Health & Social Work[JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Healing Justice, Transformative Justice, and Holistic Self-Care for Social Workers.
Pyles L
Soc Work · 2020 Apr · PMID 32236450 · Publisher ↗
A self-care movement for social workers is beginning to embrace mindfulness and other forms of wellness. However, self-care is often framed as merely an individualistic pursuit and may be a tool of managerialism, reinfor...
A self-care movement for social workers is beginning to embrace mindfulness and other forms of wellness. However, self-care is often framed as merely an individualistic pursuit and may be a tool of managerialism, reinforcing the social and economic structures and culture that are causing burnout and moral injury in the first place. Particularly for people who are marginalized, the self-care movement may ignore historical trauma and the ways that interlocking oppressions contribute to stress, trauma, moral injury, and burnout. Drawing from the evidence base on East-West mind-body practices and informed by a transformative practice lens, healing justice is presented as a framework and set of practices of the whole self. The whole self includes the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and ecological selves. A transformative approach to healing can be supported by enhancing the capabilities of mindfulness, compassion, curiosity, critical inquiry, effort, and equanimity. The concept of the healing justice organization is introduced as an opportunity for organizational change beginning with a set of inquiries for social work organizations to attend structurally and more purposefully to collective care.
Sharing Psychotherapy Notes with Patients: Therapists' Attitudes and Experiences.
Chimowitz H, O'Neill S, Leveille S … +2 more , Welch K, Walker J
Soc Work · 2020 Apr · PMID 32236447 · Publisher ↗
Evidence suggests that the practice of sharing clinicians' notes with patients via online patient portals may increase patient engagement and improve patient-clinician relationships while requiring little change in provi...
Evidence suggests that the practice of sharing clinicians' notes with patients via online patient portals may increase patient engagement and improve patient-clinician relationships while requiring little change in providers' workflow. Authors examined clinical social workers' experiences and attitudes related to open psychotherapy notes using focus groups and telephone interviews. Twenty-four of 29 eligible therapists agreed to open their notes to patients, and nine participated in this study. Participants were generally positive about their experiences and reported few disruptions to their workload or practice. However, they were hesitant to bring up notes to patients during sessions, and they discussed the benefits of open therapy notes mostly hypothetically. The five therapists who did not share notes worried that open notes would be detrimental to therapeutic relationships, patient well-being, and workflow. However, the concern they discussed most often related to the electronic health record rather than to open notes, because therapy notes are visible to all authorized clinicians as part of the general medical record. Future research is needed to deepen our understanding of the risks and benefits of open psychotherapy notes and to inform development of training programs to support therapists in opening notes.
Concerns about Suicide among Asian Americans: The Need for Outreach?
Leung CA
Soc Work · 2020 Apr · PMID 32211808 · Publisher ↗
Suicide was the ninth leading cause of death for Asian Americans in 2017. The growth of Asian American populations has led to more discussions about suicide prevention efforts. A 128-item needs assessment survey was admi...
Suicide was the ninth leading cause of death for Asian Americans in 2017. The growth of Asian American populations has led to more discussions about suicide prevention efforts. A 128-item needs assessment survey was administered at cultural events in 10 predominantly immigrant Asian communities. In five years, 1,840 respondents (61 percent response rate) filled out the survey anonymously to express their health and mental health concerns. This study aims to identify factors and help-seeking behaviors associated with having suicidal concerns among Asian Americans in various subgroups. Among the respondents, 1,314 rated the intensity of their concerns about suicide with an average of 0.74 (SD = 1.11) on a four-point rating scale in that 13.7 percent rated their concerns as severe. Taiwanese respondents expressed the highest intensity score (1.09) compared with other ethnic groups (from 0.29 to 1.04). A logistic regression analysis found that each unit of health concerns on a four-point rating scale significantly increases the likelihood of suicide concerns by 46 times among Asian Americans. Consistent with previous studies, immigrants were likely to share mental health problems with friends and physicians. Effective suicide prevention requires mental health awareness programming for the Asian American community.
Contemplative Practices for Self-Care in the Social Work Classroom.
Warren S, Chappell Deckert J
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31850495 · Publisher ↗
Social work educators prepare students for the demands of the profession by teaching them the skills, knowledge, and values graduates will use in their work with various clients within the context of varied practice sett...
