Jane McPherson, PhD, MPH, LCSW, is Director of Global Engagement and Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia School of Social Work (USA). Her scholarship sees social work through a human rights lens, and she applies human rights principles to research, teaching, and practice. In the US, her work focuses on asylum seekers, immigrants, and those fleeing violence Address: United States
Social work defines itself as a social justice profession, yet the historical record also shows s... more Social work defines itself as a social justice profession, yet the historical record also shows social workers resisting social change, promoting social division, and contributing to social exclusion. When social workers are unaware of these "hard" histories, they are unable to identify destructive professional practices or reconcile with those whom social work has harmed. In this article, I present a model for using local history-in this case, the history of the University of Georgia School of Social Work-as a catalyst to help students confront and unpack "hard" history. I unravel the interwoven local histories of cotton mills, women's charitable activities, and a system of entrenched racial hierarchy; and present a method for making the historical materials available and vivid to students. I conclude that we must welcome difficult history into our professional historiography as a necessary step towards becoming the liberatory profession we need to be.
BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work ... more BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: Previously-validated scales—Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (1 scale), Human Rights Lens in Social Work (2 scales), and Human Rights Methods in Social Work (8 scales)—were translated/adapted for the Bosnian context. A survey of 296 social work students was completed and the data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The results yield 11 valid scales for measuring human rights constructs and promoting human rights goals in social work education, research, and practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Resettled refugees have high rates of some mental health disorders, such as PTSD and MDD, largely... more Resettled refugees have high rates of some mental health disorders, such as PTSD and MDD, largely due to trauma histories and current resettlement stressors. Resettled refugees also have employment struggles that are unique to their status as refugees. This article provides overviews of refugee mental health and refugee employment issues with a specific focus on how these factors are interrelated in U.S. resettled refugee populations. The article describes prevalence rates of mental health disorders among refugees, barriers that limit refugees’ access to mental health treatment, and evidence-based mental health. Additionally, prevalence rates of refugee unemployment and underemployment are reported, along with barriers to adequate refugee employment. The article concludes with recommendations for social work professionals in their practices with resettled refugees in multiple settings: clinical practice, refugee resettlement, policy work, and research.
In this article, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. ... more In this article, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We present a snapshot of the current human rights context in Kosovo; we discuss frameworks for rights-based practice within social work; and we explain the evolution of Kosovar social work education and the role of human rights within it. Ultimately, we focus on the results of a new survey that uses Albanian translations of the Human Rights Methods in Social Work scales to explore the use of eight rights-based practice methods by 100 social workers situated in Kosovo’s Centres for Social Work. In our sample, social workers endorsed the four micro (individually focused) practice methods—accountability, strengths perspective, anti-discrimination and participation—at higher rates than the four more macro (community/policy)-focused methods—capacity-building, micro/macro, collaboration and activism. We use these results to call for further training to support rights-based practice, emphasisin...
Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social... more Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social work students’ awareness of such discrimination. In some U.S. states, education policies discriminate against undocumented youth and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by limiting access to higher education or imposing prohibitive fees. This survey-based study measures undergraduate social work students’ knowledge regarding immigration-based educational discrimination and assesses their under- standing of how social work’s ethical mandates require them to respond. Most respondents, 83.4%, agreed that it is segregation to exclude such students from the university, but 25% were unaware of discriminatory practices within their own university. Limited knowledge leaves students ill- prepared to advocate for immigrant rights. Authors include recommenda- tions for educators on enhancing awareness.
This article describes the Spanish-language translation and cross-cultural validation of two scal... more This article describes the Spanish-language translation and cross-cultural validation of two scales – Human Rights Engagement in Social Work and Human Rights Exposure in Social Work. These scales, measuring human rights awareness and commitment among social workers, were first validated in the United States. In this study, the scales were translated and adapted for the Spanish political and cultural context, and then validated in a sample of 498 social work students at three universities in Spain. The process produced two valid and reliable Spanish-language measures to explore human rights awareness and commitment in social work.
