Journal of Social Work Education

Given the prevalence of domestic violence and the likelihood that many victims will not receive services from specialized domestic violence providers, this article provides a framework for contextualized assessment that can be used by generalist practitioners. Drawing from stress and coping theory, the authors discuss the relevance of assessing appraisals and emotional responses within the context of environmental and individual risk and protective factors. Through an illustrative case assessment, the authors describe the contextualized assessment process and its ramifications for strategic safety planning.

A survey of 118 MSW students was conducted to examine the relationship between social work students' knowledge about, contact with, and attitudes toward persons with schizophrenia. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that students' knowledge about and contact with persons with schizophrenia were significantly related to better attitudes toward this population. Moderated multiple regression analyses revealed a significant interaction between knowledge about and contact with persons with schizophrenia, such that knowledge was only related to positive attitudes among students who had more personal contact with persons with the illness. Implications for social work training in severe mental illness are discussed (99 words).

Social work students (n = 60) in a master's-level course on severe mental illness participated in a quasi-experimental study examining the degree to which increased knowledge about and contact with individuals with schizophrenia during the course would impact their attitudes toward people with the disorder. Results revealed significant improvement in student knowledge and general attitudes after the course, and indicated that increased knowledge about schizophrenia was only related to general attitudinal improvement when accompanied by increased personal social contact. Implications for education on severe mental illnesses, and value and attitude development in social work education are discussed.

This article describes an internship program designed specifically to meet graduate students' training needs within the context of their work in a prevention program for children in foster care. An internship based on a strong model of intern recruitment and supervision, structured inclusion of interns in a supportive agency culture, a manualized orientation, and an ongoing didactic program, was hypothesized to result in a positive experience for interns. Results of anonymous surveys administered to 102 interns over a 9-year period assessing their internship experience are presented and discussed. Recommendations are made for development of internship training sites.

Targeted mentoring refers to mentoring aimed at a particular population. This article presents the evaluation of a mentoring program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in social work education. Forty-three mentors and protégés responded to a survey regarding their program experiences. The results highlight the need for targeted mentoring, although some disparities of experience for mentors and protégés in this program are apparent. In general, mentors felt positive about participating, giving back to the LGBT community, and were more satisfied with their experiences than were the protégés, who were looking for more specific types of instrumental and psychosocial support.

Van 15 tot 17 maart kwamen zevenhonderd sociale professionals, opleiders en onderzoekers bijeen in Parma, Italië op de Europese conferentie Social Work 2007. De centrale vraag was in welke mate privatisering en new management, diversiteit en veranderingen in het familieleven het werk van sociale professionals in de verschillende Europese landen beïnvloedt. Hans van Ewijk, betrokken bij de conferentie als lid van het International Scientific Committee, belicht de drie belangrijkste discussies.

Practice simulation exercises involve interaction with people who portray standardized clients in typical social work practice contexts. They are followed by feedback from these "clients" and from peers and instructors. This article delineates the conceptual background and previous use of this educational methodology and illustrates its application within a graduate health social work practice class. A preliminary evaluation found enthusiastic endorsement of this approach among students, with very strong agreement that all 3 components of the project -- interaction with simulated clients, receipt of feedback, and participation as Os -- prove useful. Practice simulations can allow transformative learning for participants and provide a useful classroom method for incorporating conceptual foundations into practice behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Three factors will account for the demise of social work in the next century. Bold new hypertechnologies will make interventive skills obsolete. The grand narratives that have supported social work’s knowledge base will completely collapse. Finally, radical dislocations in the social structure, brought on by totalizing forces from the corporate sector, will obviate traditional human service delivery systems. Without demand for functional skills, without a firm foundation for action-based knowledge, and without sanction or auspice, social work will fade away.

Research has been an important element of social work since the inception of the profession. In social work education, there has been, however, pervasive and enduring confusion regarding the design and implementation of the research curriculum. In 1992, the Council on Social Work Education issued a revised Curriculum Policy Statement that portends profound implications for educators. The author explores the difference in social research and social work research, presents a brief history of research in social work education, and explores the challenges confronting the new policy.

A central period in the history of social work education is reviewed. It is concluded that professional status, so actively sought, was undermined significantly by not incorporating the baccalaureate degree into the original concept of professional education in social work. (Author/MH)

A reexamination of enrollment and application changes was necessitated by flaws in earlier investigations. The analysis by individual schools makes it apparent that experiences are more diverse and complex than previously thought. (Author/MH)

Recent history has demonstrated the importance of political decision making in limiting or enhancing social welfare services and the quality of life in the United States. The needs of undergraduate social work students are explored as they become sensitized to the possibilities and processes of social change. (Author/MH)

