bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting Unplanned Termination: Clinicians’ Perceptions of Termination from Adolescent Mental Health Treatment
Authors: Mirabito Diane M.
Published: April 2013

This qualitative study explored clinicians’ perceptions about unplanned terminations from outpatient mental health treatment among economically disadvantaged, inner-city adolescents. Findings revealed that most terminations were unplanned, unannounced, and unilaterally initiated by adolescents. Planned terminations occurred only when short-term treatment and situational factors for clients or clinicians dictated termination. Client, clinician, and clinic factors that contributed to unplanned terminations, or treatment dropout, included normative adolescent development, the ways clinicians conducted treatment, and the agency context. Although clinicians believed that the process of termination and closure was important, they rarely initiated it. Implications for practice include reconceptualizing termination; developing collaborative, consistent goals between adolescents and clinicians; use of problem-focused, intermittent, time-limited interventions; and development of organizational and clinical structures to guide case review and closure.
Therapist Self-Disclosure from a Gay Male Perspective
Authors: Satterly Brent A.
Published: April 2013

Self-disclosure is a therapeutic intervention often studied within the therapeutic relationship. Increasing attention has been given to therapist self-disclosure (TSD) in light of the gay therapist's sexual orientation. This qualitative study examines the decision-making processes of gay male therapists regarding self-disclosure of their sexual orientations with straight and gay male clients. Four focus groups of therapists discussing these decisions were coded and analyzed. Data analysis reveals 3 topical areas for categorizing themes related to decisions about disclosure of sexual orientation for gay male therapists: (a) identity creation; (b) individual identity management, preclient contact; and (c) individual identity management, client contact. The author describes the themes that emerge and the need for a fluid model of TSD decision making for gay male therapists.
Factors Associated with Perceived Parenting Competence among Special Needs Adoptive Mothers
Authors: Eanes Angella Y. , Fletcher Anne C.
Published: April 2013

The study reported here considered the nature of associations among children's behavior problems, parenting stress, and mothers’ feelings of competence. Seventy-two adoptive mothers reported on their adopted children's behavior problems, their own parenting stress, and feelings of competence. Parenting stress was found to mediate the association between children's attention problems and mothers’ feelings of competence. When children exhibited higher levels of attention problems, their mothers felt more stress. In turn, when mothers experienced more parenting stress, they felt less competent as parents. Parenting stress moderated the association between children's internalizing behavior and mothers’ feelings of competence. A negative relationship between children's internalizing behavior and mothers’ feelings of competence was stronger when mothers reported more parenting stress than when they reported less parenting stress.
A Pilot Study on Children with Limitations in Self-Care, Mobility, and Social Functions: Effects on Family Strengths
Authors: Pirila Silja , van der Meere Jaap , Seppanen Ritva-Liisa , Korpela Raija , Nieminen Pirkko
Published: April 2013

This pilot study explored the functional skills in 21 young children with activity limitations caused by a variety of brain complications sustained prenatal or perinatal. The Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) was used for this purpose. Scores were correlated with the Family Functioning Style Scale (FFSS). The children appeared to have many functional limitations in the domains of self-care, mobility, and social function, and extensive assistance was required, taxing the family strengths. This was especially the case in families with a child having cognitive difficulties (also termed learning disability). The results also suggest that needs for assistance in social functions were difficult for caregivers to recognize when the children's overall cognitive level was in the normal range.
Building Secure Relationships: Attachment in Kin and Unrelated Foster Caregiver–Infant Relationships
Authors: Cole Susan A.
Published: April 2013

The attachment relationships of 46 infants with their kin and unrelated foster caregivers are reported in the results of this study. Secure attachment relationships were found in about equal percentages in kin and unrelated caregiver–infant dyads (67–68%), similar to the percentage of secure attachment relationships found in birth and adoptive caregiver–infant dyads in previous studies. Disorganized/disoriented attachment behaviors were observed in a greater percentage of kin and unrelated foster caregiver–infant dyads (25–29%) than previously observed in birth families. Infant characteristics, caregiver characteristics, and differences in the home environments that could explain the differences reported in the attachment relationships observed in kin and unrelated foster caregiver–infant dyads are discussed. Implications for future research and social work practice are discussed.
“The Real Work is What They Do Together”*: Peer Support and Birth Parent Change
Authors: Frame Laura , Conley Amy , Berrick Jill Duerr
Published: April 2013