This Brief Note describes the challenges of translating English-language measures – Human Rights ... more This Brief Note describes the challenges of translating English-language measures – Human Rights Exposure in Social Work and Human Rights Engagement in Social Work – into Spanish and Traditional Chinese. Authors discuss the cultural specificities that complicate translating rights across political boundaries and provide insight for undertaking cross-national translation.
ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the ... more ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) now require social work educators to teach their students to “advance human rights” (CSWE, 2009). Accordingly, educators must develop—and evaluate—novel methods of teaching that address this “human rights” accreditation standard. This presentation will highlight results from the first study to explicitly evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. Human rights material was integrated into a required undergraduate Macro Practice class using One Million Bones (OMB), a “social arts practice” which aims to raise awareness of global human rights atrocities (www.onemillionbones.org). Social work students were given the opportunity to become human rights educators and practice macro-level social work skills as they organized events for hundreds of participants in a dozen community settings. The presenters evaluated this teaching strategy by applying quasi-experimental and survey methods to two major research questions: 1) Do students who have taken part in OMB have higher levels human rights exposure (HRX) and human rights engagement (HRE) than students enrolled in a different section of Macro Practice (not exposed to OMB)? and 2) Do students exposed to OMB increase their HRX and HRE over the course of the semester? We hypothesized that 1) students exposed to OMB would have significantly higher levels of HRX and HRE than students who were not exposed to OMB; and 2) students exposed to OMB would significantly increase their levels of HRX and HRE over the course of the semester. Methods: All students taking Macro Practice in spring semester 2012 were eligible for this study (N=57). Two previously validated scales—Human Rights Engagement in Social Work (HRESW) and Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (HRXSW)—were administered to the OMB participants at the start of the semester, and to all sample students at the semester’s end. Analysis of descriptive statistics, measures of internal consistency, as well as independent sample and paired sample t-tests were completed using SPSS statistical software. Results: Responses were obtained from 44 (77%) of the 57 eligible participants. Students exposed to OMB scored significantly higher on the HRXSW (M=5.80, SD=0.94) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=4.73, SD=0.73; t(42)=2.13, p=.041), indicating significantly higher levels of HRX. Students exposed to OMB also scored significantly higher on the HRESW (M=6.44, SD=0.56) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=5.99, SD=0.79; t(42)=2.20, p=.034), indicating significantly higher levels of HRE. Furthermore, study respondents exposed to OMB (n=23) experienced a significant mean score increase of 1.54 on the HRXSW (p<.001) and a mean score increase (not significant) of 0.13 on the HRESW (p=.143) over the course of the semester. Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. This first step suggests that targeted educational interventions have the potential to increase students’ HRX and HRE—and therefore help social work educators meet human rights educational standards. Such research and practice are necessary for social work to participate in advancing human rights globally.
In this paper, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We... more In this paper, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We present a snapshot of the current human rights context in Kosovo; we discuss frameworks for rights-based practice within social work; and we explain the evolution of Kosovar social work education and the role of human rights within it. Ultimately, we focus on the results of a new survey that uses Albanian translations of the Human Rights Methods in Social Work scales to explore the use of eight rights-based practice methods by 100 social workers situated in Kosovo’s Centres for Social Work. In our sample, social workers endorsed the four micro (individually-focused) practice methods—accountability, strengths perspective, anti-discrimination, and participation—at higher rates than the four more macro (community/policy) focused methods—capacity-building, micro/macro, collaboration, and activism. We use these results to call for further training to support rights-based practice, emphasizing the interdependence of micro and macro methods in advancing human rights as well as social work ethics. In conclusion, we offer suggestions that will allow social work to act as an agent of transformative change and social justice in Kosovo.
