Social Workers’ Reflections on Utilising Indigenous Games in Child Counselling

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maud Mthembu ◽  
Nozuko Mkhize
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Qualitative Design ◽  
Community Assets ◽  
Mutual Learning ◽  
Innovative Practice ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

This paper reports on the adaptation of local indigenous children’s games in South Africa that can be integrated during child counselling. There is a plethora of literature that advocates for the reconceptualisation of social work in non-western societies to align it with the values of clients being served. However, there is a dearth of literature on available indigenous social work games that can be applied particular in child counselling. Using a qualitative design, six social work practitioners, purposively sampled, were individually interviewed to explore their integration of indigenous games during child counselling. The findings indicate that through reflexivity, social workers learn and observe context-relevant knowledge from the communities they serve and that accumulated knowledge informs innovative practice interventions in social work. In this paper, children’s social background, culture, play behaviours and community assets informed social workers’ choice of the games they could incorporate in child counselling. The integration of local games, such as Uchiki, Umangqalutye, Eight Stones and riverbank clay, in child counselling sessions promotes a sense of mutual learning that benefits the helping profession to deliver a context-relevant service.

The Development and Initial Validation of the Empathy Scale for Social Workers

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve King ◽  
Michael J. Holosko
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Master Of Social Work ◽  
Initial Validation ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Student Training ◽  
Empathy Scale ◽  
Work Knowledge

Empathy is a core principle essential to social work. Despite this emphasis, minimal empirical research of empathy has been undertaken by social work researchers. The purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW). The ESSW is a 41-item self-report inventory designed to assess empathy in social work practitioners. The sample ( N = 271) consisted of social workers who had attained the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Findings revealed promising psychometric properties for the ESSW, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) demonstrated content, construct, and factorial validity. Results were encouraging and they lay the ground work for the continued development of the ESSW. This scale addresses a gap in social work knowledge regarding the empirical evaluation of empathy. Results have implications for social work as the scale may be used to assess student training needs and/or as a screening tool for social work supervisors and practitioners.

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

2002 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 483-492 ◽  
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.

Social workers’ attitudes toward human rights in a sample from Taiwan

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Yi Chen ◽  
I-Chen Tang
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Social Worker ◽  
General Knowledge ◽  
Educational Training ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Protests ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

The human rights concept is that everyone is entitled to enjoy those rights inherent to being human, without distinction. However, should human rights be considered a self-evident value for the social work profession? This study was to explore how social workers in Taiwan perceive the human rights concept. Responses from 276 social worker participants were analyzed by using a self-administered questionnaire. This study showed that social workers had a general knowledge of human rights. Receiving human rights educational training and engaging in social protests were important variables in increasing human rights awareness for social work practitioners.

Student-Directed Behavioral Community Interventions in Social Work Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Bördlein
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Behavior Analysis ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Community Interventions ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Social Work Interventions ◽  
Work Education

Behavioral social work is the application of behavior analysis to the field of social work. There are behavioral social work interventions for individuals, groups, and communities. Nevertheless, behavioral social work is far from a widely adopted approach among social work practitioners. A reason for the underuse might be seen in the fact that most interventions in behavioral social work aim at individual clients and groups. Social work could further benefit from the application of methods taken from behavioral community interventions. Behavioral community interventions modify the behavior of a larger group of people (e.g., pedestrians using a crosswalk, cafeteria patrons, students using a university building) with antecedent- and consequence-focused interventions. The article describes a training program for social work students in behavioral community interventions. Results of two projects, undergraduate students designed and performed, are presented. Behavioral community interventions are recommended as a valuable part of the education of social workers.

scholarly journals What Social Workers Should Know About Ethics: Understanding and Resolving Ethical Dilemmas

10.18060/124 ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine P. Congress
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Sexual Relationships ◽  
Dual Relationships ◽  
Personal Agency ◽  
Social Work Educators ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

Recognizing ethical issues and dilemmas that arise in professional practice is crucial for social work practitioners, educators, and students. After a discussion about the limited, although growing, literature on social work ethics, the ten main tenets form the most current NASW Code of Ethics are presented. These topics include limits to confidentiality, confidentiality and technology, confidentiality in family and group work, managed care, cultural competence, dual relationships, sexual relationships, impairment and incompetence of colleagues, application to administrators and relevance to social work educators. In addition to understanding the Code of Ethics, social workers can use the ETHIC model of decision making for resolving ethical dilemmas. This easy to use five step process includes examining personal, agency, client, and professional values, thinking about ethical standards and relevant laws, hypothesizing about consequences, identifying the most vulnerable, and consulting with supervisors and colleagues. A case example involving confidentiality, HIV/AIDS and family therapy demonstrates how social workers can use the ETHIC model.