This article examines a peer support intervention with birth parents in the child welfare system. Literature on the emotional change process for child welfare-involved parents, peer-support intervention-outcome studies in child welfare, and findings on peer support in related fields is reviewed. The Mendocino County Family Services Center (MCFSC) model is described, and findings from an exploratory study are presented and discussed. This model engages parents in a sequence of services based on developmental stages. The study used focus groups, interviews, and observation to understand the key components of the MCFSC peer support intervention, and the experience of birth-parent participants with respect to their personal change process. Further research into this model and other interventions that promote birth-parent change in child welfare is warranted.
Challenges of Grandparent Custody of Children at Risk in New Zealand
Authors: Worrall Jill
Published: April 2013

The phenomenon of grandparents assuming responsibility for raising their grandchildren is growing internationally. The New Zealand Children Young Persons and Their Families Act (1989) led international child welfare legislation in mandating extended family placement for children needing care. The Act responded to Maori1 concerns that Maori children were being disproportionately placed with European caregivers. Maori children are still overrepresented in state care statistics; however, they are almost twice as likely to be placed with grandparents or other extended family than are European children. Psychological, cultural, legal, and socioeconomic factors impact on how kinship care is experienced. The emphasis of this research was qualitative,2 with a primary view of accessibility for the participant group and shaping social work policy and practice with these families.
The Benefits of Consumer-Directed Services for Caregivers of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Masters Julie L.
Published: April 2013

Because a substantial portion of care provided to persons with Alzheimer's disease comes from families, it is beneficial to understand what services are most useful to caregivers in supporting a family member in the community. This article summarizes a project designed to explore the benefits of consumer-directed services, in which 112 caregivers were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group at intake. Results suggest that caregivers who take a consumer-directed (self-determined) path have a greater likelihood of extending their caregiving role than those who have access to traditional aging services only. Encouraging consumer-directed behavior is discussed as an avenue for social service providers to pursue when supporting caregivers and care receivers in remaining in the community.
Early-Stage Cognitive Impairment: A Social Work Practice and Research Agenda
Authors: Adams Kathryn Betts , McClendon McKee J.
Published: April 2013

With the current emphasis on early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia such as Alzheimer's disease, it is increasingly common to receive the diagnosis of impairment before functioning is seriously compromised. People in the early stages of cognitive loss experience distress related to their current and future functioning and yet are capable of participating in psychosocial treatment or support. Although most published studies deal with services for caregivers rather than direct practice with the cognitively impaired person, there is a growing body of clinical and research reports on psychosocial interventions offered directly to people with early cognitive loss. These interventions are aimed at alleviating the stress, depression, and anxiety while promoting a positive outlook. Gerontological social work practitioners and researchers are well positioned to further develop, implement, and evaluate these promising intervention approaches with early-stage cognitive loss.
Revisting Social Work and the American Military Family
Authors: Pryce Jo , Pryce Colonel David H.
Published: April 2013

Before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States and the subsequent military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, authors Jo and David Pryce in a 1999 Families in Society article described the new American military family in the midst of changes undergone by the armed services. 1 They provided principles of practice, as well as general advice, for social workers responding to the needs of military personnel, active-duty and Reserve, and their families. Now, in a June 2006 interview with FIS, Jo and David Pryce update their assessment of the role social workers can play in addressing the needs of military personnel and their families as they face the spiral of deployment, separation, and reunion, and as increasing numbers of deployed veterans return home with psychological problems.
The Homeless Need More than Just a Pillow, They Need a Pillar: An Evaluation of a Transitional Housing Program
Authors: Washington Thomas Alex
Published: April 2013

Current programs serving the homeless population use the systems approach, focusing on the person-in-the situation. These programs, which are known as transitional housing programs, seek to empower individuals through comprehensive services, such as education, job development, leadership skills, resources, and referrals. This study evaluated the comprehensive services offered at a transitional housing program through the eyes of former residents. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 successful participants of the program. Analysis of the interview data suggested that the formal and informal services offered at Estival Place empowered the participants by offering life skills classes, resources and referrals, and counseling. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
Homeless Families in Canada: Discovering Total Families
Authors: Schiff Jeannette Waegemakers
Published: April 2013

Research on homeless families has focused primarily on residents of emergency and transitional housing programs, most of which serve victims of domestic violence and/or substance abuse, primarily women, excluding male partners and adolescent children. Resulting family profiles are skewed towards unaccompanied women with dependent children. Evaluation of a temporary emergency shelter for homeless families revealed a markedly different profile. Families housed were older, more often married and living together, and had more older children than reported elsewhere. Many were income-earning households left homeless by low income, a high rental market and under-funded migration moves in their search for employment. Housing and income policies need to include the unique needs of dual parent households with dependent children.
Grandparent Support for Mothers of Children with and without Physical Disabilities
Authors: Cate Ineke M. Pit-ten , Hastings Richard P. , Johnson Hannah , Titus Sara
Published: April 2013

