bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LUVE: A Constructive Learning Approach for Working with Parents
Authors: Cuevas Lucía Santelices , Astroza Verónica
Published: April 2013

This study examines the application of a didactic teaching strategy called LUVE. Based on a constructivist learning approach, LUVE's purpose is to develop collaborative links between schools and parents, so that parents can improve their daily educational practices with their children and assume a more active role in their children's education. The project took place in Santiago, Chile, and was implemented in two stages. The first stage included a cross-sectional descriptive study with an experimental design, focusing on parents. The second stage involved teachers and parents who applied and carried out the LUVE strategy, The project's content focused on sex education, as this was the topic of interest to parents. The findings indicate that the strategy was a successful experience for the parents.
Ethical and Legal Standards in Social Work: Consistency and Conflict
Authors: Reamer Frederic G.
Published: April 2013

Social workers frequently encounter circumstances involving ethical and legal issues. In many instances, relevant ethical and legal standards complement each other; however, in some circumstances, ethical and legal standards conflict. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between U.S. ethical and legal standards in social work. The author presents a conceptually based typology of 4 types of relationships between legal and ethical standards. Case examples are included. The author concludes with a decision-making framework designed to enhance social workers' constructive management of difficult decisions involving ethical and legal standards.
Strengths-Based Social Work Assessment: Transforming the Dominant Paradigm
Authors: Graybeal Clay
Published: April 2013

This is a review of some of the conflicts between traditional problem-based assessments and alternative, strengths-based approaches. It offers useful tools and strategies for incorporating client-centered, strengths-based practice in settings where social workers are required to use assessment processes based on the medical model and deficit-based language of psychopathology and the DSM. It also promotes a process of infiltrating, influencing, and transforming the of assessment process so that it reflects a more holistic and strengths-based social work perspective. Examples are provided for incorporating the strengths perspective in practice.
Refining the Evaluation of Treatment Foster Care
Authors: James Sigrid , Meezan William
Published: April 2013

Treatment foster care (TFC) is a promising alternative intervention for children and adolescents at risk for placement in residential care settings. An examination of the processes and outcomes of TFC is complicated and leads to the conclusions that: (a) TFC is delivered with such variability that conclusions about its effectiveness are difficult to draw; (b) many variables in the child's ecology that potentially confound the effects of the intervention remain unexamined; and (c) service impacts have been defined narrowly. This article synthesizes the state of knowledge in these three domains and discusses how an ecosystemic framework can advance and refine knowledge building in this field of practice.
Informal Caregiving Networks and Use of Formal Services by Inner-City African American Elderly with Dementia
Authors: Li Hong , Edwards Dorothy , Morrow-Howell Nancy
Published: April 2013

Informal caregiving networks are the primary source of support for elderly persons with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. The authors studied a group of 200 urban African American elderly persons with dementia, the characteristics of their informal caregiving networks, and patterns of formal service use to examine relationships between informal caregiving networks and formal service use. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that elderly persons were less likely to use formal services when caregivers in the informal networks were more capable of making care-related decisions. In addition, elderly person's functional status, annual income, and Medicaid eligibility were also significantly related to their use of formal services. Practice implications of these findings are discussed.
What's Morality Got to Do with It? An Essay on the Politics of Moral Values in Light of the Presidential Election of 2004
Authors: Caputo Richard K.
Published: April 2013

The author argues that moral values in U.S. politics predate the 2004 presidential election, animate contemporary public policy discussions among people with varying viewpoints within and across political and religious persuasions, and permeate broader issues of social justice and cultural correctness. Liberal institutions, based on moral principles shown to be consistent with J. Dewey's pragmatic philosophy, afford persons of faith protections and opportunities to engage in public debate and thereby shape legitimate policies thought to be in the public interest. On the whole, the author contends that governmental institutions in the United States are highly resilient, enabling coexistence of proponents of competing accounts of excellence (i.e., virtue and character) on terms of mutual respect. Finally, the author addresses how the present political climate might affect policy and clinical practice and what social workers should do about it.
A Resilience-Based Model of Reunification and Reentry: Implications for Out-of-Home Care Services
Authors: Thomas M. , Chenot David , Reifel Barbara
Published: April 2013

This study presents a resilience-based model for the successful reunification of children in out-of-home care services. Individual, familial, and environmental risk and protective factors associated with reunification and reentry into out-of-home care were gleaned from relevant literature and inform the construction of the model. The resilience-based model demonstrates that high levels of protective factors can buffer or even weaken the hold of risk factors, thereby reducing the likelihood of reentry. The importance of resilience-informed interventions in preventing reentry and promoting the continued reunification of children is highlighted. The implications of this resilience-based model for practice and research are discussed.
Families and Incarceration: An Ecological Approach
Authors: Arditti Joyce A.
Published: April 2013

