Clinical Social Work Journal最新文献

Objective: Differentiating scrub typhus from other acute febrile illnesses is difficult due to non-specificity of clinical symptoms and relative absence of eschar in Indian population. Antibody based serological tests are mainstay of scrub typhus diagnosis. To order to determine the performance of immunochromatography and IgM ELISA, immunochromatography and scrub typhus IgM ELISA were performed to detect the presence of antibodies against Orientia tsutsugamushi in acute serum of patients with acute febrile illness.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Microbiology, Civil Hospital Aizawl and Department of Microbiology, Civil Hospital Lunglei, Mizoram over a period of one year from October 1, 2018 to September 31, 2019. Serum samples from patients with acute febrile illness were processed for the detection of scrub typhus. A total of 253 samples were subjected to immunochromatography and IgM ELISA.

Results: Using scrub typhus IgM ELISA as gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity and negative predictive value were calculated. Of the 253 serum samples tested, 36 were positive by both scrub typhus rapid test and IgM ELISA. 27 samples which were negative by scrub typhus rapid test reacted positive by IgM ELISA. 66 samples which were positive by scrub typhus rapid test were negative by IgM ELISA.

Conclusion: Owing to the limitations of scrub typhus rapid test and immunfluorescence assay (IFA), commercially available recombinant IgM ELISA which has a good sensitivity and specificity may be an alternative in laboratories with moderate set up.

Public outrage over police-involved deaths of people in mental health crisis has prompted governments to expand access to crisis services that partner police with social workers. Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams (MCIT) offer assessment and support for people in distress while averting escalation. Little attention has been given to the requisite competencies for social workers on MCITs. This narrative review, informed by crisis theory and the author's experience as an MCIT social worker, provides a roadmap of knowledge and skills to familiarize practitioners, educators, and students with this growing intervention model. Social workers on MCITs should have the capacity to engage complex clients, de-escalate tension, assess for risk, plan for safety, provide brief addiction counselling, diffuse interpersonal conflict, link clients with community resources, advocate for change, challenge systemic racism, build constructive relationships, and document services with awareness of relevant legislation. The role of social workers on MCITs is multifaceted and requires attention to balancing client well-being, client safety, and community safety. The practice insights discussed in this article are relevant to preventing harm and loss of life while facilitating engagement between clients and mental health services.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) have been integrating technology into psychotherapy practice for at least two decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted the primary method of service delivery for diagnostic assessment and therapy to telebehavioral health. By developing telebehavioral health competencies, the 250,000 + LCSWs in the US can ensure and enhance the quality of care both during and after the COVID public health emergency (PHE). This article applies an evidence- and consensus-based, interprofessional telebehavioral health (TBH) competency framework to the field of social work. This framework was developed by the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS), initially published in 2017. It has seven competency domains: (1) clinical evaluation and care; (2) virtual environment and telepresence; (3) technology; (4) legal and regulatory issues; (5) evidence-based and ethical practice (comprised of Standards and Guidelines and Social Media); (6) mobile health and apps; and (7) telepractice development. The framework outlines three competency levels (novice, proficient, and authority) covering 49 specific objectives and 146 measurable competencies or practices. The TBH competencies support existing in-person clinical practices and are intended for trainees and practitioners who are implementing TBH in practice. This competency framework can also be used to integrate clinical social work professional development, research, and training. Additionally, considerations for other behavioral health professions regarding licensure, certification, and policy may apply to clinical social work. Future research is needed on implementation and evaluation of the competencies.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shifted clinical social work (CSW) and mental health education in Australia, and indeed throughout much of the globe, onto online delivery. The disruption caused by COVID-19 presents unexpected challenges in fostering the development of skill sets among social work educators in partnership with students. This article is a reflexive collaborative autoethnography written by four educators of different international and cultural backgrounds at a regional university in Queensland. Our university has experienced a shift from primarily a face-to-face delivery to online delivery due to social distancing. This article is grounded in an ethic of love, a values-based relationship-oriented practice promoting care, collaborative dialogue and solidarity between people, using self-compassion and reflexivity. We explore how COVID-19 has forced the authors to alter their teaching practice, cope with uncertainties, and respond with loving kindness to the shifting needs of students. We draw upon our experiences as educators of diverse cultural, linguistic, gender, and sexualities from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Nigeria and reflect upon how we have simultaneously turned inward and outward through technology. We draw upon person-centered, narrative, trauma informed and anti-oppressive clinical and educational approaches when exploring self-compassion and loving approaches with the students. We discuss the need for self-compassion and love of others as we respond to the current crisis by modeling self-compassion and love for CSW students who are experiencing crises, including loss of employment, separation from family overseas and interstate, isolation from colleagues and loved ones, and healthcare issues.