Grandparents’ support to families of children with disabilities is generally associated with improved parental well-being. Little research addresses the question of quantitative differences in grandparent support to families of children with and without disabilities. This article examines such differences. Data was collected on 50 mothers of children with spina bifida and 43 mothers of children without disabilities and results showed how mothers rated perceived maternal and paternal grandparent support. No differences were found between mothers of children with and without disabilities. These results confirm previous findings that grandparent support appears to be no more frequent in families of children with disabilities than in other families. These findings are discussed with reference to sampling limitations and implications for further research.
Uncovering Stories of Family Resilience: A Mixed Methods Study of Resilient Families, Part 2
Authors: Lietz Cynthia A.
Published: April 2013

This study applied the construct of resilience to family systems by looking at ways families are able to maintain high functioning despite facing difficult experiences. A mixed methods study tested relationships between the variables of risk, family strengths, and family functioning. Quantitative findings suggested that the variable of family strengths predicted higher levels of family functioning than the level of family risk. A subsample of 6 families participated in in-depth family interviews. Narrative analysis uncovered the presence of 10 family strengths as well as a process through which these strengths were important in the experience of family resilience. This article presents a model of the process. The quantitative and qualitative research supports the usefulness of identifying and building upon family strengths.
Men's Perceptions of Family during the Retirement Transition
Authors: Nuttman-Shwartz Orit
Published: April 2013

This study provides a phenomenological description of pre- and postretirement perceptions of family and their impact on adjustment to retirement. The study is qualitative and employs interviews as a means of collecting life stories and life scenarios of men on the eve of their retirement transition. The findings corroborate that retirement is a family transition. The most important results shed light on retirees’ loneliness and need for support. Supportive preretirement interventions are recommended. In addition, the results showed family perceptions’ contribution to postretirement adjustment. Thus, in order to help the retirees to accept their retirement transition, it suggests that the preretirement intervention should focus on the family as a whole, especially when retirees plan their future.
Social Workers’ Suggestions for Effective Rural Practice
Authors: Riebschleger Joanne
Published: April 2013

Two focus groups of participants at a national rural social work conference answered the research question, “What are your suggestions for engaging in effective social worker practice in rural areas?” The participants offered specific recommendations for social work practice with rural people and communities. They supported these recommendations with illustrations from their experiences as social work practitioners in rural settings. Text data drawn from transcribed audiotapes of the focus groups were coded into open, axial, and selective data themes. While generalizability is limited, this small sample of social workers offered a glimpse of their views of rural practice. They offered practical, down-to-earth advice for rural social work practitioners within main data themes of community, connections, generalist practice, and diversity.
Perceptions of Need and the Ethicality of the Male Social Work Practice
Authors: Hall J. Christopher
Published: April 2013

A discussion of the ethical requirements of male social workers to actively support women in the struggle for gender equality is presented. Specifically, (1) are males in the social work profession who take no active position on sexism and equality, practicing unethically according to the NASW Code of Ethics (1999) by supporting the patriarchal structure via inaction, while accepting the privileges it affords? And, if so, (2) do male social work practitioners have a moral and ethical duty to actively support social change that would enhance gender equality? The cultural perception of social need is discussed as being inseparable from the perception of moral obligation. It is concluded that male social workers are ethically bound to actively support gender equality.
An International Analysis of the Role of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work Practice
Authors: Furman Leola Dyrud , Zahl Mari-Anne , Benson Perry W. , Canda Edward R.
Published: April 2013

As service populations have changed, social workers in Norway and the United States have attempted to respond to the needs of diverse cultures, which often include issues of religion and spirituality. Members of the Norwegian Union of Social Educators and Social Workers (FO) and the U.S. National Association of Social Workers (NASW) were sampled to explore attitudes and perceptions of social workers regarding the placement of religion and spirituality in practice. In general, U.S. social workers were more accepting of religion and spirituality than their Norwegian colleagues. Factors such as secularism, functional differences of church and state relations, and different historical trajectories in the social work profession's development in both countries may contribute to differences between the U.S. and Norway.
The Effects of Religiousness on Parenting Stress and Practices in the African American Family
Authors: Cain Daphne S.
Published: April 2013

