The Impact of COVID-19 on Social Workers: An Assessment of Peritraumatic Distress

Peritraumatic Distress ◽

Summary There is broad consensus that COVID-19 has had a pernicious impact on social work, in general, and among social work practitioners, more specifically. However, at present, very few, if any, empirical examinations of this impact exist. This exploratory study examined peritraumatic distress among a sample of social workers ( N = 3920) in one southeastern state in the United States. Findings Analysis suggests that distress is impacted by several variables. In general, participants identifying as male, married, reporting good physical and mental health, working in microcontexts, and who were finically secure tended to experience less COVID-19 associated distress. In addition, social workers identifying as LGBTQ* and who had been working mostly remotely experienced higher levels of distress. Applications Overall, findings indicate the need to provide adept support to social workers practicing during the pandemic. Data suggest the need for targeted support initiatives, typically for those who are from underrepresented groups (e.g., LGBTQ*) or experiencing financial or mental/physical health issues. Certainly, researchers should continue to examine the impact of COVID-19 on social work practitioners and service delivery.

Working With Refugees in the U.S.: Trauma-Informed and Structurally Competent Social Work Approaches

Advances in Social Work ◽

10.18060/21282 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 66-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jason Ostrander ◽

Alysse Melville ◽

S. Megan Berthold

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Governmental Organizations ◽

Non Governmental Organizations ◽

Social Work Training ◽

Macro Social Work ◽

Social workers, government, and non-governmental organizations in the United States have been inadequately prepared to address the impact of trauma faced by refugees fleeing persecution. Compounding their initial trauma experiences, refugees often undergo further traumatic migration experiences and challenges after resettlement that can have long-lasting effects on their health and mental health. Micro and macro social work practitioners must understand the impact of these experiences in order to promote policies, social work training, and clinical practice that further the health and well-being of refugees and society. Social workers are in a unique position to provide multi-dimensional, structurally competent care and advocacy for diverse refugee populations. The experiences of Cambodian refugees will be used to examine these issues. We will explore the benefits of an ecological perspective in guiding interventions that support refugees, and will apply the framework of structural competence to highlight multidimensional implications for social work with refugee populations.

Beyond the Code of Ethics, Part II: Dual Relationships Revisited

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.228 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 83 (5) ◽

pp. 483-492 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Sophie Freud ◽

Stefan Krug

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Code Of Ethics ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Work Practice ◽

The United States ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Dual Relationships ◽

Social Work Educators ◽

Social Work Practitioners

The authors, both social work educators, serve on an ethics call line committee that provides insights on how the provisions of the (United States) National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics (NASW, 1996) interface with the ethical dilemmas encountered by the social work community. In this paper, the authors highlight aspects of social work practice that they consider ethical, yet not easily accommodated by the provisions of the current Code. They also question the 1996 introduction of the concept of dual relationships into the Code and suggest that the Code adopt the less ambiguous term of boundary violations. Also recognized by the authors is the need for clear boundaries for the protection of clients against temptations that might arise in a fiduciary relationship, and for the legal protection of social workers. But, the authors argue, social work practitioners in certain settings, with particular populations, and in certain roles, inevitably face multiple relationships as an integral aspect of their work. The authors conclude that social work's adoption of the psychoanalytic constrains of anonymity, neutrality, and abstinence has detoured the profession from its original double focus on individuals and their society.

Exploring mistakes and errors of professional judgement in social work in China and Italy: The impact of culture, organization and education

Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1177/1468017320919879 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 146801732091987

Author(s):

Alessandro Sicora ◽

Wei Lu ◽

Jie Lei

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Mainland China ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Negative Outcomes ◽

Open Discussion ◽

The Impact ◽

Professional Judgement

Summary This article reports the results of an exploratory comparative study that investigated errors made by social work practitioners. Two groups of social workers, one in Italy and one in Mainland China, answered questions about the causes and effects of mistakes, professional errors and reactions to errors committed by their colleagues, and the influence of intuition on the decision-making process that generates mistakes and errors of professional judgement. Findings The most salient differences between the Italian and Chinese respondents related to their willingness to talk about their mistakes and their confidence in the training received. A longer social work tradition in Italy helps practitioners in that country to feel stronger and to engage in a reflective learning process rather than defensive actions. As members of a new and not yet fully recognized profession, social workers in Mainland China are more likely to blame external circumstances for negative outcomes. Both groups shared the same positive consideration of intuition and the risk of losing service users’ trust. Applications The purpose of the article is to foster better understanding of errors and mistakes in social work, as well as more open discussion and reflection on social work practice and how to prevent negative outcomes.

