maharashtra. The various availabilities of the wind power project were studied for the efficient energy production of the project. It was observed that 92.72 percent of the system was available for energy generation throughout the year. The energy generation data with the various shutdowns of the system was studied. The energy generation of the system was studied in terms of the plant load factor or the capacity factor. Capacity factor was observed to be 21.16 percent with the total energy generation unit being 3.73 MWh.
An analysis of energy consumption for a selection of countries in the Southern African Development Community
Authors: Merven Bruno , Hughes Alison , Davis Stephen
Published: June 2019

This paper examines the energy consumption, supply and resources of some of the countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2005, the base year for this analysis. The region is rich in energy resources and currently enjoys relatively stable and affordable electricity. Except in the case of Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia and South Africa, final energy demand is dominated by the residential sector in the form of biomass. Energy consumption or final energy demand in Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe is projected to 2030 using a Long Range Energy Alternatives Plan-ning (LEAP) model in a ‘business as usual’ scenario, the other countries being left out because of poor quality data. The projections are carried out by relating historic sectoral GDP and population growth in each country to energy demand and then using the historical link and the projections of these drivers to project energy demand. The analysis under this ‘business as usual’ scenario seems to indicate that we can expect to see a large increase in consumption in these countries, especially in the form of biomass and electricity. In both cases, supply is a concern. Having established what the present resources are; what some of the supply elements are currently in place; what the base-year demand is; and some basic relationships between demand and socio-economic drivers, this paper sets the stage for further studies that include the future energy supply; regional trade; and scenario analysis using indicators of sustainable development for the region. However, further analysis of the regional energy system, is only valuable if it is supported by good data. A reliable energy balance is needed for the countries not modelled here, and in the case of the modelled countries, better data is also needed, especially in the use biomass.
University College Dublin (UCD) Zebrafish Facility Environmental Parameters v1
Authors: Crowley Remi , Sundaramurthi Husvinee , Biomedical Facility Staff UCD , Kennedy Breandan
Published: June 2019

Environmental factors and animal husbandry conditions are known to have implications in outcome of study results. To this end, environmental parameters (i.e. temperature, pH and conductivity) of our zebrafish facility are constantly monitored to ensure constant/limited variations to be introduced in the environment. We have provided information of our facility and key parameters measured for our zebrafish lines housed in University College Dublin, for 2018. These conditions are applicable to all recent peer-reviewed articles published by our lab.
Functional and pasting properties of wheat/tigernut pomace flour blends and sensory attributes of wheat/tigernut pomace flour meat pie
Authors: Ayodele Idowu Michael , Aderpju Adeola Abiodun , Kehinde Oke Emmanuel , Joseph Amusa Ayodeji , Adewale Omoniyi Saheed
Published: June 2019

This study investigated the functional and pasting properties of wheat and tigernut pomace flour blends, as well as the sensory attributes of the meat pie obtained from the composite flour. Tigernut pomace flour was substituted for wheat flour in the amount of 2 –10%. Unsubstituted wheat flour served as the control. The composite blends were analysed for functional and pasting properties. The sensory attributes of the meat pie obtained from the composite flour were also determined. Bulk density, water absorption capacity, swelling power, and the solubility index of the blends ranged from 0.70 -0.75 g/mL, 0.62 -0.96%, 4.06 -4.47 g/g, and 2.45 -13.7% respectively. Peak, trough, breakdown, final, and setback viscosities, peak time, and pasting temperature ranged from 113.6 -135.9 RVU, 76.7 -90.2 RVU, 36.0 -45.8 RVU, 170 -183.7 RVU, 91.0 -93.6 RVU, 5.07 -6.03 min, and 88.4 -90.0 RVU respectively. In terms of appearance, the meat pie samples prepared from tigernut-substituted flour blends did not show significant difference (p < 0.05) from the control sample. The control sample had the highest overall acceptability, although samples from the composite blends were also found to be acceptable. Hence, tigernut pomace flour could be substituted for wheat at the amount of 10% to produce an acceptable meat pie.
Optimization of ozone decomposition time and its effect on physicochemical and bacteriological quality of table water
Authors: Nwaiwu Ogueri , Ibekwe Vincet Ifeanyi
Published: June 2019