Social work educators prepare students for the demands of the profession by teaching them the skills, knowledge, and values graduates will use in their work with various clients within the context of varied practice settings. It is crucial that we pair these educational objectives with techniques to take care of themselves as they experience the emotional, psychological, and physically taxing work of being with people whose life circumstances carry trauma, grief, and stress. This article illustrates how contemplative practices in the social work classroom can facilitate self-care during and after the intensity of formal education and better prepare students for wellness in professional settings after they graduate. Specific examples of three contemplative practices used in the authors' classrooms are provided as is an illustration of student reactions to these practices. Precautions and safety considerations associated with intense personal reflection are referenced and resources for instructors and practitioners are cited.
Self-Preservation in the Workplace: The Importance of Well-Being for Social Work Practitioners and Field Supervisors.
Martin EM, Myers K, Brickman K
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31846026 · Publisher ↗
The risks in the human services workplace to social workers' emotional, psychological, and physical well-being is well known. Self-care is seen as a way to minimize workplace risks, including burnout, compassion fatigue,...
The risks in the human services workplace to social workers' emotional, psychological, and physical well-being is well known. Self-care is seen as a way to minimize workplace risks, including burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious traumatization. This article examines the reported self-care practices of social work practitioners and their agencies, and the barriers that get in the way. Forty-two participants worked in agency settings and supervised students. All reported engaging in some type of self-care practice, and almost all reported some type of support from their workplace; however, 38 reported barriers to self-care. Even with self-care practices in place personally and in the workplace, obstacles remain. Social work educators need to be cognizant of these factors to ensure that field supervisors are well supported in their own self-care practices and are equipped to assist students in developing these positive practices early in their careers to help sustain workers in the social work profession.
Self-Care in an Interprofessional Setting Providing Services to Detained Immigrants with Serious Mental Health Conditions.
Cartwright HC, Hope ME, Pleasants GL
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31845970 · Publisher ↗
The authors are social workers and lawyers in an interprofessional setting providing legal and social services to detained immigrants in deportation proceedings who have serious mental health conditions. Drawing on direc...
The authors are social workers and lawyers in an interprofessional setting providing legal and social services to detained immigrants in deportation proceedings who have serious mental health conditions. Drawing on direct experience working in the setting, as well as survey responses and feedback from other involved providers, the authors (a) identify barriers to self-care for social workers and lawyers that prevent them from effectively addressing the effects of secondary trauma; (b) propose a relationship-centered framework that, as an alternative to individualized practices of self-care, serves as a way to overcome those barriers; and (c) apply that framework to a case example from their interprofessional setting. The authors advocate for a relationship-centered, recovery-based approach to self-care to manage trauma exposure responses for social workers and lawyers in their specific interprofessional setting and for those working together in similar settings.
The Moderating Effect of Professional Self-Care Training on Novice Practitioners' Organizational Citizenship Behavior in China.
Wang Y, Zhang H, Yang Y
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31845966 · Publisher ↗
Due to recent challenges and the great burdens faced by social workers to provide social services, self-care is becoming more and more important to research and practice. This study empirically tested the long-term impac...
Due to recent challenges and the great burdens faced by social workers to provide social services, self-care is becoming more and more important to research and practice. This study empirically tested the long-term impact of self-care training provided during MSW education. In line with previous research on self-care among other social services practitioners, the panel data of MSW graduates nationwide showed the longitudinal impact of the self-care training in MSW programs on their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) as novice practitioners. Specifically, authors identify self-care as a critical work contextual moderator of the effects of supervisor behavior, workplace social capital, and burnout on OCB. The study offers implications for education, practice, research, and the culture of the profession in China, and explicates the utility of the findings of self-care training's impact for practitioners, students, educators, social service agency supervisors, and organizational and professional leaders. It is crucial to create a "culture of self-care" by integrating self-care in education and building a healthy workplace culture, which may shed light on how to sustain the social work profession in China and globally.
Self-Care Practices of Self-Identified Social Workers: Findings from a National Study.
Miller JJ, Grise-Owens E, Owens L … +2 more , Shalash N, Bode M
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31836892 · Publisher ↗
Self-care can be an important tool in assuaging professional burnout, workplace stress, vicarious or secondary trauma, and other deleterious employment circumstances. Despite this importance, few studies have examined se...
