bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Strengths in Assessment
Authors: Hwang Sung-Chul , Cowger Charles D.
Published: April 2013

Little empirical evidence is available to show the extent to which social workers emphasize strengths in their practice, know how to use strengths concepts, and believe strengths are important in practice. Using a case analogue, the authors found that social workers emphasized both strengths and deficits and rated strengths over deficits when evaluating the case of an elderly woman who required services to maintain independent living. Social workers employed in mental health facilities rated deficits higher than did those employed in other settings and were more likely to rate counseling as important in the case plan than were others. In the same manner, those who indicated that their theoretical base was psychodynamic rated the deficits found in the assessment as being more important than did others and gave higher ratings to counseling as a case plan than did others.
African American Fathers of High-Achieving Sons: Using Out -standing Members of an At-Risk Population to Guide Intervention
Authors: Greif Geoffrey L. , Hrabowski Freeman A. , Maton Kenneth I.
Published: April 2013

Research on the highest-achieving members of a population can be instructive in assisting those who are less successful. The authors present findings from a study of 29 fathers of academically successful African American males, an untapped area of study, to illustrate how such findings can be used to guide interventions. Six parenting practices were observed among the fathers, most notable of which were their strong identity as a Black male and the support they received from the broader community. Implications for practice and research are suggested.
Recidivism among Former Recipients who Remain Unemployed: The Vicious Circle Created by Welfare Reform
Authors: Cheng Tyrone
Published: April 2013

This study investigated factors affecting the return to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) programs by former participants who left welfare unemployed. Event history analysis was applied to the longitudinal data extracted from the Survey of Income and Program Participation 1996 panel. The results demonstrate a rate of return to TANF of between 20% and 36% for the final sample. They further suggest that sanctioning recipients for noncompliance with work requirements contributes to eventual dependency on TANF among former recipients. Results also show that the promotion of marriage in reformed welfare policy may help former recipients remain independent of welfare (and even free of poverty). Implications for policy were discussed.
Mentoring At-Risk Latino Children and Their Parents: Analysis of the Parent–Child Relationship and Family Strength
Authors: Barron-McKeagney Theresa , Woody Jane D. , D'Souza Henry J.
Published: April 2013

The Family Mentoring Program (FMP), which provided approximately 1 year of mentoring for at-risk, 10-year-old Latino children and their parents, offered individual mentoring, group educational sessions for children and parents, and group social/recreational activities. This study examined mothers' perceptions of the parent–child relationship and of family strength as measured by the Parent–Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) and the Family Hardiness Index (FHI). Analysis focused on factors expected to contribute to variance in the outcome measures. Regression results indicated that involvement in parent group education predicted higher scores on the Support and Communication measures. Compared to the standardized samples used in the development of these measures, mothers, at the beginning of the program, scored lower on six of seven PCRI subscales and on the FHI. By the end of the program, mothers' scores on Support and Limit Setting had improved, no longer differing from the standardized norms. The overall findings suggest that parents of children in mentoring programs need services and parent education and that they can benefit from these. Future research should focus on careful design and evaluation of multifaceted mentoring programs that include parents.
Service Utilization in High-Crime Communities: Consumer Views on Supports and Barriers
Authors: Williams James Herbert , Pierce Robert , Young Nioka S. , Van Dorn Richard A.
Published: April 2013

This study uses qualitative methods to investigate perceived supports and barriers to social and health service utilization among minorities residing in high-crime and violent communities. Focus groups were conducted with African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos (N = 64) who reside in these communities within a moderately sized Midwestern city. Both convergent and divergent themes were identified across the groups. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Strengths-Based Practice with Family Caregivers of the Chronically Ill: Qualitative Insights
Authors: Berg-Weger Marla , Rubio Doris McGartland , Tebb Susan S.
Published: April 2013

Using a strengths-based perspective, this paper looks at the experiences of family caregiving to the chronically ill. Qualitative research allows researchers and practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of the family caregiver experience, adding breadth to the assessment and intervention process. Themes generated from a qualitative inquiry on the impact of the care-giving experience for the caregiver are explored and discussed in terms of implications for strengths-based practice, thus providing a positive experience for the caregiver and care recipient.
Influences on the Decision to Become or Not Become a Foster Parent
Authors: Baum Angela C. , Crase Sedahlia Jasper , Crase Kirsten Lee
Published: April 2013

