Community Social Work Research Articles

Community work education: principles, collaboration, and immersive learning through a transnational social work program between Australia and Taiwan

ABSTRACT Neo-liberalism and globalization have had a significant impact on social work education. What was once a program that focused equally on micro-practice with individuals to a macro-practice with communities, has now seen a shift away from collective practice and responsibility. Based within the context of a reciprocal short-term study abroad program between Taiwan and Australia, the aim of this study was to investigate the immersive practices that enhance intercultural, and community work practice among social work students. Using program documents and qualitative data from social work students, academics and community practitioners, this collaborative inquiry is underpinned by the theory of practice architectures framework. This study highlights how immersive, embodied, and experiential learning enhanced students understanding of community work and intercultural practice. It suggests that in order to maximize intercultural learning in social work education, the program and pedagogy must be embedded in reciprocal, ongoing, and authentic relationships.

The cinematographic community: Fernand Deligny’s ‘tentatives’ and radical film education

Fernand Deligny’s experiments with film in the context of social work and therapeutic communities since the 1950s are part of what Marlon Miguel calls ‘semi hidden histories’, whose study is broadening the landscape of film theory and film education. Located at the margins of institutional forms of teaching and care, the ‘tentatives’ organised by Deligny involved a participatory use of the camera, the idea of film and film-making as an egalitarian and heterotopian space, and rested on the formation of radically inclusive communities. This article focuses on the proximity Deligny saw between cinema and that ‘common body’, made of contingent events and impersonal gestures, which for him constituted the common ground of the human. Inspired by the principles of éducation nouvelle, by his life with non-speaking autistic children, and taking shape through a collaboration with Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, Deligny’s work placed itself within an alternative vision of education, beyond the pedagogical model later criticised by Jacques Rancière, which understands it not as a series of techniques for the transmission of knowledge, but rather as a fundamental dimension of collective life.

Community needs assessment for social service delivery in Chengdu, China

ABSTRACT This study explores the community needs assessment of social service delivery in Chengdu, China. Using a qualitative approach to explore needs assessments, the authors conducted in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with community members and social workers. The authors identified various needs for residences, and these include issues related to welfare for senior citizens, service delivery, the social service speciality, health and medical services, children, environmental degradation, and concerns relating to the problems faced by ethnic minorities. The findings provide insights to the Chinese government to strengthen community social work practice development and enhance community service delivery in Chengdu, China.

Examining the Role of Generative AI in Enhancing Social Work Education: An Analysis of Curriculum and Assessment Design

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) holds significant potential to advance the field of social work, yet it brings forth considerable challenges and risks. Key concerns include the legal and ethical ramifications of GAI application, as well as its effects on the vital human connections inherent in social work. Nonetheless, educators in this field must ready their students for the evolving digital environment, ensuring they are adept at employing GAI thoughtfully, skillfully, and ethically. This article will explore the integration of GAI knowledge and skills within educational settings. It will feature a case study detailing the author’s redesign of community welfare and social work degree assignments to include GAI within a community welfare/social work undergraduate course in Queensland, Australia. The discussion will extend to curriculum and assessment development processes aimed at leveraging GAI to enhance student learning, knowledge retention, and confidence in applying GAI within their academic and professional pursuits. Furthermore, the article will examine the implications for curriculum and assessment design, emphasizing the importance of clear learning objectives, the creation of specific, intricate, and contextualized assessments, the necessity for students to critically evaluate GAI outputs, and the challenge of presenting GAI with tasks beyond its capabilities.

Characteristics and Trajectory of Older Adults Supported by a Patient Navigator Program in a Hospital Setting: A Cohort Observational Study.

