Social work最新文献

Despite the growing size of the American Muslim community, little research exists on the provision of culturally relevant services to members of this population. The purpose of this study was to identify American Muslims' perceptions regarding what practitioners should know about Muslims and Islamic culture to provide successful mental health services to members of this community. To conduct this study, a purposive snowball sampling method was employed to obtain a national sample of community-dwelling American Muslims (N = 213). Qualitative analysis identified eight interlaced themes, which can be summarized as follows: (1) know basic Islamic beliefs, (2) recognize intragroup ethnic/cultural differences, (3) develop self-awareness of personal biases, (4) respect Islamic gender roles, (5) avoid making assumptions, (6) use Islamic beliefs/practices as strengths, (7) understand bias in the larger secular culture, and (8) consult with Muslim therapists/Imams. The findings equip practitioners with the information they need to provide effective, culturally relevant services to members of the unique American Muslim community from a posture of respect and cultural humility.

A study was conducted on how emotional intelligence and compassion fatigue (CF) interact in social workers. The hypothesis was that social workers with higher emotional intelligence were less likely to suffer/develop CF. A sample of 264 subjects was selected from among 2,014 active social workers in Seville (Spain). They were administered a sociodemographic questionnaire (α = .710), the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (α = .790), and the Compassion Fatigue Scale (α = .770). Authors carried out a reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha), a frequency study, contingency tables, a Pearson-type correlations analysis, a linear regression analysis, and analysis of variance-type significance tests (with values between p = .001 and p = .005). The social workers who participated in this study presented high emotional intelligence, yet high rates of CF were found. Specifically, the lower the social worker's manifest level of emotional intelligence, the greater the suffering of CF. Overall, social workers with higher emotional intelligence were less likely to suffer or develop CF.

Pets are likely to be present in as many as 70 percent of domestic and family violence (DFV) cases, and the bond between victim-survivors and their animals can be particularly strong. Animals can also be victims of DFV, and concern for their animal's safety can cause victims to delay leaving their abusive situations. Programs like the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New South Wales Domestic Violence Program, which provide temporary accommodation for pets, can enable victim-survivors and their children to plan their escape and access safety. This article evaluated the program using social return on investment methodology. Evidence on outcomes experienced by three stakeholder groups were collected from 15 stakeholder interviews and 37 program client questionnaires. Concern for their animals had caused 54 percent of clients to delay leaving their abusive situation, most for six months or more. Program clients, their children, and their animals experienced improved safety, mental health and well-being, and physical health because of the program. The alternative described by clients was often homelessness or living in their car. In total an estimated AUD$9.65 of social value was created for every AUD$1 invested into the program.

The Mass Incarceration Trauma (MIT) framework is a conceptual model for understanding the role of trauma in the lives of individuals who experience incarceration in the United States. This population faces poverty, violence, and discrimination across the life span. The MIT framework is guided by an ecological systems perspective, a foundational theoretical approach in social work that recognizes that effective assessment and intervention require an understanding of the complex contexts in which individuals live. The MIT framework presents the cumulative trauma exposures commonly faced by this population before, during, and after incarceration at the individual, social, environmental, and historical levels. Because traumatic stress undermines health and daily functioning, it is essential that interventions for this population address both the ongoing risk for trauma exposure and the consequences of multiple, repeated past exposures across ecological systems. It is to be hoped that a new and fundamental focus on the poverty, contexts of violence, and lifetime disadvantages experienced by those who cycle through prisons in the United States might reframe the question of how our society should prevent and respond to crime as well as respond to those swept into the criminal justice system.

Practicing social work involves unique difficulties, which may vary with seniority. This study aimed to identify these difficulties among social workers and social work students and to examine the associations between psychological flexibility (PF), self-differentiation (SF), and difficulties in practice in both groups. Ninety-one social work students and seventy-five social workers completed the following questionnaires: Difficulties in Practice, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and Differentiation of Self Inventory. Results showed higher difficulties among social work students regarding their professional competence. Social workers demonstrated higher levels of PF, while no significant difference was found in SF. SF and PF were positively correlated, and both were negatively correlated with difficulties in practice in both groups. Among social work students, a moderating effect of PF was found for the association between SF and difficulties in practice. The current study emphasizes the importance of developing SF and cultivating PF during social work education to enhance professional competence and reduce difficulties in practice.