Ozone is widely used in water disinfection and the concentration needed for the effective microbial elimination depends on the water source. In many bottled water producing industries, products containing ozone are quarantined after application to allow decomposition into diatomic oxygen molecules and oxygen atoms in order to eliminate any toxic effect. A process optimization was carried out to determine the ozone decomposition time in a table water producing factory in southern Nigeria. To this end, bottled water products injected with the ozone were collected from a bottling line immediately after production and monitored for ozone decomposition. Parameters like total dissolved solids, temperature and pH were determined and bacteriological analyses for total bacteria count and presence of Pseudomonasand coliforms were carried out. It was found that the ozone half-life was under 30 minutes and was no longer detectable after two and a half hours. For all analyzed stored products, the pH was in the range of 7.0-7.06, while the temperature was between 23 and 25 °C. The total dissolved solids ranged from 0.05 to 0.09 mg/mL, and there was no significant difference (p> 0.05) for the bottled products stored for 24 or 48 hours after the production. No bacteria weredetected. The shorter quarantine period allows quicker distribution and highlights the importance of ozone decomposition testing for the process optimization, especially if equipment or water source change over time.
Features of the epithelial layer formation on corneal graft
Authors: Miludin Evgeniy S. , Kuchuk Kseniya E.
Published: June 2019

Relevance. Significant impact on graft survival has a delay in the formation of epithelial cover.
Purpose cytological characteristics and analysis of the effect of medications on the epithelial layer formation on the graft.
Materials and methods. An analysis of the post-operative state of 20 patients operated for bullous keratopathy and corneal ulcer. Smears from the surface of the graft were stained by Leucodif 200 (LDF 200) and examined by light microscopy.
Results. The epithelial layer formation in all cases ended no later than 8-10 days after keratoplasty. According to the cytological analysis, a complex of postoperative treatment which included Vixipin from the 10th day of the postoperative period. Visual acuity improvement occurred in 11 patients (75% of cases) operated due for bullous keratopathy, and in four patients operated for corneal ulcer.
Conclusions. The epithelial layer formation on the surface of corneal transplant occurs due to the migration of mature epithelial cells from the wound edges of the own cornea and mitotic activity of limbal cells of the recipient. Long-lasting epithelial defect and inflammation preceding keratoplasty result in slower epithelialization of the graft in the postoperative period. Use of corticosteroids, sodium hyaluronate and antioxidants in the postoperative period contribute to the formation of a full epithelial layer.
Effect of Urban Poverty on Parents’ Expectation of their Children’s Achievement
Authors: Pandey Shanta , Zhan Min
Published: June 2019

In this study we examine if parents’ expectation of their children’s success in life varies by type of urban neighborhood. Do parents’ expectations of their children’s educational achievement and age at which their offspring may start their first job, marry and have children vary by type of urban neighborhood in which they reside? Analysis of data taken from inner city Chicago indicates that residents in urban neighborhoods varied in their demography, ethnic status, marital status, labor force participation, earnings ability, welfare dependency and asset holdings. Parental expectation of their offspring’s educational achievement and age at which offspring may begin working or marry, however, did not vary by type of neighborhood. Expected age at which their children may have kids, however, did vary by type of neighborhood. Actual first child’s success indicators were also similar across types of neighborhood. This study shows that parents’ expectations for their children’s achievement are largely independent of the poverty level of the urban neighborhood in which they reside. The findings also challenge the validity of the culture of poverty theory.
Community Alternatives for Love and Limits (CALL): A community-based family strengthening multi-family intervention program to respond to adolescents at risk
Authors: Wilkerson David , Ouellette Philip M.
Published: June 2019