This article describes influences on individuals' decision to become or not become a foster parent. Interviews were conducted with participants who had completed preservice training in preparation to become a foster parent. Participants described how training and other factors helped them decide whether or not to become foster parents. Implications for foster care professionals are related both to foster parent training and to foster parent recruitment.
The Challenge of Empowerment in Child Protective Services: A Case Study of a Mother with Mental Retardation
Authors: Lemieux Catherine
Published: April 2013

This article applies principles of empowerment-oriented practice to interventions with families headed by mothers with mental retardation who come before protective services. Strategies that support empowerment, inclusion, and self-determination are described in a detailed case study, followed by an analysis of the strengths and limitations of practice. Empowerment and advocacy activities, while inherently valuable, are time-consuming and can conflict with the expectations, time frames, and expected outcomes of child protective services. This article concludes with suggestions for social work practice and research to increase knowledge about the experiences of mothers with mental retardation.
Single Parenthood and Social Competence in Children of Color
Authors: Kesner John E. , McKenry Patrick C.
Published: April 2013

Increases in divorce and nonmarital childbearing have dramatically altered the family lives of children in the United States. The increasing number of children residing in single-parent households often has been linked to many of the nation's most serious social problems, including delinquency, teenaged pregnancy and welfare dependency; in fact, it is widely believed that single-parent families represent a risk factor for children's development. There are several methodological weaknesses in the research used to document the negative effects of single-parent families on children. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between single-parent family status and children's gender and social skills, utilizing a predominantly ethnic minority sample, while controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). It was hypothesized that after controlling SES, there would be no differences between children (boys and girls) from single- and two-parent homes on measures of social skills and conflict management. This was a secondary analysis of data that were collected in a larger study focusing on child–parent relationships and conflict management. Sixty-eight preschool-aged children and their parent(s) residing in a large urban area in the southeastern United States participated in this study. Teachers of children in the study completed a social skills rating scale on the children, and parents provided necessary demographic information. Results indicated that there was no difference between boys and girls from single-parent and two-parent families on their social skills, including conflict management. Also discussed are the implications for practitioners and others who work with children from single parent homes.
Spiritual Genograms: A Generational Approach to Assessing Spirituality
Authors: Hodge David R.
Published: April 2013

Clients' spiritual and religious beliefs are often significantly shaped by family influences, particularly among many minority populations. Spiritual genograms offer an assessment method that highlights the spiritual and religious strengths that may exist within clients' families and depicts how these multi-generational dynamics inform current spiritual functioning. Information is provided on how to construct a spiritual genogram, as well as how to conduct an assessment, elicit spiritual strengths, and shift toward planning interventions. A case study is delineated, a number of spiritually-based interventions that flow from the instrument are reviewed, and sample questions are provided. The paper concludes by offering a number of suggestions as to when spiritual genograms may be particularly applicable.
The Changing Role of Family in Utilization of Social Support: Views from Israeli Jewish and Arab Students
Authors: Ben-Ari Adital , Pines Ayala M.
Published: April 2013

Recent studies in Israel revealed that Arab students were more stressed than their Jewish counterparts. In light of these findings, the present study examines support functions and the utilization of social support among Israeli Jewish and Arab students. The study used a convenience sample of university students (127 Jews and 64 Arabs) in two of the major universities in Israel. Both samples are similar in their utilization of partners and best friends as primary sources of support in relation to emotional problems. However, contrary to the authors' expectations, Jewish students utilize parental figures as sources of instrumental support more than their Arab counterparts. In addition, respondents from both samples assert that of all support functions, emotional support is the most important one. However, Jewish students reported significantly higher scores regarding the fulfillment of this function. The significance of these findings is discussed within the frameworks of modernization processes, help-seeking behavior, and practical implications for social work education with minority students learning in a cultural environment markedly different from their own.
Describing Head Start Family Service Workers: An Examination of Factors Related to Job Satisfaction, Empowerment, and Multiculturalism
Authors: Franze Sarah E. , Foster Martha , Abbott-Shim Martha , McCarty Frances , Lambert Richard
Published: April 2013

The study describes a sample of Head Start family service workers and seeks to understand what personal and employment characteristics may be associated with empowerment, multiculturalism, and job satisfaction. These three outcomes were selected based on previous research and a review of the literature on performance outcomes for human service workers. Results indicate that the number of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) families served by the family service worker, the size of their caseloads, their years of Head Start work experience, and the previous enrollment of their own child in Head Start were associated with higher job satisfaction. Empowerment was predicted by the family service workers' length of time residing in the community and having had children previously attend Head Start. The multicultural sensitivity of the family service worker was associated with having a job-related license and the number of ESL families in the caseload.
The Languages of Empowerment and Strengths in Clinical Social Work: A Constructivist Perspective
Authors: Greene Gilbert J. , Lee Mo Yee , Hoffpauir Susan
Published: April 2013