To improve transitions in care, a new patient navigation (PN) program was introduced to support older adults with complex care needs transition from hospital to home. The patient navigator is a community social worker embedded in the hospital's care teams. A cohort observational design was used to conduct the study by analysing the patient navigator's clinical notes and hospital's administrative data to describe the characteristics of patients, scope of the patient navigator's activities, and patient outcomes. Ninety patients were assigned to the patient navigator's caseload (November 2019-November 2021) in which the average age was 78.9 (range 55-95). The most frequent PN intervention types were referrals to community services (66%, n = 59) and discharge planning (61%, n = 55). The patient navigator supported 66% patients (n = 59) in returning home and provided follow-up care for 74 days (average). This study provides important insights into the patient navigator's role to guide decision makers in implementing PN programs for older adults in a hospital setting.

Abstract 4126950: Program Evaluation of a Team-Based Telemedicine Hypertension Intervention by Patients

Background: We pilot tested a 12-week, team-based, telemedicine hypertension management intervention tailored for patients with greater social needs. Our study included home blood pressure (BP) guided pharmacotherapy, frequent self-management support, and social support by pharmacists, nurses, community health workers and social workers. Twenty patients, including 17 Black patients, from 2 clinics in NC participated. We conducted program evaluation to inform future research. Methods: After program completion, we conducted semi-structured interviews and administered validated surveys for program evaluation. We used Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment and Health Equity Implementation Frameworks to guide our study design. We utilized inductive and deductive coding methods, with thematic analysis to organize emergent themes. We used descriptive statistics to summarize survey results. We triangulated themes from interviews with survey results during analysis/results interpretation using concurrent embedded mixed methods (Qual + quant) for convergence/complementarity. Results: Nineteen patients completed the interviews and 18 completed the surveys. A patient withdrew from the study. Several themes emerged around acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and patient centeredness about the program (Table). Patients’ perceptions that the program was acceptable and measuring BP at home was easy were most salient. Program was found to be highly patient centered. Conclusions: Patients found our team-based telemedicine intervention acceptable, appropriate, feasible, and patient centered. The tailored telemedicine program holds promise for adoption by patients with greater social needs.

Abstract 4128919: A Study Using Team Based Hypertension Care Focused on Black Patients to Inform a Future Randomized Trial

Background: Current telemedicine programs to manage hypertension are less effective in Black patients perhaps due to insufficient support for self-care skills and social needs. We describe a tailored program for Black patients emphasizing self-management support and social needs to inform future studies. Method: We piloted a 12-week telemedicine intervention comprising home blood pressure (BP) guided pharmacotherapy, frequent self-management support and social support using pharmacist, nurses, community health workers (CHW) and social workers (SW) among 20 patients in 2 clinics. At enrollment, we trained patients to use a BP monitor and a telemonitoring app that transmits BP real-time via a smartphone and provided a pill box to facilitate medication adherence. We asked patients to measure BP at least once daily and used 6 weeks average to guide pharmacotherapy. Trained nurses helped patients achieve self-care goals and provided 8-12 self-management support calls discussing hypertension, medication adherence, diet, physical activity, weight management, sleep, and BP measurement techniques. SWs and CHWs provided social support to address social needs such as food, transportation, and housing, and also offered home visits. Result: Eighteen patients completed the study of which 15 were Black, 2 White, and 1 Korean (9 were women). Mean age was 61.7 ± 11.8 years. Patients measured BP 10 ± 8.6 times/week and completed 8.3 ± 2.5 self-management calls. Over 12 weeks, SBP/DBP decreased by 16.5 ± 26.2/10.2 ± 18.5 mmHg without safety events (Table). There were 1.1 ± 0.8 (range 0-3) medication adjustments (dose or medication changes) per patient. Patients had 8 minor technical difficulties that were promptly resolved. 17 patients used pill boxes to improve medication adherence. Conclusion: Our tailored telemedicine program to manage hypertension is feasible among Black patients and offer valuable insights for future research.

