bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Model for Organizational Change: Using an Employee-Driven, Multilevel Intervention in a Substance Abuse Agency
Authors: Amodeo Maryann , Ellis Michael A. , Hopwood Jonna , Derman Laura
Published: April 2013

To respond to fluctuations in funding and community needs, human service organizations must develop mechanisms for designing, implementing, and solidifying agency-wide change. This article describes an agency change effort that was staff driven and behaviorally focused and included work teams of employees from all agency divisions. Organization development principles guided the work. The change effort, which focused on the agency's adoption of standards of excellence in client care, sought to disseminate, educate about, and institutionalize these standards. The change occurred through a multifaceted intervention with activities at 14 levels. We describe the nuts and bolts of the change process to fill a gap in the literature on implementing change in human service organizations. The model is applicable to many such agencies.
Service Coordination in Family-Centered Childhood Disability Services: Quality Assessment from the Family Perspective
Authors: Trute Barry
Published: April 2013

A research strategy for the evaluation of service coordination in family-centered childhood disability services is proposed. The strategy is consistent with Donabedian's classic framework for applied research in health care. Emphasis is given to process and outcome indicators that offer the parent or caregiver perspective on the quality of the service. The intent is to offer a parsimonious paradigm that will facilitate the operationalization of basic components of family-centered service coordination. Further, it is hoped that the proposed paradigm will serve to advance discussion of important themes in programs of professional training of service coordinators in childhood disability services.
When She is Gone: Child Care Plans of Mozambican Mothers with Terminal Illnesses
Authors: Roby Jini L. , Eddleman Nicola Wood
Published: April 2013

This study explored the child welfare plans of 102 mothers with terminal illnesses (predominantly AIDS) in rural Mozambique. The majority of mothers assumed that after their death the extended family would care for the children, but none offered a clearly identified plan. Many hoped that the government would provide for the children's education, food, and health care, although very little assistance is available currently. The vast majority of the women reported a preference for placement in an orphanage over other options, due to the perception that the children will be better fed and educated there. Ironically, all orphanages in Mozambique are at full capacity. The findings suggest an urgent need for collaboration at community, national, and international levels to meet the needs of orphans. Policy, practice, and research implications are explored.
Protecting Vulnerable Workers: How Public Policy and Private Employers Shape the Contemporary Low-Wage Work Experience
Authors: Haley-Lock Anna , Shah Melissa Ford
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a conceptual approach to understanding how government and private employers shape the employment experiences of contemporary low-wage workers. After reviewing recent changes in employment conditions that have disproportionately affected poor working families, we present two perspectives on the structural vulnerability for low-wage workers: policy and organizational stratification. The stratification approach suggests that public policy and private workplace practices interact with workers' personal and family circumstances to shape the outcomes of low-wage employment. Applying these lenses to restaurant workers, we examine why and how some workers may be uniquely disadvantaged by emerging proposals to change minimum wage laws. Promising directions for intervention are also discussed.
Social Work's Dialogue with the Arts: Epistemological and Practice Intersections
Authors: Damianakis Thecla
Published: April 2013

Despite historical acknowledgements and recent advancements in conceptualizing the arts for social work, the calls for arts inclusion have yet to stimulate a sustained research program. Taking creative writing as exemplary art, this inquiry gathered accounts of key constructs related to the arts. Using M. van Manen's (1997) phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology, 31 creative writers, teachers of creative writing, “arts inclusive” social workers, and social work researchers completed in-depth interviews. The participants’ accounts illustrated that the arts’ intersection with social work facilitated integrated, nondual epistemologies for practice. The social workers also highlighted the limits and benefits of including the arts in practice. The proposed arts infusion approach calls upon an enlarged view of human reality for social work within an ongoing ethic of care.
African American Mothers with Deaf Children: A Womanist Conceptual Framework
Authors: Borum Valerie
Published: April 2013

Although the incidence of disability is more prevalent among African Americans than any other ethnic group in the United States, empirically based guidelines grounded in the unique history and experiences of African American caretakers of children with disabilities are limited. A qualitative, exploratory design consisting of in-depth thematic interviews with 12 nondeaf African American female caretakers of deaf children was used to identify unique responses and approaches incorporated in raising deaf children of African descent. The data analysis plan entailed a modified grounded theory approach. Womanism was used inductively and deductively in organizing emerging themes as an explanatory model.
Telling Family Stories: The Family Building Projective Technique
Authors: Tonrey Donna A.
Published: April 2013