This exploratory qualitative study examines the impact of a short-term study abroad trip for U.S.... more This exploratory qualitative study examines the impact of a short-term study abroad trip for U.S. social work doctoral students built around an interna- tional conference in Zagreb, Croatia. The program incorporated reflection and experiential learning. Data were collected using pretrip and posttrip written reflections from study participants (N=4). Two primary themes emerged from thematic analysis that showed a positive impact on partici- pants: an enhanced understanding of themselves as global citizens and an enhanced sense of themselves as global professionals. Three themes also emerged supporting the pedagogic strategy: experiential learning promoted global engagement, reflection catalyzed robust learning, and the impact of the experience was greater than the sum of its parts. Directions for further research on short-term study abroad programs are discussed as well as strategies for enhancing short-term study abroad to promote global engage- ment in social work at the master’s and doctoral levels.
BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work ... more BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: Previously-validated scales—Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (1 scale), Human Rights Lens in Social Work (2 scales), and Human Rights Methods in Social Work (8 scales)—were translated/adapted for the Bosnian context. A survey of 296 social work students was completed and the data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The results yield 11 valid scales for measuring human rights constructs and promoting human rights goals in social work education, research, and practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This article introduces a measurable framework for rights-based social work practice and an accom... more This article introduces a measurable framework for rights-based social work practice and an accompanying set of instruments, the Human Rights Methods in Social Work (HRMSW) scales: (i) ‘participation’, (ii) ‘non-discrimination’, (iii) ‘strengths perspective’, (iv) ‘micro/macro integration’, (v) ‘capacity-building’, (vi) ‘community and interdisciplin- ary collaboration’, (vii) ‘activism’ and (viii) ‘accountability’. These scales, designed for use by researchers, educators and practitioners, are the first to measure social workers’ use of rights-based methods. An electronic survey was used to collect data from a con- venience sample of 1,014 licensed US social workers, and a confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the scales’ psychometric properties. A respecified model using eight error covariances fit the data (v2/df ratio 1⁄4 2.9; comparative fit index (CFI) 1⁄4 0.91; tucker lewis index (TLI) 1⁄4 0.90; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 1⁄4 0.04; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) 1⁄4 0.07). Thus, factor analysis yielded a set of eight related scales—collectively called the HRMSW—each measuring a different human rights practice method that social workers can use to promote human dignity and the rights-based principles of participation, accountability and non- discrimination. Scholars argue that ‘human rights’ are a more appropriate yardstick for measuring the impact of social work intervention rather than our traditional aim of so- cial justice; the HRMSW scales can help us begin to test this proposition.
This paper argues that it is critical for social workers to become familiar with the larger set o... more This paper argues that it is critical for social workers to become familiar with the larger set of human rights—including social and economic rights—and put them into practice because respecting and validating these rights has the potential to transform our clients, our societies, and our social work profession. Beyond arguing the importance of human rights, this paper will provide needed human rights background, as well as specific guidance for social workers and educators about how to take a rights-based approach to professional social work practice. Though the article focuses on the US example, global readers may find the analytic framework employed here useful for understanding the challenges social workers in their own countries face when adopting rights-based approaches. In all countries, social workers must analyze the legal and cultural specificities that promote—or limit— human rights and how the local context may encourage or challenge rights-based practices. Overall, a rights-based approach to practice has the potential to offer social work—a profession oriented to social well-being—the opportunity to take leadership, and become the point profession on economic, social, and cultural rights.
Safeguarding rights is a critical duty for social workers in jail settings where human rights vi... more Safeguarding rights is a critical duty for social workers in jail settings where human rights violations are prevalent and can be divided into two general categories: (1) when holding someone in jail violates their human rights and (2) when the treatment provided within the jail violates human rights. This paper will address these areas of concern, and then focus on how rights-based approaches to social work are currently practiced and can be expanded by collaborative public defense teams including those that work with clients who could be sentenced to death. A call for research on rights-based practice methods and complementary therapeutic approaches will include the presentation of testimony therapy as a potential clinical method that may be effective with (and for) this population. Social workers are ethically bound to attend to jailed individuals in ways that respect their dignity and build on their strengths. Employing these strategies, social workers can strengthen individuals, as well as our human societies.