Bringing the community into the classroom: professional identity and practice of social workers who studied alongside at-risk adolescent girls

ABSTRACT This study explores the professional identity development of social workers who participated in an academic elective course alongside at-risk adolescent girls aged 16–18. The course, influenced by critical pedagogy, and community and feminist social work, emphasized three core principles: flattening power hierarchies, challenging socio-structural oppression, and mutual learning. In-depth interviews were conducted with course graduates, social workers with 1 to 4 years of experience. Phenomenological analysis uncovered that the course acted as a ‘transitional space’ between student and professional life. Three subthemes emerged: recognizing the vulnerability and strengths of adolescent girls, reflecting on personal life experiences, and learning about forming partnerships with clients. Forming partnerships with clients was enabled by three vehicles: daring to be equal, daring to be authentic, and learning from clients’ knowledge. This study highlights the creation of a ‘community of practice’ through innovative teaching methods and community involvement. It underscores the importance of hands-on experiences and engagement with real-life contexts to bridge the gap between theory and practice, enhancing understanding of concepts like partnership and nonhierarchical approaches in both community and general social work.

Improving cooperation between Hospital and the Community Mental Health Services of Nicosia

Abstract In order to accelerate psychiatric reform in Cyprus we took advantage of JA Implemental during the pilot implementation of Belgium best practices on facilitating the transfer of mental patients from mental hospital to the community mental health services. A multidisciplinary network has been organized between Athalassa Mental Hospital, that is the only mental hospital in the Republic of Cyprus performing 700 patients admissions yearly, and the Community Services of sector 1 and sector 2 of Nicosia Community Mental Services. The network meets regularly in order to facilitate therapeutic culture change in the direction of increasing the percentage of hospital patients that are motivated and prepared to be voluntarily moved for care by the community multidisciplinary teams. This is going to facilitate discharges from hospital, decrease duration of hospitalizations, decrease the frequency of hospitalizations and revolving door readmissions. This increased cooperation is being built on the basis of administrational procedures and clinical protocols that are based on multidisciplinary consensus. The evaluation starts multidisciplinarily in the hospital. A liaison community mental nurse takes part I the evaluation and motivation of the patients before the discharge from the hospital. A written informed consent process takes place in the hospital for the voluntary admission in the community mental health care setting. Also an effort is being made for early written referrals and appointments for community psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker and occupational therapist. This pilot action plan is going to increase cooperation of the mental hospital with the community mental health services, to decrease stigmatization and reform therapeutic culture to the direction of treatment in the community and recovery approach, according to Belgium best practices included in the JA Implemental project.

A new patient navigation model of care to support older adults in transitions of care: Key considerations for implementation for policy-makers and health system leaders.

A Patient Navigation (PN) model of care was introduced in a large metropolitan hospital in Ontario (Canada) to support transitions in care for older adults in 2019. The patient navigator is a community social worker or "community transitional lead" embedded in the hospital's in care teams to assist with discharge planning and provide follow-up care to older adults, their families, and/or care partners for up to 90 days. Initially, the PN program supported acute care patients and has since expanded in the Emergency Department and Reactivation Care Centre. In this cohort retrospective observational study, we described the new PN model of care by analyzing the clinical notes collected by the patient navigator. This article provides preliminary insights for health leaders who are interested in implementing this novel PN model to improve transitions of care in a hospital setting. Funding was provided by the SLAIGHT Family Foundation.

Older Chinese migrants’ social connectedness in Aotearoa New Zealand during Covid-19

INTRODUCTION: The Covid-19 pandemic potentially increased loneliness among older Chinese migrants. There is a paucity of literature on the use of digital technology by this older population in Aotearoa New Zealand. Computer-mediated communication may assist in ameliorating loneliness through maintaining connections. METHOD: Using semi-structured interviews, two groups of participants were recruited from a social work agency serving older adults in a small study conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand. Three community social workers who work with this population were interviewed along with five older Chinese migrants. FINDINGS: Community social workers recognised the potential for digital technology to enhance connectedness for older migrants, although they were concerned by the barriers posed by skills, confidence, and language. The older migrants did not report loneliness and reported good social connections. Having time available to learn new skills, most older participants embraced digital technology, with some concerns about the possible risks of using digital platforms, a concern shared by social workers. IMPLICATIONS: The impact of Covid-19 globally changed how people could interact with one another and carry out daily routines. This small study confirms the potential for enhanced connections for older migrants, particularly under pandemic conditions utilising communications technology.