Talking about family issues can be very difficult for mentally ill clients in an adult partial hospitalization program (PHP). This article presents the Family Building Projective Technique (FBPT), which has been demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic tool that assists clients in discussing emotionally charged family issues in an education group setting. FBPT creates a non-threatening environment for PHP clients to bring up family issues that might otherwise go unaddressed. This technique situates the issues within the context of a story of a fictional family created by the clients. This context allows for the exploration of challenging family issues in a time limited session and provides an opportunity to increase understanding of the impact each person has in a family system.
Structure and Dynamics of Escalation from the Batterer's Perspective
Authors: Winstok Zeev , Eisikovits Zvi , Gelles Richard
Published: April 2013

Most theories dealing with the escalation of intimate violence have examined the components of escalation, rather than the dynamic processes involved. This paper develops a theoretical model addressing the structure and dynamics of escalation. To develop the model, we studied the transition between nonviolent and violent realities of cohabitant couples from the male partner's perspective. A sample of 25 interviews was selected from a database consisting of 120 in-depth qualitative interviews that were collected for a larger study dealing with the experience of violence among cohabiting couples that remained together in spite of the violence. Sampling, data collection, and data analysis followed the principles of grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Findings indicate that the men interviewed perceive themselves as entitled and obligated to defend their dyadic existential frameworks, while recognizing the costs and benefits involved in the use of violence to achieve this end. These men tend to create the rules, judge when the rules are being infringed upon, and take steps to enforce the rules. Their evaluation of the extent of their control over their own actions and the related cost–benefit considerations are highly influential in their attempts to reestablish the lost balance in their dyadic life. The process of constructing a reaction to their partner's behavior consists of two distinctive but interrelated phases: (a) identifying an action by the partner and constructing it into being worthy of reaction; (b) constructing an appropriate reaction. Men's construction of the escalation process is not random or situational, but rather constructed within a set of personal, interpersonal, and socially recognized scripts that delineate the boundaries of the entire process. Theoretical and practical implications for assessing the risk of violence and subsequent societal reaction are suggested, as well as directions for future research.
Effects of a Future Care Planning Workshop for Aging Parents of the Mentally Ill
Authors: Chen Fang-pei
Published: April 2013

This article presents a future care planning workshop for aging parents of adult children with severe mental illness and also presents workshop effects including parents' knowledge gains of future planning, psychological well-being, and future care planning behavior. The evaluation study had a single-group, pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up design. All 14 parents showed increased knowledge and confidence about future care planning at the posttest and the followup, and additional future care planning behavior was reported in the follow-up period. The findings support the importance of providing specific information and resources about future care planning to these aging parents. Practitioners are encouraged to incorporate future care planning issues in their practice and to support families on this difficult yet essential task.
Evaluation of a Community-Based Orphan Care Program in Uganda
Authors: Roby Jini L. , Shaw Stacey A.
Published: April 2013

In response to the orphan crisis in sub-Saharan Africa, the international child welfare community has agreed on a model that aims to increase the capacity of families and communities. Yet, little is known thus far about the service content and efficacy of programs based on the model. This project examined a community-based program in Uganda that provides support and assistance to families raising orphaned and other vulnerable children. Findings suggest that the households' need in certain categories, such as housing and food security, decreased significantly after services were received. Children's senses of belonging and permanency appeared promising. The program's strengths are discussed with recommended changes, as well as implications for policy, practice, and further research.
The Psychosocial Profile of Bedouin Arab Women Living in Polygamous and Monogamous Marriages
Authors: Al-Krenawi Alean , Slonim-Nevo Vered
Published: April 2013

This study examining the psychosocial profile of Bedouin Arab Women living in polygamous and monogamous marriages found that women in polygamous marriages reported lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, more problematic family functioning, less marital satisfaction, and more problematic mother–child relationships than women in monogamous marriages. The sample consisted of 315 women, 156 from polygamous and 159 from monogamous families. The respondents completed the Self-Esteem scale (SE), The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), The McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD), The Enrich questionnaire and the Index of Parental Attitudes. The polygamous family structure and the economic difficulties widespread, apparently constitutes a substantial contribution to the polygamous household's impaired family functioning.
Israeli Parents' Worries about Their School-Age Children
Authors: Yanay Uri , Benbenishty Rami
Published: April 2013

