scholarly journals Data science for social work practice

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 205979911881439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar Cariceo ◽  
Murali Nair ◽  
Jay Lytton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Data Driven Decisions ◽  
Social Work Interventions ◽  
Key Terms

Data science is merging of several techniques that include statistics, computer programming, hacking skills, and a solid expertise in specific fields, among others. This approach represents opportunities for social work research and intervention. Thus, practitioners can take advantage of data science methods and reach new standards for quality performances at different practice levels. This article addresses key terms of data science as a new set of methodologies, tools, and technologies, and discusses machine learning techniques in order to identify new skills and methodologies to support social work interventions and evidence-based practice. The challenge related to data sciences application on social work practice is the shift on the focus of interventions. Data science supports data-driven decisions to predict social issues, rather than providing an understanding of reasons for social problems. This can be both a limitation and an opportunity depending on context and needs of users and professionals.

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.

Calling Social Work to the Movement for Educational Justice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annahita Ball
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Youth Development ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Educational Justice ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Conditions For Learning ◽  
History Of

Abstract The persistent and systemic inequities within the U.S. public education system have grave implications for children’s and youth’s outcomes, yet these inequities go far beyond academics. Marginalized and vulnerable students experience injustices across the educational system, including disproportionality in school discipline, unequal access to advanced courses, and poor conditions for learning. Social work has a solid history of addressing issues that intersect across families, schools, and communities, but the profession has had little engagement in the recent educational justice movement. As educational scholars advance a movement to address educational inequities, it will be increasingly important for social work researchers to provide valuable insight into the multiple components that make up youth development and support positive well-being for all individuals within a democratic society. This article encourages social work researchers to extend lines of inquiry that investigate educational justice issues by situating social work practice and research within educational justice and suggesting an agenda for future social work research that will advance equity for all students.

Participation in Child Welfare Services Through Information and Communication Technologies

2011 ◽  
pp. 73-90
Author(s):  
Susan Tregeagle
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Case Management ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Social Work Interventions

Case management systems were designed to open the way for increased participation of young people and their families in child welfare interventions, and, their standardised format provides a valuable opportunity to use ICT in social work practice. Existing research is unclear about how effectively case management affects participation, nor, the impact of ICT on social work interventions. This paper describes the findings of qualitative research with service users about their experiences of case management and how ICT could further their involvement in critical decisions for families. Service users are keen to use ICT and this could help overcome the limitations of paper-based case management systems and exploit the communication potential of the internet and mobile phones. However, before ICT could be used, the complex ‘digital divide’ affecting disadvantaged families would need to be addressed and social workers’ understanding and current use of ICT would need to be explored.

Rural Practice

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Stephen Cooper ◽  
Freddie L. Avant
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Rural Practice ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Rural Social Work

Rural social work, the history of which stretches back more than a century, has been revitalized since the mid-1970s. The renewed interest in rural social work has led to an increase in scholarship on rural social work practice, much of which is a direct result of the efforts of the Rural Social Work Caucus and its annual National Institute on Social Work and Human Services in Rural Areas. Recent research endeavors have moved our understanding of the differences between rural and urban communities beyond the common definitions, which are limited to population and population density. We have also come to realize that there are many different types of rural communities, all of which have different characteristics, needs, etc. Specifically, the concept of rural is not monolithic. Rural practitioners and researchers have also reached a better understanding of the following: rural culture and lifestyles, the importance of approaching rural communities from a strengths perspective rather than a deficit or problem focus, and the challenges to rural practice presented by the characteristics that are common across rural communities (e.g., lack of anonymity, dual relationships). Not surprisingly, the increase in research on rural social work practice has been accompanied by an interest in preparing social workers for rural practice and growth in the number of graduate programs focused on such. The importance of these programs lies in the unique nature of the challenges faced by rural communities. For example, many rural communities are experiencing sharp population declines while at the same time seeing substantial increases in adults who are 65 years of age and older. Other common trends include: economic decline and subsequent increase in social issues; substantial issues with substance abuse, especially methamphetamine and opioids; lack of technology infrastructure; concerns related to the environment and/or conversation of natural resources; and lack of services for veterans. The key to successfully addressing these issues in rural communities is involvement from social workers who are prepared to practice in the rural context.