This article advances an ecological framework that emphasizes the context of parental incarceration and its impact on families and children. Particular attention is given to the disenfranchisement resulting from a family member's imprisonment, loss, and the experience of family visiting in corrections settings. Drawing from U. Bronfenbrenner's (1977) systemic approach to understanding development, the framework provides a basis from which to interpret existing scholarship as well as guide ecologically sensitive practice and policy.
Disaster and Loss: Drug Research in an Urban Community
Authors: Stevens Joyce West , Capitman John Amson
Published: April 2013

Widespread drug use and drug trafficking in inner-city communities have destroyed important social and physical assets of community life, which enhanced and supported residents' personal and social well-being. This article describes ethnographic methodologies used to gain access to a central city drug-using population for the study of the intergenerational transmission of drug use. Key informant narratives report community and family asset losses. A paradigm of social disaster is presented to explicate the physical, emotional, social, and economic consequences of drug use and drug trafficking in urban communities. It is argued that researchers have not examined the social and moral effects of drug use in inner-city communities. A social disaster paradigm may help practitioners to develop practical stratagems to effect social change in urban communities that have been blighted by prevalent drug use and drug profiteering.
Spirituality and People with Mental Illness: Developing Spiritual Competency in Assessment and Intervention
Authors: Hodge David R.
Published: April 2013

Spirituality often plays a central role in helping people with mental illness cope and recover. Assessment provides a vehicle for understanding and utilizing clients' spiritual strengths, and, consequently, practitioners are increasingly asked to conduct a spiritual assessment. For example, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), a major healthcare accrediting agency, now recommends that a spiritual assessment be conducted. This article provides a framework for an initial spiritual assessment that complies with the recent JCAHO (2002) recommendations. Suggestions for spiritually competent practice are provided, including guidelines for discerning authentic spiritual experiences from manifestations of mental illness that reflect spiritual content. The article concludes by reviewing a number of spiritual interventions that may flow from a spiritual assessment.
Parent and Child Attributions for Child Behavior: Distinguishing Factors for Engagement and Outcome
Authors: Corcoran Jacqueline , Ivery Jan
Published: April 2013

Attribution theory (e.g., Gotlib & Abramson, 1999) was used to inform this process-based research on the spontaneous attributions children and parents make to explain children's appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Attribution patterns from 29 transcribed 1st sessions of solution-focused therapy were found to relate to treatment dropout and good and poor outcome. In addition, children made many more attributions for positive behavior than did parents, who made many more attributions for children's negative behavior. Implications of this study for social work practice are explored.
HIV Education for Teens and Preteens in a High-Seroprevalence Inner-City Neighborhood
Authors: Krauss Beatrice J.
Published: April 2013

In several New York City neighborhoods more than 1 in 10 adults and adolescents are infected with HIV. Children in these neighborhoods are exposed both directly and indirectly to the effects of the HIV epidemic. Exploratory group interviews were conducted to discover the HIV-related concerns of adolescent and pread-olescent girls and boys living in a high-sero-prevalence neighborhood and to specify the context within which children experienced those concerns. Results indicated that explanations about HIV focusing only on transmission and transmission prevention, whether in educational or family settings, may ignore compelling concerns of youth. Both risk of HIV and loss of neighbors and relatives to HIV permeate daily life but in a way that prevents open discussion. Children are eager to talk about social and personal issues regarding HIV.
Memories of Separate Occurrences of an Event: Implications for Interviewing Children
Authors: Powell Martine B. , Thomson Donald M. , Dietze Paul M.
Published: April 2013

The authors review the empirical literature relating to factors that affect children's ability to remember specific occurrences of a repeated event and draw implications for professionals who conduct investigatory interviews with children. Issues addressed include the timing of the interview, the type of errors, the questioning techniques, the age of the child, the consistency of the child's account and the impact of an intervening interview.
The New Political Environment in Aging: Challenges to Policy and Practice
Authors: Hudson Robert B.
Published: April 2013

The last quarter-century has seen a notable shift in the context of social policy as it relates to older adults in the United States and those who work with them. Critical dimensions in this shift include changes in the size and makeup of today's older population, the rise of conservatism in contemporary U.S. politics, and the more central place older Americans are coming to assume in policymaking around a host of social and economic policy issues. After briefly reviewing these contextual developments, the author presents 5 challenges they bring to social workers and other professionals working with the aged. Each of these reflect changing expectations, opportunities, and options confronting both policymakers and older people themselves as the dynamics of aging politics and policy evolve in ways that would have been hard to imagine 25 or 30 years ago.
Cultural Competency: A Key to Effective Future Social Work with Racially and Ethnically Diverse Elders
Authors: Min Jong Won
Published: April 2013