This study describes the worries of Israeli parents regarding their school-age children. A total of 1,751 parents responded to a survey asking how worried they were about their children with regard to a list of 13 worries. Parents worried most frequently about a terrorist attack on their children, followed by injury in a traffic accident, injury during military service, and serious illness. Parents worried more about boys, mothers worried more than fathers, and parents with college degrees worried less than others. Results indicate that parents worry less when they feel they have some control over the risks their children face. Increasing parents' control over these risks may be a role for social work.
A Practitioner's Application and Deconstruction of Evidence-Based Practice
Authors: Hall J. Christopher
Published: April 2013

A discussion of the application of evidence-based practice (EBP) in clinical settings is offered from a practitioner's point of view. Questions are raised regarding how the EBP effectiveness client-oriented practical evidence search (COPES) questions and literature review protocol (Gibbs, 2003) guide the operationalization of problems and clients, and suggestions are offered about additional variables to include in this standardized protocol that may enhance the specificity of EBP. An exploration of the EBP collaborative decision-making process is presented from a practice perspective, and a conclusion is drawn about the use of the EBP process in clinical settings.
Child Welfare Service Plan Compliance: Perceptions of Parents and Caseworkers
Authors: Smith Brenda D.
Published: April 2013

Child welfare practice and decision making center around service plans, but few recent studies have focused specifically on service plans and their use in routine child welfare settings. This qualitative study involving interviews, case record reviews, and court observations illuminates parent and caseworker perceptions about the meaning of service plans and service plan compliance, and about influences on compliance. Parents and caseworkers similarly perceive service plans as directives and service plan compliance as parental task completion and cooperation. But whereas caseworkers perceive a motivation to parent as the primary influence on service plan compliance, parents perceive multiple influences. Findings contribute to ongoing work to develop theories that can explain client service participation and its connection to positive child welfare outcomes.
Enhancing the Cultural Relevance of Empirically-Supported Mental Health Interventions
Authors: Conner Kyaien O. , Grote Nancy K.
Published: April 2013

Evidence-based practice (EBP) has become a hot topic in clinical social work and other mental health disciplines. Mental health professionals have called attention to the need for clinical decision-making to be based on the best available empirically supported treatments integrated with client preferences, values, and circumstances. This movement has greatly stimulated mental health professionals to develop, test, and adopt efficacious treatments for clients with psychological problems, but what is missing in the literature is the cultural context in which these treatments must be implemented to be effective with racial/ethnic minority populations. Herein, we utilize the culturally centered framework of Bernal, Bonilla and Bellido (1995) to examine its utility in assessing to what extent empirically supported mental health treatments incorporate culturally relevant components.
Toward a Model for Engaging Latino Lay Ministers in Domestic Violence Intervention
Authors: Hancock Tina U. , Ames Natalie
Published: April 2013

There is growing recognition that culturally relevant interventions with Latino couples experiencing domestic violence must take place at the community level as well as through clinically-oriented services. This article examines structural and cultural issues related to domestic violence among Latino immigrants living in rural areas of the United States. The authors present a culturally appropriate, environmentally-based model for domestic violence intervention and prevention with rural Latino families. The model identifies Latino church leaders as a potential resource in rural communities and calls upon social workers to collaborate with and support church leaders in preventing and intervening in domestic violence in rural Latino communities.
Family Centers in Rural Communities: Lessons for Policy, Planning, and Practice
Authors: Gillespie Judy L.
Published: April 2013

Family centers have emerged as a focal point of considerable interest for those looking for alternatives to highly bureaucratic and residual approaches to child welfare programs and services. These centers are seen to incorporate the best elements of ecological and strengths-based family practice, bringing together professional and community members in a supportive, inclusive, and nonstigmatizing environment. However, much of the research on family centers is grounded in urban neighborhoods or has failed to distinguish between urban and rural contexts. This paper presents results from an exploratory study that highlighted issues relevant to the establishment and operation of family centers in rural communities. Implications for policy makers and planners, as well as rural family and child welfare practitioners, are discussed.
Exposure to Community Violence and the Family: Disruptions in Functioning and Relationships
Authors: Vincent Neil J.
Published: April 2013

Of all the stressors experienced by poor urban African American families, community violence is perhaps the worst. This study examines how exposure to community violence affects the relationships and functioning of these families. Eight problems emerged from an analysis of 38 case records from a crime victims assistance program, including disruptions in communication and increased family conflict. Female caregivers experienced distress and an inability to meet the psychological needs of their children. Overall, the families experienced heightened safety concerns, isolation, and loss of financial resources while living in violent neighborhoods. Recommendations include using the ecological/transactional and family systems frameworks paired with a nontraditional, community-based approach to provide mental health and supportive services. Limitations and directions for further research are discussed.
Intergenerational and Interconnected: Mental Health and Weil-Being in Grandparent Caregiver Families
Authors: Smithgall Cheryl , Mason Sally , Michels Lisa , LiCalsi Christina , Goerge Robert
Published: April 2013

