Social Ministry Research Articles

The Mobile Care Health Project Providing Dental Care in Rural Hawai'i Communities

By Kaye Lundburg, Carol R. Ignacio, Cheryl M. Ramos (USA) Peer Reviewed This paper reports on the Mobile♥Care Health Project (MCHP), a project of the Office for Social Ministry (OSM) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu (referred to subsequently as “Diocese”), which aimed to increase access to dental care for the underserved on the Island of Hawai'i. This paper describes the history of the project, challenges encountered in its development, short and long term goals set and accomplished, and the community-based dental care programs that were established as a result of the MCHP initiative.

KEBIJAKAN NASIONAL TENTANG MUTU PEKERJA SOSIAL

This research is aimed to analyse : (1) Policy substance which is guiding the social workers, especially related to the quality of the social workers, (2) The policy implementation which is implemented by the stakeholders of the social ministry (The directorate General of social rehabilitation services, The head of Research and training Board, The head of Employee and organization Biro, All directors and heads of Training and education centers, (3) and the result of policy implementation which is done in the operational level. The resources of the primary data as an anlysis unit is the stakeholders of social ministry, social workers and the head of care management centers in the local and central government. The conclussion of this research is : (1) The National Policy in the form of regulation (Constitution, government President and Minister regulation), (2) In the policy implementation of the social workers’ quality, during the five year period (2004-2009) has not been implemented well. (3) The Evaluation of national policy implementation about the quality of the social workers in providing social services is : (a) 40% of the social workers who are competence in providing social services, (b) the qualification of social workers mostly in the skilled level ( 65 %) and the small part is in the expert level (35 %), (c) The ratio of social workers to the clients is about 1 : 22 (1156 social workers handle 25.000 clients), (d) the limited number of social workers and budget, lack of training and education are regarded as the causes of the low target of social services and the low quality of the the PMKS output, (4) There are some head of the care management center who do not give the sufficient opportunities for the social workers to implement their main job and function. This problem brings bad impact to the performance and competencies of the social workers in developping their profession.

KEBIJAKAN NASIONAL TENTANG MUTU PEKERJA SOSIAL

This research is aimed to analyse : (1) Policy substance which is guiding the social workers, especially related to the quality of the social workers, (2) The policy implementation which is implemented by the stakeholders of the social ministry (The directorate General of social rehabilitation services, The head of Research and training Board, The head of Employee and organization Biro, All directors and heads of Training and education centers, (3) and the result of policy implementation which is done in the operational level. The resources of the primary data as an anlysis unit is the stakeholders of social ministry, social workers and the head of care management centers in the local and central government. The conclussion of this research is : (1) The National Policy in the form of regulation (Constitution, government President and Minister regulation), (2) In the policy implementation of the social workers’ quality, during the five year period (2004-2009) has not been implemented well. (3) The Evaluation of national policy implementation about the quality of the social workers in providing social services is : (a) 40% of the social workers who are competence in providing social services, (b) the qualification of social workers mostly in the skilled level ( 65 %) and the small part is in the expert level (35 %), (c) The ratio of social workers to the clients is about 1 : 22 (1156 social workers handle 25.000 clients), (d) the limited number of social workers and budget, lack of training and education are regarded as the causes of the low target of social services and the low quality of the the PMKS output, (4) There are some head of the care management center who do not give the sufficient opportunities for the social workers to implement their main job and function. This problem brings bad impact to the performance and competencies of the social workers in developping their profession.

PAN‐LATIN RADICAL HOSPITALITY: FAITH‐BASED HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN THE SOUTH BRONX

The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to have a devastating impact in the South Bronx, one of the most impoverished areas in the United States. Responding to this need is an Episcopalian HIV/AIDS social ministry operated by Misión San Juan Bautista. The ministry has grown from providing social support to infected and affected persons and increasing awareness of the disease, to designing and providing HIV, gender, and sexuality popular education programs for men and women. Misión San Juan Bautista's HIV/AIDS program makes an important contribution to the field of HIV/AIDS education through its development of a culturally and linguistically competent sexuality education program that fills a gap in the current approved list of HIV/AIDS education programs targeting Latino and Latina populations. Misión San Juan Bautista's HIV/AIDS initiatives utilize Freirean popular education methods. The programs take place among groups of community members, stimulating critical analyses of common cultural ideologies and practices around gender and sexuality and their effects on individuals, couples, families, and the community. This article examines how the small, Hispanic immigrant congregation and vestry collaborate with the vicar, volunteers, staff, consultants, and partners to serve clients from a range of Latin American countries with sexual health education. In so doing, we attempt to show how the congregation and vestry have internalized and put into practice concepts of liberation theology and radical hospitality.