Using a modified labor market analysis, this article examines the impact of the growth of social work programs on educational standards, the human services labor market, and the salary structure of social work graduates. The authors suggest that a perceived surplus of social work education programs has been detrimental to the income potential of entry-level social workers, to the quality of social work education, and to the competence of the graduates of social work education programs. Copyright Council on Social Work Education, Inc. Spring 2003

The institutional affiliations of authors of all articles published in six social work journals between 1989 and 1993 were tabulated to produce a ranking of the colleges and universities whose faculty are making the most substantive contributions to the social work literature. Results are compared with those of two previous studies covering 1979-83 and 1984-88. (Author/MSE)

Graduate students’ commitment to serve poor and disadvantaged populations is a recurrent concern among social work educators. In the context of increasing federal abandonment of public service, faculty fear a trend is developing among MSW students toward careers in private practice, jeopardizing the profession’s capacity to fulfill its traditional roles. Based on a national survey of full-time graduate students in public and private programs, this paper examines the characteristics and practice orientations of the Class of 1990. Comparison of 1990 graduates with earlier cohorts suggests that while students ’ personal characteristics have shijited dramatically, their motivations and goals are largely compatible with traditional social work functions.

Analysis of 1,349 articles in 21 social work and 193 nonsocial work journals by faculty of 45 doctoral social work programs over almost 4 years found programs' publication rates varied greatly; 42.2% averaged under 1 article per faculty member. Seven journals contained nearly 60% of the articles in social work journals; over 40% appeared in nonsocial work journals. (Author/MSE)

Major issues in social work education related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 are examined, including relevant case law for admissions, reasonable classroom accommodations, and field placements. Social work educators are reminded that professional ethics and standards mandate equal educational opportunity to all students. (MSE)

This article reports on an exploratory study of the career paths of African Americans and Hispanics who had completed social work doctorates or had completed all requirements except the dissertation research (ABDs). Results from 118 respondents indicate that career selection and development among the majority of these individuals may not fit traditional career theory models. Three career patterns are identified and discussed—careerists, educational aspirants, and vertical drifters—and implications for action are outlined.

Substantive information is provided to help students recognize and treat clients suffering from chemical dependency. This concern cannot be limited to addictions specialists but must be shared with generalist social work practitioners. The ecological perspective is a relevant approach in the treatment of a disease that has strong physical and psychological ramifications. The following questions are addressed: Why should general BSW/MSW students need to know about alcoholism/addiction? What should the general or specializing social work student know of chemical dependency? What skills are required for assessment of chemical dependency intervention with individuals and families? How can the social work curriculum be shaped to provide adequate training for work with substance abusing clients?

Although considerable attention has been given to the status of social work academics generally, scant attention has been given to the status of social work faculty of color. This study examines the academic status of a special group of social work faculty of color: former Council on Social Work Education Ethnic Minority Doctoral Fellows. Survey data collected from a national sample of 90 former Fellows revealed that (a) a greater percentage of Hispanic-American respondents, as compared to African-American, Asian-American, and Native-American respondents, were full and tenured professors; (b) a greater percentage of male than female respondents were tenured; (c) a vast majority of the respondents who applied were awarded promotion and tenure; (d) most of the scholarly productivity was attributed to a minority of the respondents; and (e) respondents' publication productivity was significantly related to gender and the age at which they received the doctorate. Implications for future research and minority recruitment into doctoral programs are also discussed.

In addition to acting as teachers, social work educators can play many other roles in relation to their students-including sexual partner, friend, therapist, or employer. Combining the role of instructor with one of these other roles may lead to ethical violations and dilemmas. This article urges educators to consider their power differential and the potential for harm to their students before entering a dual relationship. It reviews the NASW Code of Ethics and relevant literature about dual relationships in practice and in academia; discusses examples of dual relationships in social work education; and formulates questions for educators to use in assessing ethical practice.

A discussion of the status of social work in academe considers its dual roles within the university as both a discipline and a profession and identifies eight criteria that differentiate professional from academic disciplines. Cooperation, identity, education, leadership, and knowledge-building are seen as key to finding social work's proper place. (Author/MSE)

Citation analysis as an indicator of scholarly activity is examined, and a discrepancy is noted between two previously published studies on the academic affiliations of social work authors, in light of the authors' present citation analysis of six major work journals. (Author/MH)

At some time in his or her career, almost every instructor will be confronted with student academic dishonesty. The misconduct may take several forms: plagiarising, cheating on an examination, reusing one of his or her papers or someone else's for credit, or falsifying data for some project. This article explores the issue of academic dishonesty, focusing primarily on plagiarism. Legal cases involving dishonesty are reviewed; one school of social work's policy on student academic misconduct is presented; and other avenues of intervention and prevention are discussed.

A sabbatical spent doing social work in a family and children's agency is described. Emphasis is given to conceptualizing the evolution of practice skill from observing one's work, the enhancement of teaching competence, the opportunity for scholarly achievements and the fostering of school-agency relationships. (Author/MLW)