Research shows that a substantial number of grandparent caregivers are caring for children with developmental delays or emotional or behavioral problems, and that many caregivers have clinical levels of depression. This study explores grandparent-caregiver families’ mental health needs as well as use of and barriers to accessing mental health services. Interviews with families revealed unmet mental health needs and an interconnectedness between grandchildren's and their grandparent caregivers’ well-being. In the survey component, service providers described problems highly consistent with those reported by grandmothers, including school-related or attention-related concerns among children and depression, stress, and frustration among grandparents. Findings suggest implications for practitioners and policymakers regarding service access, expectations about services, and the fit between clients’ needs and the services available.
Contextual Meanings of the Strengths Perspective for Social Work Practice in Mental Health
Authors: Probst Barbara
Published: April 2013

Although the strengths perspective seems a natural framework for social workers practicing in mental health, it often plays a minor role in planning and evaluation. Two issues complicate its use: (a) The concept of strengths has different meanings and functions, depending on whether viewed as part of assessment, intervention, or outcome, and (b) the strengths perspective is an applied concept operating only through the medium of a specific intervention, not a modality whose efficacy can be independently evaluated. When these factors are ignored, the role of the strengths perspective can seem vague, peripheral, too obvious and “soft” to be a serious component of the change process–-yet, understood in context, it is an essential element of social work's unique approach.
Validating Reciprocity: Supporting Young Fathers’ Continued Involvement with Their Children
Authors: Parikh Shipra S.
Published: April 2013

Although young fathers are important contributors to families, their involvement has long been overlooked in research literature. This article details in-depth interviews conducted with 13 young fathers to identify factors related to their family involvement. Findings, informed by generative theory, indicate that many factors support involvement. Fathers draw support from internal resources and positive relationships, and negative past experiences can serve as motivating factors. Additionally, validating reciprocity between fathers and children maximizes emotional rewards and minimizes emotional costs, thereby contributing to involvement. Relevant recommendations are discussed, including replacing deficit fatherhood models with generative research to build on young fathers’ existing motives for involvement, and incorporating validating reciprocity into parenting programs, to help fathers respond to their children.
Making the Possible Probable: A Strength-Based Assessment and Intervention Framework for Clinical Work with Parents, Children, and Adolescents
Authors: Rawana Edward , Brownlee Keith
Published: April 2013

The strengths perspective has not been thoroughly operationalized for use in assessment and treatment with children and their families. Clinicians working from this perspective have relied mostly on resilience theory which can limit a more complete utilization of strengths in the treatment process. This article presents a framework that is organized around domains of functioning of the child. The assessment and utilization of a wide array of strengths drawn from a child's everyday functioning are highlighted as a way to approach clinical work with children and their families. Descriptions of concrete strategies and examples of clinical questions are provided, coupled with a case example that reflects the theme of strengths in action.
Same as it Ever Was, Only Worse: Negative Life Events and Poverty among New Orleans Katrina Survivors
Authors: Hawkins Robert L.
Published: April 2013

This study is a qualitative grounded theory examination of the pre- and post-Katrina life of hurricane survivors. Forty heads of households with school-age children who lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina were interviewed 6 to 8 months apart. Findings suggest that low-income study participants had experienced multiple negative life events linked to their poverty status prior to Hurricane Katrina. Participants described negative life events that included social isolation, physical and mental health problems, high debt or financial insecurity, dangerous neighborhoods, witnessing early deaths, experience with or witnessing violence and child abuse, experience with or witnessing incarceration, and teen pregnancy. Implications for practice and policy include a call for more comprehensive approaches to providing services to low-income families.
Assessing Effects of Food Stamp Program Participation on Child Food Security in Vulnerable Households: Do Informal Supports Matter?
Authors: Lombe Margaret , Yu ManSoo , Nebbitt Von E.
Published: April 2013

The Food Stamp Program (now the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is one of the largest federal welfare initiatives undertaken to address the problem of hunger and nutrient intake among households in poverty. We build on previous research by examining the effects of participating in the program on food security among children in vulnerable households using data from the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement for 2003. We also explore the moderating effects of informal food assistance. Our results suggest that food stamp take-up and informal food assistance are important in understanding child food security in vulnerable households. Further, we note that a number of individual and household characteristics are associated with child food security. Implications for practice and scholarship are presented.
Housed but Homeless? Negotiating Everyday Life in a Shared Housing Program
Authors: Anucha Uzo
Published: April 2013

