This research examines the decision-making factors and relationship repair strategies involved wh... more This research examines the decision-making factors and relationship repair strategies involved when social workers encounter concerns of potential child maltreatment. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors that influence social workers’ actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship following a report to Child Protection Services (CPS). Social workers from Ontario, Canada ( n = 439) completed an online survey where they reviewed three vignettes of potential child maltreatment and responded to questions on how they would maintain the therapeutic relationship. A series of binary logistic regressions were completed to investigate the likelihood of taking specific actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship with their clients and the reasons for those actions. Factors associated with outcomes were used in the logistic regression analysis and included legal and ethical factors, clinician factors, situational factors, and professional factors. Overall, 75.6% of respondents indicated they would definitely report a child’s exposure to intimate partner violence, 49.2% would report physical maltreatment, and 66.1% would report emotional child maltreatment. In addition, a majority of respondents indicated that they would take further steps or action to maintain the therapeutic relationship with the family following the decision to report to CPS. Respondents would attempt a verbal connection with clients to restore the relationship; however, across all three vignettes, fewer respondents indicated that they would be willing to meet clients in their home. Occupational environment, social worker gender, and social worker comfort with discussing their concerns with caregivers were significant factors that influenced actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship. The research provides insight into the actions social workers would take to maintain therapeutic relationship with clients following the detection of child maltreatment. These factors inform the suggested practice principles for clinicians facing mandatory reporting of child maltreatment.
Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are They? Emily M. ... more Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are They? Emily M. Douglas. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 2006. 211 pp. ISBN- 13: 978-0-7425-4277-8. $29.95 (paperback). In Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are they?, Emily Douglas begins to answer the question vexing professionals working with families involved with the legal system. She does so by analyzing research concerning several social policies including divorce mediation and divorce education programs and statutory requirements regarding parenting plans and joint custody. Also analyzed are policies concerning parent relocation, covenant marriages, and problem prevention programs. The audior concludes with recommendations for policymakers and researchers. Dr. Douglas presents an accurate picture of the state of research for most family law issues. "The divorce literature is lacking both quality and substance for almost every social policy that is addressed in this book." (p. 133) Although there are many scholars, private practitioners, and court personnel committed to developing policies to assist families, there is general malaise in terms of evaluating them for effectiveness. And, more importandy, Dr. Douglas notes mat virtually no research examines me impact of participation in several programs simultaneously or sequentially. Most families participate in several programs (e.g., mediation, divorce education) in addition to litigating issues not covered in mediation and possibly attending problem prevention programs. Research on die interaction of these policies is critical for us to fully understand me impact of these programs together or individually. A significant exception to the gloomy state of social policy research generally is research assessing the effectiveness of problem prevention programs. These programs include those that focus on parent, child, and parent-child adjustment problems. Dr. Douglas aptly notes that these programs are often well designed and appear to have promising results. She also finds tiiat some of the research in family mediation is also well designed. Not surprisingly, these are the programs that Dr. Douglas then recommends be mandated for all divorcing parents. Important social programs not covered in this book but also important to consider in future analyses are the impact of dedicated (sometimes called unified) family courts and parenting coordinators. Dedicated or unified family courts have been argued to better coordinate social programs for families. Parenting coordinator programs have been instituted across the country with little to no evaluation. Although Dr. Douglas states that when conducting research we should not include never-married parents in samples of married parents, I emphasize that full consideration of the needs of this growing group is critical. Births outside of marriage now constitute nearly 40% of all births in the United States. The needs of this important group of parents will have enormous impact on all social policies related to families. From analysis of the research, the author then moves to advocating for continued implementation of social policies to influence social behavior and attitudes. …
... will ever have children (Sandelowski, 1993). Genograms When working with couples, a genogram ... more ... will ever have children (Sandelowski, 1993). Genograms When working with couples, a genogram is a useful diagnostic tool to uncover and explore infertility related issues in vivo. McGoldrick and Gerson (1985), report that ...
This study sought to determine whether mindfulness increased or decreased for Year 4 Bachelor of ... more This study sought to determine whether mindfulness increased or decreased for Year 4 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students. Twenty-four participants received a brief mindfulness practice each week at the start of class and completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in the first and last class. Results showed a decrease from pre-test to post-test on the non-reactivity to inner experience facet of the scale. In addition, in a post-test, those participants who came to the BSW programme from secondary school had an overall higher score than those participants who came to the programme from community college. Moreover, participants who had no prior practice in mindfulness and those who did not practice mindfulness during their practicum saw an increase in scores. These findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are offered.
While direct client experience is the optimal environment for social work students to learn inter... more While direct client experience is the optimal environment for social work students to learn interviewing skills, vicarious learning, or learning through observing peers or an instructor in a simulated client encounter, also affords students the opportunity for personal growth and reflection. To explore students’ experiences of vicarious learning this study involved Year 4 BSW students who observed the course instructor conduct 10, 1-hour, live simulated client interviews over the period of a two-semester course. Data for this study included a course assignment on the simulated sessions, and written responses to reflection questions, following the last simulated session. Thematic analysis surfaced salient themes which included the following: 1) benefits of live simulation: application of theory to practice and authenticity; 2) challenges of live simulation: logistical and experiential concerns; 3) application of empathy and active listening; 4) focus of attention; 5) maintaining atte...