Despite numerous anecdotal assertions and budding empirical evidence, the profession of social work continues to ignore the influence of religiousness on parenting practices in the African American family. This study expands on what is already known and asks two related questions: Does religiousness influence parenting practices, and does religiousness influence parenting stress in the African American family? Moreover, this study uses a multidimensional measure of religiousness, allowing for an analysis of what specific aspects of religiousness (service attendance, private worship, or subjective/intrinsic religiousness) influence parenting. Results reveal that private worship and intrinsic religiousness (i.e., spirituality) positively influence parenting practices, but that attendance at religious services was not related to parenting. Moreover, religiousness had no influence on parenting stress.
Parents Caring for Adult Children with Physical Disabilities: The Impact of Hope and Closeness on Caregiving Benefits
Authors: Schwartz Chaya , Hadar Lilit
Published: April 2013

In the present study, we examined 82 parents of adult children with physical disabilities. The parents described the benefits of caregiving, and reported positive feelings about their involvement in caregiving as well as a sense of personal growth as a result of caregiving. When parents perceived caregiving as causing less emotional strain (subjective burden), and when they felt higher levels of closeness with their offspring and expressed higher levels of hope, they were more likely to indicate that caregiving yielded benefits. In the discussion, we focus on the importance of developing closeness and hope among parents who care for their adult offspring with physical disabilities. The implications for social work intervention are also discussed.
Parents' Work, Depressive Symptoms, Children, and Family Economic Mobility: What Can Ethnography Tell Us?
Authors: Iversen Roberta Rehner , Armstrong Annie Laurie
Published: April 2013

Low-income work, job training, depressive symptoms or depression, and children's school performance. These topics have occupied the attention of scholars and policy makers in recent years, particularly as they pertain to single mothers in the context of welfare reform. Broadening this landscape, findings from longitudinal, multicity ethnographic research reveal that low-income fathers also experience depression or depressive symptoms that hinder family economic mobility. Further, repeated scores from a community-based depressive symptoms measure embedded in the ethnographic inquiry show that the timing of parents' training and employment pathways, economic conditions, and policies in firms and children's schools intersect with parents' depressive symptoms or depression to affect mobility. Program and policy supports seem to mediate these intersecting mobility challenges.
Pathways to Employment: The Experiences of TANF Recipients with Employment Services
Authors: Beimers David , Fischer Robert L.
Published: April 2013

The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 by the U.S. Congress required welfare recipients to quickly move into the workforce. Employment services agencies perform a key role in this process by providing welfare recipients with work readiness and job search skills. This article reviews the findings of an empirical study of the experiences and employment outcomes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients referred to contracted employment services agencies. The study involves a random-sample survey of 151 TANF recipients in a large, urban, north-central county. The findings suggest that generic work readiness activities may be of limited utility unless they include job leads to actual employment opportunities. The article concludes with a discussion of critical issues for practitioners.
The Difficulty of Obtaining a Child Care Subsidy: Implications for Policy and Practice
Authors: Basta Mona
Published: April 2013

Single mothers leaving welfare face a web of obstacles in accessing child care subsidies. This paper develops a model of child care selection and subsidy use among welfare leavers. Findings suggest that the level of trust between parents and child care providers and the availability of information about facilities were important decision-making criteria. Efforts to work with this population need to address their lack of information about subsidies to increase the range of child care alternatives and quality and also to promote trusting relationships between social workers and welfare leavers. Specific recommendations include combining ongoing case management with education about child care alternatives and subsidies. However, child care information services should be separated from subsidies to promote trust in relationships with clients.
Improving the Knowledge and Attitudes of Low-Income Families about Banking and Predatory Financial Practices
Authors: Anderson Steven G. , Zhan Min , Scott Jeff
Published: April 2013

Research has found that low-income families often do not access the mainstream banking services used by financially better-off families, and that they correspondingly are subject to predatory financial practices. This article evaluates a training program intended to improve the banking and related financial practices of low-income persons. Pretraining surveys found low initial knowledge about banking and predatory practices, and trainees were skeptical about the costs and difficulties associated with bank use. Post-training surveys found significant knowledge improvements in these respects, as well as attitude changes favorable to the use of mainstream financial institutions. The implications of these findings for social work involvement in financial training development are discussed.
Improving the Retirement Prospects of Lower-Wage Workers in a Defined-Contribution World
Authors: Gonyea Judith G.
Published: April 2013