Zooming in: Social work supervisors using online supervision

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 126-130
Author(s):  
Jason Rushton ◽  
Jo Hutchings ◽  
Karen Shepherd ◽  
Jude Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Professional Supervision ◽  
Online Supervision ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Online Group

A group of geographically dispersed social work practitioners who provide professional supervision responded to an invitation put out through the Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW) networks to be part of an online group in late 2015. Seven members committed to meeting for one hour every eight weeks using the online meeting platform, ZoomTM. This viewpoint provides an opportunity to share our experience of the development and process of this group, with its potential for ensuring a safe reflective space and ongoing professional development. 

‘All quiet on the social work front’: Experiences of Zimbabwean day labourers in South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip F Blaauw ◽  
Catherina J Schenck ◽  
Anna M Pretorius ◽  
Christiaan H Schoeman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
North America ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Economic Uncertainty ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
The Social ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Displaced People

Migration, particularly when triggered by economic or political hardship, has significant psychological and socio-economic consequences for the individuals concerned. While an impressive amount of research has been conducted by social workers into migration in North America, Europe and Asia, the same cannot be said for Africa. The continent has high numbers of displaced people and refugees, yet no Africa-linked research on migration has been published by the social work profession. This article addresses this gap in the literature by focusing specifically on Zimbabwean day labourers in South Africa. Survey results reveal that these migrants face intense competition for scarce jobs, and thus economic uncertainty, and are often victimised. It is incumbent upon the social work profession to expose the vulnerable conditions in which day labourers have to operate, and to mobilise a coordinated response from relevant government and non-profit organisations in the interests of greater social justice and harmony.

scholarly journals Trauma and Social Work in South Africa, Need for a Comprehensive Trauma Intervention Model for Social Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
Tessa VAN WIJK ◽  
Ngenisiwe NTOMBELA ◽  
Vincent MABVURIRA
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Intervention Model ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Trauma Intervention ◽  
High Crime

A significant proportion of South Africans are exposed to traumatic life experiences annually. The trauma is exacerbated by high crime rate which ranges from murder, violence, house breaking and theft. The trauma victims end up in the hands of social workers who are ill prepared to deal with such clients. The motivation for this study was built on assessments that indicated at the time of the study that social work students in South Africa receive little or no training on trauma and trauma intervention. The purpose of this literature study was to draw together relevant knowledge on trauma in South Africa, trauma intervention and the importance of trauma intervention training for social workers in South Africa. Articles reviewed were identified through search engines such as Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCOHost, Boloka-NWU Institutional Repository (NWU-IR), Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science were the databases and search engines utilized in the search. The inclusion criteria that were used to help identify relevant and recent studies using key words regarding the topic of trauma, were chapters in books; conference proceedings; full-text journal articles and higher degree papers. The literature consulted exposes how South Africans are exposed to traumatic life events and provided a deeper understanding of the problem of trauma and trauma intervention. The literature study also clarified why it is critical to have a trauma intervention model for social workers in South Africa and provided guidelines for the development of the trauma intervention manual.

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

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-79 ◽  
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 ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Macro Social Work ◽  
The Impact

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.

Looking Back, Thinking Forward: How a Television Series Facilitated the Development of the Social Work Profession in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Kin Kwan ◽  
Oi Ngor Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Television Series ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Work Practitioners ◽  
Long Term Impact

Abstract The healthy development of the social work profession rests on the public’s understanding and trust. The media play a significant role in shaping the public image of social work. This article describes a focus group study that was designed to retrace the long-term impact of an iconic television series in 1976 on the public’s reception of the nascent profession of social work amongst a group of social work practitioners. Four focus groups were conducted with thirty practicing and retired social workers. The content of the focus group discussions was coded and analysed to generate three major themes: (i) the television series gave a real-world articulation of the work of social workers and catalysed the profession’s public receptivity; (ii) it inspired a call amongst conscientious young people to join the profession; and (iii) it contributed to the construction of social workers’ professional identity. The findings demonstrate the contribution of this television series, hence the role of media, to the early development of professional social work in Hong Kong.

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