This article discusses the challenges associated with what has become a common approach to the rehousing of “hard to house” groups–-shared housing models. The researcher collected and analyzed data from participants living in 2 shared housing programs for formerly homeless people in Toronto, Canada, who were on the verge of being evicted from their apartments. Findings illuminated participants’ pathways to homelessness and other related experiences during multiple episodes of homelessness, the negotiations they made to continue living in their current shared housing program, factors that jeopardized their housing stability, and the resources they utilized to stay housed. Findings underscore the need for a multidimensional approach to the provision of housing and for related support services that address recurrent homelessness.
Critical Theory: Pathway from Dichotomous to Integrated Social Work Practice
Authors: Salas Lorraine Moya , Sen Soma , Segal Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2013

Social work is rich in ideologies and traditions. One of our defining characteristics has been that we struggle with dichotomies. The focus of this article relates to our practice dichotomy: the struggle between service to the individual and change of the environment. This article uses critical theory as an ideological foundation to bridge the dichotomous approach between micro and macro social work practice. Applying critical theory to social work practice fits well with the professional values of enhancement of people's well-being, promotion of social justice, and empowerment of oppressed populations, while blending micro and macro practice. The article concludes with guidelines for critical social work practice.
Urban African American Adolescents and Adultification
Authors: Nebbitt Von E. , Lombe Margaret
Published: April 2013

Historically, African American adolescents have experienced higher rates of victimization and disenfranchisement compared to other subgroups in contemporary American society. Several theories exist that attempt to explicate factors that differentiated youth with positive adaptations from those with negative adaptations. Using a sample of African American youth living in urban public housing (N = 238), we contribute to this body of research by assessing whether or not adultification and community cohesion buffer the effects of exposure to deviant peers and neighborhood hazard on depressive symptoms. Results suggest that adultification and perceived community cohesion moderate the effects of delinquent peers and neighborhood risk on depressive symptoms in this vulnerable population of urban youth. Implications for policy, social work practice, and future inquiry are discussed.
Is Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Evidence-Based?
Authors: Kim Johnny S. , Smock Sara , Trepper Terry S. , McCollum Eric E. , Franklin Cynthia
Published: April 2013

This article describes the process of having solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) be evaluated by various federal registries as an evidence-based practice (EBP) intervention. The authors submitted SFBT for evaluation for inclusion on three national EBP registry lists in the United States: the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Results of our submission found SFBT was not reviewed by SAMHSA and WWC because it was not prioritized highly enough for review, but it was rated as “promising” by OJJDP. Implications for practitioners and recommendations regarding the status of SFBT as an EBP model are discussed.
Improvisational International Research: Seeking to Help Children in Ukrainian Orphanages Sooner than Later
Authors: Norman Judith , Bathori-Tartsi Zita
Published: April 2013

Throughout the past decades tumultuous sociopolitical transitions in Ukraine, the number of orphaned children increased dramatically. Ukrainian orphanages commonly provide care for children without parents. While much data exist demonstrating the negative impact of institutional living on child development and functioning in adult life, more limited data reflects the mental status of children while institutionalized. Ascertaining the mental health needs of children in orphanages would inform practitioners and policymakers regarding programmatic interventions needed to mitigate social and emotional challenges in this population. Strategies could then be developed to increase social and emotional skills required for adjustment and adaptation into the larger community upon leaving institutional life. Support for such research and planned interventions seems an appropriate social work endeavor.
Does Cohabitation Matter? Differences in Initial Marital Adjustment among Women who Cohabited and those who Did Not
Authors: Kulik Liat , Havusha-Morgenstern Hagit
Published: April 2013

In the study, we examined differences in marital adjustment and in personal and spousal variables related to marital adjustment among women who cohabited with their spouses before marriage versus those who did not. The noncohabiting women reported better levels of adjustment of spousal cohesion and display of affection, and they used strategies of concession to resolve marital conflicts to a greater extent than did women who cohabited. Among both groups of women, conflict resolution strategies correlated positively with marital adjustment, whereas the strategy of dominance and the attachment style of anxiety correlated negatively. In light of the research findings, practical recommendations are provided for preventive interventions among couples who cohabited before marriage and those who did not.
Women's Reports of Negative, Neutral, and Positive Effects of Growing up with Alcoholic Parents
Authors: Amodeo Maryann , Griffin Margaret , Paris Ruth
Published: April 2013