Self-care can be an important tool in assuaging professional burnout, workplace stress, vicarious or secondary trauma, and other deleterious employment circumstances. Despite this importance, few studies have examined self-care among social work practitioners. This exploratory study examined the self-care practices of self-identified social workers (N = 2,934) throughout the United States. Primary data were collected with an electronic survey. Data indicate that social workers in the sample engage in moderate self-care practices. Analyses revealed group differences in self-care by several variables including geographic locale of participants' primary place of employment, race, educational level, and social work licensing status, among others. Significant predictors of self-care included perceived health status (self-report), education level, being a supervisor, and financial status. Overall, findings from this study indicate the need for a systemic response to improving self-care practices among social workers.
Radical Self-Care for Social Workers in the Global Climate Crisis.
Powers MCF, Engstrom S
Soc Work · 2019 Dec · PMID 31828329 · Publisher ↗
Gradual environmental degradation, more extreme climate change events, and related environmental injustices affect individuals and communities every day. Social work entities around the world are increasingly highlightin...
Gradual environmental degradation, more extreme climate change events, and related environmental injustices affect individuals and communities every day. Social work entities around the world are increasingly highlighting professional responsibilities for addressing the global climate crisis. Often, social workers experience vicarious trauma from work with those immediately affected. Working within the context of the global climate crisis brings further risk. Social workers may be personally affected, or experiencing their own challenges, such as climate anxiety and eco-grief. Thus, radical self-care is a dire need as social workers promote sustainable communities and environments and seek ecological justice for all. This article discusses the health and mental health impacts of the compounding factors of the climate crisis, modern technology, and current political contexts. Activism for change and ecotherapeutic strategies are presented as radical self-care for social workers, in both academic and practice-based settings. These strategies are essential for recognizing, legitimizing, and addressing the need for radical self-care practices in the global climate crisis.
The Workplace, Social Work, and Social Justice: Framing an Emerging Research and Practice Agenda.
Sabbath EL
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31566231 · Publisher ↗
Protecting the health and well-being of workers naturally aligns with the social work mission to advance human dignity. The workplace can both create and perpetuate health disparities by shaping health and well-being at...
Protecting the health and well-being of workers naturally aligns with the social work mission to advance human dignity. The workplace can both create and perpetuate health disparities by shaping health and well-being at multiple levels and in socially patterned ways. Yet workplace issues are rarely on social work research and practice agendas. This article serves as a call to action for social work, as a discipline, to engage with the workplace as a means of advancing the field's core values. It first provides evidence for why engagement with workplaces is critical for advancing social justice. It then presents evidence for the ways in which workplace exposures and experiences, at multiple levels, shape worker health and well-being. Finally, it provides concrete steps for how the skills and values of the social work profession can be applied to the workplace through research, practice, education, and policy efforts, and by extension improve population health and well-being.
Reforming a System That Cannot Reform Itself: Child Welfare Reform by Class Action Lawsuits.
Lee JY, Gilbert T, Lee SJ … +1 more , Staller KM
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31566228 · Publisher ↗
Class action lawsuits have become an increasingly common way to facilitate institutional reform. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to social workers of child welfare reform by class action lawsuit...
Class action lawsuits have become an increasingly common way to facilitate institutional reform. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to social workers of child welfare reform by class action lawsuits and subsequent consent decrees. The authors provide an overview of class action lawsuits, with a focus on their role in implementing systematic change in the United States. They highlight consent decrees as a means of settling class action lawsuits. They illustrate the current state of the child welfare system and how child advocacy groups have used class action lawsuits to initiate reform. Authors provide two case examples of child welfare reform by consent decree and engage in comparative analysis to investigate similarities and differences in the two cases. Finally, they note implications for social work practice and education and provide recommendations to equip and train social workers involved in child welfare services.
Can Mindfulness Help to Predict Veterans' Mental Health Service Utilization?
Barr N, Kintzle S
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31560776 · Publisher ↗
Post-9/11 era military veterans are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, but less than half of veterans who screen positive for these disorders seek mental health treatment. Self-stigma o...