Enhancing client empowerment is a major concern of clinical social workers. Empowerment is a process and an outcome. There are numerous interventions that enhance client empowerment, and among them is focusing on client strengths. Both the strengths-based and empowerment-based approaches emphasize the importance of skillfully using language in dialoguing with clients; however, there is little specificity in either of these 2 approaches on how to operationalize this process. This article discusses specific ways to use language in working with client strengths and empowering clients. The discussion and examples are presented from the metatheoretical perspective of constructivism.
Social Services Construct the Teen Mother
Authors: Rains Prue , Davies Linda , McKinnon Margaret
Published: April 2013

This comparative case study of 3 services for teen mothers demonstrates how social service agencies engage in social problems work not only by drawing on and reproducing public representations of social problems, but also by mediating, interpreting, and even contesting these representations in their routine practices for dealing with clients. The authors' analysis demonstrates how 3 agencies dealing with the same social problem enacted 2 public discourses about teen mothers by addressing their young clients variously as mothers, problem teenagers/problem mothers, and potential social activists. The authors conclude by suggesting that agencies reflect critically on the margin of maneuver they may actually have in defining their clients and addressing the complexity of their clients' concerns.
The Changing Role of Grandparents in Rural Families: The Results of an Exploratory Study in Southeastern North Carolina
Authors: Bullock Karen
Published: April 2013

Increasingly, the subject of grandparents raising their grandchildren is the focus in social service literature. In this article, the author explores the changing role of grandparents and provides a basis for assessment and intervention in rural communities. Grandmothers who were primary caregivers for at least 1 grandchild in southeastern North Carolina completed qualitative interviews regarding their experiences in transitioning from the role of grandparent to parent. The results suggest that raising grandchildren may cause financial stress, cramped living quarters, role restriction, and social isolation in this population. However, advantages to this role for grandparents can include greater life satisfaction and a positive influence on future generations within the family. Several key assumptions to guide practitioners in both assessing rural families and planning intervention are emphasized.
Gaining Access to One's Children: An Evaluation of a Visitation Program for Noncustodial Parents
Authors: Fischer Robert L.
Published: April 2013

Children born out of wedlock often suffer due to infrequent and limited interaction with the noncustodial parent. To address this issue, progams have been developed at the federal and state level that attempt to improve the access of noncustodial parents (primarily fathers) to their natural children. This article describes an access and visitation program and presents findings from a 6-month demonstration in two counties in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The program assists noncustodial parents in establishing an access agreement with the custodial parent and in pursuing the establishment of their legal parental rights. In total, the demonstration involved over 100 noncustodial parents. This report documents the process of establishing and maintaining visitation agreements, and identifies the principle barriers to establishing visitation. The data on the program came from case files and administrative records and reflect status at 3–6 months after case opening and at case closure.
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Outcomes: Implications for Social Work Practice
Authors: Monahan Deborah J.
Published: April 2013

Teen pregnancy rates have begun to decline after a 25-year period of stability; nevertheless, more than one million adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant each year. Teen pregnancy prevention programs have emerged to postpone unwanted pregnancies to the benefit of the children involved and the public fiscally. This three-year federally funded Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention program was designed as a nine-week (18 classroom hour) primary prevention intervention for young adolescents. Three facets of adolescents' experience were targeted in the intervention design: attitudes, dating behaviors, and knowledge. Results of the intervention suggest that the treatment group, on average, showed more positive attitudes associated with adolescent sexuality than those in the control group. Knowledge inventory results were not found to be statistically significant. Significant change in dating behavior was also not found in this study. Implications of short-term interventions for adolescents are discussed.
Enlisting the Supervisor's Pregnancy to Facilitate the Supervisory Process
Authors: Itzhaky Haya
Published: April 2013