Lower-wage workers have always faced challenges in saving for their retirement years. As U.S. businesses increasingly adopt defined-contribution pension plans and emphasize individual responsibility and choice, what is the impact of this shift on the working poor? Lack of pension coverage is a significant concern because Social Security alone will not assure a comfortable retirement for lower-income workers. Our survey of more than 300 lower-wage service workers revealed that significant predictors of retirement savings behavior included greater financial literacy as well as greater job stability, stronger workforce attachment, and higher income. Employer-sponsored pension plans were the most frequently used savings option. Based on the findings, we explore the potential impacts of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) on lower-wage workers' retirement security and propose policy steps to reduce the risk of poverty being recycled into postretirement years.
Perceived Effects of Participation in an Asset-Building Program on Construction of Future Possibilities
Authors: Lombe Margaret , Nebbitt Von E. , Buerlein Jessie
Published: April 2013

Acknowledging the inadequacy of traditional welfare policies in moving households from poverty to economic self-sufficiency, we examine the psychological effects of participating in an asset-building intervention. We use a sample of 840 respondents who were enrolled in a community action program and assess whether or not participating in an Individual Development Account (IDA) program predicts a respondent's construction of future possibilities. Results show support for the hypothesized relationships. Certain respondent characteristics—e.g., age and income—are significantly associated with the dependent variable. These findings may have important implications for social policy. Participating in an IDA program may empower program participants to think and act on future possibilities, influencing their outcomes as well as the overall socioeconomic development of their communities.
Evidence for the Art of Social Work
Authors: Graybeal Clay T.
Published: April 2013

Social work depends on relationship building to achieve its goals. This requires knowledge derived from research, as well as the intuitive understanding and interpretive abilities that are refined through experience with clients. The evidence-based practice movement and its forebears have for decades attempted to determine which theory or method of practice is most effective when applied to specific problems or diagnoses. However, extensive meta-analyses have determined that other variables–-in particular, the quality of alliance formed between worker and client–-matter most in predicting outcomes. This article summarizes the research and concludes that the evidence supports an improvisatory conception of practice, and that improved outcomes will result when there is increased attention to those variables that enhance the working alliance.
Tacit and Codified Knowledge in Social Work: A Critique of Standardization in Education and Practice
Authors: Martinez-Brawley Emilia E. , Zorita Paz M-B.
Published: April 2013

Professional social work education has had a long trajectory in the United States. The nature of knowledge, its dissemination, and the way in which it shapes the expectations of professionals have changed through the years. The structure and standards for professional programs have been molded according to those changes. This article examines the progression of social work education, from preparation for a cause or an artistic undertaking, based primarily on tacit knowledge, to preparation for a technological undertaking or market endeavor, which requires codified knowledge. The connection between educational standards and ways of thinking and knowing is also explored. The authors propose that standardization and homogenization in social work education detract from a more creative and imaginative practice, which has been a valuable hallmark of social work.
Mexican American Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Findings from the Census 2000 American Community Survey
Authors: Fuller-Thomson Esme , Minkler Meredith
Published: April 2013

Using nationally representative data from the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey/ American Community Survey, this article documents the profile of the estimated 177,000 Mexican American grandparents aged 45 and older who were raising their grandchildren in 2000. One in 20 Mexican Americans was raising a grandchild, a proportion four times higher than that of non-Hispanic Whites. When compared with their non-caregiving Mexican American peers, grandparent caregivers had higher rates of poverty (30% vs. 15%) and overcrowding (38% vs. 19%). Only a small minority of grandparent caregivers living in poverty used public assistance or food stamps. Further, our hypothesis that grandparents raising grandchildren were less acculturated than noncaregivers was not supported by the data. Implications for social work practice, policy, and research are presented.
Child Fatalities in New York City: An Assessment of Child Protective Service Practice
Authors: Freundlich Madelyn , Bocknek Erika London
Published: April 2013

This article describes the results of two exploratory studies conducted in New York City that used reports of child fatality investigations conducted by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. It describes the characteristics of children who died as a result of maltreatment and the quality of the child fatality investigations, risk and safety assessments, and protective services responses. Three groups are the focus: children who died while living with families not previously referred to the public child welfare agency; children who died while living with families previously referred to the public child welfare agency; and all children in foster care. The studies found that safety and risk assessments often were not conducted appropriately when children were initially reported to child protective services and when the safety of surviving siblings was at issue; there often was insufficient attention to the elevation of risk as a result of the presence of multiple risk factors in families; and foster parents often did not receive adequate information about health conditions that posed significant risks for children in their care. This article advances practice and policy recommendations for strengthening responses to families who are at high risk and identifies future research directions.
Reaching Isolated New Mothers: Insights from a Home Visiting Program Using Paraprofessionals
Authors: Paris Ruth , Gemborys Meagan K. , Kaufman Peggy H. , Whitehill Debbie
Published: April 2013