With 2 dominant demographic imperatives of the aging population and increasing racial/ethnic diversity of the older population, current and future generations of racially and ethnically diverse elders are expected to experience complex and diverse sets of service needs. More than ever, the social work profession needs a strategic approach to working with current and future generations of diverse elders. The author presents information that allows a better understanding of future issues and problems facing racial/ethnic minority elders and discusses how social work can effectively and successfully address these future needs. Five specific recommendations are proposed: (a) reconceptualize race/ethnicity and diversity in social work practice, (b) identify and develop a conceptual framework for social work with racially and ethnically diverse elders, (c) consider a multidisciplinary community-oriented and neighborhood-based approach, (d) advance culturally competent gerontological social work with diverse elders, and (e) strengthen gerontological social work education with an emphasis on cultural competence.
Family Caregivers of Impoverished Mexican American Elderly Women: The Perceived Impact of Adult Day Care Centers
Authors: Valadez Albert A. , Lumadue Christine , Gutierrez Bibiana , de Vries-Kell Sabina
Published: April 2013

Using an interview format, this exploratory study examined the narratives of 15 Mexican American primary caretakers and the perceived effects of adult day care centers (ADCs) on the lives of their elderly impoverished parents. Emergent themes and categories included (a) caretaking and gender differences, (b) resistance to nursing homes, (c) negative perceptions of White caregivers, (d) perceived positive effect of ADCs on the elderly parent's physical and emotional (depression) states and the elderly parent-caregiver relationship, and (d) the negative effects of stress associated with caregiving. The data also provide insight into complicated dynamics regarding the differential treatment of daughters and sons in Mexican American families. Pearlin's stress process model provides explanations for the buffering effects of ADCs reported by caregivers.
Serving Two Masters: When Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Overlap
Authors: Postmus Judy L. , Ortega Debora
Published: April 2013

Does exposure to domestic violence indicate a form of child maltreatment? It is imperative that child welfare workers identify and use interventions that protect families from domestic violence and eliminate harm to children without further stigmatizing victimized women. The research described in this article attempts a first step in understanding the factors involved in the decision making process of child welfare supervisors in domestic violence cases. Findings indicate that the attitudes and beliefs of child welfare supervisors about the overlap between domestic violence and child abuse are influenced by personal experiences, professional longevity, and training.
Emancipated Young Adults' Perspectives on Independent Living Programs
Authors: Georgiades Savvas Daniel
Published: April 2013

This study examined young adult perspectives regarding quality of Independent Living (IL) Services received while in foster care, recommendations for improving IL services, life satisfaction levels, and reasons for nonparticipation in IL programs. Results suggest that most youths fail to attend IL programs because they are uninformed about them, are mostly dissatisfied with financial pressures in adulthood, and think IL programs do best at preparing youths for educational success and least well at teaching youths parenting skills. They suggest that IL counselors develop closer relationships with youths, the curriculum strengthen its emphasis on parenting and organizational skills, the Subsidized IL (SIL) program eligibility requirements be softened, and the monthly SIL stipend be raised.
Maximizing Treatment Effectiveness in Clinical Practice: An Outcome-Informed, Collaborative Approach
Authors: Saggese Michael L.
Published: April 2013

Clinicians need easy-to-use, practical, systematic methods of evaluating, informing, and reporting the effectiveness of treatment. Practicing clinicians no longer have to rely on the DSM for treating their clients, but by making use of both outcome and process measures they can create a more collaborative and effective therapy with their clients. The findings from over 40 years of psychotherapy outcome research literature emphasize the importance of common factors as the curative elements central to all forms of therapy regardless of theoretical orientation. Methods discussed here offer practitioners the means to identify which clients are responding to treatment and those for which treatment is not working so that adjustments can be made to the therapy. The goal is to decrease dropout rates, increase levels of customer satisfaction, and document and improve the overall effectiveness of treatment.
Guidelines for Responding to Clients Spontaneously Presenting Their Poetry in Therapy
Authors: Furman Rich , Collins Kathryn
Published: April 2013