Parental alcoholism does not necessarily result in negative outcomes for the offspring; we examined whether it would result in negative perceptions of the experience. Black women and White women with alcoholic parents ( N = 126) rated and described the effect of parental alcoholism on them: 65% reported a negative effect, 26% reported a positive effect, and 7% reported a neutral effect. We examined these ratings in relation to the women's overall adult adjustment. More positive ratings were associated with being Black and with variables such as social support, experiencing lower family conflict, and having no alcohol problem oneself. Human service providers need greater access to research findings to see that children from these families will be diverse in their psychological and social functioning.
Being Seen, Felt, and Remembered in Our World of Illusions and Walls
Authors: Powell William E.
Published: April 2013

“A group of altruists will beat a society of selfish individuals every time.” —E. O. Wilson
Capitalizing Capitol Capital: Child Welfare Policy Advocacy
Authors: Lyons Peter , Beck Elizabeth , Lyons Matthew J.
Published: April 2013

This article presents an example of collaborative policy advocacy intended to overcome obstacles to effective policy development. A multidisciplinary coalition, focusing on a state child protective services agency, aimed to improve caseworker pay and conditions, improve education and training, gain financial compensation and status recognition for degrees in social work, and reduce caseload sizes to recommended standards. The means to achieve these goals were (a) harnessing the energy generated by a crisis (the death of a child); (b) maximizing social and symbolic capital; (c) coalescing around a set of specific proposals; (d) shaping the story “frame” in the media by countering bad publicity with consistent, targeted communication; (e) capitalizing on bad press for politicians; and (f) strategic use of ridicule. Following the advocacy effort, increased funding to support recommended changes was attained.
Latino Child Welfare: Parents' Weil-Being at the Time of Entry
Authors: Ayón Cecilia
Published: April 2013

This study examines community environment, social support networks, and other factors that impact the physical and mental health of Latino parents involved with the public child welfare system. Secondary data analyses were completed using data from the National Survey on Child and Adolescent Well-Being. The results reveal differences in parents' social support structure (i.e., number of individuals providing support) and perceptions of community environment safety by immigration status. There were differences in satisfaction with social support by Latino origin. Regression analyses indicate that household income, age, and social support structure predict parents' health. Implications for social work practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
Another Look at Evidence-Based Practice: On Emphasizing Viability and Ethics
Authors: Mason Susan E.
Published: April 2013

Personal note: I want to thank the Alliance for Children and Families for the opportunity to serve as editor of Families in Society. Following in William Powell's footsteps is no easy task. Powell's accomplishments over the last 10 years contributed to the shaping of the journal's unique review process, its stellar presentation online, tailoring the variety of journal offerings to the interests of readers, and attracting and engaging the team of outstanding associate and consulting editors. I hope to continue the legacy and excellence of this publication.
Expanding Cross-Cultural Understanding of Suicide among Immigrants: The Case of the Somali
Authors: Kamya Hugo A. , White Erina
Published: April 2013

There are a growing number of Somali refugees resettling in the United States. Frequently these immigrants have experienced significant stress both in their home country premigration and during the resettlement process. Best practices require that practitioners engage in culturally responsive ways to deal with cultural differences; social workers should strive toward building a practice that is culturally informed.
Narrative Healing among Victims of Violence: The Impact of the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Authors: Androff David K.
Published: April 2013

Narrative interventions have been increasingly incorporated into social practice and applied to victims of violence. Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRCs) are interventions that seek to provide victims of violence with opportunities for healing and validation through a narrative process. In a qualitative study of the first TRC in the United States, the Greensboro TRC (GTRC) in Greensboro, NC, this research investigated the impact of giving testimony to the GTRC on the victims of a 1979 incident of racial violence. Most victims (N = 17) reported positive healing and validating experiences from their participation in the intervention. This study provides support for the healing assumption embedded in TRC processes and discusses implications for narrative interventions with victims.
Measuring Perceived Weil-Being after Recreational Drumming: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
Authors: MacMillan Thalia , Maschi Tina , Tseng Yi-Fen
Published: April 2013

Evidence suggests that recreational music-making has been shown to decrease stress and increase feelings of well-being and empowerment among diverse groups; however, evidence to document the effects has been mixed. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine a measure of well-being, empowerment, and connectedness after a group recreational drumming intervention with social workers. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to determine the construct validity of a measure developed for gauging intrapersonal and interpersonal well-being using a sample of 73 participants who engaged in a 2-hour group recreational drumming program. Factor analysis suggested that intrapersonal and interpersonal well-being were present. Implications for use of the measure with recreational drumming are discussed.
Social Service Barriers Experienced by Low-Income Extended-Stay Hotel Residents
Authors: Lewinson Terri , Collard Carol S.
Published: April 2013