Family strengthening has become a source of growing interest, research, and program design in the fields of prevention and treatment for problems of youth delinquency, school failure, alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse (ATOD). Despite many studies that illustrate the positive outcomes of family strengthening programs and family-focused interventions, their use in communities has not advanced commensurate with their promise. This article offers a rationale for why programming efforts should continue to be directed towards family strengthening efforts as opposed to youth-focused only interventions. In addition, a community-based, family-strengthening alternative is described that addresses issues of youth delinquency while reducing barriers associated with availability, accessibility, and cost.
Group Work with Parents of Adolescent Sex Offenders: Intervention Guidelines
Authors: Bennett Robert , Marshall Eldon
Published: June 2019

Interest and attention to adolescent sex offenders has increased greatly over the past twenty years. Allegations of adolescent sexual improprieties are known to have profound and disruptive repercussions on the entire family, especially the parents of the offending adolescent. Adolescent criminal acts, in general, result in a myriad of disconcerting emotions experienced by the parent(s). Although a great deal of attention is currently being focused upon treatment of adolescent sex offenders, little is being written about intervention with parents of these adolescents. This paper reviews the clinical and research literature pertaining to the family dimensions of male adolescent sexual offending behavior and offers a set of guidelines for use in group practice with parents of these adolescent.
Theory discussion in social work journals: a preliminary study
Authors: Daley James G. , Peters Jon , Taylor Ron , Hanson Victoria , Hill Delthea
Published: June 2019

Social workers are taught to strive to link theory with practice. A primary source for social workers to update theory and practice knowledge is the myriad of social work journals. However, how much discussion of theory occurs in social work journals? The authors developed criteria to evaluate the degree and quality of theory discussion and progression in social work journals. They used the criteria to evaluate 885 articles from 30 journals published in the year 2002. Great variability in theory discussion was found. The majority (71.7%) of articles contained no theory discussion (discussion that mentions a theory superficially but does not provide refinement of the theory). Few (9.5%) of the articles had theory progression (an article which is an empirical study or conceptual explanation that advances a theory in clarity, evidence base, or precision). Those articles that include theory provide a low quality of theory discussion or progression. Implications for practice and education are discussed.
Correlates of perceptions of elder’s suffering from depression
Authors: Kane Michael N. , Lacey Debra , Green Diane
Published: June 2019

The study investigated social work students’ perceptions of elders as depressed and suffering (N= 156). Four predictor variables were identified from a standard regression analysis that account for 32% of the model’s adjusted variance: (a) perceptions of elders as vulnerable, (b) perceptions about elders as oppressed. Overall, respondents perceived elders as being depressed, vulnerable, members of an oppressed group, abusive of substances, and only moderately resilient in response to mental health services. Implications are discussed for social work education.
Embracing the Diversity of Military Social Work
Authors: Daley James G. , Hassan Anthony M.
Published: June 2019

Editorial for special issue
A Critique of Feminist Theory
Authors: Lay Kathy , Daley James G.
Published: June 2019

Objective: Feminism has grown rapidly in the last 40 years as both a multidisciplinary voice advocating for change and an area of scholarship and theory building. A review of empirical articles describes 17 studies that indicate a wide range of applications of feminist theory, but theory is applied primarily as a lens for
other issues, rather than to expand theory development. Advocacy and philosophical views seem to overshadow theory development. Suggestions for improving feminist theory are offered.
Analysis of Social Work Theory Progression Published in 2004
Authors: Decker Valerie D. , Suman Philip D. , Burge Barb J. , Deka Ankita , Harris Melanie , Hymans Dwight J. , Marcussen Michael , Pittman Donna , Wilkerson David , Daley James G.
Published: June 2019

The authors reviewed 67 articles that discussed and/or tested human behavior theories from social work journals published in 2004 in order to assess the level and quality of theory progression. The articles were further sorted into Council
on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) Foundation Curriculum content areas of HBSE, practice, policy, field education, values & ethics, diversity, populations-at-risk/social and economic justice, and
research for purposes of categorization. Results indicated that HBSE and practice were by far the largest group of articles reviewed.Also found was that social work has a limited amount of theory discussion in the content areas of field, values and ethics, diversity, and populations-at-risk/social and economic justice. Thirty-three articles were found to demonstrate theory progression, eight articles presented new/emerging theories, and 26 articles discussed or critiqued theories without presenting evidence of theory progression.
Kinship Ties: Attachment Relationships that Promote Resilience in African American Adult Children of Alcoholics
Authors: Hall J. Camille
Published: June 2019

