STRENGTHENING SOCIALWORK PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EDUCATION CAPABILITIES

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-289
Author(s):  
Anneline Keet
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Critical Inquiry ◽  
Inquiry Skills ◽  
Research Findings

This research paper argues that universities can collaboratively generate productive spaces for social work students to develop as active citizens who can contribute to social transformation. For students to develop the ability to engage more inclusively with social reality, they need to engage with their own worldviews through a process of critical inquiry. Pedagogies that facilitate such critical investigations need to consider how such social realities, often characterised by challenging circumstances, shape students’ identities through their intrinsic knowledge. This paper explores how these sets of knowledge resident within a cohort of 2013, second year social work students influence their understanding of social justice when engaging with diverse client populations and the influence of education to develop critical inquiry skills. A qualitative case-study design was used with thirty one participants selected through a purposive sampling method. Data were analysed through narrative analysis. The research findings can contribute towards deliberations around curriculum designs that facilitate nondiscriminatory social work practice.

scholarly journals The Implementation of Social Work Practice with Children in Indonesia

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-38
Author(s):  
Ellya Susilowati ◽  
Krisna Dewi ◽  
Meiti Subardhini
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Child Study ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Child Problems ◽  
The City

This study aimed at examining the implementation of social work practice with children in Indonesia. The research used qualitative method with a case study on nine informants who were Social Workers carrying out the task of handling children cases in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. The results showed that Social Workers had started to implement social work practice with children in handling 44 cases of children, but, according to social work practice standards with children as defined by NASW (2013) and based on pragmatic perspectives of social work with children according to Petr.CG 2004), it was not optimal. The implementation of social work practice with children was seen from aspects of practice: 1) building relationships with children should had been done with a consideration to the children’s ages; 2) assessment with children should had already used 'tools' assessment; 3) preparation of intervention plans was less involving children and families; 4) interventions was less responding to the needs of children and less applying behavior change techniques; and 5) the evaluation had not been implemented and supervised. Based on the research findings it is recommended for: 1) Training Center to provide training on the perspective of social work practice with children for Child Social Workers; and 2) Directorate of Child Welfare of the Ministry of Social Affairs to facilitate the implementation of supervision on child social work practice by supervisors; 3) Child Study Center to conduct further study on child social work practice based on clusters of child problems.

Integrating Biology Into Social Work Education Using Interdisciplinary Character-Driven Case Studies

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-114
Author(s):  
Sherie Edenborn ◽  
Melissa Bell
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Approach To Teaching ◽  
Teaching Biology

An understanding of biology is necessary for effective social work practice. However, the traditional approach to teaching biology to social work students often fails to address and promote self-efficacy. This article demonstrates the relevance of biological knowledge to social work practice and connects biology education to the curriculum standards of the Council on Social Work Education's Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. It presents an innovative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching biology content to social work students using a theme-based, character-driven case study that (a) relates the challenges of individuals to the dynamics of their families, (b) presents biological knowledge as a necessary tool to solve complex, real-world problems, and (c) requires students to explore the personal and social dimensions of problems. Furthermore, we suggest that implementing the case study using a red thread model, which links information and ideas from multiple classes in biology and social work, can increase students’ interest in and retention of biology material.

Using a Strengths-Based Perspective to Change Perceptions: An Exploratory Study

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Karen Rice ◽  
Heather Girvin
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Change Perceptions ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Negative Perceptions

Child welfare is a field plagued with negative perceptions, which have the potential to influence how caseworkers approach their practice with families. As a result, a child welfare course emphasizing the strengths-based approach to practice with families was developed to better prepare students for engaging families and building a helping alliance. The researchers sought to examine whether this new course exerted a positive influence on undergraduate social work students' perception of the parent/caseworker relationship. Compared to undergraduate students not enrolled in this course, at post-test students enrolled in the Child Welfare course more positively perceived the parent/caseworker relationship than they did at pretest. Implications for social work practice and pedagogy are discussed.

scholarly journals Roles of Positive Psychology for Mental Health in UK Social Work Students: Self-Compassion as a Predictor of Better Mental Health

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 2002-2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Kotera ◽  
P Green ◽  
D Sheffield
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Self Compassion

Abstract Despite high shame about mental health symptoms among UK social work students, positive psychological approaches to their mental health have not been investigated in depth. Emotional resilience has been a core skill in social work practice; however, its relationship with mental health is still unclear. Therefore, the primary purposes of this cross-sectional study were to (i) examine the relationships between mental health and positive psychological constructs, namely resilience, self-compassion, motivation and engagement and (ii) determine predictors of mental health in UK social work students. An opportunity sampling of 116 UK social work students (102 females, 14 males; 96 undergraduates, 20 postgraduates) completed 5 measures about these constructs. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted. Mental health was associated with resilience, self-compassion and engagement. Self-compassion was a negative predictor, and intrinsic motivation was a positive predictor of mental health symptoms. Resilience did not predict mental health symptoms. The findings highlight the importance of self-compassion to the challenging mental health of UK social work students; they caution against the overuse and misunderstanding of resilience in the social work field.