Solidarity is not a dirty word: exploring and locating solidarity as a theory and model for a radical community social work practice

Within this article we highlight that social work is both a political as well as a professional practice. Despite years of technical specialisation and a policy context that has focused social work on risk management and resource allocation, there remains a deep commitment to care, compassion, and solidarity within contemporary social work practice. The article and its analysis make the case for a more politically informed social work practice, one that is based on solidarity; in opposition to a system that isolates individuals and internalises complex social problems. We posit that the application of solidarity within social work delivers a practice that promotes social inclusion and is based on the provision of practical social support. It is from this perspective that we will present evidence from ethnographic research, drawn from community social work practice, to highlight the importance of social solidarity and provide an insight into different ways of working.

Increasing Role of Social Work Interventions in Maintaining Community Health

Community social workers seek to create an inclusive atmosphere in which inhabitants feel integrated and empowered. They understand that people can work together to improve their conditions by leveraging their expertise and skills to solve problems and effect change. Social professionals have a wide range of opportunities in community development. Some work directly with individuals, couples, or groups. Others operate at the local level, while others work for national or international organizations. They can work for social service agencies, non-profits, or grassroots organizations.

International students and social work education: a scoping review

ABSTRACT With increasing numbers of international students across the globe, it is essential that social work education continually adapts and innovates in ways that are inclusive of and responsive to this diverse group of students. Innovations in social work education with international students requires an understanding of the existing perspectives and knowledge base. This scoping review investigates published peer-reviewed articles written in English from January 2003-March 2023 on international students’ experiences of entry-to-practice social work courses. Twenty-four relevant articles are reviewed, with the majority examining experiences of students located in Australia. Prominent in the reviewed articles are discussions about the impacts of cultural and language differences, as well as the impacts of international students’ knowledge of local systems on their educational and everyday experiences. Findings highlight the need for the social work curriculum to promote diverse perspectives and ways of learning, and to effectively leverage students’ and educators’ knowledge of international systems. Evident is also the need for more strengths-based practice and research, for better understand and promote the diverse strengths and contributions that international students bring to their social work communities.

Active methodologies for learning about human rights through the Age-Friendly Cities project in the social work bachelor’s degree

ABSTRACT A teaching experience was conducted on linking academic content with activities of the Age-Friendly Cities project as applied to the city of Logroño (La Rioja, Spain). The aim was to improve students’ understanding of human rights and their application in social work practice. The article described the methodological process linked to two subjects in the third year of the Social Work degree course: Design and Evaluation of Social Programmes and Community Social Work. Cooperative learning techniques such as flipped classroom, jigsaw, discussions and community mapping were introduced. A semi-structured questionnaire was carried out to find out about the students’ perception of the project. The results showed the satisfaction of students were with the methodology used and the improvement of general and specific skills, as well as the need to reinforce the link between Human Rights and Social Work through local and community experiences that bring social problems closer to the classroom and thus promoted meaningful learning.

Understanding how community-dwelling persons with early dementia perceive health and community services: Informing the dementia strategy of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