Social work education in the United States takes place not only in class- rooms but also in the m... more Social work education in the United States takes place not only in class- rooms but also in the many workplaces where students complete their mandatory internships. This practicum, known as “field education,” is social work’s “signature pedagogy.” Although efforts have been made to inte- grate human rights education (HRE) into US social work education and the Council on Social Work Education now mandates a human rights com- petency, little research has examined how and whether the HRE mandate is implemented in field education. This article examines the impact of HRE on social work field education by focusing on one state—Florida. For this study, we surveyed 158 Florida field educators about their human rights knowledge and practices and conducted telephone interviews with the staff members who coordinate student internships at six social work schools. The data paint a complex picture. Although strides to foster stu- dents’ ability to apply human rights understanding in field education have been made, sustained institutional support for integrating HRE in field is needed at the university and associational level. True integration of HRE into field education will only be achieved when all educators receive the support they need to become educated on social work as a human rights practice.
As defined by the International Federation of Social Workers, social work is a human rights prof... more As defined by the International Federation of Social Workers, social work is a human rights profession. This is explicitly stated in the professional codes of ethics in many nations. However, the most recent version of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers continues to exclude any mention of human rights, fitting in with the history of U.S. exceptionalism on this subject. Social workers around the world have a long history of working for the achievement of human rights, including an explicit grounding of practice in human rights principles: human dignity, nondiscrimination, participation, transparency, and accountability. Utilizing these principles, U.S. social workers can move from the deficit model of the needs-based approach to competently contextualizing individual issues in their larger human rights framework. In this way, social work can address larger social problems and make way for the concurrent achievement of human rights. This article explains these principles and provides a case example of how to apply them in practice.
Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social... more Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social work students’ awareness of such discrimination. In some U.S. states, education policies discriminate against undocumented youth and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by limiting access to higher education or imposing prohibitive fees. This survey-based study measures undergraduate social work students’ knowledge regarding immigration-based educational discrimination and assesses their under- standing of how social work’s ethical mandates require them to respond. Most respondents, 83.4%, agreed that it is segregation to exclude such students from the university, but 25% were unaware of discriminatory practices within their own university. Limited knowledge leaves students ill- prepared to advocate for immigrant rights. Authors include recommenda- tions for educators on enhancing awareness.
Social work defines itself as a social justice profession, yet the historical record also shows s... more Social work defines itself as a social justice profession, yet the historical record also shows social workers resisting social change, promoting social division, and contributing to social exclusion. When social workers are unaware of these "hard" histories, they are unable to identify destructive professional practices or reconcile with those whom social work has harmed. In this article, I present a model for using local history-in this case, the history of the University of Georgia School of Social Work-as a catalyst to help students confront and unpack "hard" history. I unravel the interwoven local histories of cotton mills, women's charitable activities, and a system of entrenched racial hierarchy; and present a method for making the historical materials available and vivid to students. I conclude that we must welcome difficult history into our professional historiography as a necessary step towards becoming the liberatory profession we need to be.
BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work ... more BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: Previously-validated scales—Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (1 scale), Human Rights Lens in Social Work (2 scales), and Human Rights Methods in Social Work (8 scales)—were translated/adapted for the Bosnian context. A survey of 296 social work students was completed and the data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The results yield 11 valid scales for measuring human rights constructs and promoting human rights goals in social work education, research, and practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Resettled refugees have high rates of some mental health disorders, such as PTSD and MDD, largely... more Resettled refugees have high rates of some mental health disorders, such as PTSD and MDD, largely due to trauma histories and current resettlement stressors. Resettled refugees also have employment struggles that are unique to their status as refugees. This article provides overviews of refugee mental health and refugee employment issues with a specific focus on how these factors are interrelated in U.S. resettled refugee populations. The article describes prevalence rates of mental health disorders among refugees, barriers that limit refugees’ access to mental health treatment, and evidence-based mental health. Additionally, prevalence rates of refugee unemployment and underemployment are reported, along with barriers to adequate refugee employment. The article concludes with recommendations for social work professionals in their practices with resettled refugees in multiple settings: clinical practice, refugee resettlement, policy work, and research.