For many African Americans, the extended family has been the source of strength, resilience, and survival. Although changes in African American families, like changes in all families in the United States that have diluted the importance of kinship ties, many African Americans continue to place a high value on extended family members. Children of Africans and communities of African descent traditionally interact with multiple caregivers, consisting of kin, and fictive kin.Utilizing both attachment theory and risk and resilience literature, this paper discusses ways to better understand the resilient nature of African American families and how multiple
attachment relationships assist at-risk African American children, specifically adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs).
Complexity Theory, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Change: Augmenting Systems Theory
Authors: Woehle Ralph
Published: June 2019

Social work change processes are addressed in terms of complexity theory and nonlinear dynamics, adding the edge-of-chaos, as well as chaos to the entropy and homeostasis of ecosystems theory. Complexity theory sees the edge-of-chaos as valuable to living systems.A logistic difference equation is utilized to model the nonlinear dynamics of the hypothetical contentment of an individual. The modeling suggests that substantial input would be required to move an individual from homeostasis to the beneficial stage at the edge-of-chaos, but that too much input might result in chaos.With good measurement and data observed over time, social
work might benefit from complexity theory and nonlinear dynamics, which are already advancing in related disciplines.
Life Span and Resiliency Theory: A Critical Review
Authors: Smith-Osborne Alexa
Published: June 2019

Theories of life span development describe human growth and change over the life cycle (Robbins, Chatterjee, & Canda, 2006). Major types of developmental theories include biological, psychodynamic, behavioral, and social learning, cognitive, moral, and spiritual, and those influenced by systems, empowerment, and conflict theory. Life span development theories commonly focus on ontogenesis and sequential mastery of skills, tasks, and abilities. Social work scholars have pointed out that a limitation of life span and other developmental theory is lack of attention to resilience (Greene, 2007; Robbins et al., 1998).

The concept of resilience was developed to “describe relative resistance to psychosocial risk experiences” (Rutter, 1999b, p. 119). Longitudinal studies focused on typical and atypical child development informed theory formulation in developmental
psychopathology (Garmezy & Rutter, 1983; Luthar, Cichetti,& Becker, 2000) and in an evolving resilience model (Richardson, 2002; Werner & Smith, 1992). Research on resilience has found a positive relationship between a number of individual traits and contextual variables and resistance to a variety of risk factors among children and adolescents. More recently, resilience research has examined the operation of these same factors in the young adult, middle-age, and elder life stages.

This article examines the historical and conceptual progression of the two developmental theories—life span and resiliency—and discusses their application to social work practice and education in human behavior in the social environment.
An Analysis of Afrocentricity as Theory for Social Work Practice
Authors: Pellebon Dwain A
Published: June 2019

Afrocentricity is developing rapidly within the social work profession as a theory for practice with African Americans. Afrocentric practitioners claim the theory provides a basis for understanding African Americans from an African perspective
and cultural value system, and it is the most effective approach to address racial oppression. However, social work has not critically analyzed the merits of Afrocentricity as a source of knowledge to inform the profession. This article takes the initial step to determine whether Afrocentricity is in-fact a theory. Afrocentricity is described, discussed, and analyzed based on current and accepted definitions of theory.The analysis reveals Afrocentric epistemology lacks the rigor to be accepted as an empirically-based theory for practice. The author concludes that Afrocentricity is more accurately categorized as an ideology. Research and practice implications of this conclusion and the need for further critique are discussed.
Assessment of Student Learning in SocialWork Education: The Indiana Model
Authors: Cournoyer Barry R.
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the author discusses assessment of student learning in light of
evolving accreditation standards. The author describes the Indiana Model—a comprehensive
approach that includes: (a) a Course-Learning Objectives (CLO) classification
system to organize and analyze the total array of course learning objectives
addressed in a curriculum, (b) a direct Assessment of Student Learning system to
demonstrate student learning outcomes, and (c) an indirect Assessment of Student
Learning system to provide for the perspectives of consumers and other stakeholders.
When integrated, the three systems may be used for curriculum analysis and development,
assessment of student learning, and program evaluation—particularly in
terms of student learning outcomes. The proposed integrated approach to student
learning assessment addresses both university and professional accreditation standards.
Reassembling the Social Environment: A Network Approack to Human Behavior
Authors: Mukherjee Dhrubodhi
Published: June 2019

