Abuse Professionals Research Articles

Utah gets license for masters in addiction counseling

It took two years of work and a 50‐page report, but Richard Nance got Utah to create a new Office of Professional License Review to be the screening arm of the Division of Professional Licensure. Any new license had to go through an application and review process, he told ADAW. “We were the first,” said Nance, former president of the Association of Utah Substance Abuse Professionals (AUSAP). “In 2023, I had my senator run the [Medication Aide Certified] MAC license bill, but the head of the Senate Business and Labor Committee refused to allow it a committee hearing because it ‘hadn't been through the OPLR process.’ There wasn't an OPLR process yet. Once it was created, I spent the summer of 2023 writing the application and working with the OPLR people to fix errors in the process,” Nance said.

Substance Use Is Common in Elder Abuse Cases: Qualitative Findings From a Multi-Disciplinary Team

Elder abuse is mistreatment of an older adult by a caregiver or another person in a position with an expectation of trust. Adversely affecting as many as 10% of community-dwelling older adults in the US, it may include physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, financial exploitation and neglect. Mental illness and substance use by caregivers, family members and victims themselves have been described as risk factors for multiple forms of elder abuse in prior cross-sectional analyses but the impact on these cases is poorly understood. To explore this association we conducted a focus group using a semi-structured format involving an inter-disciplinary group of elder abuse professionals that are part of the New York City Elder Abuse Center enhanced multi-disciplinary team (EMDT) in Staten Island, New York. Focus group participants reported that opioid, cocaine, cannabis and alcohol use is common among perpetrators of elder abuse, especially in cases of financial mistreatment, verbal and physical abuse. Other potential consequences included eviction of the older adult victim, co-dependency and involvement of the older adult in the procurement of illicit substances, and substance use by the older adult. Respondents specifically expressed concerns that the opioid epidemic, including rising heroin use, may be changing the frequency and nature of elder abuse, and that case investigations offer an opportunity to facilitate referrals for formal substance use disorder assessment and treatment. Future work includes additional focus groups and quantitative analysis to clarify the intersection between substance use and elder abuse and inform intervention and prevention strategies.

Victims of Child Abuse Act–TTA for Child Abuse Professionals (DOJ)

Federal Grants & ContractsVolume 44, Issue 5 p. 6-6 Grant Alerts Victims of Child Abuse Act–TTA for Child Abuse Professionals (DOJ) First published: 30 January 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.30895Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume44, Issue56 February 2020Pages 6-6 RelatedInformation

U.S. child custody outcomes in cases involving parental alienation and abuse allegations: what do the data show?

ABSTRACTFamily court and abuse professionals have long been polarized over the use of parental alienation claims to discredit a mother alleging that the father has been abusive or is unsafe for the children. This paper reports the findings from an empirical study of ten years of U.S. cases involving abuse and alienation claims. The findings confirm that mothers’ claims of abuse, especially child physical or sexual abuse, increase their risk of losing custody, and that fathers’ cross-claims of alienation virtually double that risk. Alienation’s impact is gender-specific; fathers alleging mothers are abusive are not similarly undermined when mothers cross-claim alienation. In non-abuse cases, however, the data suggest that alienation has a more gender-neutral impact. These nuanced findings may help abuse and alienation professionals find some common ground.

Identifying compassion satisfaction, burnout, & traumatic stress in Children’s Advocacy Centers

BackgroundLittle research exists examining burnout related to the multidisciplinary team (MDT) working in a Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) setting. ObjectivesTo measure compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS) among CAC MDT professionals; identify work and worker characteristics that may impact compassion satisfaction, burnout, and STS; understand professional and personal impacts of occupational stress; and explore coping responses. Participants and settingA cross sectional survey was sent electronically to child abuse professionals working in CAC settings across the United States. MethodsDemographics and work characteristics were collected. Participants completed the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) to evaluate compassion satisfaction, burnout, and STS and answered open-ended questions regarding professional and personal impacts of occupational stress. Upon completion, participants received their ProQOL scores and additional stress management resources. ResultsA total of 885 participants completed the ProQOL (mean age = 42.07; 85% female). Overall mean scores were average for compassion satisfaction, high average for burnout, and in the top quartile for STS. All three scales differed significantly by MDT professional role (ps < 0.001 to 0.01) and employment length (ps < 0.001 to 0.003). Child welfare workers had significantly higher burnout scores than all other professions except law enforcement and prosecutors and significantly lower compassion satisfaction scores than most others. Professionals providing on-call services had significantly higher burnout (p < 0.001). ConclusionsThese results contribute to our understanding of MDT professions who might be at higher risk for burnout and STS and help inform future interventions to support the MDT.