The Visiting Moms Program delivers a relationship-based home visiting intervention in which volunteers address challenges faced by at-risk new mothers and families. For new mothers experiencing isolation, anxiety about parenting, lack of support, or limited resources, this program offers a volunteer, who is a mother herself, in the role of a mentor mother to connect the new mother to resources, listen without judgment, and strengthen parenting abilities. Less stress for the mother and improved care for the infant are major program goals. Relational theories and studies on home visiting interventions are used as lenses for viewing this type of intervention. Vignettes are included to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms through which the new mothers change. Clinicians, program planners, and administrators are likely to find this article helpful in its coverage of the literature on volunteers and home-based services, its description of the relational intervention provided by one home visiting program using volunteers, and its recommendations for ways in which others can design such programs.
Substance Abuse and Mental Retardation: Balancing Risk Management with the “Dignity of Risk”
Authors: Slayter Elspeth M.
Published: April 2013

Substance abuse (SA) is a documented issue for many people with mental retardation/developmental disabilities (MR/DD). However, little empirical data exist regarding the appropriateness or effectiveness of prevention or treatment approaches for this population. Compounding this issue, access to SA treatment for this population is also limited, making social work case management a challenge. For social workers, the problem of SA among people with MR falls into a gray area between the facilitation of the “dignity of risk” and risk management. Discussions of Deborah Stone's commentary on balancing liberty, equality, and security in social policy are presented in light of ways to encourage the implementation of the “dignity of risk.” Linking theory to practice, a baseline framework is provided for planning individualized, self-determination-oriented case management approaches for people with SA who have MR.
Care Plans for Families Affected by Parental Mental Illness
Authors: Reupert Andrea E. , Green Kirsten T. , Maybery Darryl J.
Published: April 2013

The process of establishing care plans for families affected by parental mental illness is outlined in this article. Based on the feedback of families involved, the original objective of developing crisis plans was broadened to incorporate “care” components. Accordingly, family care plans included planning for possible future crises, such as a parent's hospitalization, as well as long-term goals, for example, education plans for the children. It was found that identifying both crisis and care components enhanced existing social supports within the family and involved pre-negotiating and coordinating agency supports for family members. The general principles and basic components of family care plans are outlined, and the implications for workers' roles conclude the article.
Assessing the Needs of Low-Income Parents who Owe Child Support: Where Can the Social Workers Make a Difference?
Authors: Pukstas Kimberly A. , Albrecht Dennis K.
Published: April 2013

For social work practitioners to incorporate the needs of low-income noncustodial parents into their provided services successfully, they need to be aware of the wide range of financial difficulties and social problems experienced by these clients. Using survey and administrative data, this article provides a formal assessment of the support service needs of low-income noncustodial parents, mostly fathers, with an active child support obligation. Results indicate that the needs of many noncustodial fathers are not being met adequately. A discussion of the potential role of practitioners in assisting the noncustodial parent in complying with their child support obligations is included.
The Influence of Family Economic Status on Home-Leaving Patterns during Emerging Adulthood
Authors: De Marco Allison C. , Berzin Stephanie Cosner
Published: April 2013

Demographic shifts have lengthened the transition to adulthood and altered home-leaving patterns. Though all emerging adults are affected, little research has examined the experience of poor youths in this context. Using The National Survey of Families and Households, this study examined age of home leaving, repeated home leaving, and exit destination (N = 1,517). Poverty was related to these patterns. Young adults who experienced childhood poverty or public assistance were less likely to leave for school; those who experienced poverty were less likely to ever leave or experience repeated home leaving; and those with a public assistance history were more likely to leave early. These emerging adults may require assistance to transition out of the home and transition to school.
Reunification with Children in the Context of Maternal Recovery from Drug Abuse
Authors: Carlson Bonnie E. , Smith Carolyn , Matto Holly , Eversman Michael
Published: April 2013

Little is known about mothers' experiences of reunification with children in the context of recovery from drug abuse. Using a stress and coping framework, this qualitative study interviewed 6 mothers and 11 service providers from substance abuse and child welfare agencies regarding reunification experiences. Analysis of themes indicated that multiple parenting stressors and lack of resources and supports complicate women's abilities to manage parenting pressures upon reunification. Maternal readiness for reunification was an important theme; returning children prematurely heightens risk for poor outcomes, especially if insufficient services are in place to support children's return home. The stress of dealing with child protective services and multiple service systems was another theme. Implications for service provision to mothers and families are discussed.
Effects of Parental Monitoring, Permissiveness, and Injunctive Norms on Substance Use among Mexican and Mexican American Adolescents
Authors: Voisine Sarah , Parsai Monica , Marsiglia Flavio F. , Kulis Stephen , Nieri Tanya
Published: April 2013