Workforce Development of Social Workers Pre- and Post-Employment

Social Work ◽

10.1093/obo/9780195389678-0285 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Anita Barbee ◽

Megan Paul

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Social Work ◽

Child Welfare ◽

Social Workers ◽

The United States ◽

Field Education ◽

Diverse Students ◽

Trauma Symptoms ◽

Client Outcomes ◽

The social work profession is facing many issues with regards to the workplace. In the United States and other countries, there is either a current or pending workforce shortage. While most solutions focus on how to best recruit, educate, and graduate a large group of culturally and economically diverse students who are dedicated to social justice as much as they are to directly serving needy populations such as children, the elderly, the poor, and those with mental health, health, or social challenges in many settings (e.g., schools, hospitals, community-based agencies, governmental agencies), another approach has been and will need to continue to be to ensure that social workers remain in their jobs and in the field itself. Thus, workforce studies tend to have a multipronged focus: (1) how to recruit diverse students with appropriate values into social work in general, and into specialized areas such as behavioral health, gerontology, and child welfare in particular, (2) how to best equip students through classroom and field education for the workplace and after graduation so that they remain and do high-quality work, and (3) what environmental, interactional, and individual factors such as minority status, personality, the necessity of interprofessional collaboration, actual and perceived stress, supervision, and organizational culture and climate affect outcomes such as worker thoughts and feelings about the job, worker behaviors on the job, turnover, and client outcomes. Workforce studies vary. Some effort has been made to assess and describe environmental and organizational conditions social workers work in; others seek to examine the impact of such organizational environments as well as interactions in the workplace and worker characteristics on worker thoughts and feelings such as satisfaction, secondary trauma symptoms, and behavior such as coping, turnover, and performance, as well as client outcomes. Very few interventions to affect outcomes have been developed or rigorously tested. The bulk of the research has focused on the child welfare workforce, but there is a growing literature examining workforce issues among social workers across sectors, in interdisciplinary settings, and, in particular, fields such as health, mental health, integrated care, and gerontology.

What works and what doesn’t: Gerontology focused PhD/ DSW graduates speak out

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3447 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 964-965

Author(s):

Matthew Myrick ◽

Lauren Snedeker

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

The United States ◽

Academic Experience ◽

Doctoral Graduates ◽

Social Work Faculty ◽

Future Goals ◽

The Impact ◽

Schools Of Social Work

Abstract Lin et al. (2015) projected there would be a shortage of approximately 195,000 social workers in the United States by 2030. In the next twenty years, it is estimated that Americans over the age of 65 will actually outnumber children under the age of 18 (US Census, 2018). With a longstanding reputation for being less “glamorous”, social work with older adults will continue to experience deficits in the amount of those who commit to this field of practice unless more lasting change occurs (Cummings et al., p. 645, 2005). We must take a closer look at what takes place in the classroom at schools of social work to understand why social workers are not interested in working with older adults (Scharlach et al., 2000). Berkman et al. (2016) described in their work that a critical shortage of gerontology-focused social work faculty exists in schools of social work. Thus, we cannot expect more social workers to work with older adults unless they are exposed to this work in their educational programs. The purpose of this study is to report on the academic experience, research agenda, professional experiences (practice and teaching), and future goals of social work PhD/ DSW graduates. Ten social work doctoral graduates were interviewed in order to understand the impact their academic programs had on their commitment to older adults in their field and to learn their recommendations for schools of social work in an effort to sustain and grow the gerontological workforce.