Men who experience domestic abuse: a service perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the needs of men experiencing domestic abuse from the perspective of the professionals supporting them. Design/methodology/approach An all Wales qualitative study, 20 semi-structured interviews were completed with managers and practitioners of domestic abuse services supporting men. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Analysis identified six themes: against the tide of recognition, a need to recognise and accept domestic abuse, knowledge of provision, low numbers of men, resources (time and funding) and rebuilding. However, against the tide of recognition was central. Domestic abuse is understood as a heteronormative and gendered experience; abused men defy these notions. Research limitations/implications Findings cannot be generalised across the UK. This study offers a valuable base on which to build future knowledge. Future research might consider recruiting larger samples or follow up qualitative findings with a larger quantitative survey. Practical implications This paper presents the manager and practitioner views of the service needs and solutions for men. They perceive that abused men need to recognise and accept victimisation, have knowledge of provision and know it is acceptable to seek help and receive practical support. Social implications Increasing recognition cannot be achieved in isolation. A shared commitment is required from policy, practice and research to raise the agenda for abused men. Originality/value This is an under-researched area. This paper is the first to explore the needs of men through the lens of domestic abuse professionals.

Community-based learning collaboratives and participant reports of interprofessional collaboration, barriers to, and utilization of child trauma services

Given the high prevalence and severe consequences of child trauma, effective implementation strategies are needed to increase the availability and utilization of evidence-based child trauma services. One promising strategy, the Community-Based Learning Collaborative (CBLC), augments traditional Learning Collaborative activities with a novel set of community-focused strategies. This prospective, observational study examined pre- to post-changes in CBLC participant reports of interprofessional collaboration (IPC), barriers to, and utilization of evidence-based child trauma treatment in their communities. Participants of five CBLCs from a statewide dissemination initiative, comprising 572 child abuse professionals (296 clinicians, 168 brokers, and 108 senior leaders), were surveyed pre- and post-CBLC participation. Results suggested that CBLCs significantly decreased barriers to child trauma treatment and significantly increased IPC and perceived utilization of evidence-based child trauma treatment. Further, changes in barriers partially mediated this relationship. Finally, small to medium differences in participants' reports were detected, such that senior leaders perceived significantly greater IPC than clinicians and brokers did, while brokers perceived significantly greater barriers to child trauma treatment than clinicians and senior leaders did. Collectively, these preliminary findings suggest the CBLC implementation model–which augments traditional Learning Collaborative models with a focus on fostering IPC–can reduce barriers and increase the utilization of evidence-based mental health treatment services.

Relationship between Housing Status and Retention Rates among HIV-Positive African Americans Enrolled in a Comprehensive Care Program

ABSTRACTService provision using “one-stop shopping” of medical, psychiatric, and case management services at the same location has been associated with superior client retention. The Yadumu project tested this premise, with attention to HIV-infected African Americans. Each client was assigned a case manager, who arranged meetings with mental health, substance abuse, and medical care professionals. The Center for Mental Health Services, National Outcome Measures (CMHS NOMs) questionnaire was used to evaluate client progress. Data were collected longitudinally and the program evaluation was performed by an outside center. Among 129 clients, 47% were male, 30% were female, and 22% were transgender. The majority (72%) were African American. Clients who lived in detox/drug treatment programs had higher completion rates (48%) than those who were homeless or otherwise housed (28%) (p = 0.04). Logistic regression was used to assess associations between independent factors and retention. Clients satisfied with their housing situation were less likely to retain in the program than those who were not satisfied with their housing situation (OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.03–0.78). High discharge rates among HIV-infected people were observed and may reflect the unstable circumstances of the population studied, but structured residential programs could be advantageous for improving retention.

Preliminary Development of a Brief Intervention to Prevent Alcohol Misuse and Enhance Sport Performance in Collegiate Athletes

Alcohol abuse prevention and mental sport performance programming are becoming increasingly significant in collegiate athletics. There are certainly advantages in the integrated provision of these intervention approaches. However, substance abuse professionals rarely address sport performance, and sport performance experts rarely address alcohol abuse prevention. Therefore, in this clinical trial, 201 NCAA athletes were randomly assigned with a significant other to participate in brief assessment, goal development, and contingency contracting or a wait-list control after completing the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Results indicated that participants who were randomly assigned to the experimental program, as compared with participants who were assigned to the control group, reported significant decreases in alcohol consumption (AUDIT), dysfunctional thoughts and stress in competitive sporting events and academic and injury management factors that interfere with training, from baseline to 2 months post-baseline. No differences were found between the experimental groups in other SIC subscales. Future directions are discussed in light of the results.

Toxic Knowledge: Self-Alteration Through Child Abuse Work.