This article presents findings from a qualitative study of 14 individuals residing in extended-stay hotels after housing displacement. Framed in ecosystems and structuration theory, the purpose of this study was to understand social service barriers experienced by help-seeking residents. Participants were engaged in in-depth interviews and asked about challenges faced when they reached out for assistance to prepare for stable housing. Reported barriers included negative interactions with social service personnel, cumbersome agency processes, and insufficient/inappropriate resources. Hotel residents identified guidance, compassion, and advocacy as interventions practitioners can use to support client transitions to stable housing.
Family Functioning, Parenting Style, and Child Behavior in Kin Foster Care
Authors: Richardson Reginald C. , Gleeson James P.
Published: April 2013

Face-to-face interviews with 120 predominantly African American kin caregivers of children in the child welfare system revealed significant associations between family functioning and child behavior problems. Caregivers who reported healthier family functioning tended to report lower levels of behavior problems by the children in their care. Healthier family functioning related to roles and affective involvement were associated with lower levels of child behavior problems, but, surprisingly, less healthy family functioning related to behavior control was also associated with lower levels of child behavior problems. Caregiver ratings of their parenting styles were related to family functioning but not to their ratings of the child's behavioral functioning. Results of this study suggest several implications for child welfare practice and future research.
Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part I: Complexities of Ethical Decision Making in Social Work Practice
Authors: Freud Sophie , Krug Stefan
Published: April 2013

The authors have acquired experience in, and opinions on, ethical decision making while serving on a (U.S.) National Association of Social Workers (NASW) peer consultation ethics call line. The authors agree with scholars who view all human perceptions and activities as shaped by values, with the concurrent need to become more self-conscious about the ethical dimension of our daily life and professional practice. It is argued that our social work code of ethics is a necessary but insufficient tool for ethical decision making. The Code of Ethics (National Association of Social Workers, 1996) is frequently used as a risk management tool, offering guidelines for practice which may or may not be compatible with the goals of social justice for which social work ideally stands. Additionally, the unique and unexpected ways ethical issues emerge in clinical practice work against attempts to apply the Code as a rule book. Distinctions between ethical, legal, and clinical issues are difficult, given that the two latter domains have inevitable ethical implications. The authors urge readers to supplement a model of purely rational, ethical decision making with their emotions and intuition as shaped by our culture and our profession. Ethical judgments are best made in small groups where members bring different perspectives and intuitions to the process while agreeing on basic humanistic values.
And Then the World Fell Apart: The Children of Incarcerated Fathers
Authors: Mazza Carl
Published: April 2013

Almost 2 million children in the United States today have fathers who are in prison. Many of these children have been traumatized by the imprisonment of their fathers, and they continue to be emotionally, economically, and socially scarred because of the incarceration. Without intervention, children of incarcerated fathers are five times more likely than other children to become incarcerated themselves. Social workers need to address the children's feelings about their fathers, and help them cope with the trauma and emotional upset caused by their fathers' incarceration. The mothers and caretakers, as well as the incarcerated fathers themselves, need to be helped to develop sensitivity to the plight of the children and help lessen the hurt that has been done to them.
Collaboration: A Social Work Practice Method
Authors: Graham John R. , Barter Ken
Published: April 2013

Although collaboration is ubiquitous to social work, this article is the first to consider “collaboration” as a unifying method for all fields of social work practice and as appropriate to current sociopolitical practice contexts. From interdisciplinary and social work literatures, the authors propose a definition fitting for social work practice and discuss necessary conditions, attributes, and phases, as well as a case example.
Responsibility and Adjustment in Siblings of Children with Disabilities: Update and Review
Authors: Damiani Victoria B.
Published: April 2013

This article provides a review of research addressing the role of home and child care responsibility in the psychological adjustment of siblings of children with disabilities, as defined by special education law. Early classic studies are reviewed followed by more recent work on gender and SES of the sibling, the relationship of sibling responsibility to adjustment and the level of home and child care responsibility for siblings with and without a brother/sister who has a disability. The author concludes that neither the existence of higher levels of responsibility for siblings of children with disabilities nor the classification of responsibility as a psychological risk factor have been established. In studies that Included comparison groups, girls had more home and child care responsibility than boys, whether or not there was a child with a disability in the home. However, the sibling's worry about future responsibility and cognitions about the responsibility that does exist are worthy of further exploration. Clinicians are advised to consider the issue of responsibility and how it is viewed by family members in work with families of children who have disabilities, and to be aware of cultural and religious characteristics of the family as they pertain to the issue of family responsibility for its members.
When Your Son Becomes Your Daughter: A Mother's Adjustment to a Transgender Child
Authors: Lesser Joan Granucci
Published: April 2013