scholarly journals The Use of Metaphor as an Important Tool for Understanding Oppression

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Hillock
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Research Design ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Written Assignments ◽  
Systems Of Domination

Using an anti-oppressive practice (AOP) theoretical framework and an exploratory qualitative research design, featuring semi-structured interviews and written assignments, a group of ten social workers were asked to describe their understandings of the concept of oppression. The study found that, in the case of these particular social workers, they used metaphor as a key conceptualization process to more vividly describe and understand the concept of oppression within their social work practice. This article analyzes eight categories of metaphor themes the participants used to explain their understanding of oppression: (a) pressure; (b) earth; (c) quest; (d) nature of society;  (e) seeing; (f) building; (g) dancing; and (h) water. The research findings are intended to open up dialogue and thinking about the concept of oppression, increase our knowledge base and understandings of oppression within social work practice, and assist the social work profession to build a stronger conceptual framework for understanding and naming oppression with the end goal of assisting social workers to better respond to and resist systems of domination.

Recruiting and Engaging Men as Fathers in Social Work Practice

2014 ◽  
pp. 235-260
Author(s):  
Joseph Fleming ◽  
Andrew King ◽  
Tara Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
Current Knowledge Base

Evidence in the research literature suggests that men are usually not engaged by social workers, particularly in child welfare and child protection settings. Mothers also tend to become the focus of intervention, even when there is growing evidence that men can take an active and important role in a child's development in addition to providing support to the mother and family. Whilst there have been some promising developments in including men in social work practice internationally, there remains a gap in the research regarding the engagement of men as fathers in Australia. Given the growing relevance of the topic of fathers, the purpose of this chapter is to add to the current knowledge base, to support social work students and practitioners to engage with men in their role as fathers, and to offer an evidence-based practice model that may assist social workers in their work with men as fathers.

Positioning Social Justice: Reclaiming Social Work’s Organising Value

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 1652-1668
Author(s):  
Dassi Postan-Aizik ◽  
Corey S Shdaimah ◽  
Roni Strier
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Visual Analysis ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Core Value

Abstract This article explores the value of social justice as a shared ethical ground for social workers worldwide. Constructions and interpretations of social justice are deeply affected by different perspectives, contested positions and unequal power dynamics. As societies become ever more diversified, these may hinder the centrality of social justice as a core value. Drawing on data collected from participants in a binational interprofessional seminar on social justice in multi-cultural societies, this qualitative study is based on interviews and visual analysis with 16 American and 15 Israeli social workers and social work students. Findings suggest that social justice remains a core value although it is both an organising and disorganising, unifying and dividing concept. The study explores the positive contribution of positionality to help gain a broader understanding of social justice and navigate challenges in implementation, practice and education in diverse and conflicted settings. Practical implications for social work practice and education are discussed.

scholarly journals Social Innovation and Social Work: A Case Study of the Early Intervention Support Service

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Winter ◽  
Laura Neeson ◽  
Daryl Sweet ◽  
Aimee Smith ◽  
Sharon Millen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Support Service ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Child And Family Services ◽  
Set Up

Abstract In a national and international context where there is a concern about the effectiveness of social care services for children and families to address chronic, enduring social problems and where there are finite resources available, the concept of social innovation in social work policy and practice to address need in new ways is receiving increased attention. Whilst an attractive term, social innovation in child and family services is not without its challenges in terms of conceptualisation, operationalisation, implementation and evidencing impact. This article reports on the development and evaluation of the Early Intervention Support Service (EISS), a newly designed family support service in Northern Ireland set up as part of a government-supported innovation and transformation programme that aims to deliver a voluntary, targeted, flexible and time-limited service to families experiencing emergent problems. Using the EISS as a case study, the challenges, benefits in terms of addressing policy imperatives and future direction of social innovation in social work practice are reflected upon.

scholarly journals Talkin’ Bout iGeneration: A New Era of Individualistic Social Work Practice?

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1238-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Fenton
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Social Work Students ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
New Era ◽  
Generational Changes ◽  
Post War ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This article considers the impact of generational changes on the new cohort of social work students most of whom were born post-1995, and therefore belong to ‘iGeneration’ (iGen). This article is especially concerned with the finding that the generation before iGen is more right-wing authoritarian than all post-war generations and what this might mean for the future of social work should that trajectory continue. A study was undertaken to examine the attitudes of 122 iGen students in first-year university course in Scotland. Results show that mean attitudinal measures were right-wing authoritarian in relation to crime and punishment and to unemployed people. Social work students aligned more in their attitudes with their primary education colleagues and less with their less authoritarian community education colleagues, and, overall, the iGen cohort was significantly more right-wing authoritarian than their older colleagues. In essence, there was evidence to suggest that an individualistic, self-sufficiency neoliberal narrative had been quite profoundly internalised by the iGen cohort of students. Implications of a new individualistic practice are considered, and suggestions for social work education programmes are made.

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