The purpose of the present article is to examine the multiple ways in which the private lives of professionals are affected by involvement with child abuse intervention and prevention. Using a descriptive-phenomenological perspective and 40 in-depth interviews with professionals to present a model based on qualitative data, we studied the ways in which child abuse professionals conceptualize, understand, and integrate their experiences into their personal and family lives. We find that the process of internalizing child abuse knowledge occurs in two domains: One affirms or denies the existence of the phenomenon; the other concerns the strategies used to contend with the effects of working in abuse. Knowledge of child abuse is toxic, in the sense that it serves as a catalyst leading to the alteration of one's self-perception and parental identity. We present a typology of self-alteration resulting from child abuse knowledge and describe the mechanism of this change.

Child sexual abuse research knowledge among child abuse professionals and laypersons

The purposes of this study were to: (1) Assess child abuse professionals’ and nonprofessionals’ knowledge of scientific research findings that are relevant to forensic child sexual abuse (CSA) evaluations and (2) describe associations between child abuse professionals’ levels of research knowledge and their education and experience. An 18-item multiple-choice test was administered to 188 child abuse professionals and 457 nonprofessionals (undergraduate college students) in Brazil and the United States. The nonprofessionals’ average percent correct, M=44%, was not significantly different than what would be expected for random guessing (45%). The professionals’ average percent correct, M=55%, was higher than that of nonprofessionals and random guessing (both ps<.001). The average percent correct score for the US-sample psychologists, M=76%, was higher than the average score of the other professionals, M=51%, p<.001. Professionals’ educational level, as measured by the highest academic degree obtained, was positively associated with percent correct scores, Spearman's ρ=.46, p<.001. Controlling for educational attainment, professional experience, as measured by the total number of CSA evaluations performed, was weakly associated with percent correct scores, partial r=.15, p=.04. Percent correct scores were low for both nonprofessionals and professionals. Most of the participants in this study were uninformed or misinformed about scientific research findings that are important for conducting optimal forensic CSA evaluations and for making accurate judgments about the validity of sexual abuse allegations.

The Early Detection and Proper Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Social Work Practice with Substance-Abusing Clients

The article describes the history of bipolar disorder diagnostics and the emerging trends of earlier detection and treatment. It explores the link between bipolar disorder and frequent co-occurring disorders, including substance abuse. There are discussions regarding the need for early detection of mood disorders in these individuals and the impact that treatment of mental health issues have on substance abuse prevention in this population. The practice implications for medical, substance abuse, and mental health professionals are examined.

Gatekeeper training outcomes: enhancing the capacity of staff in substance abuse treatment programs to prevent suicide in a high risk population

There is a heightened risk for suicide among individuals currently in addiction treatments or who have a prior history of substance abuse. However, few professional and paraprofessional staff working in substance abuse treatment programs have been previously trained on how to intervene or to manage individuals who may also be experiencing a suicidal crisis. The aim of this pilot study is to examine the impact of an educational intervention for suicide prevention on the training outcomes of perceived self-efficacy and declarative knowledge of substance abuse professionals and staff. Fifty employees of a multi-site substance abuse treatment facility who attended suicide prevention training were surveyed upon completion of the training. Measures attained information for an educational needs assessment and on post-training outcomes. Eighty-eight percent of the staff had previous exposure to an individual at high risk for suicide. Significant training-related gains in perceived self-efficacy were demonstrated ...

Assessing the Attitudes Substance Abuse Professionals Have Toward 12-Step Culture: Preliminary Results

Despite the wide incorporation of 12-step programs into substance abuse treatment, many clients fail to engage them. The lack of engagement might arise for multiple reasons, but the attitudes referring substance abuse professionals have toward 12-step culture might be a contributive factor. Although several available instruments measure client participation, none focus on substance abuse professionals' attitudes toward the culture of 12-step programs. This study reports on the initial development of an instrument designed to measure this construct. Factor analysis of relevant items suggests multiple potential components of attitude toward 12-step culture, laying a foundation for subsequent work.

A three-wave longitudinal examination of perceived organizational support, affective professional commitment, personal recovery status and turnover intentions among substance abuse professionals

Turnover is a problem in addiction treatment (Eby et al., 2010, 2012; Garner et al., 2012). Research on other professionals finds that both perceived organizational support (O'Neill et al., 2009) and professional commitment (Weng & McElroy, 2012) predict turnover intentions. However, little longitudinal research exists and no research investigates these associations in addiction treatment. Using a three-wave study we examine the mediating effect of affective professional commitment on the organizational support—turnover intentions link. We also examine recovery status as a moderator. Data were collected from 353 addiction treatment professionals at three time periods. Results indicate that organizational support predicts subsequent turnover intentions (β=−.39, p<.001) and affective professional commitment partially mediates this relationship (β=−.32, p<.001). The model held for counselors but not clinical supervisors. Counselor recovery status moderated the perceived support–commitment link. Findings suggest that increasing organizational support reduces turnover intentions via professional commitment, particularly for counselors not in recovery.