A 'Time to Share Love' : Global Pentecostalism and the Social Ministry of David Yonggi Cho

A 'Time to Share Love' : Global Pentecostalism and the Social Ministry of David Yonggi Cho

African Pentecostal spirituality and civic engagement: the case of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Britain

African Pentecostal churches are becoming increasingly important in Britain where they are growing at a time when mainstream Christianity is in decline. Originally functioning as social and religious support networks for African migrants, their growth has been stimulated by a conscious missionary agenda. Recently, there has been a shift towards a more holistic understanding of mission in some African churches, which includes social ministry and political action. The focus of this article is the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), a transnational Nigerian Pentecostal denomination with close to 400 congregations in Britain. It suggests that the RCCG’s social orientation has been influenced by its internal theology, its Pentecostal experience and its external social context. It explores the way it has articulated and implemented its social vision in a multicultural and fragmented society.

Correlation of Functional Roles of the Modern Protestant Believer (Ukrainian and Diaspora Context)

At present, the position of religion in society is changing dramatically, and so is the status of a believing person. Until recently, as an ideological outcast in a society that was stripped of almost all rights while in the sociocultural underground, the believer became trapped within the confines of religious functionality. In connection with the affirmation of real freedom of conscience, the intensification of the activity of the church in Ukraine, the restoration of its inherent functions, the ability of the believer to fulfill his duties both in the sphere of his religion and in the social ministry increased.

A Second Look at the Industrial Areas Foundation: Lessons for Catholic Social Thought and Ministry

ABSTRACTThis article revives consideration of the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), a network of Alinsky-style community organizing institutions supported by the Catholic Church, as an object of theological and ethical reflection. After describing the IAF and its organizing practices, it advances two claims. First, the IAF offers Catholic social teaching a concept of power that can sharpen its understanding of social change. Second, the IAF offers a promising model of parish social ministry. Specifically, it offers a pedagogy and praxis of political agency that enhances the parish's ability to live out its calling to be the church, and to be a mediating institution of public life. Such a model integrates evangelical impulses into the “public church” framework for conceiving Christianity's relationship to civil society.

Non-Working Occlusal Discrepancies Are Associated with Increased Probing Depths and Attachment Loss

Article Title and Bibliographic Information The influence of dynamic occlusal interferences on probing depth and attachment level: results of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). Bernhardt, O., D. Gesch, et al. (2006). J Periodontol 77(3): 506-16. Level of Evidence 2B Purpose/Question To investigate associations between dynamic occlusal interferences and signs of periodontal disease in posterior teeth Source of Funding Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Social Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg, West Pomerania, and by a fellowship from the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach Foundation, a private non-profit foundation in Essen, Germany. Type of Study/Design Cohort study

Prosthetic status is related to quality of life

The impact of tooth loss on general health related to quality of life among elderly Pomeranians: results from the study of health in Pomerania (SHIP-O). Mack F, Schwahn C, et al. Int J Prosthodont 2005;18(5):414-9. 2c Is prosthetic status related to quality of life? German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (grant no. BMBF 01ZZ96030), the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the Social Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, and the German Research Association (grant no. DFG Ko799/5-1) Cross-sectional study

Comparison of Computing Capability and Information System Abilities of State Hospitals Owned by Ministry of Labor and Social Security and Ministry of Health

The main purpose of this study is to give an idea to the readers about how big and important the computing and information problems that hospital managers as well as policy makers will face with after collecting the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS) and Ministry of Health (MoH) hospitals under single structure in Turkey by comparing the current level of computing capability of hospitals owned by two ministries. The data used in this study were obtained from 729 hospitals that belong to both ministries by using a data collection tool. The results indicate that there have been considerable differences among the hospitals owned by the two ministries in terms of human resources and information systems. The hospital managers and decision makers making their decisions based on the data produced by current hospital information system (HIS) would more likely face very important difficulties after merging MoH and MoLSS hospitals in Turkey. It is also possible to claim that the level and adequacy of computing abilities and devices do not allow the managers of public hospitals to use computer technology effectively in their information management practices. Lack of technical information, undeveloped information culture, inappropriate management styles, and being inexperienced are the main reasons of why HIS does not run properly and effectively in Turkish hospitals.

Saving souls, serving society: understanding the faith factor in church-based social ministry

As public funding for social services has been slashed, there has arisen an unprecedented interest in the potential (and dangers) of faith-based institutions as agents of social change. Now, as President Bush begins his second term, he has placed government funding of faith-based programs at the top of his domestic agenda. What distinguishes church-based from secular social activism? What is particularly religious about church-based social services? How do churches express their religious identity in the context of social services, and how does this affect their access to resources and partners? This book, based on a Lilly-funded study of fifteen Philadelphia churches with active outreach, seeks to answer these and other pressing questions surrounding this important and controversial issue. Providing a far more objective understanding of faith-based initiatives than previously available, this study will be of interest not only to scholars of sociology of religion, social work, and social policy, but to denominational leaders, non-profit professionals, social policy analysts, community development practitioners, and others with the common goal of aiding struggling communities.