The Impact of Social Work Theory on the Development of Probation in the United States

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e452852008-011 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Linda Donnelly

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Social Work ◽

The United States ◽

Social Work Theory ◽

The Art of Becoming Indispensable

10.1093/oso/9780197585160.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Academic Preparation ◽

School Social Workers ◽

Master Of Social Work ◽

New School ◽

Entry Level ◽

Work Practitioner ◽

Social Work Programs ◽

Despite their academic preparation and lived experiences, new school social workers face a learning curve when moving from entry-level practice to proficiency. The Art of Being Indispensable: What School Social Workers Need to Know in Their First Three Years of Practice is the first book focusing specifically on the needs of new school social workers as they transition to this complex role. Each of the book’s 20 chapters features an academic scholar and at least one school social work practitioner; overall, there are 18 academics and 42 practitioners from 28 different states. The diversity of the authors’ experiences, representing all variations of schools and districts, ensures that the content is applicable to a variety of practice contexts. Each chapter addresses the challenges of a public health pandemic and the impact of racial injustice. There is a timeless quality to this text since every year, new school social workers are being hired, whether from master of social work and bachelor of social work programs or from the ranks of professional social workers changing fields and becoming school social workers. This indispensable guide will help new school social workers to effectively execute their roles and responsibilities.

The impact of the institutional environment and experience on social entrepreneurship: a multi-group analysis

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research ◽

10.1108/ijebr-05-2020-0332 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Ezlika M. Ghazali ◽

Dilip S. Mutum ◽

Haleh Hakim Javadi

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Social Work ◽

Social Workers ◽

Social Entrepreneurship ◽

Work Experience ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Social Entrepreneurs ◽

Content Type ◽

PurposeThis study presents a framework for integrating distinct perspectives on social entrepreneurship by combining institutional theory with the social entrepreneurship intention model. The framework assesses the relationships between social support and the perceived feasibility and desirability of social entrepreneurship, the relationships between social support and the institutional environments of social workers, and the moderating role of prior experience of social work and volunteering.Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested using 266 validated responses from an online and paper-based survey distributed among social workers. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data, and multi-group analysis was conducted to examine the moderation effects.FindingsThe findings indicate that experience moderates the relationships between the regulatory and cognitive environments, cognitive environments and social support, and social support and perceived feasibility. Experience negatively moderates the relationship between the normative environment and social support.Practical implicationsActive government involvement in the form of incentives and financial support would encourage the creation of social ventures.Social implicationsEducational programmes are also necessary to help raise awareness and increase the familiarity and knowledge of potential social entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe study analyses the effects of institutional environmental components, recognised as highly influential on the development of social entrepreneurship, as well as the impact of perceived social support on the antecedents of the perceived desirability and feasibility of social entrepreneurship. It also addresses how social work experience modifies these relationships. Contrary to previous studies, the findings suggest that increasing social work experience isolates entrepreneurs from their environment.

Examining Social Work Students Knowledge of and Attitudes About Abortion and Curriculum Coverage in Social Work Education

Affilia ◽

10.1177/08861099211068241 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088610992110682

Author(s):

Heather Witt ◽

Maha K. Younes ◽

Erica Goldblatt Hyatt ◽

Carly Franklin

Keyword(s):

Social Work ◽

Social Work Students ◽

The United States ◽

Political Affiliation ◽

Reproductive Justice ◽

Abortion Attitudes ◽

Curriculum Coverage ◽

Work Education ◽

And Training

Despite social work's stated commitment to abortion rights, research on this topic is not prolific within the discipline (Begun et al., 2016). If we are to live up to our ethical principles, this should be changed. The authors posit that increasing students’ exposure to and understanding of abortion is necessary in the preparation of competent social work practitioners. Using Begun et al.’s (2016) Social Workers’ Abortion Attitudes, Knowledge, and Training questionnaire, the authors expanded the survey by creating additional questions about social work curriculum coverage and training experiences, as well as further content on abortion. Findings indicate that most social work students believe abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances, and also that abortion laws should be less restrictive in the United States. Reported religion and political affiliation had significant effects on several of the abortion attitude statements. Only 7.2% of respondents indicated that abortion is regularly discussed in social work classrooms, and only 2.7% of respondents report they have received training on the topic of abortion in their field placement. The results suggest that social work curriculum coverage on reproductive justice is tenuous and inconsistent at best, leaving students to grapple without the necessary professional foundation.

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

Social Work & Christianity ◽

10.34043/swc.v48i4.241 ◽

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 ◽

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.