This paper critically examines the influence of the structural elements of human behavior that are often neglected in social work literature (Robbins et al., 1998). It incorporates a new multi-theoretical framework that critically examines the significance of a network approach in analyzing social, ideological, and economic structures and their influence on individual actors. This paper discusses two interrelated theories: social network theory and social capital theory, and critiques their relevance in explaining human behavior for social work educators and professionals in an increasingly information-driven and electronically-interconnected
global society. The author hopes that an expanded theory base will provide a holistic view of individual problems stemming out of inequitable social structure.
Social Work Practice with Latinos Living with HIV/ AIDS
Authors: Rowan Diana , Furman Rich , Jones April , Edwards Kevin
Published: June 2019

This article explores social work practice with persons living with HIV/AIDS within the Latino community. It presents a general discussion of social work practice HIV/AIDS, followed by an exploration of culturally sensitive social work practice with Latinos. The authors then synthesize these bodies of knowledge into a discussion of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community, and social work practices that can be useful when working with this population. A case example of group work practice with Latinos living with HIV illuminates many of the themes explored throughout the paper. Finally, implications for social work practice are examined.
Addressing the Mental Health Problems of Chinese International College Students in the United States
Authors: Liu Meirong
Published: June 2019

This article identifies unique mental health problems experienced by Chinese international students in the United States. The uniqueness of these problems suggests the need to address them independently from other Chinese and international student communities. First, an overview of the common sources of mental health problems and specific stressors these students face is provided. This article then develops culturally sensitive programming recommendations to improve collaborative efforts between health providers, mental health social workers, faculty, and academic staff within universities to serve these students more effectively.
Social Distancing of Depressive and Panic Disorders in an International Sample of Social Work Students
Authors: Wang Donna S. , Smith Scott , Locke Chris R.
Published: June 2019

: Using an international sample, this study examined what variables were associated with social distancing among social work students. A total of 1,042 students from seven universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia participated in a cross-sectional paper and pencil survey that applied the Social Distancing Scale to case vignettes describing an individual with panic disorder or major depressive disorder. The results show that levels of social distancing were related to age, knowing someone with a mental illness, type of disorder, level of conservatism, race, country, professional interest in mental health, level of student, and sex. Overall, 16.8% of the variance was accounted for with these significant variables. Implications for social work education and future research are discussed.
A Shifting Paradigm – Medical to Interactional Model: A Personal History
Authors: Shulman Lawrence
Published: June 2019

This article chronicles over 50 years of change in the profession with an emphasis on the author’s professional experiences and the shift in practice paradigms from the medical model to an interactional model. A number of key phases in this shift are identified and illustrated drawn from the author’s work over time.
Reemergence of Policy Practice: A Journey Back to our Roots
Authors: Byers Katharine V.
Published: June 2019

Many people and events have contributed to a renewed focus on policy practice in social work and social work education, culminating in the inclusion of policy practice as one of the ten core social work competencies in the 2008 Council on Social Work Education EPAS. Robert Schneider, founder of Influencing State Policy, was a key player in elevating policy practice, particularly at the state level, in light of the increasing devolution of social policy decision-making to the states. Other social workers and educators created opportunities for policy scholars and practitioners to collaborate, including Leon Ginsberg and the Policy Conference that he and others initiated. Now a new generation of policy practitioners will continue to educate social workers in policy practice skills in the pursuit of social justice
Addressing Sexual Minority Issues in Social Work Education: A Curriculum Framework
Authors: Gezinski Lindsay
Published: June 2019