Post-9/11 era military veterans are at high risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, but less than half of veterans who screen positive for these disorders seek mental health treatment. Self-stigma of mental illness has emerged as a core barrier to mental health service use (MHSU) in this population. Mindfulness is associated with attention control, nonjudgment, and reduced self-stigma in civilians, but associations between PTSD and depression, mindfulness, self-stigma, and MHSU have never been investigated in military veterans. The present study used a logistic regression modeling strategy to investigate main and interaction effects for PTSD, depression, mindfulness, and self-stigma on MHSU. Study findings demonstrated a positive main effect for PTSD and negative main effects for mindfulness and self-stigma on MHSU, and a positive interaction effect for mindfulness and PTSD on MHSU. Findings suggest that more mindful individuals with PTSD symptoms are more likely to seek mental health services, whereas less mindful individuals with PTSD symptoms are less likely to seek treatment. More research into the potential for mindfulness to enhance MHSU outcomes for military veterans appears warranted.
Youth Sexual Development: A Primer for Social Workers.
Brandon-Friedman RA
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31560774 · Publisher ↗
Sexuality and sexual expression are core aspects of most clients' lives, yet most schools of social work fail to cover sexual development, leaving social workers uninformed about this essential area of human development....
Sexuality and sexual expression are core aspects of most clients' lives, yet most schools of social work fail to cover sexual development, leaving social workers uninformed about this essential area of human development. This is particularly the case when the sexual development of youths is concerned, as youth sexuality is often considered too controversial to explore. Considering a positive approach to youth sexuality that seeks to enhance youths' sexual development and promote their achievement of full sexual and reproductive rights, this article seeks to provide social workers with a resource they can use to enhance their understanding of youth sexual development and its applicability to social work practice. The two main theoretical orientations used to understand sexual identity development are covered as well as the research support for each. Following the explanation of theory is a discussion of how the two theoretical orientations can be integrated to form a more expansive base for the understanding of sexual identity development. A final section provides guidance on how an advanced understanding of youthful sexual identity development can enhance social work practice at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Social Support, Quality of Services, and Job Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Palestinian Social Workers.
Safadi NS
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31555800 · Publisher ↗
This study examines the predictors of job satisfaction among public sector social workers in occupied Palestinian territories. Using a quantitative design, data were collected in summer of 2016 through a paper-based, sel...
This study examines the predictors of job satisfaction among public sector social workers in occupied Palestinian territories. Using a quantitative design, data were collected in summer of 2016 through a paper-based, self-administered questionnaire (N = 237). Using hierarchical multiple regression, the three models explained 15 percent to 32 percent of the variance in job satisfaction. In the final model, coefficient indicated that monthly income, contract work status, service orientation, and supervisory support are related to job satisfaction. Respondents with more children and lower salaries showed lower levels of job satisfaction. Respondents who are working as temporary contract workers, who have positive attitudes toward the social work profession, and who have positive attitudes toward supervisory support are more likely to be satisfied with their job. Implications for administrative practice and policy are presented.
Personal Faith and Professional Ethics: Best Practice with the Families of Sexual and Gender Minority Youths.
Okrey Anderson S, McGuire JK
Soc Work · 2019 Oct · PMID 31545365 · Publisher ↗
Religious mental health practitioners who hold traditional views of gender and sexuality may face moral and ethical dilemmas when working with sexual and gender minority (SGM) clients. Typical responses to this dilemma i...
Religious mental health practitioners who hold traditional views of gender and sexuality may face moral and ethical dilemmas when working with sexual and gender minority (SGM) clients. Typical responses to this dilemma include selective positioning, values-based referrals, and attempted objectivity. Grounded in social work ethics and values, this article examines the evidence base, viability, and repercussions of these approaches. This article demonstrates the importance of cultural competence and affirmative therapeutic practices for religious mental health practitioners, whether or not they expect to work with gender and sexual minority clients or their families. In addition, the author tackles the difficult issue of providing ethical, evidence-based therapeutic services for religiously conservative parents of SGM children and adolescents. SGM people exist in every community, in every faith, and in every kind of family. The ethical treatment of SGM clients is relevant to all mental health practitioners, regardless of personal values or the type of practice they maintain.
We Snooze, Clients Lose: Time for Social Workers to Join Sleep Promotion Efforts.
Wolfson M, Germain A
Soc Work · 2019 Jul · PMID 31190076 · Publisher ↗
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Relationship between Hope and Quality of Life in Primary Care Patients: Vitality as a Mechanism.
Lucas AG, Chang EC, Morris LE … +5 more , Angoff HD, Chang OD, Duong AH, Li M, Hirsch JK
Soc Work · 2019 Jul · PMID 31190068 · Publisher ↗
The present study examined the role of vitality as a mediator of the association between dispositional hope and quality of life (QoL) (namely, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment)...