The prevention literature has given little attention to how parental influences affect substance use among Mexican origin adolescents, even though they form part of the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. This study explored the effects of three types of parental influences– parental monitoring of the child's whereabouts, degree of parental permissiveness, and the strength of parental injunctive norms discouraging substance use–on alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use and anti-drug norms. Results showed that parental permissiveness and parental injunctive norms, particularly anti-drug injunctive norms, had the strongest effects on the substance use outcomes, but parental monitoring generally was not a significant predictor. These results and implications for prevention are discussed in light of Mexican cultural norms toward substance use, gender roles, and family roles.
Specialized Social Work Education: The Case for Social Work with Offenders
Authors: Lowe Laura A. , Bohon Stephanie A.
Published: April 2013

In the past, social workers have taken a lead in working with individuals involved with justice agencies and advocating for system change. Despite the fact that offender populations continue to increase in size and need, today there appears to be minimal involvement in this system by social workers. Using a mail survey of 400 social workers belonging to one of two U.S. professional organizations, we explore the impact of social work education on the likelihood of professionals choosing to practice with criminal offenders. Results indicate that social workers exposed to offender issues through specific coursework or offender internships during education are more likely to choose to work in justice settings. Implications of these findings for social work education are addressed.
Pre-Adoptive Genetic Testing: Is the Current Policy Too Restrictive?
Authors: Taylor Patricia G.
Published: April 2013

Developments in genetic technologies have made it possible to test for a variety of genetic disorders in children. The increased availability of genetic testing has put pressure on adoption agencies to provide genetic testing of pre-adoptive children. This paper examines the current policy on pre-adoptive genetic testing of children and proposed changes in the policy raised by key policy makers on medical genetics. These policy makers call for substantial restrictions on pre-adoptive genetic testing of all children available for adoption and ignore the potential positive outcomes that such testing could make in finding suitable adoptive families for hard-to-place children. It is recommended that pre-adoptive genetic testing be expanded to include children with special needs.
Open Adoption and Adolescence
Authors: Siegel Deborah H.
Published: April 2013

In open adoptions, birth and adoptive families exchange identifying information and have contact. Although most adoptions today include some form of openness, much of the public remains wary of this. The purpose of this study was to explore, longitudinally, adoptive parents’ perceptions of their children's open adoptions. This article reports the findings of tape-recorded interviews with 31 adoptive parents who were first interviewed when their children were infants and toddlers, again 7 years later, and a third time when their children were adolescents. The study found adoptive parents were committed to maintaining contact with the birth family even when discomforts and challenges in the relationships occurred. These findings can be used to guide agency policies and clinical practices that enable a wide range of open adoption options.
Evidence-Based Practice or Practice-Based Evidence: What is Happening with MEPA and Current Adoption Practices?
Authors: Mapp Susan C. , Boutté-Queen Needha , Erich Stephen “Arch” , Taylor Patricia G.
Published: April 2013

The Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) and Interethnic Placement Act (IEPA) were passed in an attempt to eliminate race as a barrier to adoption. The purposes of the current research were to discover what child welfare social workers know about MEPA and IEPA, their views about the usefulness of the acts in addressing race issues in adoption, and how these two acts have affected their child placement practices. A randomized nationwide survey of social workers in child welfare had 261 respondents. Respondents seemed knowledgeable about the acts, but they remained uncertain about their intended purpose and lacked knowledge about research on transracial adoption (TRA). The majority of respondents indicated race is a continuing factor in adoptive placements.
An Integrative Model for Social Work Practice: A Multi-Systemic, Multi-Theoretical Approach
Authors: Lundy Marta
Published: April 2013

The integration of various theories of practice is not new. Many authors have focused on theoretical integration and/or eclecticism in practice, however, the framework for integration has not been discussed as it relates to social work practice. This manuscript will give a brief history of theoretical integration and then describe a multi-systemic, multi-theoretical integrative model (IM) for social work practice, using these concepts as grounding for the model, i.e., (a) the therapeutic relationship or holding environment, (b) client self-determination, (c) the bio-psycho-social perspective, and (d) the person-in-situation. Examples of the application of the model are included along with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of such a model for social work practice.
Critical Consciousness and Cross-Cultural/lntersectional Social Work Practice: A Case Analysis
Authors: Suárez Zulema E. , Newman Peter A. , Reed Beth Glover
Published: April 2013