This paper will explore a curriculum framework that explicitly addresses the reduction of heterosexism as a means to produce students that are culturally competent of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community. Van Den Bergh and Crisp (2004) place great importance on addressing beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills when broaching culturally competent practice with the LGBTQ population. Beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills in an educational approach will be advocated in this paper. Specifically, the creation of a constructivist environment will be endorsed as a means for students to critically assess their own beliefs/attitudes, knowledge, and skills. A curriculum framework that utilizes classroom activities related to heterosexual privilege, policy, and practice role plays will be discussed. This curriculum framework is intended to prepare social work students to work with LGBTQ clients.
Are MOOCs the next trend in social work?: Implications for practice education
Authors: Gates Trevor , Walters Alice
Published: June 2019

Higher education continues to evolve responding to technological advances and growing economic challenges. Social work education has been slower to embrace emergent technologies than other fields in higher education. Contributing to this cautious approach may be historical controversy surrounding social work professionalization and practice. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are an important trend gathering recent attention in higher education. The contribution of MOOCs to social work education remains undetermined. This essay explores historical influences impacting current social work education, factors surrounding MOOC utilization, and the relevance of MOOCs for the future of social work education. We provide recommendations for embracing MOOC development in social work education through a deliberative strategy.
Reflection on teaching effective social work practice for working with Muslim communities
Authors: Khaja Khadija , Frederick Chelsea
Published: June 2019

In many academic departments like social work, psychology, and psychiatry there is a growing consensus that teachers need to instruct students to be culturally competent especially if they are going to be effective helpers with diverse populations. Multicultural instructional counseling methods are imperative if we are to ensure that our students of counseling are well prepared to work with diverse families, particularly those from Muslim backgrounds. In this narrative the author writes about the challenges of teaching non-Muslim students effective counseling techniques with Muslim families. Culturally innovative teaching methods are illustrated to facilitate students’ learning how to be effective counselors with Muslim communities.
Political ideologies of social workers: An under explored dimension of practice
Authors: Rosenwald Mitchell , Hyde Cheryl A.
Published: June 2019

This article explores relationships between social workers' political ideologies and the effects on practice. Self-administered surveys from 294 licensed social workers in a mid-Atlantic state generated quantitative and qualitative data on whether and to what extent their ideologies influenced professional practice. Findings suggest that while social workers largely believe that their political ideology is separate from their practice, those who identified with more liberal political ideologies claim they used their ideologies more in practice than those who were more conservative. Additionally, strategies for monitoring political ideology in practice are shared. Implications for practice include the need for practitioners' increased awareness of their political ideologies and the profession's responsibility for establishing venues in which the ideology -- practice link can be explored and debated.
Developing Ethical Guidelines for Creating Social Media Technology Policy in Social Work Classrooms
Authors: Brady Shane R. , McLeod David A. , Young Jimmy A.
Published: June 2019

This paper will discuss social media technology in the context of social work education. While social media technology is prevalent in social work education, most discourse about ethical use of social media in the classroom has taken a prescriptive and overly cautious approach that neglects the context dependent nature that social work educators teach in as well as the overwhelmingly positive potential of social media technology in the classroom. This paper utilizes social constructivist theory and the Competing Values framework to guide the development of an ethical decision making framework for social work educators to use in order to create dynamic classroom policies related to social media technology. The authors strive to make a modest contribution to the existing literature related to social media technology and social work through the development of this new ethical decision making framework and discourse related to social media technology, ethics, and social work education.
Supporting Child Welfare Traineeship Students through an Online Peer Network
Authors: Bosco-Ruggiero Stephanie , Strand Virginia C. , Kollar Sharon , Leake Robin
Published: June 2019