While the link between pregnancy and therapy has been studied, it appears to have remained largely unexplored in the field of supervision. This preliminary research examines the effect of the supervisor's pregnancy on her supervisees and on the supervisory process. The findings of this study indicate that pregnancy affects both supervisees and their supervisor, as she is perceived by them. This effect undergoes transformation during the pregnancy process and is particularly salient during the transition from the initially “hidden” pregnancy to its recognition, when it is revealed and discussed between supervisor and supervisee. This paper deals with ways to enlist the pregnancy to promote the process of learning and supervision. It also suggests the possible implications of this research for general principles of supervision, particularly with regard to events that intrude on the normal supervision process.
Building Skills–Building Futures: Providing Information Technology to Foster Families
Authors: Finn Jerry , Kerman Ben , LeCornec Juliette
Published: April 2013

This article describes a program developed to increase information technology access and skills among foster children and families within the context of a long-term foster care environment. The model emphasizes continuity and integration of technology into ongoing service provision for life skills development in foster youth. The authors describe the program development process, then describe a framework for evaluation and identify preliminary implementation issues. Baseline data provide evidence for a “digital divide” within the foster care community and suggest that foster children lag behind biological children in foster families in development of technology skills. Finally, experienced and anticipated implementation challenges are discussed in the context of ongoing evaluation.
From the Woman's Viewpoint: Ethical Dilemmas Confronted by Women as Informal Caregivers of Frail Elders
Authors: Koenig Terry L.
Published: April 2013

Women as informal caregivers face complex ethical dilemmas in caring for a frail elder. Through in-depth interviews with 13 ethnically diverse caregivers, this qualitative study explored women's ethical decision-making. Focus group interviews of home health staff, key informant caregivers, and interviewees provided guidance for research design, reflection on findings and development of implications. Findings are integrated into an ethical decision-making model that includes types of ethical dilemmas (e.g., protection of life vs. autonomy); feelings that permeate decision making (e.g., fear); processes for addressing ethical dilemmas (e.g., family collaboration); and supportive services. Implications include (a) expansion of services to meet caregivers' ongoing needs, (b) research that acknowledges multiple decision-making components, and (c) the use of caregiving vignettes in the classroom.
Equality in Marriage, Marital Satisfaction, and Life Satisfaction: A Comparative Analysis of Preretired and Retired Men and Women in Israel
Authors: Kulik Liat
Published: April 2013

This study examined whether men's and women's retirement has a differential impact on equality in marital life, with emphasis on two areas: power relations (as reflected in decision making) and the division of household tasks (feminine, masculine, and general). In addition, the study explored whether equality in marriage is differentially related to marital satisfaction and satisfaction with life among preretired and retired couples. The sample consisted of 469 men and women from Israel, of whom 267 were retired and 202 were approaching retirement. On the whole, the impact of retirement on equality in marriage was found to be similar for both men and women, that is, equality in performance of feminine tasks increased, whereas equality in general tasks usually declined after retirement. Moreover, there was no progression toward equality in masculine tasks after retirement. With respect to power relations, major household decisions became more equal after retirement regardless of which partner retired. However, no appreciable differences were found between retired and preretired respondents with respect to minor decisions and decisions about spending time. The results also revealed that equality in major decisions and in performance of masculine tasks correlated with both areas of satisfaction among preretired and retired respondents. However, marital satisfaction was related to equality in minor decisions and in decisions about spending time, as well as to equality in carrying out general tasks only among the retired respondents.
Empowering African Americans through Social Work Practice: Integrating an Afrocentric Perspective, Ego Psychology, and Spirituality
Authors: Manning Maxwell C. , Cornelius Llewellyn J. , Okundaye Joshua Nosa
Published: April 2013

This article discusses the important implications for using an integrated social work practice approach that includes concept from an Afrocentric perspective, ego psychology, spirituality, and empowerment, when working with African Americans. Because of African Americans' unique history and value system, social workers may require specialized training in practice approaches that are sensitive to African America culture. By integrating core concepts from an Afrocentric perspective, ego psychology, empowerment, and spirituality, the authors provide a culturally competent, practical social work approach that facilitates and furthers the well-being of African Americans.
The Fathers of “Fatherless” Black Children
Authors: Hamer Jennifer F.
Published: April 2013

This qualitative study of the roles and functions of Black noncustodial fathers explored the fathers' perspective on fatherhood in the context of the traditional view of fatherhood in the United States. Thirty-eight adult Black noncustodial fathers participated in the study. Black fathers based their perception of what noncustodial fathers should do as fathers on their childhood experiences with their own fathers. Their perspective on the roles and responsibilities of fatherhood contrasted sharply with that of the dominant culture.
Using Unconditionally Constructive Mediation to Resolve Family–System Disputes Related to Persons with Disabilities
Authors: Munro J. Dale
Published: April 2013