Poetry therapy has become a valuable adjunctive tool in social work practice, as well as an important discipline in its own right. What has not been previously presented in the literature are intervention strategies designed for when clients spontaneously present their poems in treatment without prompting from the clinician. This article provides just such practice guidelines for clinicians, especially clinicians who do not normally use poetry in therapy. First, the article explores the uses of poetry in social work practice. Second, it presents general guidelines for how to handle the introduction of poetry by clients through the lens of essential social work values and principles. Third, a case study is presented to amplify these guidelines.
Social Work, Transculturality, and Etiquette in the Academy: Implications for Practice
Authors: Martinez-Brawley Emilia E.
Published: April 2013

As is perhaps the case in most disciplines today, there are a number of contradictory, but yet interacting, forces in social work in the academy that might shed some light on the changes in etiquette and demeanor we currently encounter. Differing, contrasting, or even warring paradigms, inter-professional power struggles, and unbridled competition have all resulted in an unprecedented level of incivility. Confronted with the many social ills of today, social work in the academy remains entangled in internal tensions and appears not to be able to lead the way in addressing those ills. Can any explanations be provided that might move social workers in the academy to new understandings and resolutions? Can new examples be set for the practitioners of tomorrow?
Reading and Reviewing Research: Tips for the Informed Consumer
Authors: Fischer Robert L.
Published: April 2013

Those who work in the field of human services are bombarded with research of all types and levels of quality. The task of reviewing research for publication can lend a number of helpful concepts to those who are consumers of such research. This brief piece suggests a number of tactics for becoming a more effective consumer of research reports and, by extension, a better producer of human services research.
Shame Resilience Theory: A Grounded Theory Study on Women and Shame
Authors: Brown Brené
Published: April 2013

Although shame is one of the most primitive and universal of human emotions, it is often still considered a taboo topic among researchers, practitioners, and clients. This paper presents the empirical foundation for shame resilience theory–-a new theory for understanding shame and its impact on women. Using grounded theory methodology, 215 women were interviewed to determine why and how women experience shame and to identify the various processes and strategies women use to develop shame resilience. The article describes the major theoretical categories, including acknowledged vulnerability, critical awareness, and mutually empathic relationships, and introduces the concept of “speaking shame.” Practice implications are explored, including the importance of psychoeducational group work in building shame resilience.
Pregnant with Possibility: The Paradoxes of “Help” as Anti-Oppression and Discipline with a Young Single Mother
Authors: Weinberg Merlinda
Published: April 2013

This single case study of an outreach worker's service to a young, single, African-Canadian mother illustrates the paradoxes of help as both accommodation and resistance. Through a feminist, post-structural, qualitative analysis, the author explores issues of gender, race, and class to examine discourses and technologies utilized by the worker. Alternate perceptions of normalcy, nurturance as power, and activism through solidarity, as examples, were used by the worker to edge towards more liberatory practice, even while she accepted her positioning as judge of the client's mothering ability and of the allocation of resources. This article demonstrates that, even for workers committed to anti-oppressive practice, help is an unavoidable mix of disciplinary and emancipatory activities.
Cognitive and Environmental Interventions for Gay Males: Addressing Stigma and Its Consequences
Authors: LaSala Michael C.
Published: April 2013

In order to maximize the effectiveness of their interactions with gay males, social workers must assess and address the impacts of stigmatization on their clients’ mental health. Furthermore, they need to find ways to reduce stigmatization in their clients’ environments. Using three case studies, the author will demonstrate how to help gay men overcome their gender-related reluctance to discuss the emotional impacts of stigmatization, and how to use cognitive therapy to diminish these impacts. The author will also illustrate environmental interventions designed to reduce anti-gay harassment in family and school settings.
Nontraditional and Unorthodox Interventions in Social Work: Ethical and Legal Implications
Authors: Reamer Frederic G.
Published: April 2013

Social work interventions with individuals, families, couples, and small groups have evolved over time. Traditional casework methods associated with social work's pioneers during the early and midtwentieth century–-such as Mary Richmond, Florence Hollis, Harriett Bartlett, Grace Coyle, and Helen Perlman–-have been transformed. Today's social workers are more likely to discuss and debate the use of such approaches as dialectical behavior therapy, narrative therapy, hypnosis, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, art and dance therapy, radical cognitive therapy, and Internet-based therapy, among others. Clinicians now have access to a staggering array of clinical options that would be unimaginable to social work's earliest practitioners and scholars.
A Multilevel Approach to Cultural Competence: A Study of the Community Response to Underserved Domestic Violence Victims
Authors: Pyles Loretta , Kim Kyung Mee
Published: April 2013

