scholarly journals Navigating the clinician-researcher role in health social work: Reflections from practice

2022 ◽  
pp. 002087282110657
Author(s):  
Rae Morris ◽  
Celeste Borja
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Dual Role ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Qualitative Health Research ◽  
Researcher Role

This Voices from Practice article shares reflections of two social workers on our dual-role experiences when conducting qualitative health research as trained clinicians. Reflections and considerations are shared for health care social work research trainees to prepare for and navigate the integration of the clinician-researcher role in social work.

scholarly journals Emotional intelligence as a part of critical reflection in social work practice and research

2021 ◽  
pp. 147332502110247
Author(s):  
Mari D Herland
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Critical Reflection ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Emotional Reactions ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Emotional Aspects

Social workers often experience higher levels of burnout compared with other healthcare professionals. The capacity to manage one’s own emotional reactions efficiently, frequently in complex care settings, is central to the role of social workers. This article highlights the complexity of emotions in social work research and practice by exploring the perspective of emotional intelligence. The article is both theoretical and empirical, based on reflections from a qualitative longitudinal study interviewing fathers with behavioural and criminal backgrounds, all in their 40 s. The analysis contains an exploration of the researcher position that illuminates the reflective, emotional aspects that took place within this interview process. Three overall themes emerged – first: Recognising emotional complexity; second: Reflecting on emotional themes; and third: Exploring my own prejudices and preconceptions. The findings apply to both theoretical and practical social work, addressing the need to understand emotions as a central part of critical reflection and reflexivity. The argument is that emotions have the potential to expand awareness of one’s own preconceptions, related to normative societal views. This form of analytical awareness entails identifying and paying attention to one’s own, sometimes embodied, emotional triggers.

scholarly journals Exposing health inequities: Surreal snapshots from the Grand Canyon to global COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 90-96
Author(s):  
Jean E Balestrery
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Crisis Intervention ◽  
Grand Canyon ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Tribal Land

The story presented here is central to social work because it is about crisis. Across diverse fields of practice, social workers regularly engage in crisis intervention. The story that follows is about crisis in the area of health and healthcare. Specifically, it’s about exposing health/care inequities on Indigenous tribal land in the Grand Canyon and in the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Qualitative Geographic Information Systems (GIS): An untapped research approach for social work

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Gis Technology ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Introductory Overview ◽  
History Of

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a digital technology that integrates hardware and software to analyze, store, and map spatial data. GIS allows users to visualize (i.e., map) geographic aspects of data including locations or spatial concentrations of phenomena of interest. Though public health and other social work related fields have embraced the use of GIS technology in research, social work lags behind. Recent technological advancements in the field of GIS have transformed what was once prohibitively expensive, “experts only” desktop software into a viable method for researchers with little prior GIS knowledge. Further, humanist and participatory geographers have developed critical, non-quantitative GIS approaches that bring to light new opportunities relevant to social workers. These tools could have particular utility for qualitative social workers because they can help us better understand the environmental context in which our clients reside and give credence to their assessments of strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for intervention. This article provides an introductory overview of the history of GIS in social work research and describes opportunities to use spatially informed approaches in qualitative social work research using a case study of a participatory photo mapping research study.

scholarly journals Two Approaches to Focus Group Data Collection for Qualitative Health Research

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 160940691775078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Flynn ◽  
Lauren Albrecht ◽  
Shannon D. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Qualitative Health Research ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Qualitative Focus Groups

This article discusses four challenges to conducting qualitative focus groups: (1) maximizing research budgets through innovative methodological approaches, (2) recruiting health-care professionals for qualitative health research, (3) conducting focus groups with health-care professionals across geographically dispersed areas, and (4) taking into consideration data richness when using different focus group data collection methods. In light of these challenges, we propose two alternative approaches for collecting focus group data: (a) extended period of quantitative data collection that facilitated relationship building in the sites prior to qualitative focus groups and (b) focus groups by videoconference. We share our experiences on employing both of these approaches in two national research programs.

Narrative resistance in social work research and practice: Counter-storying in the pursuit of social justice

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne McKenzie-Mohr ◽  
Michelle N Lafrance
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Master Narratives ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Counter Narratives ◽  
Practical Guidance

In this article, we propose ‘narrative resistance’ as a potent and useful concept for both social work research and practice. A concept that attends to power and oppression, narrative resistance provides a platform for tangible applications to support people’s efforts to resist harmful storyings of their lives. The aim of this article is to provide practical guidance for how social workers can attend to and support people’s acts of narrative resistance. This is achieved by introducing the functions of narrative in people’s lives and its inextricable links to power; discussing ‘master narratives’ and their potential for harm; and exploring narrative resistance by articulating the role of ‘counter narratives’ as a means to ‘talk back’ to injurious master narratives. The remainder of the article outlines considerations, skills and tools required to enhance counter-storying efforts in the service of emancipatory change. We spotlight examples of narrative resistance in the literature to illustrate the pragmatic mobilization of this work.

Mixed Methods Research

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daphne C. Watkins
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Data Integration ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Single Study

Mixed methods research integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods into a single study to produce a more inclusive and expansive understanding of a topic. This article defines mixed methods in social work research, and discusses design notation, language, popular mixed methods designs, and data integration. Using mixed methods provides an opportunity for social workers to take advantage of the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches and to offset their weaknesses. It is important that social workers engaged in mixed methods research maximize the interpretation of their findings and articulate the advantages of using mixed methods over qualitative or quantitative methods alone. Given the unique features of the profession, it is imperative that social workers carve out a distinctive mixed methods niche for social work researchers and practitioners.

Childbirth Distress: A Call for Professional Engagement

Affilia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 376-396
Author(s):  
Christiana MacDougall
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
International Federation ◽  
Policy Statement ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Women's Narratives ◽  
Childbirth Trauma ◽  
Traumatic Childbirth

Among women who give birth, roughly half describe their birth experiences as traumatic. Childbirth trauma is a topic of growing global interest for health and mental health professions. However, social work remains peripheral in this emerging area of scholarship and practice. This article presents a portion of findings from recent feminist narrative social work research exploring women’s narratives of their experiences of emotional distress in childbirth to illustrate the need for increased professional engagement with this important social issue. Analysis of participants’ narratives illustrates how Foucault’s discourse and power/knowledge can be useful in understanding the subtle social forces that shape birth experiences which may result in emotional distress. In this article, I argue the topic of childbirth distress falls within the reproductive rights framework and should be of importance to social workers. The findings presented below are discussed in the context of the International Federation of Social Workers’ ethical principles and its policy statement on women to support this position.

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