Serious family–system conflicts waste valuable resources, cause personal distress, and disrupt efforts to support people with disabilities. The author suggests that mediation offers many advantages over adversarial approaches for resolving complicated family–system disputes and presents unconditionally constructive me diation as a positive and effective model for resolving complex family–system conflicts and for improving planning, case management, and support for people with disabilities. A case example illustrates how this method of mediation can be applied.
Accepting a Lesbian Mother
Authors: Van Voorhis Rebecca , McClain Linda
Published: April 2013

The authors present a model of children's responses to their mother's shift in identity from heterosexual to lesbian. Initially, many children react with denial or anger and later respond with bargaining. They may experience depression before accepting their mother as a lesbian. The model is based on information gathered from workshops and in-depth interviews with lesbian mothers. Intervention strategies are proposed to help lesbian mothers support their children's responses and nurture their children's growth toward accepting their mother's lesbian identity.
Unretired and Better than Ever: Older Adults as Foster Parents for Children
Authors: Goughler Donald H. , Trunzo Annette C.
Published: April 2013

The authors explore issues concerning employing older adults as foster parents for children. A survey of agencies in the United States suggests that agencies that utilize older adults as foster parents experience benefits, including elders' abilities to impart life experience and to offer a high degree of tolerance and time flexibility. Older foster parents, when surveyed, reported that fostering benefited them, citing pleasures they derived and defining contributions gained to their own welfare. The authors recommend strategies for agencies to recruit older adults as foster parents as well as public consciousness-raising efforts that promote the value gained by society and the older adults when they choose second careers in child care.
The Acquisition of Informed Consent for Foster Children's Research Participation
Authors: Bogolub Ellen B.
Published: April 2013

In a public child welfare agency, 6 respondents were recruited for a pilot study about foster children's transitions from birth homes to out-of-home care. During recruitment, knowledge was gained about the acquisition of informed consent for foster children's research participation, a topic about which there is remarkably little prior literature. In addition to being a necessity for research enactment, consent acquisition is a multifaceted process involving complex relationships with colleagues, potential respondents, and their birth and foster parents. Four detailed vignettes each illustrate a consent issue. With reference to each vignette, suggestions are made for researchers' sensitive, ethical, planful consent acquisition. Implications for agency-based professionals are offered, as are ideas for future study of consent acquisition.
Female Caregivers' Perceptions of Fathers' and Significant Adult Males' Involvement with Their Head Start Children
Authors: Fagan Jay , Newash Nidhal , Schloesser Annemarie
Published: April 2013

This study of 59 randomly selected female caregivers explored the level of involvement of Head Start fathers and other significant males with their preschool-age children. The findings revealed that the majority of households had a significant male living in them. Almost all of the female caregivers reported a significant male's involvement, and almost one-half reported a second significant male's involvement, in their Head Start child's life. Significant males' involvement was concentrated in the areas of physical care and socialization, and the men were perceived to have little involvement in Head Start activities. Implications for Head Start programs are discussed.
Voices of Three Generations: Families and the Declining Health of Older Adults
Authors: Wall Jack , Spira Marcia
Published: April 2013

The declining health of an older family member impacts family members in many ways. This article describes the effects of coping with the needs of older members among three generations. The systemic effects result in challenges to each generation along physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Discussion focuses on the experiences of the respective generations as they each attempt to voice their needs and negotiate their individual and interpersonal development in the context of the older persons’ decline. Multiple theories and intervention strategies, including developmental, narrative, and family systems, will be applied to case material. Helping families to articulate the stress, renegotiate the issues of care, and reframing old patterns of behavior may be crucial to assisting families navigate through this time of life.
Faces of Fatherhood: African American Young Adults View the Paternal Role
Authors: Peart Norman A. , Pungello Elizabeth P. , Campbell Frances A. , Richey Thomas G.
Published: April 2013

Narrative analysis of semistructured interviews with 64 young adults (98% African American) revealed their idealized views of biological fathers. Interviews contained descriptions of current father contacts as well. Data were informed by prospective quantitative information on father-child contact from infancy to age 15. Ideally, biological fathers give children personal presence, material support, counsel, and guidance. Each relationship was classified as either: deceased, unknown, known but not involved, or involved; analysis showed that the extent of early contact tended to predict these categories. These findings have implications for practitioners and service providers working with African American children, families, and communities.
General Family Image in Intercultural Transition: Soviet Immigrant Families in Israel
Authors: Moin Victor , Sharlin Shlomo A.
Published: April 2013