Social workers have often considered cultural competence to be an individual ability or skill (Green;, 1999; Ponterotto, Sanchez, & Magids, 1990). Some scholars, however, have transcended this individual-based approach and addressed cultural competence at the interpersonal, agency and systems levels. (Yan & Wong, 2005; Hyde, 2004). In this study, the authors pursued a multilevel approach to studying cultural competence, conceptualized as the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of individuals, agencies, and wider systems to address the needs of underserved and minority populations. Professionals who work with victims of domestic violence were surveyed to assess cultural competence. There were positive relationships between individual cultural competence and both agency and systems cultural competence, indicating that individual, agency, and systems cultural competence are connected and that a multilevel approach to addressing the needs of underserved individuals could prove useful in promoting the ends of social justice.
Valued Characteristics of Children in a Changing Social Environment
Authors: Rosato Nancy Scotto , Schmitz Mark F.
Published: April 2013

Social scientists believe that social change impacts individual as well as family value orientations. The current study uses data from the 1986 and 2000 General Social Survey to compare these years on the types of social factors affecting the selection of child autonomy relative to obedience. Results indicate that several individual and family factors predict the inclination for autonomy versus obedience, including religious affiliation, income, education, and race. However, no significant differences were found between the two years, indicating that social change alone does not affect value orientation. The discussion offers the implication of these findings to family practitioners, specifically focusing on the necessity of cultural sensitivity and respect in achieving optimum results.
Lessons Learned from African American Women about Participation in a Family-Based HIV Prevention Program
Authors: Pinto Rogério M. , McKay Mary M.
Published: April 2013

This study uses qualitative data from individual interviews with low-income, African American women (n = 92) between 19 and 35 years of age who participated in 12 two-hour sessions of a family-focused HIV prevention intervention. The study explores influences on three domains. At the individual domain, development of personal attributes and the perceptions that program staff was fair toward racial minorities appear to influence participation. At the program domain, staff friendliness and monetary incentive also influenced participation. At the social domain, influence of friends and emotional support influenced participation. Training staff to confront racism and to develop a culturally competent and friendly environment has the potential to increase attendance among participants at high risk for HIV exposure.
Supportive Group Therapy for Parents who Chronically Neglect Their Children
Authors: Marziali Elsa , Damianakis Thecla , Smith David , Trocmé Nico
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative analysis of neglecting mothers’ responses to participation in an evidence-based model of supportive group therapy. Six mothers with a history of neglecting their children were invited to participate. Two social workers applied a previously evaluated model of group psychotherapy for severe personality disorder. The analysis of transcribed therapy sessions yielded salient themes as to participants’ involvement in group process. Post intervention follow-up interviews provided participants’ subjective reflections on positive changes in interpersonal encounters with their children, partners, and the child welfare system. Although providing this intensive group program is costly, follow-up interviews showed that the chronically neglecting mothers viewed their participation in the group as having been helpful.
Family Foster Care: Cross-National Research Perspectives
Authors: Maluccio Anthony N. , Canali Cinzia , Vecchiato Tiziano
Published: April 2013

This selective review of outcome research on family foster care services in various Western countries highlights the complexities of service delivery in this practice arena. It also suggests directions for further study, to improve the life chances for young people coming to the attention of the child welfare system. Especially needed is comparative cross-national research on the effectiveness of services for vulnerable groups in the child welfare population. Such research could contribute to the process of enhancing policies and practices in each country.
The Looking after Children Assessment Process: Promoting Resilient Children and Resilient Workers
Authors: Kufeldt Kathleen , McGilligan Lucy , Klein Ross , Rideout Scott
Published: April 2013

This paper describes the experiences of one child welfare unit that participated in Canada's first national pilot of the Looking After Children Assessment and Action Records (Kufeldt, Simard, Vachon, Baker, & Andrews, 2000). A review three years after the end of the project found that the method was well-entrenched in practice. Its use promoted resilience and improved outcomes for the young people in foster care. It also enhanced social workers’ commitment to their work and to their own resilience, despite the sometimes overwhelming demands of protection work.
Evaluating Alternative Approaches to Social Work: A Critical Review of the Strengths Perspective
Authors: Oko Juliette
Published: April 2013

This article provides students and practitioners with a framework for assessing new or alternative approaches to social work practice. Drawing on the work of Sibeon (1990), I examine approaches to social work theory, the nature of social work, and the relationship between theory and practice; and present a typology for the assessment of social work theory. I look at the strengths perspective in social work (SPSW) (Saleebey, 1997) as an example of an alternative approach and critique it against Sibeon's (1990) typology and in light of two influential debates that have influenced discussions about the nature of social work, namely, welfarism and postmodernism. The article concludes that a framework for assessment enables critical analysis and reflection of different practice theories. Further, it allows for the review of established theory and practice assumptions and the degree to which alternative assumptions challenge or support existing approaches.
Informing Best Practices for Children in Psychiatric Crises: Perspectives and Insights from Families
Authors: Walter Uta M. , Petr Christopher G. , Davis Sharah
Published: April 2013