Implementation Science

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enola Proctor ◽  
Alicia Bunger
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Implementation Science ◽  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Translation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Implementation Studies ◽  
Specific Implementation ◽  
Key Terms

Implementation science seeks to inform how to deliver evidence-based interventions, programs, and policies in real-world settings so their benefits can be realized and sustained. The aim of implementation science is building a base of evidence about the most effective processes and strategies for improving service delivery. Implementation research builds upon effectiveness research and then seeks to discover how to use specific implementation strategies and to move interventions into specific settings, extending their availability, reach, and benefits to clients and communities. This article provides an overview of implementation science as a component of research translation with an emphasis on traditional social work practice settings. The article begins by defining key terms, including implementation and evidence-based interventions. To inform conceptualization of implementation studies, the article continues with an overview of guiding implementation theories, models, and frameworks that explain the role of the multi-level practice context for implementation. Next, the article defines implementation strategies, identifies sources of implementation strategies, and provides recommendations for specifying and describing strategies that allow for replication. The article then describes methodological issues, including variable measurement, research design, and stakeholder engagement. Given the importance of designing implementation studies that optimize both internal and external validity, there is special attention to creative alternatives to traditional randomized controlled trials, and the potential for participatory and systems approaches. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of future directions for implementation science in social work.

Fear of Crime, Racial Bias, and Gun Ownership

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-248
Author(s):  
Michael C Gearhart ◽  
Kristen A Berg ◽  
Courtney Jones ◽  
Sharon D Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Racial Bias ◽  
Implicit Bias ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Gun Ownership ◽  
Social Work Interventions

Abstract Firearm-related violence is a significant threat to public health and safety in America. However, research highlights a critical disparity in firearm-related deaths by race. Researchers often cite racial bias as a contributing factor for the racial disparity in firearm-related deaths. To provide a foundation for potential social work interventions, the present article discusses the results of an assessment of whether explicit racial biases toward four racial and ethnic groups (white, black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino), fear of crime, and the quantity and quality of interactions with neighbors of a different race are predictors of gun ownership. Findings suggest that explicit racial bias toward black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino individuals is a significant predictor of gun ownership. Fear of crime and more frequent interactions with neighbors of a different race are also significant predictors of gun ownership. Taken as a whole, findings suggest that gun owners are more likely to be more vigilant toward people of color because of stereotypical assumptions that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be involved with crime. Social work practice and policy implications include developing interventions aimed at reducing implicit bias and identifying policies that are associated with lower levels of implicit bias among gun owners.

Bringing the Agency to the Classroom: Using Service-Learning to Teach Research to BSW Students

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen A. Kapp
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Course Material

Faculty members teaching social work research courses face a variety of challenges: The material is typically viewed by students as outside their interest area; the technical and complex content is not easy to teach to any audience, especially when students vary significantly in skill levels; and the course material is often taught in isolation from core curriculum areas, especially social work practice. This article describes a service-learning approach for teaching research that allows students to apply their research knowledge to the information needs of an agency while they are developing corresponding knowledge and skills. Additionally, this article highlights the unique features of this approach and presents student feedback from a recent section of this course. Finally, it describes the implications of this technique.

Scaling Up Social Problems

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Y. Rodriguez ◽  
Laysha Ostrow ◽  
Susan P. Kemp
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Progressive Era ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
Meaningful Engagement

The Grand Challenges for Social Work Initiative aims to focus the profession’s attention on how social work can play a larger role in mitigating contemporary social problems. Yet a central issue facing contemporary social work is its seeming reticence to engage with social problems, and their solutions, beyond individual-level interventions. Social work research, we contend, must more consistently link case and cause, iteratively developing processes for bringing micro-, mezzo-, and macrostreams of information together. We further argue that meaningful engagement with the initiative requires social work scholars and practitioners to actively scale up practice and research inquiry. We detail two key strategies for employing a scaled-up social work practice and research ethos: (a) employing a critical economic lens and (b) engaging with diverse publics. As proof of concept for these arguments, we offer an early example of progressive era social workers scaling up responses to a pressing social issue: infant mortality.

All Awareness and No Action: Can Social Work Leverage Creative Arts’ Potential?

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 708-720
Author(s):  
Raphael Travis
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Research Education ◽  
Social Work Research ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Explicit Recognition

Social work is grounded with an emphasis on promoting the well-being being of individuals and families with an explicit recognition of how the environment plays a significant role in the unfolding of well-being. Unfortunately, the profession’s commitment to maintaining the infrastructure for social work research, education, and practice that helps students and professionals focus on the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems of the living sometimes feels superficial. These trends have made it difficult to realize the effectiveness and promise of integrating creative arts into social work practice. The present article discusses how social work efforts with creative arts will have limited influence if their context, underlying assumptions, and framing are misaligned with the experiential realities of clients; if gatekeeping is too rigid or biased to effectively grow the arts-based infrastructure; and if the underlying assumptions that define well-being outcomes are proportionately narrow, deficit oriented, and short-term focused.

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