This article focuses on one of the important criteria in assessing one's family, namely, general family image (GFI), which directly connects to social comparison. General family image includes various representations about patterns, standards of family life, and couple relations. GFI also characterizes individual predispositions, as well as social cognition, and it plays essential epistemic and esteem maintenance functions in family life. This article examines GFI at both the theoretical and empirical levels, outlining the ways in which the concept can be utilized in the context of family studies. Specific assumptions regarding the main characteristics and functions of GFI, its relation to world view, and quality of family life were empirically tested through the analysis of data on 210 married couples, new immigrants from the former Soviet Union in Israel. Intercultural transition, connected to immigration, provides a natural experimental setting to study the stability and consistency of GFI.
Identifying Children with Developmental Disabilities Receiving Child Protection Services: A National Survey of Child Welfare Administrators
Authors: Shannon Patrick , Agorastou Maria
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of U.S. state child protection service (CPS) agencies to identify children with developmental disabilities who have been maltreated and provide them with services to meet their unique needs. The subjects were 50 state-level child welfare administrators (including the District of Columbia) who were knowledgeable about the data collections requirements in their states. The findings of this study are presented and compared with data collected from two previous studies. Findings indicate that less than one-half of state child welfare agencies identify children with developmental disabilities. The implications of the findings highlight the need for improved data collection procedures, staff and foster care family training regarding disabilities, and improved collaboration with traditional developmental disability-related providers.
Challenges for Formerly Incarcerated Women: A Holistic Approach to Assessment
Authors: O'Brien Patricia , Young Diane S.
Published: April 2013

This article describes the development of a practice model for assessing formerly incarcerated women in a “one-stop,” holistic approach. The gender-specific theoretical framework that enables the women to prioritize steps of reentry is discussed in light of the survival, relational, educational, vocational, treatment, health and mental health needs of recently released women.
A Cultural Perspective on Emotions and Behavior: An Empathic Pathway to Examine Intergenerational Conflicts in Chinese Immigrant Families
Authors: Chung Irene W.
Published: April 2013

This article discusses the influence of culture on human emotions and behavior and its significance in understanding the nuances of distress in intergenerational conflicts among Chinese immigrant parents and their children. In examining the differences in values and norms between the two generations, and the inherent conflicts associated with acculturation in immigrant families, this article focuses on the culturally specific experience and expression of emotions underlying these issues. Case vignettes illustrate how cultural meanings often accentuate the interpretation of antagonistic and rejecting behavior as well as how they camouflage the need for validation between parents and children. Intervention approaches that aim to resolve the emotional impasse within the families are illustrated and discussed.
Consumer Perceptions of Family Resource Center Service Delivery Strategies
Authors: O'Donnell Julie , Giovannoni Jeanne M.
Published: April 2013

Family Resource Centers (FRCs) should be accessible to neighborhood residents and involve them in program design and implementation. However, few studies show whether service delivery methods affect the ability of FRCs to achieve their goals. This study explored 488 consumers’ perceptions of the importance of service delivery factors. Study participants answered questions about how the staff treated them, whether they had any language difficulties, and whether they liked the facility. Overall, FRC consumers were satisfied with service delivery factors, valuing “interpersonal ambience” over “tangible supports.” Results of the study suggest that service delivery plays an important role in FRC utilization. An FRC should involve residents in planning and providing activities to make the facility an important part of the community.
Factors Associated with Interest in Working with the Poor
Authors: Weiss Idit
Published: April 2013

This study focuses upon factors related to the desire of social work students to work with the poor. It examines three sets of variables: students’ perceptions of the causes of poverty, the best way of dealing with it, and preferred professional interventions. The sample consists of 514 graduating BSW students from Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Israel, and the United States. The findings indicate that interest to work with the poor is associated with less inclination to perceive poverty as caused by lack of motivation, effort, and responsibility; more inclination to view the expansion of state provision as the best means of dealing with poverty, less inclination to support its reduction; and more desire to employ policy practice and advocacy.
Placement Stability: Enhancing Quality of Life for Children with Developmental Disabilities
Authors: Schormans Ann Fudge , Coniega Marose , Renwick Rebecca
Published: April 2013