Young children in psychiatric crisis present complex challenges to their families and service providers. This article presents a qualitative study of families’ perspectives on the crisis that led to their child's hospitalization, as well as their experience and satisfaction with prior community-based services including crisis services. Results of the study support the usefulness of an ecological view on child mental health emergencies, and specify the need for the development of a more family-centered, community-based crisis response system that includes secure transportation and access to “warm-line” services. To prevent or curtail hospitalization of children, families require assistance in outpatient medication management, especially timely access to psychiatric medication consults and clear information from professionals about benefits and side effects.
Ethical Issues in Open Adoption: Implications for Practice
Authors: Reamer Frederic G. , Siegel Deborah H.
Published: April 2013

Total secrecy and confidentiality no longer typify adoption in the United States. Today, most adoptions involve an exchange of information or some form of contact between the birth family and adoptive family–-so-called open adoptions. This article provides a comprehensive overview of ethical issues associated with various forms of open adoption, including issues of privacy, confidentiality, self-determination, paternalism, conflicts of interest, deception, and truth-telling. We present guidelines for social work practice in open adoptions, based on current ethical theory and ethical standards in social work.
Using a Positive Youth Development Approach in Addressing Problem-Oriented Youth Behavior
Authors: Amodeo Maryann , Collins Mary Elizabeth
Published: April 2013

Interest has grown in the positive youth development (PYD) approach and its application to youth in a variety of settings. When using the PYD approach, workers focus on youth assets rather than deficits, collaborate with youth in planning the youth's future, build youth competencies rather than doing tasks for the youth, adopt a holistic perspective of healthy personal growth, and engage in long-range planning rather than short-term solutions. This approach has not typically been applied to youth who demonstrate problem behavior such as substance abuse or psychiatric symptoms. Building on three theories–-strengths, coping, and stages of change–- we offer practice guidelines for applying the PYD approach to problem-oriented youth behavior, with substance abuse as an example.
Structural Reinterpretation of Poverty by Examining Working Poverty: Implications for Community and Policy Practice
Authors: Hong Philip Young P. , Wernet Stephen P.
Published: April 2013

This exploratory research focused on the structural context of working poverty, thereby transcending its individual or behavioral aspects. Two major questions guided this study: (1) How are the working poor different compared to the working nonpoor? (2) How do structural conditions affect the chances of one being working poor? Central findings of the study were that four primary sets of factors—demographic, human capital, employment barriers, and labor market positions—contribute to an individual's likelihood of being among the working poor. The structural factors—employment barriers and labor market positions—significantly contributed to the effects of human capital and demographic variables. All four factors require attention in community and policy practice to improve the lot of American workers in an increasingly global marketplace.
The Work Lives of the Low-Income Welfare Poor
Authors: Siegel David I. , Abbott Ann A.
Published: April 2013

The work lives of the low-income welfare poor vary greatly from those in the primary job market with respect to barriers to employment, availability of child care, workplace conditions, wages and hours of work, job stability, industries of employment, and health benefits. Returners have a pattern of consistently greater barriers to employment, reflective of their gender, racial, and single parent status and their neighborhood environments. Both groups appreciate job training and search activities and could benefit from greater offerings, especially efforts geared to their specific barriers and workplace issues. These findings suggest that the work lives of the low-income poor can be improved by supplementation of wages, increases in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and minimum wage, enhanced child care, and neighborhood development programs.
A Re-Membering Conversation with Howard Goldstein
Authors: Freeman Miriam L.
Published: April 2013

Howard Goldstein (1922-2000) was a renowned social work educator and author. He was also my teacher. This article is a re-membering “conversation” between Howard and me, based on papers I wrote in his classes in 1972-73 and his written responses to them. In narrative therapy, remembering conversations acknowledge and privilege contributions of significant people to a person's preferred identity and life story. In this article I celebrate Howard's rich and continuing contributions to my life as a social worker and educator and suggest that these contributions remain vitally relevant to social work practice today.
Theoretical Perspectives for Child Welfare Practice on Kinship Foster Care Families
Authors: Kang Hyunah
Published: April 2013