The present study examined the role of vitality as a mediator of the association between dispositional hope and quality of life (QoL) (namely, physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) in a sample of 101 adult primary care patients. Vitality was found to fully mediate the relationship between hope and physical health, social relationships, and environment. In addition, vitality was found to partially mediate the association between hope and psychological health. The present findings are consistent with a model in which vitality represents an important mechanism through which hope affects QoL in adults. Accordingly, these findings point to the importance of fostering both hope and vitality in efforts to promote positive QoL in adults.
Strengthening the Voice of Those with Mental Health Issues: A Community Approach to Developing a Mental Health Identification System.
Quinn A, Otteson M
Soc Work · 2019 Jul · PMID 31190062 · Publisher ↗
This article describes how an action research approach was used to involve a community of individuals with mental health issues and their support systems in the development and adoption of a mental health identification...
This article describes how an action research approach was used to involve a community of individuals with mental health issues and their support systems in the development and adoption of a mental health identification (ID) card. The intent of the card was to provide individuals with mental health issues a way to communicate and manage the idiosyncratic nature of their behaviors. A credit card-size ID card was developed that has the individual's picture, address, diagnosis, idiosyncratic behaviors, best approach with the individual when those behaviors are present, medications, allergies, and emergency contact information. Benefits and concerns about the ID system in regard to the cardholder, card recipients, the provision of consent, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance, and the balancing of reducing and increasing stigmas and stereotypes emerged throughout the process. In the end, the ID card has come to be seen as a social justice mechanism that allows for communication and awareness for those with mental health issues.
The Influence of Professionals' Empathy on Parents' Anxiety in Cases of Juvenile Criminology.
Rocha J, Carvalho IP
Soc Work · 2019 Jul · PMID 31190053 · Publisher ↗
In situations of juvenile delinquency, abuse, or neglect, determination of child custody relies on interviews with parents. This study aims to examine the effects of the interviewer's empathy on parents' anxiety, and to...
In situations of juvenile delinquency, abuse, or neglect, determination of child custody relies on interviews with parents. This study aims to examine the effects of the interviewer's empathy on parents' anxiety, and to explore how parents experience these situations. A measure of anxiety was applied to 41 parents under evaluation for child custody before and after the assessment interview. Professionals' empathy was rated by both parents and professionals after each appointment. Parents participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed through statistical and content analyses. The decrease in anxiety was significantly greater for parents who perceived professionals as "perfect" than for parents who perceived professionals as "less than perfect" in empathy. Parents' and professionals' empathy scores correlated positively, but the association between professionals' self-rated empathy and parents' anxiety was nonsignificant. Reactions to the justice system's intervention emerging in the semistructured interviews were "unjustifiable intrusion," "disconcerting information," and "reality confirmation." Each associated differently with parents' expectations for the assessment interview (respectively, that the process be over quickly, that it be over successfully, and that help start quickly). Our results support the important effects, from parents' perspectives, of empathy in assessment interviews in the context of juvenile criminology.
Financial Capability and Economic Security among Low-Income Older Asian Immigrants: Lessons from Qualitative Interviews.
Nam Y, Sherraden MS, Huang J … +2 more , Lee EJ, Keovisai M
Soc Work · 2019 Jul · PMID 31157390 · Publisher ↗
This article examines financial capability among low-income older Asian immigrants, using data from in-depth interviews with 13 participants in a subsidized employment program in Los Angeles. Overall, respondents present...
This article examines financial capability among low-income older Asian immigrants, using data from in-depth interviews with 13 participants in a subsidized employment program in Los Angeles. Overall, respondents present a portrait of economic insecurity. Qualitative analyses indicate that respondents perceived little need to improve their financial knowledge and management skills because they had "no money to manage." Most respondents lacked either financial knowledge or financial management skills, which resulted in substantial financial losses among some respondents. Mistrust of financial institutions ("Banks are always vampires") and other financial barriers (for example, lack of credit history) blocked respondents' access to formal financial services. In some cases, ethnic financial resources (for example, ethnic banks) reduced the effects of such barriers. There is evidence that respondent financial knowledge and management skills may improve after opening a bank account, suggesting a potential role for financial access in expanding financial capability. Findings demonstrate the importance of financial capability-building interventions for low-income older Asian immigrants. Social workers should be equipped with financial literacy and in-depth understanding of financial needs, perceptions, values, behaviors, and resources of this population.
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