Quality of life for children with developmental disabilities (DD) has recently received increasing attention. This qualitative study examines quality of life for children with DD in care based on the perspectives of a small group of foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers. Placement stability is identified as a contributing factor to quality of life by using grounded theory methodology. Respondents expressed the importance of meeting the child's needs; provision of a family environment; and supporting the parents to support the child. The implications for child welfare practice are briefly discussed.
Uncovering Stories of Family Resilience: A Mixed Methods Study of Resilient Families, Part 1
Authors: Lietz Cynthia A.
Published: April 2013

The construct of resilience describes situations in which people overcome negative consequences typically associated with high levels of risk. This study applied the construct of resilience to family systems looking at ways families are able to maintain high functioning despite facing difficult experiences. A mixed methods study was conducted to test relationships between the variables of risk, family strengths, and family functioning. Quantitative findings suggest that families do experience resilience. The variable of family strengths predicted higher levels of family functioning despite the level of risk. The results lend empirical support to the use of strength-building in family practice. Qualitative results and relevance of the entire study are presented in an upcoming second article (Part 2).
Finding Homes for Their Dreams: Strategies Founders and Program Initiators Use to Position and Sustain Faith-Based Programs
Authors: Netting F. Ellen , O'Connor Mary Katherine , Singletary Jon
Published: April 2013

This grounded theory study of 15 faith-based programs in four urban cities examines how initiators and founders find homes for their visions of addressing unmet community needs, especially those of children and their families. Founders can be congregations, individuals, or groups with diverse characteristics. This study suggests that they place their visions in viable contexts through developing new organizations in which to place their programs, temporarily incubating them until a new organization can be formed, tethering them to congregations, or birthing them in well-established faith-related agencies with deep historical roots in the community. These programs have the potential to become legends, influencing the identity of their organizational homes and the larger community's images of those homes.
Domestic Violence Continuum, Forensic Assessment and Crisis Intervention
Authors: Roberts Albert R.
Published: April 2013

Domestic violence continues to be one of the most pervasive, traumatic, life-threatening, and harmful family problems in society today. A new 5-level classificatory schema or continuum of the duration and severity of woman battering is proposed for assessment and intervention. The continuum is based on 501 in-depth interviews with battered women in emergency shelters, police departments, and a large state women's prison. The underlying goal of identifying different types of battering relationships is to provide social workers and forensic specialists with psychosocial indicators that can be used as a basis for early case-finding, crisis intervention, and preventive intervention. Crisis intervention protocols and other intervention strategies are needed with abused women throughout North America.
The Helping Relationship Inventory: A Clinical Appraisal
Authors: Young Thomas M. , Poulin John E.
Published: April 2013

The Helping Relationship Inventory (HRI) is a newly developed measure of the strength of the helping relationship. It is designed for use by social workers and their clients in a variety of helping contexts. An appraisal of its clinical utility, based on nine pairs of clients and their MSW student workers, showed that the HRI worked well in a number of different settings and that using it can improve the worker-client relationship and facilitate the helping process. Three case examples are provided, and the significance of differences between ratings of clients and workers are discussed.

For those helping professionals and agencies facing managed market pressures to provide briefer, more effective services, the Helping Relationship Inventory provides an easily administered means of assessing and improving the working relationship between consumers and their providers.
Juvenile Offenders as Fathers: Perceptions of Fatherhood, Crime, and Becoming an Adult
Authors: Shannon Sarah K. S. , Abrams Laura S.
Published: April 2013

Current research offers conflicting findings regarding how, or if, fatherhood influences youth offenders’ criminal trajectories. Through repeated qualitative interviews with seven incarcerated teen fathers, this study provides insight into these young fathers’ understandings of their responsibilities toward their children and prospects for future criminal activity. Analysis reveals that these young fathers take their parental roles very seriously and identify their children as the principal motivator for desistance from crime. They also articulate substantial obstacles to achieving their paternal ideals, including financial pressure, strained relationships with their children's mothers, and lack of male role models. Implications for social work practice are provided.
Four Areas of Support for Child and Youth Care Workers
Authors: Krueger Mark
Published: April 2013

Developing a competent staff of child and youth care workers is a major challenge for most group care programs for children, youth, and families. Factors such as low pay, lack of preparation, and demanding working conditions have contributed to creating a workforce crisis. Several studies have been conducted to help mitigate the problems. Many of these studies and experience point to daily interactions as a major source of learning and satisfaction. In this article, with an emphasis on the parallel processes of child and youth care and staff development, I draw on the literature and more than 35 years of experience in child and youth care to construct a narrative that discusses how care of self, participation, mentoring, and atmosphere contribute to successful daily interactions. The purpose is to encourage discourse, continued discussion, and action.
Advocating for Persecuted People of Faith: A Social Justice Imperative
Authors: Hodge David R.
Published: April 2013