To provide deepened and expanded discussions of the advantages of kinship foster care, this paper attempts to understand the theoretical backgrounds of kinship care. The paper also analyzes research studies regarding caregiving environments and well-being outcomes of children in kinship foster care to examine whether empirical evidence supports theoretical conjectures. In addition, the paper discusses the status of knowledge concerning kinship foster care and the rigorousness of research methods. The paper's analysis and discussion are intended to provide theoretical perspectives for suppositions in practice and, eventually, guide child welfare practice.
A Small Act of Creativity: Fostering Creativity in Clinical Social Work Practice
Authors: Lee Mo Yee
Published: April 2013

A naturalistic view of creativity, as developed in scientific circles by those who adhere to quantum theory and chaos theory, suggests that the human mind is naturally creative and is made to create. Instead of utilizing extraordinary thinking process, a person creates by trying something new, seeing what happens, and responding accordingly (D. Bohm, 1998). This article explores the implications of a naturalistic view of creativity for clinical social work practice. The discussion examines useful treatment processes, primarily therapeutic conversations, which foster creativity in clients and families; a case example is included. Creating a context that fosters creativity in our clients requires professionals to revisit our attitude toward the unpredictable, perspectives about change, and views of client–social worker relationships.
The Ethics of Dual Relationships: Beliefs and Behaviors of Clinical Practitioners
Authors: Ringstad Robin
Published: April 2013

This study reports on a survey of 220 randomly selected MFTs and LCSWs about nonsexual dual relationships. The purpose was to investigate whether therapists were engaging in dual relationships and whether their beliefs and behaviors differed based on particular characteristics. Nearly one-third of the respondents had provided individual therapy to a friend, relative, or lover of a current client, disclosed details of their own personal stresses to clients, or accepted client invitations to special occasions. Over three-quarters had accepted small gifts from clients. Yet the majority viewed these relationships as unethical. Results imply that little consensus exists about nonsexual dual relationships, and therapists need to be vigilant in terms of potential risks to clients and to themselves.
Expressions of Spirituality in Parents with At-Risk Children
Authors: Evans Carol J. , Boustead Robyn S. , Owens Christine
Published: April 2013

Programs for at-risk children and their families, especially very young children, have many dimensions that need to be addressed by practitioners. The literature suggests that spirituality plays a role in protection, treatment, recovery, and coping for at-risk children and their families. Despite this, the role of spirituality is rarely acknowledged or included in mainstream practice and behavioral health services training programs on services for at-risk families. This article documents the importance of spirituality to a group of families involved in a national cross-site demonstration project on the integration of behavioral health services. It concludes with implications for behavioral health services regarding practice and policy, including training around spirituality.
Matched Comparison of Children in Kinship Care and Foster Care on Child Welfare Outcomes
Authors: Winokur Marc A. , Crawford Graig A. , Longobardi Ralph C. , Valentine Deborah P.
Published: April 2013

The documented growth of kinship care has boldly thrust this topic into the forefront of child welfare practice. This study compares the permanency, safety, and stability outcomes for a matched group of children placed in kinship care and foster care. After controlling for demographic and placement characteristics, children in kinship care had significantly fewer placements than did children in foster care, and they were less likely to still be in care, have a new allegation of institutional abuse or neglect, be involved with the juvenile justice system, and achieve reunification. These findings call for a greater commitment by child welfare professionals, policy makers, and researchers to make kinship care a viable out-of-home placement option for children and families.
Understanding Social Support of the Homeless: A Comparison of Single Men, Single Women, and Women with Children
Authors: Zugazaga Carole B.
Published: April 2013

This article describes social support networks of a multishelter sample of 162 homeless adults in Central Florida. Participants included homeless single men, single women, and women with children. The purpose of this study was to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between social support and homelessness by examining perceived social support and satisfaction with social support for these three distinct groups. All three groups reported few social supports, but all were fairly satisfied with their identified social support. Findings indicate the more social supports one had, the fewer homeless episodes they experienced. These findings suggest efforts should be made to strengthen existing social supports or to establish alternative social support networks.
Heuristics versus Logical Positivism: Solving the Wrong Problem
Authors: Bolland Kathleen , Atherton Charles
Published: April 2013

In recent years, an argument has developed in social work research between supporters of the “heuristic paradigm” and the defenders of the traditional positivistic model. The authors believe that this is the wrong argument, and that supporters of the heuristic paradigm are really opposed to a kind of naive inductionism rather than science in general. The authors argue that the whole notion of paradigm shift obscures more than it clarifies and that the argument can be resolved by using an approach to science based on ideas advanced by Popper and Ravetz that avoids naive inductionism.
Preamble, Purpose, and Ethical Principles Sections of the NASW Code of Ethics: A Preliminary Analysis
Authors: Woodcock Ray
Published: April 2013