Social workers have an ethical responsibility to address the dynamics and consequences of oppression and to promote social justice. Working across cultures and identities requires expanding our comfort zones, owning our power and privilege, and engaging in active self-reflection that interrogates what we hold to be true. These are vital components of “critical consciousness” and critical approaches to practice. This paper presents a complex case example of a refugee Muslim family to articulate the processes that workers can use to deepen critical consciousness when working with clients. The authors describe ways to attend to the complex intersections (of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, immigration status, and socioeconomic status) in multicultural and socially just practice within complex agency and environmental contexts.
What Influences Social Workers’ Attitudes toward Working with Clients with Severe Mental Illness?
Authors: Eack Shaun M. , Newhill Christina E.
Published: April 2013

A national random survey of 2,000 National Association of Social Workers (NASW) members in post-master's degree practice in mental health was conducted to investigate their experiences and attitudes about working with individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Through a series of structural equation models we examined the influence of different frustrations reported by the respondents on their attitudes toward working with individuals with SPMI. Results suggest social worker attitudes toward working with individuals with SPMI are primarily influenced by their frustrations related to client behaviors and treatment issues rather than frustrations with system-related issues. Implications for social work practice include burnout and challenges to staff retention. Other implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Client and Worker Perceptions of Poverty: Implications for Practice and Research
Authors: Strier Roni
Published: April 2013

This article examines how social workers and clients construe their views of poverty. It presents findings of a qualitative study of worker and client perceptions of poverty done in Jerusalem. The study found many similarities in their views of poverty, but also revealed that client views of poverty causality are structural, whereas staff views rest on individual, “culture of poverty theory” approaches. The study shows the complexity of these views and exposes the situational, contextual, interpretive, and discursive nature of these constructions. The article encourages agencies to raise staff awareness regarding the structural aspects of client problems, increase the cultural and gender sensitivity training of the staff, and cultivate a critical dialog with clients as a platform to build enduring alliances.
What Works in Treating Reactive Attachment Disorder: Parents’ Perspectives
Authors: Drisko James W. , Zilberstein Karen
Published: April 2013

Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a relatively recent diagnosis that draws attention to the effects of early pathogenic caregiving. There is no evidence-based approach to treating RAD. Two different approaches, relationship-based attachment therapy and holding therapy, are widely mentioned in the literature. This qualitative study sought to identify a treatment package based on the views of parents whose children with RAD had made and sustained considerable progress. Parental commitment and availability, ability to find strengths, strong environmental structure, and emotional attunement are key sources of change, according to these parents. Findings also indicate children can make and sustain considerable progress in making attachments and improving social behavior without the use of therapeutic holding, the core feature of holding therapy.
Crossing Borders in Search of the Mother-Daughter Story: Interdependence across Time and Distance
Authors: Belknap Ruth Ann
Published: April 2013

Although studies have identified the importance of the mother–daughter relationship and of familism in Mexican culture, there is little in the literature about the mother–daughter experience after daughters have migrated to the United States. This study explores relationships between three daughters in America and their mothers in Mexico, and describes ways in which interdependence between mothers and daughters can be maintained when they are separated by borders and distance. Data collection included prolonged engagement with participants, field notes, and tape-recorded interviews. Narrative analysis techniques were used. Findings suggest mother–daughter interdependence remains. Some aspects may change, but the mother–daughter connection continues to influence lives and provide emotional and, to a lesser extent, material support in their lives.
Openness in Adoption and the Impact on Birth Mother Plans for Search and Reunion
Authors: Ayers-Lopez Susan J. , Henney Susan M. , McRoy Ruth G. , Hanna Michele D. , Grotevant Harold D.
Published: April 2013

This article addresses the attitudes of 125 birth mothers about their roles in their birth children's lives, 12 to 20 years postplacement. As part of a longitudinal study on adoption openness, decision-making is explored for birth mothers who maintained direct contact with the adoptive family, for those with ongoing mediated contact, mediated contact that had stopped, and those without contact. Analyses also were conducted to determine if birth mother planned searches were related to their age, marital status, and parenting status. Significant differences were found for type of openness. To contextualize the findings, birth mother reasons for making decisions about searching were analyzed. Recommendations are provided for adopted adults, birth parents considering a reunion, and adoption agency staff.