In order to remain relevant in the 21st century, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) policy statements contend that the profession must address international human rights abuses. Violations stemming from religion are specifically mentioned by NASW as an issue requiring the attention of social workers. Little, if any, material has appeared in the literature on this topic, however, even though the United Nations (UN) has expressed deep concern over the overall global rise in violations of religious freedom rights. To address this gap, the present study reviews internationally sanctioned religious freedom rights along with the increasing violation of those rights. Persecuted people of faith represent some of the most vulnerable, marginalized people in the world. Members of essentially every faith group experience persecution, although Christians are the most victimized globally. Suggestions for advocacy are discussed along with clinical and educational implications.
A Contextual-Congruence Model of Socialization
Authors: Spera Christopher , Matto Holly C.
Published: April 2013

For more than a century, social scientists from a variety of disciplines have proposed theories of socialization to explain how values, goals, skills, and attitudes are passed from socialization agents to children. Empirical research over the last 25 years points to variations in the socialization process across families from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups, prompting the call for new theoretical developments that can explain these differences and expand research questions and methodologies in this area. This article presents a new approach to empirically examining socialization processes that seeks to account for these sociocultural differences, called a contextual-congruence model of socialization. The primary tenets of the model and areas to focus future empirical study are discussed.
Grandparent-Headed Families: Needs and Implications for Social Work Interventions and Advocacy
Authors: Cox Carole B.
Published: April 2013

As the growth of grandparent-headed families continues, increasing numbers of social workers will find themselves dealing with the multitude of issues that these families face. Understanding the needs and concerns of these families is critical for the development of appropriate interventions, which include counseling, support groups, working with schools, and case management. This article discusses specific interventions social workers can use in working with these families. In addition, because their needs and problems are often systemic and not the result of any individual pathology, it stresses (a) the importance of working with grandparents to help them become self-advocates and (b) the role of social workers in changing unresponsive and insensitive policies and systems.
Assets, Human Capital Development, and Economic Mobility of Single Mothers
Authors: Zhan Min
Published: April 2013

This study examines the relationships of single mothers’ assets (home ownership, bank account ownership, automobile ownership, and net worth) and human capital development (educational advancement, work hours, and job-related training) to their economic mobility. Analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) indicates factors that could help improve the upward economic mobility of single mothers include their assets, educational status and advancement, and work experience. Mothers’ assets were also positively related to their educational advancement, job training participation, and work hours. Furthermore, it appears that the relationship between mother's assets (automobile ownership and net worth) with economic mobility was partially mediated by work experience. These results support investment strategies to enhance the long-term economic well-being of single mothers.
Sexual Revictimization: Implications for Social Work Practice
Authors: Macy Rebecca J.
Published: April 2013

Substantial research demonstrates the existence of the sexual revictimization phenomenon; however, the problem of sexual revictimization is largely unattended and unexamined in the social work literature. Because of the pervasiveness of sexually violent victimization, social workers are frequently working with victim-survivors among their clients in child welfare, domestic violence, and sexual assault as well as physical health, mental health, and substance abuse settings. Social workers lacking a thorough knowledge about sexual revictimization and the strategies to prevent its occurrence may be missing important intervention opportunities. This paper helps to increase social workers’ awareness of the revictimization phenomenon and builds on the literature and research to provide recommendations for social work practice and research for revictimization prevention.
Caregivers of Older Clients with Severe Mental Illness: Perceptions of Burdens and Rewards
Authors: Cummings Sherry M. , MacNeil Gordon
Published: April 2013

Approximately 1 million older persons have a severe mental illness (SMI) and this number is expected to double in the coming decades. While research studies have examined the experiences of family members of younger persons with SMI, very little is known about caregivers of older SMI clients. This study examined the characteristics, burdens, and rewards of 60 caregivers of older SMI clients using a modified version of family caregiver scales of Tessler, Fisher, & Gamache (1992). Hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that increased client symptoms, higher levels of help provided, increased caregiver income, and knowledge about the care recipient's diagnosis were predicative of caregiver burden. Decreased number of client symptoms, care recipient being female, and greater experience of the presence of God predicted caregiver rewards. Implications of these findings are discussed.