The first three, brief sections of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers (1999) display striking inconsistency of content and uncertainty of purpose. The decision to incorporate those sections into a single code document along with the lengthy fourth section (Ethical Standards) appears to have contributed to their imperfection. The mission statement and the ethical principles, in particular, may develop better if they are divided into separate documents, each with its own distinct purpose. Such a development might help reduce the extent to which social workers must rely upon individualistic rather than shared wisdom in responding to common ethical issues.
Cultural Pride Reinforcement as a Dimension of Racial Socialization Protective of Urban African American Child Anxiety
Authors: Bannon William M. , McKay Mary M. , Chacko Anil , Rodriguez James A. , Cavaleri Mary
Published: April 2013

The study objective was to examine how parental endorsement of cultural pride reinforcement messages may explain African American child anxiety. Data were gathered from 72 African American parents and their elementary school-aged children. Results indicated stronger parental endorsement of cultural pride reinforcement messages predicted less child anxiety. Additionally parental endorsement of these messages moderated the relationship between child mental health risk factor exposure and child anxiety. Specifically in the presence of high exposure, children of parents who endorsed high levels of cultural pride reinforcement messages had significantly lower anxiety scores relative to children of parents who endorsed low levels of these messages. Findings indicated parental endorsement of these messages may be an important factor in explaining African American child anxiety.
Collaborative Psychosocial Capacity Building in Northern Uganda
Authors: Corbin Joanne , Miller Joshua
Published: April 2013

Armed conflicts affect an increasing number of children and families worldwide. War-torn communities often require external resources to address the overwhelming psychosocial needs during and after such violence. This article provides information about a psychosocial training-of-trainers (TOT) program designed by a team of United States and Ugandan practitioners to enhance the knowledge and skills of local community members providing psychosocial support. The conceptual framework of collaboration was used to analyze the work of the TOT facilitators and participants, and identify implications for continued efforts. Discussions among facilitators and between facilitators and participants were essential to developing shared goals, exchanging knowledge and skills, and integrating Western concepts of psychosocial healing with non-Western approaches to individual and community healing.
Distinguishing Maltreating versus Nonmaltreating At-Risk Families: Implications for Foster Care and Early Childhood Education Interventions
Authors: Curenton Stephanie M. , McWey Lenore M. , Bolen Melissa G.
Published: April 2013

Discriminant function (DF) analysis was used to distinguish 92 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse maltreating versus nonmaltreating families on indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) and parenting stress. Families included those with substantiated reports of child maltreatment ( n = 23), plus Head Start families ( n = 36), and child care families ( n = 33) without reports of maltreatment. The significant SES distinguishers were poverty and parental education and employment. The significant parenting stress distinguishers were parental self-reports of a dysfunctional parent–child relationship and difficult child temperament. Maltreating and Head Start families were similar in terms of poverty, but only the maltreating families had clinical levels of parenting stress. Implications for family therapy and early childhood education interventions are discussed.
Understanding Social Justice in Social Work: A Content Analysis of Course Syllabi
Authors: Hong Philip Young P. , Hodge David R.
Published: April 2013

In spite of the importance of social justice to the profession of social work, little research exists on the topic, contributing to what some have called a “conceptual muddle.” To help clarify the professions understanding of social justice, this study analyzed a representative sample of social justice syllabi ( N=31). To analyze the textual data, keyword, cluster, and linking analyses were preformed. The findings suggest that (a) some groups and issues are highlighted at the expense of others and (b) a four-dimensional conceptualization of social justice may be embedded in course syllabi, implicitly informing professional discourse. The results are discussed in light of recent professional controversies related to social justice.
Justice Implications of the Proposed Federal Family and Work Tax Credits: Applying Justice Theories to Policy Advocacy
Authors: Granruth Laura Brierton
Published: April 2013

A 2005 Presidential Advisory Panel on Tax Reform proposed a family credit and a work credit to replace some current tax credits, deductions, and exemptions. Taxes are overlooked by many social workers as a policy instrument for increasing the disposable income of low- and moderate-income families. This paper analyzes the proposed new credits through a justice framework. Social justice often is defined as the equitable distribution of societal resources. This definition reflects one type of justice–-Rawls's egalitarian philosophy. A more nuanced understanding of justice may enable coalition building in policy making, leading to the enactment of tax policy that helps families pay for their basic needs–-a goal of both direct service and policy practice social work practitioners.