This article describes the implementation of a peer network for social work traineeship students pursuing or continuing careers in child welfare. Literature on the best principles and practices for online community building reviewed and an explanation of how these best practices were utilized to build the online community is provided. Initial program design is described as well as program developments that occurred over four years of the program. The article then examines how the program’s evaluation was carried out and reviews some of the evaluation data. The article concludes with a discussion about the successes and challenges experienced in building the peer network and how other social work or traineeship programs, or agencies, might use an online peer network to support social work students and professionals.
Risky Business: Applying Ethical Standards to Social Media Use with Vulnerable Populations
Authors: Dolinsky Hillary Rose , Helbig Natalie
Published: June 2019

Social media is changing how those in the helping professions offer clinical, medical, or educational services, provide referrals, administer therapeutic interventions, and conduct research. Non-profits and government organizations working with vulnerable populations need to consider the possibility of ethical mistakes when using social media. A comparison of Facebook strategies used with the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) mandate to engage and locate current and former youth in the child welfare system was conducted. Facebook practices and strategies were examined based on the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics and the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Standards for Technology and Social Work Practice. The ethical standards examined include: obtaining consent, preserving confidentiality, verifying youth identity online, and avoiding disclosure of foster care affiliation. Findings demonstrate the importance of providing guidelines and best practices when adopting social media tools for interacting with vulnerable populations.
Using Technology in Social Work Practice: The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) Case Study
Authors: Lee Shawna J. , Walsh Tova B.
Published: June 2019

Mobile technology presents an exciting opportunity for social workers to reach populations that are typically underserved by interventions and services. We present one application of technology that is particularly relevant to social work practice. The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) app was developed to augment existing social work practices by providing a father-friendly tool to help new fathers learn about and engage with their infants and toddlers. We discuss the process of developing the app content and conducting usability testing of the mDad app. We conclude with a discussion of the lessons learned from the mDad project, and the challenges of implementation and dissemination of technology-based interventions in community contexts.
Effectively working with challenging clients who receive hunger service assistance: Case examples and eight recommended guidelines
Authors: Moore Sharon E. , Moore Cynthia A. , Monroe Jacquelyn , Campbell-Mapp Renee
Published: June 2019

Those who provide services for people who experience food insecurity come into contact with people who do not always present themselves courteously and favorably. Using case examples from the food bank industry, the authors of this paper will: (1) discuss why people sometimes behave discourteously when seeking assistance from human services professionals; (2) give case examples of how social workers could properly respond to these situations and, (3) give recommendations for effectively working with this client population.
Survivorship and Inheritance Rights for Same-Gender Couples: Relevance to Social Workers
Authors: Cordero Jessica , Montero Darrel , Portee Teisha , Spears Renee , Stevenson Vicki , Tatum Erica
Published: June 2019

Californians voted in November 2008 to ban the right to same-gender marriage in California. This paper summarizes data on changes in societal attitudes relative to homosexuals, same-gender couples, and their civil rights as reflected in Gallup and Princeton Survey Research Associates International poll data over the years through 2011. These findings report deeply entrenched and enduring divisions in American attitudes toward the rights and status of same-gender couples. Although historically a majority of Americans has consistently opposed same-gender marriage, Americans increasingly recognize the need to extend equality to same-gender couples in the form of employment rights, inheritance rights, Social Security, and health insurance benefits. This article explores existing and proposed policies regarding the rights of same-gender couples. In addition, it examines the implications and opportunities for advocacy by social workers who face the challenge of navigating the legal and personal obstacles that arise when their client’s same-gender relationships are not sanctioned by law.
Outpatient Commitment on the Ground: Listening to Consumers and Providers
Authors: Gjesfjeld Christopher , Kennedy Michaela
Published: June 2019