With an increased aging population, the number of individuals with dementia is expected to rise. The onset of dementia marks the start of negotiating access to a wide range of health and social services to find practical and emotional supports to deal with the management of changes and subsequent challenges that individual with dementia face. The toll of dementia goes beyond the health care system, affecting families and caregivers' quality of life. This places more pressure on family caregivers and health care institutions to provide services for affected individuals. It is important to understand the service needs of this population to enable them to live at home longer, contribute to society and maintain a positive quality of life. To increase understanding of how persons living at home with early dementia and their caregivers/significant others currently perceive and interact with health and community-based services and service providers. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to explore the experiences of individuals with early dementia and care providers with health and community-based services using semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Participants included 16 individuals 50years and older with mild/early dementia living at home, 22 informal caregivers of individuals with mild/early dementia, and 5 key community informants (community health nurses and social workers). Four thematic categories of barriers and two thematic categories of facilitators for access to and uptake of supportive services were identified. Five strategies to inform the development of an action plan to enhance access to, and uptake of, supportive services were determined. Early recognition of dementia through education and publicity enhanced public awareness, attention, and social inclusion with dementia-friendly neighborhoods and facilities need to be considered to achieve effective dementia-related services. Inclusion and recognition of the wishes of persons with dementia is key.

A Burnt-Out Health: Stigma towards Mental Health Problems as a Predictor of Burnout in a Sample of Community Social Healthcare Professionals.

Burnout is a primary psychosocial risk factor in the workplace. Mental health stigma, which includes negative cognitions, emotions, and behaviors, also undermines the performance of social healthcare professionals. This study aimed to explore the levels of burnout in a sample of community social healthcare workers as well as its relationships with variables such as stigma towards mental health problems, professional skills, and job characteristics. An online assessment was conducted with 184 social healthcare professionals (75.5% female, mean age = 40.82 years, SD = 9.9). Medium levels of burnout and stigma and high levels of professional skills were observed. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that stigma towards mental health problems and professional skills predicted emotional exhaustion (R2 = 0.153, F(4, 179) = 9.245, p < 0.001), depersonalization (R2 = 0.213, F(3, 180) = 17.540, p < 0.001), and personal accomplishment (R2 = 0.289, F(5, 178) = 15.87, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that social healthcare systems could benefit from taking care of the mental health of their workers by addressing burnout, tackling negative attitudes towards mental health problems, and providing professional skills training. This would help to make social healthcare systems more inclusive and of higher quality, thereby reducing health costs.

Development of Community Social Workers

Development of Community Social Workers

A randomized controlled trial of a novel home-based palliative care program: A report of a trial that could not be completed.

In response to a growing need for accessible, efficient, and effective palliative care services, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a novel palliative care at home (PC@H) model for people with serious illness that is centered around a community health worker, a registered nurse, and a social worker, with an advanced practice nurse and a physician for support. Our objectives were to measure the impact of receipt of PC@H on patient symptoms, quality of life, and healthcare utilization and costs. We enrolled 136 patients with serious illness in this parallel, randomized controlled trial. Our primary outcome was change in symptom burden at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes included change in symptom burden at 3 months, change in quality of life at 6 weeks and 3 months, estimated using a group t-test. In an exploratory aim, we examined the impact of PC@H on healthcare utilization and cost using a generalized linear model. PC@H resulted in a greater improvement in patient symptoms at 6 weeks (1.30 score improvement, n = 37) and 3 months (3.14 score improvement, n = 21) compared with controls. There were no differences in healthcare utilization and costs between the two groups. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a loss of funding, the trial was not able to be completed as originally intended. A palliative care at home model that leverages community health workers, registered nurses, and social workers as the primary deliverers of care may result in improved patient symptoms and quality of life compared with standard care. We did not demonstrate significant differences in healthcare utilization and cost associated with receipt of PC@H, likely due to inability to reach the intended sample size and insufficient statistical power, due to elements beyond the investigators' control such as the COVID-19 public health emergency and changes in grant funding.

A review of the need for a systemic approach towards community social work and implications for social work practice in Singapore

ABSTRACT Social problems in Singapore are becoming more complicated, requiring multiple perspectives to address root causes. In contrast, social workers are trained to address these challenges with a person-in-environment approach, especially in community social work. This review article shows that there are clear parallels between community work and the need to understand the interconnectedness of social problems to address them, along with the importance of systems thinking in assessing social challenges and developing interventions to address them. A pragmatic community work framework infused with systems thinking is needed to support social workers’ interventions in bringing about long-term change in social problems.