In this article, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. ... more In this article, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We present a snapshot of the current human rights context in Kosovo; we discuss frameworks for rights-based practice within social work; and we explain the evolution of Kosovar social work education and the role of human rights within it. Ultimately, we focus on the results of a new survey that uses Albanian translations of the Human Rights Methods in Social Work scales to explore the use of eight rights-based practice methods by 100 social workers situated in Kosovo’s Centres for Social Work. In our sample, social workers endorsed the four micro (individually focused) practice methods—accountability, strengths perspective, anti-discrimination and participation—at higher rates than the four more macro (community/policy)-focused methods—capacity-building, micro/macro, collaboration and activism. We use these results to call for further training to support rights-based practice, emphasisin...
Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social... more Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social work students’ awareness of such discrimination. In some U.S. states, education policies discriminate against undocumented youth and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by limiting access to higher education or imposing prohibitive fees. This survey-based study measures undergraduate social work students’ knowledge regarding immigration-based educational discrimination and assesses their under- standing of how social work’s ethical mandates require them to respond. Most respondents, 83.4%, agreed that it is segregation to exclude such students from the university, but 25% were unaware of discriminatory practices within their own university. Limited knowledge leaves students ill- prepared to advocate for immigrant rights. Authors include recommenda- tions for educators on enhancing awareness.
This article describes the Spanish-language translation and cross-cultural validation of two scal... more This article describes the Spanish-language translation and cross-cultural validation of two scales – Human Rights Engagement in Social Work and Human Rights Exposure in Social Work. These scales, measuring human rights awareness and commitment among social workers, were first validated in the United States. In this study, the scales were translated and adapted for the Spanish political and cultural context, and then validated in a sample of 498 social work students at three universities in Spain. The process produced two valid and reliable Spanish-language measures to explore human rights awareness and commitment in social work.
This Brief Note describes the challenges of translating English-language measures – Human Rights ... more This Brief Note describes the challenges of translating English-language measures – Human Rights Exposure in Social Work and Human Rights Engagement in Social Work – into Spanish and Traditional Chinese. Authors discuss the cultural specificities that complicate translating rights across political boundaries and provide insight for undertaking cross-national translation.
ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the ... more ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) now require social work educators to teach their students to “advance human rights” (CSWE, 2009). Accordingly, educators must develop—and evaluate—novel methods of teaching that address this “human rights” accreditation standard. This presentation will highlight results from the first study to explicitly evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. Human rights material was integrated into a required undergraduate Macro Practice class using One Million Bones (OMB), a “social arts practice” which aims to raise awareness of global human rights atrocities (www.onemillionbones.org). Social work students were given the opportunity to become human rights educators and practice macro-level social work skills as they organized events for hundreds of participants in a dozen community settings. The presenters evaluated this teaching strategy by applying quasi-experimental and survey methods to two major research questions: 1) Do students who have taken part in OMB have higher levels human rights exposure (HRX) and human rights engagement (HRE) than students enrolled in a different section of Macro Practice (not exposed to OMB)? and 2) Do students exposed to OMB increase their HRX and HRE over the course of the semester? We hypothesized that 1) students exposed to OMB would have significantly higher levels of HRX and HRE than students who were not exposed to OMB; and 2) students exposed to OMB would significantly increase their levels of HRX and HRE over the course of the semester. Methods: All students taking Macro Practice in spring semester 2012 were eligible for this study (N=57). Two previously validated scales—Human Rights Engagement in Social Work (HRESW) and Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (HRXSW)—were administered to the OMB participants at the start of the semester, and to all sample students at the semester’s end. Analysis of descriptive statistics, measures of internal consistency, as well as independent sample and paired sample t-tests were completed using SPSS statistical software. Results: Responses were obtained from 44 (77%) of the 57 eligible participants. Students exposed to OMB scored significantly higher on the HRXSW (M=5.80, SD=0.94) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=4.73, SD=0.73; t(42)=2.13, p=.041), indicating significantly higher levels of HRX. Students exposed to OMB also scored significantly higher on the HRESW (M=6.44, SD=0.56) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=5.99, SD=0.79; t(42)=2.20, p=.034), indicating significantly higher levels of HRE. Furthermore, study respondents exposed to OMB (n=23) experienced a significant mean score increase of 1.54 on the HRXSW (p<.001) and a mean score increase (not significant) of 0.13 on the HRESW (p=.143) over the course of the semester. Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. This first step suggests that targeted educational interventions have the potential to increase students’ HRX and HRE—and therefore help social work educators meet human rights educational standards. Such research and practice are necessary for social work to participate in advancing human rights globally.
