scholarly journals Primary Care Social Work Practice with Older Adult Veterans During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Application of Ecological Systems Theory

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-121
Author(s):  
Lashawn Smith
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
The Government

In March 2020, The state of New York became the American epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic with the most vulnerable of populations including older adults being affected.  As a result of the Government shut-down to slow the spread of Covid-19, many primary care social workers, including this writer pivoted to remote telework detail on short notice. While utilizing an ecological systems theoretical framework, this article will explore how primary care social workers in the Veterans Health Administration worked through the Covid-19 pandemic to effectively provide social work services and case management to older adult Veterans.

scholarly journals Lifting the veil on the government’s regulatory agenda for the social work profession in Aotearoa New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-31
Author(s):  
Howard Randal
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Veil ◽  
Foucauldian Theory

INTRODUCTION: The article discusses the two contrasting agendas evident when statutory registration for social workers in Aotearoa New Zealand was introduced in 2003 – that of the professional association and that of the government.METHOD:  The approach taken draws on a longitudinal research study of the aspirations for statutory registration held by a sample of members of the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZSW). In addition, the motives behind the professionalisation strategy introduced by the principal government social work service are examined and analysed applying Foucault’s concept of governmentality.FINDINGS: The qualitative analysis of the data shows that the profession, although aspiring to having some role in statutory registration, also held concerns about its implications. By way of contrast, the professionalisation strategy adopted by the government social work service shows it was driven by public service performance, fiscal and risk management imperatives.CONCLUSIONS: The application of the Foucauldian theory of governmentality to the data and findings shows that the introduction of statutory registration is a manifestation of the managerial and statutory controls adopted by government and a means of governmentality. This has resulted in the government holding the upper hand in providing public accountability for social work practice thereby perpetuating its hold over the profession with the risk that the ANZASW is left in its wake. 

scholarly journals Contemporary Social Work Practice: The struggles of transforming yesterday’s professional skill set

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Barbara Neale
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
The Government

Social work is a practice-based profession that is underpinned by the principles of social justice and the promotion of empowerment. It has two key aims; to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable people through the application of relationship-based practice and to carry out the government commissioned safeguarding duties of local authorities that are informed by law. In order to meet these dual aims, social workers need to apply a body of knowledge, skills and qualities to their work that will enable them to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable people living within the local authority urban and rural communities. Within this study, I argue that the knowledge, skills and qualities have become compromised and this has subsequently impacted on the social work profession. I consider the tensions that have arisen between the values and duties of the social work profession and successive government agendas since the 1970s, in respect to the standards and expectations of statutory social work practice. These tensions relate to both the substantial cuts to the funding of the services in which the social work profession is expected to carry out its duties and responsibilities and qualifying and practicing social workers being deemed as “ill-equipped” with the necessary knowledge, skills and qualities to carry out their statutory duties. I argue that the sequence of government interventions and the findings within more recent serious case reviews such as the tragic loss of life of Victoria Climbie (2000) have failed to consider the political regime in which social work is practiced. I consider, that as a consequence of this, relationship-based practice has been compromised in favour of a government-led administrative processes as a result of a growing culture of fear and blaming social workers for failings in practice. I argue that social workers are victims of "epistemic injustice", a concept of prejudicial injustice that rises against someone in their capacity as a knower. Through the application of qualitative methodology, I will draw on the voices of 12 social workers from a range of qualifying pathways in order to explore how social workers themselves understand these tensions and what knowledge, skills and qualities they consider are critical to carryout out contemporary statutory social work practice.

scholarly journals Professionalization of Social Work in Malaysia Through Legislation: A Literature Discussion on Concepts, Issues and Challenges

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
TEOH AI HUA ◽  
FUZIAH SHAFIE
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
Draft Bill ◽  
Education And Development ◽  
Work Education

Social work as a profession may have been well established in many countries; nevertheless internationally its professional status and professionalization process differs from country to country. Social work in Malaysia has come to a new chapter when the government endorsed a proposal to enact a Social Workers Bill as part of its commitment to enhance the quality of social workers and social work practice in the country. One significant aspect of the draft bill is the registration and licensing of social workers. Drawing examples from a few countries that have registration requirement, this paper attempts to highlight some issues and challenges that may arise when the registration and licensing begin after the bill has been enacted. The legislation can provide a legal framework to put in place proper structures for social work education and development. It however requires all stakeholders to work closely to ensure that eventually the vulnerable populations that the profession is serving can also benefit from the professionalization process.  

scholarly journals Practice in a Pandemic: School Social Workers’ Adaptations and Experiences During the 2020 COVID-19 School Disruptions

2021 ◽  
pp. 104438942110098
Author(s):  
Michael S. Kelly ◽  
Rami Benbenishty ◽  
Gordon Capp ◽  
Kate Watson ◽  
Ron Astor
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
School Social Work ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Virtual School ◽  
School Social Workers ◽  
Traditional Practice

In March 2020, as American PreK-12 schools shut down and moved into online learning in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, there was little information about how school social workers (SSWs) were responding to the crisis. This study used a national online survey to understand how SSWs ( N = 1,275) adapted their school practice during the initial 2020 COVID-19 crisis. Findings from this study indicate that SSWs made swift and (relatively) smooth adaptations of their traditional practice role to the new context, though not without reporting considerable professional stress and personal challenges doing so. SSWs reported significant concerns about their ability to deliver effective virtual school social work services given their students’ low motivation and lack of engagement with online learning, as well as significant worries about how their students were faring during the first months of the pandemic. Implications for school social work practice, policy, and research are discussed.