This article examines graduating students' conceptualizations of their generalist social work... more This article examines graduating students' conceptualizations of their generalist social work practice and their views for future skill development. Twenty 4th-year BSW students underwent an objective structured clinical examination that involved interviewing a simulated client and then responding to reflection questions. Reflections were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four patterns surfaced: foundational versus theoretical knowledge, deepening perspectives of diversity, managing client emotional intensity, and openness to learning. Implications for social work education include greater emphasis on teaching advanced social work practice concepts, more attention to complex and nuanced forms of diversity and assisting students with affect regulation for themselves and the client.
Although the use of human simulation has recently gained much attention in social work education,... more Although the use of human simulation has recently gained much attention in social work education, many schools continue to rely on peer role-plays as a predominant teaching method. This qualitative study examined BSW students' perceptions of simulation versus role-play when learning interviewing skills. Individual interviews were conducted with second-year BSW students (n=17). The following four themes emerged as to how students view simulation versus role-play as an approach for developing interviewing skills: (1) the relationship in role-play versus simulation, (2) normalizing skills acquisition, (3) authenticity of simulation, and (4) seriousness of simulation. This study suggests that observational approaches within these pedagogical methods normalize the stress of learning interviewing skills and that social work educators need to find ways to increase the level of authenticity of the role-play format.
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 2014
Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment presents a challenging clinical issue for social worker... more Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment presents a challenging clinical issue for social workers who find themselves obligated to report the maltreatment while managing an often discordant therapeutic alliance with the family. The betrayal and anger felt by families following the report may result in the discontinuation of treatment or negatively impact further clinical work. Registered social workers participated in an online survey examining how they maintain the therapeutic alliance in the face of mandatory reporting. Results showed numerous strategies employed before and following the disclosure of reportable material. Practice principles for clinicians are suggested.
Some child welfare legislation have recently expanded the definition of ‘a child in need of prote... more Some child welfare legislation have recently expanded the definition of ‘a child in need of protection’ to include child exposure to intimate partner violence. Such legislation places clinicians in the challenging position of determining whether a situation falls under their duty to report. The current paper examines a case example in which there was child exposed to intimate partner violence,
This research examines the decision-making factors and relationship repair strategies involved wh... more This research examines the decision-making factors and relationship repair strategies involved when social workers encounter concerns of potential child maltreatment. The purpose of this research is to determine the factors that influence social workers’ actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship following a report to Child Protection Services (CPS). Social workers from Ontario, Canada ( n = 439) completed an online survey where they reviewed three vignettes of potential child maltreatment and responded to questions on how they would maintain the therapeutic relationship. A series of binary logistic regressions were completed to investigate the likelihood of taking specific actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship with their clients and the reasons for those actions. Factors associated with outcomes were used in the logistic regression analysis and included legal and ethical factors, clinician factors, situational factors, and professional factors. Overall, 75.6% of respondents indicated they would definitely report a child’s exposure to intimate partner violence, 49.2% would report physical maltreatment, and 66.1% would report emotional child maltreatment. In addition, a majority of respondents indicated that they would take further steps or action to maintain the therapeutic relationship with the family following the decision to report to CPS. Respondents would attempt a verbal connection with clients to restore the relationship; however, across all three vignettes, fewer respondents indicated that they would be willing to meet clients in their home. Occupational environment, social worker gender, and social worker comfort with discussing their concerns with caregivers were significant factors that influenced actions to maintain the therapeutic relationship. The research provides insight into the actions social workers would take to maintain therapeutic relationship with clients following the detection of child maltreatment. These factors inform the suggested practice principles for clinicians facing mandatory reporting of child maltreatment.
Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are They? Emily M. ... more Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are They? Emily M. Douglas. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 2006. 211 pp. ISBN- 13: 978-0-7425-4277-8. $29.95 (paperback). In Mending Broken Families: Social Policies for Divorced Families: How Effective Are they?, Emily Douglas begins to answer the question vexing professionals working with families involved with the legal system. She does so by analyzing research concerning several social policies including divorce mediation and divorce education programs and statutory requirements regarding parenting plans and joint custody. Also analyzed are policies concerning parent relocation, covenant marriages, and problem prevention programs. The audior concludes with recommendations for policymakers and researchers. Dr. Douglas presents an accurate picture of the state of research for most family law issues. "The divorce literature is lacking both quality and substance for almost every social policy that is addressed in this book." (p. 133) Although there are many scholars, private practitioners, and court personnel committed to developing policies to assist families, there is general malaise in terms of evaluating them for effectiveness. And, more importandy, Dr. Douglas notes mat virtually no research examines me impact of participation in several programs simultaneously or sequentially. Most families participate in several programs (e.g., mediation, divorce education) in addition to litigating issues not covered in mediation and possibly attending problem prevention programs. Research on die interaction of these policies is critical for us to fully understand me impact of these programs together or individually. A significant exception to the gloomy state of social policy research generally is research assessing the effectiveness of problem prevention programs. These programs include those that focus on parent, child, and parent-child adjustment problems. Dr. Douglas aptly notes that these programs are often well designed and appear to have promising results. She also finds tiiat some of the research in family mediation is also well designed. Not surprisingly, these are the programs that Dr. Douglas then recommends be mandated for all divorcing parents. Important social programs not covered in this book but also important to consider in future analyses are the impact of dedicated (sometimes called unified) family courts and parenting coordinators. Dedicated or unified family courts have been argued to better coordinate social programs for families. Parenting coordinator programs have been instituted across the country with little to no evaluation. Although Dr. Douglas states that when conducting research we should not include never-married parents in samples of married parents, I emphasize that full consideration of the needs of this growing group is critical. Births outside of marriage now constitute nearly 40% of all births in the United States. The needs of this important group of parents will have enormous impact on all social policies related to families. From analysis of the research, the author then moves to advocating for continued implementation of social policies to influence social behavior and attitudes. …
... will ever have children (Sandelowski, 1993). Genograms When working with couples, a genogram ... more ... will ever have children (Sandelowski, 1993). Genograms When working with couples, a genogram is a useful diagnostic tool to uncover and explore infertility related issues in vivo. McGoldrick and Gerson (1985), report that ...
This study sought to determine whether mindfulness increased or decreased for Year 4 Bachelor of ... more This study sought to determine whether mindfulness increased or decreased for Year 4 Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students. Twenty-four participants received a brief mindfulness practice each week at the start of class and completed the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in the first and last class. Results showed a decrease from pre-test to post-test on the non-reactivity to inner experience facet of the scale. In addition, in a post-test, those participants who came to the BSW programme from secondary school had an overall higher score than those participants who came to the programme from community college. Moreover, participants who had no prior practice in mindfulness and those who did not practice mindfulness during their practicum saw an increase in scores. These findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are offered.
While direct client experience is the optimal environment for social work students to learn inter... more While direct client experience is the optimal environment for social work students to learn interviewing skills, vicarious learning, or learning through observing peers or an instructor in a simulated client encounter, also affords students the opportunity for personal growth and reflection. To explore students’ experiences of vicarious learning this study involved Year 4 BSW students who observed the course instructor conduct 10, 1-hour, live simulated client interviews over the period of a two-semester course. Data for this study included a course assignment on the simulated sessions, and written responses to reflection questions, following the last simulated session. Thematic analysis surfaced salient themes which included the following: 1) benefits of live simulation: application of theory to practice and authenticity; 2) challenges of live simulation: logistical and experiential concerns; 3) application of empathy and active listening; 4) focus of attention; 5) maintaining atte...
This article examines graduating students' conceptualizations of their generalist social work... more This article examines graduating students' conceptualizations of their generalist social work practice and their views for future skill development. Twenty 4th-year BSW students underwent an objective structured clinical examination that involved interviewing a simulated client and then responding to reflection questions. Reflections were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four patterns surfaced: foundational versus theoretical knowledge, deepening perspectives of diversity, managing client emotional intensity, and openness to learning. Implications for social work education include greater emphasis on teaching advanced social work practice concepts, more attention to complex and nuanced forms of diversity and assisting students with affect regulation for themselves and the client.
Although the use of human simulation has recently gained much attention in social work education,... more Although the use of human simulation has recently gained much attention in social work education, many schools continue to rely on peer role-plays as a predominant teaching method. This qualitative study examined BSW students' perceptions of simulation versus role-play when learning interviewing skills. Individual interviews were conducted with second-year BSW students (n=17). The following four themes emerged as to how students view simulation versus role-play as an approach for developing interviewing skills: (1) the relationship in role-play versus simulation, (2) normalizing skills acquisition, (3) authenticity of simulation, and (4) seriousness of simulation. This study suggests that observational approaches within these pedagogical methods normalize the stress of learning interviewing skills and that social work educators need to find ways to increase the level of authenticity of the role-play format.
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 2014
Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment presents a challenging clinical issue for social worker... more Mandatory reporting of child maltreatment presents a challenging clinical issue for social workers who find themselves obligated to report the maltreatment while managing an often discordant therapeutic alliance with the family. The betrayal and anger felt by families following the report may result in the discontinuation of treatment or negatively impact further clinical work. Registered social workers participated in an online survey examining how they maintain the therapeutic alliance in the face of mandatory reporting. Results showed numerous strategies employed before and following the disclosure of reportable material. Practice principles for clinicians are suggested.
Some child welfare legislation have recently expanded the definition of ‘a child in need of prote... more Some child welfare legislation have recently expanded the definition of ‘a child in need of protection’ to include child exposure to intimate partner violence. Such legislation places clinicians in the challenging position of determining whether a situation falls under their duty to report. The current paper examines a case example in which there was child exposed to intimate partner violence,
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