In this paper, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We... more In this paper, we explore how social workers are putting human rights into practice in Kosovo. We present a snapshot of the current human rights context in Kosovo; we discuss frameworks for rights-based practice within social work; and we explain the evolution of Kosovar social work education and the role of human rights within it. Ultimately, we focus on the results of a new survey that uses Albanian translations of the Human Rights Methods in Social Work scales to explore the use of eight rights-based practice methods by 100 social workers situated in Kosovo’s Centres for Social Work. In our sample, social workers endorsed the four micro (individually-focused) practice methods—accountability, strengths perspective, anti-discrimination, and participation—at higher rates than the four more macro (community/policy) focused methods—capacity-building, micro/macro, collaboration, and activism. We use these results to call for further training to support rights-based practice, emphasizing the interdependence of micro and macro methods in advancing human rights as well as social work ethics. In conclusion, we offer suggestions that will allow social work to act as an agent of transformative change and social justice in Kosovo.
This exploratory qualitative study examines the impact of a short-term study abroad trip for U.S.... more This exploratory qualitative study examines the impact of a short-term study abroad trip for U.S. social work doctoral students built around an interna- tional conference in Zagreb, Croatia. The program incorporated reflection and experiential learning. Data were collected using pretrip and posttrip written reflections from study participants (N=4). Two primary themes emerged from thematic analysis that showed a positive impact on partici- pants: an enhanced understanding of themselves as global citizens and an enhanced sense of themselves as global professionals. Three themes also emerged supporting the pedagogic strategy: experiential learning promoted global engagement, reflection catalyzed robust learning, and the impact of the experience was greater than the sum of its parts. Directions for further research on short-term study abroad programs are discussed as well as strategies for enhancing short-term study abroad to promote global engage- ment in social work at the master’s and doctoral levels.
BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work ... more BACKGROUND: This article reports on the development of tools to measure rights-based social work practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: Previously-validated scales—Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (1 scale), Human Rights Lens in Social Work (2 scales), and Human Rights Methods in Social Work (8 scales)—were translated/adapted for the Bosnian context. A survey of 296 social work students was completed and the data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: The results yield 11 valid scales for measuring human rights constructs and promoting human rights goals in social work education, research, and practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This article introduces a measurable framework for rights-based social work practice and an accom... more This article introduces a measurable framework for rights-based social work practice and an accompanying set of instruments, the Human Rights Methods in Social Work (HRMSW) scales: (i) ‘participation’, (ii) ‘non-discrimination’, (iii) ‘strengths perspective’, (iv) ‘micro/macro integration’, (v) ‘capacity-building’, (vi) ‘community and interdisciplin- ary collaboration’, (vii) ‘activism’ and (viii) ‘accountability’. These scales, designed for use by researchers, educators and practitioners, are the first to measure social workers’ use of rights-based methods. An electronic survey was used to collect data from a con- venience sample of 1,014 licensed US social workers, and a confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the scales’ psychometric properties. A respecified model using eight error covariances fit the data (v2/df ratio 1⁄4 2.9; comparative fit index (CFI) 1⁄4 0.91; tucker lewis index (TLI) 1⁄4 0.90; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 1⁄4 0.04; standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) 1⁄4 0.07). Thus, factor analysis yielded a set of eight related scales—collectively called the HRMSW—each measuring a different human rights practice method that social workers can use to promote human dignity and the rights-based principles of participation, accountability and non- discrimination. Scholars argue that ‘human rights’ are a more appropriate yardstick for measuring the impact of social work intervention rather than our traditional aim of so- cial justice; the HRMSW scales can help us begin to test this proposition.