Theological Education for Social Ministry: Proposals Based on a Narrative Inquiry

Adult religious education of the laity is in part about adult theological education for social ministry in the world. This article makes some adult education proposals for such social ministry. It summarizes the results of a narrative inquiry in which four Christian social activists shared the contexts, relationships, and education that they considered spiritually formative for their vocational commitments to social ministry. The author reflects theologically on the findings noting the importance of affirmation, connecting with difference, proximity to justice issues and risk, creative spirituality, and the interdependence of the findings in forming the participants' commitment to social ministry. Based on an implicit "curriculum" that was found within the research participants' narrative histories, the author suggests areas of programmatic focus for educating laity for social ministry and notes briefly the usefulness of narrative inquiry for developing approaches to adult theological education.

Activists and the academy: Proposals for social ministry formation learned from the lives of social activists

This paper is the fruit of a narrative inquiry in which the author interviewed Christian social activists from the Maritime Provinces to learn what was spiritually formative for their commitment to social ministry. It summarizes and reflects upon the research findings that indicate the types of contexts, people, relationships, experiences and activities that were influences on the participants' societal commitments. Feminist theological themes used to reflect on the findings include affirmation, connecting with difference, proximity to justice issues and risk, relationships, community and creative spirituality. The author suggests the presence of an implicit spiritually formative curriculum in the research participants' lives that is potentially formative for social ministry and suggests some possible implications for theological education.

The interleukin-1 polymorphism is associated with periodontal disease among smokers

Original Article Meisel P, Siegemund A, Grimm R, Herrmann FH, John U, Schwahn C, et al. The interleukin-1 polymorphism, smoking, and the risk of periodontal disease in the population-based SHIP study. J Dent Res 2003;82(3):189–93. Level of Evidence 4 Purpose To determine whether there is evidence for the association of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) polymorphism with periodontal disease in a population sample Source of Funding Government: (a) German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, (b) German Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and (c) Social Ministry of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania Type of Study/Design Cross-sectional study

Social Work and the Development of Community-Based Social Services

The present text is the opening and welcome speech to the 4 international conference “Social work and the development of community services”, which was in 2001, Vilnius, November 23-24. The speaker was Vilija Blinkevčiūtė - the minister of Social security and work ministry of Lithuania Republic. The minister welcomed the participants of conference and presented the goals of the Eleventh Government of the Republic of Lithuania to develop and enhance the social assistance system.

Orthopedic surgery in Estonia.

We did a survey on the development of orthopedic surgery in Estonia, especially during the past 10 years, including education, hospital-based orthopedic surgery and orthopedic research. The main types of orthopedic operations were analyzed, on the basis of data from the Estonian Social Ministry, Bureau of Medical Statistics and several departments of orthopedic. On the average, 11,831 orthopedic operations were performed yearly during the years 1996-1998 in hospital departments.

Through the Eye of a Needle: Social Ministry in Affluent Churches

Though the prevailing image of affluent churches is that they are not highly involved in social concerns, there is considerable variation in the extent of their involvement in social ministry. We use an open system, power framework to derive a number of hypotheses explaining why some affluent churches are more involved in social ministry than others. We use data from 31 affluent churches to test these hypotheses. The data suggest that affluent churches are most involved in social ministry when they are affiliated with theologically liberal denominations; women are in leadership roles; lay leaders embrace social justice beliefs; pastors have liberal theologies; and pastors attempt to link faith and social ministry.

Recalling the Secret Struggle in the Guomindang's Shanghai Social Bureau

In 1934, the party sent me to infiltrate the Guomindang's Nanjing government to do secret work. During the later period of the Anti-Japanese War, as an expert in labor affairs, I was director of the First Department of the Labor Bureau of the GMD's Social Ministry in Chongqing. I often went to 50 Zhenjiayan Road to report to Zhou Enlai and ask for his instructions. The man I often contacted there was Chen Jiakang. In 1945, as soon as the Japanese surrendered, the GMD government posted a lot of important officials "to take over"** throughout the country. Gu Zhenggang, the head of the Social Ministry, was going to fly to Shanghai, and the party organization asked me to try to go with him. Gu knew that I had once studied in Japan and had taught at Shanghai Law College. [He also knew] I had a lot of students in Shanghai, such as Wu Shaoshu and others. [Gu] thought I would be useful as he took on [his new responsibilities], so he agreed that I could go to Shanghai with him. No sooner had I gotten to Shanghai than the party organization sent Zhang Weiyi (who had done intelligence work under the leadership of Li Kenong for a long time, and who would die of illness in 1956) to be my only contact.

Improving regulation of care.

The JDC-Brookdale Institute of Gerontology, in collaboration with Israel's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and Ministry of Health, has developed a program to improve government regulation of long-term care institutions for the elderly, and thus the quality of institutional care. The aim of the program was to introduce greater uniformity and objectivity into the existing surveillance system, increase the participation of institution residents, and ensure public access to instruments and criteria. The tracer methodology was used and tracers representing the medical, nursing, psychosocial and environmental-operational areas were developed in consultation with specialists in each field. The program was welcomed by surveillance personnel, and implemented on a nation-wide basis. Although there have been difficulties with its implementation, these have largely been resolved through discussion, workshops and supplementary training for surveyors. Due to the program's success, new programs are being developed to improve the regulation of other kinds of institution.