This article applies the theory of self-psychology, developed initially by Heinz Kohut and more recently adapted to brief treatment and counseling the mother of an individual who underwent male to female sex reassignment surgery. It Includes a brief summary of transgenderism and of self-psychology as a theoretical framework with specific focus on the self-object matrix as the therapeutic vehicle for change. The article illustrates the stages of treatment in a detailed case discussion that also raises concerns about how cultural gender bias contributes to shame and stigmatization.
A Community-Based Parenting Program with Low-Income Mothers of Young Children
Authors: Nicholson Bonnie C. , Brenner Viktor , Fox Robert A.
Published: April 2013

Research has established a significant relationship between certain parental characteristics, such as income or parenting practices, and the development of child behavior problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a parenting program for low-income parents of children one to five years old which was offered through community-based family resource centers. Seventy-one mothers completed the program and showed significant decreases in their use of verbal and corporal punishment and significant increases In nurturing behaviors; their children's behavior also improved significantly. Forty-five percent of parents also met Jacobson and Truax's (1991) criteria for clinically significant change. Implications for practitioners working with this challenging population are discussed.
Choosing a Health Care Provider: A Community Survey of What is Important to Lesbians
Authors: Saulnier Christine Flynn
Published: April 2013

This article describes a research project conducted by the Lesbian Hearth Care Project of Western New York (LHCP). This is a report of a community survey of 106 Western New York lesbian and bisexual women; the survey was the first of a four-stage project This research helps fill a gap in our knowledge about what service users consider to be lesbian-sensitive and what they consider most important in choosing a physical or mental health care provider. Results suggest that a provider of high quality, lesbian-sensitive services is someone who: 1) above all else, is a competent practitioner; 2) is available in emergencies; 3) is economically accessible; 4) has a positive attitude toward a woman's female partner and the lesbian community; and 5) is sensitive to several social issues of concern to lesbians. Practitioners are encouraged to discuss these issues and to articulate to their lesbian clients a positive regard for lesbian communities and their wealth of resources.
Hidden Barriers to Success for Women in Welfare Reform
Authors: East Jean F.
Published: April 2013

Strengths-based case management is an alternative service modality for work with individuals and families. This method stresses building on the strengths of individuals that can be used to resolve current problems and issues, countering more traditional approaches that focus almost exclusively on individuals' deficits or needs. This article expands the literature on the application of the strengths-based model by using a project that provides health and social services to grandparents raising their grandchildren. Based on anecdotal results, the strengths-based model appears to have value in fostering a sense of independence and self-assurance among grandparents, as well as enhancing their level of confidence to nurture and support their grandchildren. Suggested limitations and implications for family practice and future research are noted.
Intergenerational Support in Families with Disabilities: Grandparents' Perspectives
Authors: Schilmoeller Gary L. , Baranowski Marc D.
Published: April 2013

Grandparent adjustment to grandchildren with disabilities and grandparent support and involvement with these grandchildren were explored in this survey study of seventy families. The results showed that grandparents were experiencing fewer negative feelings and more positive feelings at the time of the study than at the time they had first learned of the disability. Sons and daughters were more helpful than support groups in addressing grandparent concerns. Grandparent support was significantly related to affectional solidarity with both grandchildren and their parents. Grandparent involvement with the grandchild with disabilities was significantly related to affectional solidarity with grandchildren and with grandparents' educational level. Implications for practitioners regarding facilitating grandparent adjustment and enhancing their support and involvement are discussed.
Expanding the Story of Single Parents: Bringing the Vision to Completion through Writing and Editing
Authors: Schmitz Cathryne L.
Published: April 2013

This issue of Families in Society marks the inauguration of “Writers at Work,” a section of the journal created to allow readers to “meet” authors and learn about the personal inspirations and influences that compel them to write for publication. In this issue, writer Cathryne Schmitt tells us about what it was like for her to bring into existence her forthcoming book Diversity in Single-Parent Families: Working from Strength. We hope hers will be the first of many such personal essays and invite you to share your literary experiences with our readers.

— Howard Goldstein, Editor