This paper argues that it is critical for social workers to become familiar with the larger set o... more This paper argues that it is critical for social workers to become familiar with the larger set of human rights—including social and economic rights—and put them into practice because respecting and validating these rights has the potential to transform our clients, our societies, and our social work profession. Beyond arguing the importance of human rights, this paper will provide needed human rights background, as well as specific guidance for social workers and educators about how to take a rights-based approach to professional social work practice. Though the article focuses on the US example, global readers may find the analytic framework employed here useful for understanding the challenges social workers in their own countries face when adopting rights-based approaches. In all countries, social workers must analyze the legal and cultural specificities that promote—or limit— human rights and how the local context may encourage or challenge rights-based practices. Overall, a rights-based approach to practice has the potential to offer social work—a profession oriented to social well-being—the opportunity to take leadership, and become the point profession on economic, social, and cultural rights.
Safeguarding rights is a critical duty for social workers in jail settings where human rights vi... more Safeguarding rights is a critical duty for social workers in jail settings where human rights violations are prevalent and can be divided into two general categories: (1) when holding someone in jail violates their human rights and (2) when the treatment provided within the jail violates human rights. This paper will address these areas of concern, and then focus on how rights-based approaches to social work are currently practiced and can be expanded by collaborative public defense teams including those that work with clients who could be sentenced to death. A call for research on rights-based practice methods and complementary therapeutic approaches will include the presentation of testimony therapy as a potential clinical method that may be effective with (and for) this population. Social workers are ethically bound to attend to jailed individuals in ways that respect their dignity and build on their strengths. Employing these strategies, social workers can strengthen individuals, as well as our human societies.
Social work education in the United States takes place not only in class- rooms but also in the m... more Social work education in the United States takes place not only in class- rooms but also in the many workplaces where students complete their mandatory internships. This practicum, known as “field education,” is social work’s “signature pedagogy.” Although efforts have been made to inte- grate human rights education (HRE) into US social work education and the Council on Social Work Education now mandates a human rights com- petency, little research has examined how and whether the HRE mandate is implemented in field education. This article examines the impact of HRE on social work field education by focusing on one state—Florida. For this study, we surveyed 158 Florida field educators about their human rights knowledge and practices and conducted telephone interviews with the staff members who coordinate student internships at six social work schools. The data paint a complex picture. Although strides to foster stu- dents’ ability to apply human rights understanding in field education have been made, sustained institutional support for integrating HRE in field is needed at the university and associational level. True integration of HRE into field education will only be achieved when all educators receive the support they need to become educated on social work as a human rights practice.
As defined by the International Federation of Social Workers, social work is a human rights prof... more As defined by the International Federation of Social Workers, social work is a human rights profession. This is explicitly stated in the professional codes of ethics in many nations. However, the most recent version of the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers continues to exclude any mention of human rights, fitting in with the history of U.S. exceptionalism on this subject. Social workers around the world have a long history of working for the achievement of human rights, including an explicit grounding of practice in human rights principles: human dignity, nondiscrimination, participation, transparency, and accountability. Utilizing these principles, U.S. social workers can move from the deficit model of the needs-based approach to competently contextualizing individual issues in their larger human rights framework. In this way, social work can address larger social problems and make way for the concurrent achievement of human rights. This article explains these principles and provides a case example of how to apply them in practice.
Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social... more Social work ethics oppose discriminatory practices and policies, yet little is known about social work students’ awareness of such discrimination. In some U.S. states, education policies discriminate against undocumented youth and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, by limiting access to higher education or imposing prohibitive fees. This survey-based study measures undergraduate social work students’ knowledge regarding immigration-based educational discrimination and assesses their under- standing of how social work’s ethical mandates require them to respond. Most respondents, 83.4%, agreed that it is segregation to exclude such students from the university, but 25% were unaware of discriminatory practices within their own university. Limited knowledge leaves students ill- prepared to advocate for immigrant rights. Authors include recommenda- tions for educators on enhancing awareness.
Supplemental material to Measuring Rights-Based Perspectives: A Validation of the Human Rights Le... more Supplemental material to Measuring Rights-Based Perspectives: A Validation of the Human Rights Lens in Social Work Scale. Published in JSSWR 2017.
These 43 items explore the HUMAN RIGHTS METHODS in social work. [Supplementary material to Measur... more These 43 items explore the HUMAN RIGHTS METHODS in social work. [Supplementary material to Measuring Rights-Based Practice: Introducing the Human Rights Methods in Social Work Scales published in the British Journal of Social Work (2019).
ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the ... more ABSTRACT Background & Purpose: The Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) now require social work educators to teach their students to “advance human rights” (CSWE, 2009). Accordingly, educators must develop—and evaluate—novel methods of teaching that address this “human rights” accreditation standard. This presentation will highlight results from the first study to explicitly evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. Human rights material was integrated into a required undergraduate Macro Practice class using One Million Bones (OMB), a “social arts practice” which aims to raise awareness of global human rights atrocities (www.onemillionbones.org). Social work students were given the opportunity to become human rights educators and practice macro-level social work skills as they organized events for hundreds of participants in a dozen community settings. The presenters evaluated this teaching strategy by applying quasi-experimental and survey methods to two major research questions: 1) Do students who have taken part in OMB have higher levels human rights exposure (HRX) and human rights engagement (HRE) than students enrolled in a different section of Macro Practice (not exposed to OMB)? and 2) Do students exposed to OMB increase their HRX and HRE over the course of the semester? We hypothesized that 1) students exposed to OMB would have significantly higher levels of HRX and HRE than students who were not exposed to OMB; and 2) students exposed to OMB would significantly increase their levels of HRX and HRE over the course of the semester. Methods: All students taking Macro Practice in spring semester 2012 were eligible for this study (N=57). Two previously validated scales—Human Rights Engagement in Social Work (HRESW) and Human Rights Exposure in Social Work (HRXSW)—were administered to the OMB participants at the start of the semester, and to all sample students at the semester’s end. Analysis of descriptive statistics, measures of internal consistency, as well as independent sample and paired sample t-tests were completed using SPSS statistical software. Results: Responses were obtained from 44 (77%) of the 57 eligible participants. Students exposed to OMB scored significantly higher on the HRXSW (M=5.80, SD=0.94) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=4.73, SD=0.73; t(42)=2.13, p=.041), indicating significantly higher levels of HRX. Students exposed to OMB also scored significantly higher on the HRESW (M=6.44, SD=0.56) than did students in the non-OMB course (M=5.99, SD=0.79; t(42)=2.20, p=.034), indicating significantly higher levels of HRE. Furthermore, study respondents exposed to OMB (n=23) experienced a significant mean score increase of 1.54 on the HRXSW (p<.001) and a mean score increase (not significant) of 0.13 on the HRESW (p=.143) over the course of the semester. Conclusions: This study is the first to evaluate the human rights content of a social work teaching intervention. This first step suggests that targeted educational interventions have the potential to increase students’ HRX and HRE—and therefore help social work educators meet human rights educational standards. Such research and practice are necessary for social work to participate in advancing human rights globally.
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Papers by Jane McPherson