Current debate and research on outpatient commitment (OPC) has examined whether OPC is (1) clinically effective or (2) ethically acceptable, yet little research has sought the voices of consumers and mental health providers who are most intimately impacted by outpatient commitment. Our research was specifically interested in the perspective that consumers and providers had about OPC. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine consumers on OPC orders and eight treatment providers associated with these consumers. Three major themes emerged. First, consumers voiced an ambiguous sense of personal control in the context of OPC orders. Second, consumers and mental health providers maintained inconsistent understandings of outpatient commitment. Finally, all consumers reported an improvement in their life after being on OPC. Based on these findings, we suggest methods by which mental health providers could facilitate a collaborative relationship with consumers despite working within a context of OPC orders.
The Use and Value of Mixed Methods Research in Social Work
Authors: Chaumba Josphine
Published: June 2019

The complexity of social problems addressed by the social work profession makes mixed methods research an essential tool. This literature review examined common quantitative and qualitative techniques used by social work researchers and what mixed methods research may add to social work research. Surveys and in-depth interviews were the most common quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, respectively. The t-test was the most frequently used quantitative data analysis method. Although thematic analysis was the most common qualitative data analysis method, 12% of the qualitative data analysis techniques were not specified. Mixed methods research adds three important elements to social work research: voices of participants, comprehensive analyses of phenomena, and enhanced validity of findings. For these reasons, the teaching and use of mixed methods research remain integral to social work.
Supporting Resilience in the Academic Setting for Student Soldiers and Veterans as an Aspect of Community Reintegration: The Design of the Student Veteran Project Study
Authors: Smith-Osborne Alexa M.
Published: June 2019

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is leading an increasing proportion of wounded warriors to enter universities. This paper describes the design and development of an adapted supported education intervention for veterans. The intervention trial was one of two projects which grew out of a participatory action research process aimed at supporting reintegration of returning veterans into the civilian community. This intervention is being tested in a foundation-funded randomized controlled trial in a large southwestern university, with participation now extended to student-veterans at colleges around the country. Some protective mechanisms which were found in theory and in prior research were also supported in early results. SEd intervention was associated with the protective mechanisms of support network density, higher mood, and resilience. Practitioners may benefit from the lessons learned in the development of this supported education intervention trial when considering implementation of this complementary intervention for veterans reintegrating into civilian life
Assessment of PTSD in Older Veterans: The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist: Military Version (PCL-M)
Authors: Yarvis Jeffrey S. , Yoon Eunkyung , Ameuke Margaret , Simien-Turner Sandra , Landers Grace
Published: June 2019

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist: Military Version (PCL-M) is a 17-item, self-report measure of PTSD symptomatology in military veterans and provides one total score and four subscale scores for older veterans’ PTSD (re-experiencing, avoiding, numbing, and hyperarousal symptoms). Study subjects are 456 male veterans over 55-years old with deployed experiences selected from a larger survey data by Veterans’ Affairs Canada (VAC). This study found that overall scale reliability was excellent with alpha of .93 and subscale alphas ranging from .81 to .90. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirmed the best fit of four first-order factor models. Criterion validity was confirmed through significant associations of the PCL-M scores with well-established measures of depression, substance abuse, and general health indices. The PCL-M is recommended as a reliable and valid tool for the clinical and empirical assessment of screening PTSD symptomatology, specifically related to older veterans military experiences.
Identity and Multicultural Social Work Research: A Reflection in Process
Authors: Spencer Michael S.
Published: June 2019

Personal identity and multicultural issues have relevance for social work researchers as well as practicioners. Written specifically for Advances in Social Work, this self-revelatory and inspirational article by Dr. Michael Spencer is based, in part, on an address he delivered at the January 2001 Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. Michael Spencer encourages social work educators, researchers, and practitioners to join with him in the conversations needed to address identity and multicultural issues as they pertain to service-related research. In particular, he challenges social workers to recognize and manage their identity-based personal biases and preferences, and use both quantitative and qualitative research perspectives in ways that acknowledge the uniqueness of diverse peoples. He recommends that the processes of collaboration ans self-reflection characterize the conduct of multicultural social work research, and urges researchers to translate their findings into practitioner-friendly forms to facilitate application in service delivery.