Rapid Assessment Instruments

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven L. McMurtry ◽  
Susan J. Rose ◽  
Lisa K. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
The Public ◽  
Unobtrusive Measures ◽  
Domain Selection ◽  
Selection Of

Accurate measurement is essential for effective social work practice, but doing it well can be difficult. One solution is to use rapid assessment instruments (RAIs), which are brief scales that typically require less than 15 minutes to complete. Some are administered by practitioners, but most are self-administered on paper or electronically. RAIs are available for screening, initial assessment, monitoring of service progress, and outcome evaluation. Some require author permission, others are sold commercially, and many more are free and in the public domain. Selection of an RAI should be based first on its psychometric strength, including content, concurrent, and known-groups validity, as well as on types of reliability such as internal consistency, but practical criteria such as readability are also important. And when used in practice settings, RAIs should be part of a well-rounded measurement plan that also includes behavioral observations, client logs, unobtrusive measures, and other approaches.

The Call of the Faithful: The Integration of Spiritual and Social Work Practice in the Time of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-392
Author(s):  
Shirley Newton-Guest ◽  
Claudia Sofia Moreno ◽  
Marla Coyoy ◽  
Roxanna Najmi ◽  
Tonia Martin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Unaccompanied Children ◽  
The Impact

This has been a season of change worldwide. It has become virtually impossible to ignore distressing news about the state of our world. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, how we think, and even how we grieve. Every day, Americans are bombarded with reports of rising death tolls, massive unemployment, economic turmoil, and dismal foreseeable predictions. This health crisis has put an enormous amount of pressure on the global community, and this is especially true for our clients who are new immigrants. This pressure has manifested in mental health challenges. Social workers have reported that for many clients the uncertainty and pressure are becoming too much to handle. Typically, clients are experiencing anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, and in some cases interpersonal violence (Brodhead, 2020; Endale et al. 2020; Saltzman et al.,2020). Now imagine the impact on unaccompanied minors arriving at our borders. Prior to the pandemic, the unaccompanied children were dealing with three crises simultaneously: 1) parental and home country separation; 2) trauma from a harsh journey; and 3) language barrier and cultural shock. These issues alone are overwhelming and cause powerful emotions such as anxiety in these children. So how can these emotions be managed, coupled with the dangers of COVID-19? How can social workers provide comfort and support when they may be experiencing the same emotions? This article brings this hidden reality into the public view and enrich the existing social work body of knowledge by demonstrating the restorative power of faith, spirituality, and self-care.      

Richmond, Mary Ellen

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Longres
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Juvenile Court ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Charities ◽  
Charity Organization

Mary Ellen Richmond (1861–1928) formulated the first comprehensive statement of direct social work practice principles. She founded the Public Charities Association, the juvenile court, and the Housing Association, and helped to develop teaching materials for Charity Organization Societies nationwide.

The Human–Animal Bond and Grief and Loss: Implications for Social Work Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 104438942110151
Author(s):  
Ellen E. Whipple
Keyword(s):  
Support Groups ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Grief And Loss ◽  
Disenfranchised Grief ◽  
Human Animal Bond ◽  
Human Animal

The human–animal bond (HAB) is a powerful emotional attachment which often elevates pets to the status of a family member. Because companion animals typically live much shorter lives than humans, grief and loss is a problem that is frequently encountered. Disenfranchised grief over the loss of a companion animal is an area that is often overlooked by mental health professionals. Sife has developed a model for the stages of grief and loss specific to companion animals. Questions about pets should be a part of every initial assessment done on a client. Effective interventions include understanding the significance of the HAB and grief and loss; bibliotherapy; psychoeducation; the importance of rituals; and the use of pet loss support groups.

Discharge, But No Exit: An Existential Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis of Veteran Reintegration

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Tarbet ◽  
Steven Moore ◽  
Ahmed Alanazi
Keyword(s):  
Work Practice ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
War On Terrorism ◽  
Global War On Terrorism ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Global War ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Ongoing campaigns in support of the Global War on Terrorism have created an influx of veterans attempting to reintegrate into civilian society. While some veterans reintegrate easily, others continue to struggle. An increasing number of studies have begun to take a more holistic approach to understanding the root causes of the distress observed in reintegrating veterans. The objective of this study was to utilise the existential framework as conceptualised by Irvin Yalom to generate a deeper understanding of the underlying factors contributing to the struggles that veterans experience in their return to society. A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) approach was used to hear the combined voices of a selection of veterans from the USA and UK. A directed content analysis was used in conjunction with the QIMS methodology to categorise novel constructs in the context of existential ultimate concerns resulting in nine new themes: loss of identity, fear of death, loss of control, reliance on authority, feelings of alienation, self-isolation, resentment towards civilians, loss of collective sense of duty and loss of purpose. Findings enhance the understanding of conflicting values and beliefs underlying reintegration problems, informing future social work practice and research.

Licensing

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Duffy Randall ◽  
Donna DeAngelis
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Regulatory Agencies ◽  
The Public

Social work regulation protects the public by establishing the qualifications that a professional must possess, by establishing a means of holding professionals accountable, and by having a system for the public to make complaints against allegedly incompetent or unethical practitioners and have them investigated and adjudicated. Certification also exists in various specialty areas of social work practice, as is a function of professional organizations versus governmental regulatory agencies.

scholarly journals Social work in the public services in Brazil - disclosing ruling relations in a local context

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-146
Author(s):  
Trond Heitmann
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Local Context ◽  
The Public ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Relationship

This article about social workers in the public social services in Brazil explores professional social work practice through the subjective standpoint of the social workers. Inspired by institutional ethnography, this approach explicates how understandings of social work are interpreted and implemented in various contexts. The findings show that the formalization of the relationship with the employer through contracts of employment implicate that the disciplinary normative definitions of social work succumb to institutional regulations, which are not necessarily discipline specific. In addition, the temporary character of the contracts of employment makes the social workers align their practice to institutional frameworks and demands, as they are personally interested in renewal of the contracts and the maintenance of their professional careers. With this approach, disciplinary, political, ideological, legal and moral definitions of social work are not viewed as the essences of social work, but rather as contextual processes that are locally activated in different contexts. At the same time, it underscores social work as a political profession which should naturally include interventions on political, juridical, economic and organizational levels. Consequently, professional social work is not one thing, nor only one profession, but rather professional practices adapted to a variation of contexts. This perspective is significant to help detect areas of intervention for social change.

scholarly journals Lessons from the Late Erich Fromm

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 255-271
Author(s):  
Sean St. Jean
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Erich Fromm ◽  
Social Work Theory ◽  
Human Functioning ◽  
Selection Of

The field of social work is currently wrestling with a number of divergent theories and concepts as it seeks to discover ways of thinking about social issues, client worlds, and best practices. Yet many of those eclectically gathered theories are not aligned logically or philosophically. This has led to a disjointed, ad hoc, and disunited theoretical basis within the field that has, arguably, weakened its collective effectiveness, reputation, and impact. Erich Fromm (1900-1980), a German-born psychoanalyst and philosopher, offers a number of theoretical ideas, stances, and directions that may improve social work’s theoretical underpinnings and perhaps even provide some foundational elements useful for the creation of a unified theory of human functioning in the world. This article explores Fromm’s body of work with the intention of applying a selection of his ideas to social work theory, policy, and practice. Remedies to resolve the bifurcation of psyche-based and society-based theories are discussed. Following this is a presentation of Fromm’s concept of “social character” as well as implications for social work practice.

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