scholarly journals Death, dying and bereavement care during COVID-19: Creativity in hospital social work practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 131-137
Author(s):  
Mim Fox ◽  
Joanna McIlveen ◽  
Elisabeth Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Bereavement Support ◽  
Hospital System ◽  
Hospital Social Work ◽  
Complicating Factors ◽  
Bereavement Care

Bereavement support and conducting viewings for grieving family members are commonplace activities for social workers in the acute hospital setting, however the risks that COVID-19 has brought to the social work role in bereavement care has necessitated the exploration of creative alternatives. Social workers are acutely aware of the complicating factors when bereavement support is inadequately provided, let alone absent, and with the aid of technology and both individual advocacy, social workers have been able to continue to focus on the needs of the most vulnerable in the hospital system. By drawing on reflective journaling and verbal reflective discussions amongst the authors, this article discusses bereavement support and the facilitation of viewings as clinical areas in which hospital social work has been observed adapting practice creatively throughout the pandemic.

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.

Purchasing Power and Self-Determination: Social Worker Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Bailey ◽  
Debbie Plath ◽  
Alankaar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Purchasing Power ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Management Approaches

Abstract The international policy trend towards personalised budgets, which is designed to offer people with disabilities purchasing power to choose services that suit them, is exemplified in the Australian National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This article examines how the ‘purchasing power’ afforded to service users through individualised budgets impacts on social work practice and the choice and self-determination of NDIS service users. Social workers’ views were sought on the alignment between the NDIS principles of choice and control and social work principles of participation and self-determination and how their social work practice has changed in order to facilitate client access to supports through NDIS budgets and meaningful participation in decision-making. A survey was completed by forty-five social workers, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with five of these participants. The findings identify how social workers have responded to the shortfalls of the NDIS by the following: interpreting information for clients; assisting service users to navigate complex service provision systems; supporting clients through goal setting, decision-making and implementation of action plans; and adopting case management approaches. The incorporation of social work services into the NDIS service model is proposed in order to facilitate meaningful choice and self-determination associated with purchasing power.

scholarly journals Mindful energy and information flow: A reflective account of S.E.L.F connection during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 147332502097330
Author(s):  
James J Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The Future ◽  
Sanctuary Model ◽  
Reflective Essay ◽  
Energy Information ◽  
Practice Education

Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is uncertain, intense, and traumatic. At the same time, there is room for hope, inspiration, and meaning for social workers through mindfully connecting with energy-information flow as it influences our Safety, Emotions, Loss, and Future – S.E.L.F. As adapted from the Sanctuary Model®, this S.E.L.F connection is an opportunity to discover within ourselves our unwavering core that is grounded, present, and connected and sustain an ethical and compassionate approach to social work practice, education, and research during this time of pandemic. The aim in this reflective essay is to provide an example of S.E.L.F. connection from the perspective of a Buddhist and social work academic at an Australian university during the COVID-19 pandemic. While beneficial, ongoing S.E.L.F. connections are necessary for social workers if we are to stay mindful of energy-information flow and steer this flow towards the creation of a story of relationship, compassion, and connection into the future.

scholarly journals The Information Behaviour of Social Workers: Needs, Seeking, Acquiring and Using Information in Practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 1588-1610
Author(s):  
Niamh Flanagan
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Information Behaviour ◽  
Traditional Research ◽  
Search For Information ◽  
Information Landscape

Abstract In the debate about what informs social work practice, research remains the dominant discourse. However, the relationship between research and social work practice has always been an uneasy one, arguably passed from other clinical disciplines without resizing to fit social work. Even as social work research matures as a discipline it represents one element in a much broader composite which informs practice. This article takes a unique step back from the traditional research-practice discourse and examines the broader information landscape of social work practice, asking how practitioners inform their practice, rather than how research informs practice. This study explores the information needs that prompt practitioners to search for information, the strategies they employ, their acquisition of information and the uses to which the information is put. This study aims to elucidate the information behaviour with a view to improving dissemination and use. Findings demonstrate that the social work information base is substantially broader than has been suggested. Practitioners employ a pragmatic palette of strategies to navigate the breadth of information that supports practice, from research through to knowledge sharing. This article proposes that a pragmatic framework of information behaviour is required to accurately reflect the information behaviour of social workers.

Social workers’ peculiar contribution to ethnographic research

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald de Montigny
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Ethic Of Care ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Ethical Orientation ◽  
Ethical Practice ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face

Over generations, social workers have borrowed theories from sociology. However, sociologists have generally avoided borrowing theory from social work. By beginning with social work practice wisdom, we can unfold the complex elements organizing social work practice and by extension ethnographic research. Complexity and resulting uncertainty are antidotes for theoretical purity. Practice as grounded in life, that of client’s and social workers is inherently “dirty”, i.e., messy, disorganized, confusing, unfolding, and uncertain. Understandings and practices are accomplished in a connection of self to a profession, agency/organization, mandate and purpose, and ethical orientation, in interaction with colleagues and clients. Social workers take sides as they are grounded in an ethic of care. The challenge of developing an ethical practice in the face of difference, disagreement, disjunction, and conflict lead social workers to bracket, and hence reflect on the putative coherence of a “life world.” Face-to-face work with individuals rather than being a liability provides a source of knowledge and wisdom to inform social science generally.

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