Substance abuse professionals’ attitudes regarding harm reduction versus traditional interventions for injecting drug users

Investigations of attitudes regarding harm reduction have usually assessed the acceptance of specific interventions, but investigators have rarely compared the ratings of harm reduction interventions to the ratings of traditional interventions or tested whether the perceived value of harm reduction interventions varies as a function of client characteristics. Therefore, using a vignette describing an injecting drug user, we tested whether clinical administrators of substance abuse treatment agencies and licensed chemical dependency counselors rated the beneficence (on a 7-point scale from “Extremely Harmful” to “Extremely Beneficial”) of injection-related harm reduction interventions (e.g., cleaning needles with bleach, muscling, non-injecting routes of administration) differently from the beneficence of traditional treatment interventions (e.g., self-help group, individual and group counseling), and whether client gender and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status impacted such ratings. In Study One, a set of traditional interventions was rated as more beneficial than a set of harm reduction interventions. Study Two showed that a subset of harm reduction interventions designed to prevent transmission of blood-borne diseases was seen as more beneficial than a subset designed to prevent overdose fatalities. Clinical administrators rated harm reduction as more beneficial for HIV-negative clients than for those whose HIV status was described as unknown (Study One), but there was no impact of HIV status on perceived beneficence of harm reduction among licensed chemical dependency counselors (Study Two). Gender of the vignette client did not influence the beneficence ratings in either sample.

Magazine Coverage of Child Sexual Abuse, 1992–2004

This article analyzes trends in the coverage of child sexual abuse in popular magazines since the early 1990s. The article employs systematic analysis to identify and analyze articles in four popular magazines. Articles are analyzed by subject, length, and publication. The results affirm established theories of newsworthiness related to the coverage of specific stories over time. However, interest in the subject waned in the past 10 years, with the brief and dramatic exception of coverage connected to the Catholic Church in 2002. The findings demonstrate systematic differences between the slants of the four magazines studied. The findings also suggest that child abuse professionals could improve the quality of coverage by agreeing to interviews in connection with articles about childhood sexual abuse.

Perceived coercion in substance abuse treatment: The eye of the beholder?

Aims: To examine potential differences in subjective perceptions of coercion between substance abuse professionals and clients in how they view events that trigger entry to treatment. Such differences may influence both the clinician's approach and the client's response to treatment.Participants, measurement and findings: Seventy-four substance abuse treatment outpatients and 75 certified substance abuse clinicians rated 15 treatment entry-related events based on the degree of choice an individual would have in entering treatment. Clients perceived internal sources of coercion as more coercive, whereas the clinicians perceived external items as more coercive. Furthermore, clients' views of external coercive events appeared to be more uni-dimensional than for internal events, whereas clinicians perceived internal events as more cohesive relative to external events.Conclusions: Discrepant perceptions of treatment entry triggers may impact the development of a working alliance and the use of motivational strategies intended to enhance readiness to change. Further investigation into these divergent perceptions is needed to untangle the relationships among client and clinician assumptions, readiness for change, and treatment outcome.

A Look in the Mirror: Sexual Abuse Professionals' Perceptions about Sex Offenders

Sex offender policies have been enacted based on anomalous cases of child abduction and murder, leading to public misperceptions about sex offenders, recidivism, and stranger danger. Professionals working in the sexual abuse field were surveyed to determine to what extent their knowledge and perceptions are consistent with current empirical literature. Professionals had accurate perceptions of the rates at which strangers victimize children and offenders come to the attention of authorities. Significant differences were found regarding perceptions of sex offense recidivism rates, treatment effectiveness, and sex offenders' history of childhood sexual abuse. Implications for treatment, training, and advocacy are discussed.

Views of Sexual Abuse Professionals About Sex Offender Notification Policies

This study examines the views of 261 sexual abuse professionals regarding sex crime policies. Few participants believe that community notification is very effective in reducing sex offenses, but about half believe that all sex offenders should be subject to public disclosure. About one quarter of respondents opine that sex offenders should not be allowed to live in their communities, but a majority do not view residential housing restrictions for sex offenders as effective at reducing recidivism. Most believe in the helpfulness of therapeutic intervention. More than half say that they will support sex offender policies even without scientific evidence of their effectiveness. Criminal justice professionals are more likely to approve of these laws compared to mental health professionals. Those with more conservative political leanings also favor more restrictive policies. There are few differences attributable to gender, parenting status, or victimization experiences.