Social Work Education Programs Research Articles

Competition in american social work education during times of COVID-19: a midwestern case study

ABSTRACT Competition to attract students for enrollment in American social work degree programs is intense. Program attributes (e.g. minimum grade point average, maximum transfer credits permitted, institutional tuition rate, and rankings) distinguish social work education programs in the United States. Determining which program attributes appeal to potential students could help increase a program’s competitiveness in a crowded education marketplace. The COVID-19 pandemic is further intensifying recruitment of students to BSW programs. This research used a case study approach to compare admission attributes of 21 bachelor of social work programs (BSW) offered at 11 public and 10 private institutions located in one state that could be viewed as representative of American BSW programs. This paper compared attributes that differentiated these undergraduate social work programs, while exploring the potential impact of the pandemic on BSW student recruitment. Implications for social work education are discussed, including lessons learned that may be helpful to BSW faculty and staff responsible for student recruitment activities and related operations. Social work education program administrators and faculty could use this information to review recruitment and application processes and raise awareness of the burgeoning influence of reputational ranking services.

Factors Influencing Social Work Identity in Mental Health Placements

AbstractThis article shares findings from a study that explored factors contributing to the development of a social work professional identity, with a particular focus on social work students undertaking field education placements in mental health settings. Social work identity is not well recognised or articulated by experienced practitioners, nor does it appear to be adequately emphasised in social work education and training programmes. There is limited research on social work identity in mental health settings and even less pertaining to students’ efforts to construct a professional identity in such paradigmatically unfamiliar environments. This qualitative study explored how students understand, experience and articulate their developing professional identity in mental health settings. Participants were interviewed towards the completion of seventy-day (500-hour) field placements. Findings highlight that students struggled to relate to the concept of a ‘social work identity’ and were unable to articulate what it might be or involve. Students were more at ease describing specific roles they performed during their placement. However, analysis of their reflections on what they observed, what they did during placement, and reflective or integrative opportunities, provided rich descriptions of a range of the factors contributing to and influencing their developing social work identity.

In their own words: social work faculty discuss incivility

ABSTRACT Despite the detrimental effects of incivility in the workplace, relatively little research examines peer-level incivility in social work education. Incivility literature from multiple countries has established that within the academy, individuals’ bad behaviors coupled with nonexistent, weak, and inconsistent institutional policies as causes of the problem. This study analyzes qualitative data (n = 164) drawn from a larger survey (n = 243) collected from faculty members in social work education programs in the United States. The study explores personal experiences with incivility among social work faculty. In addition to the professional and personal impact of workplace incivility, three other themes emerge from these data: a discussion on how incivility occurs, the causes of incivility, and the role power and hierarchies have in supporting environments where these behaviors thrive. This study finds that incivility within social work education has negative long-term outcomes with implications for future job prospects, hiring decisions, and tenure and promotion. These data also confirm that consequences of microaggressions in the workplace are as harmful as overt acts of incivility. The study concludes with opportunities for leaders in social work education to identify and address individual behaviors while also assessing and addressing institutional oversight and response systems.

HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among social work students: A comparative study

The article describes a quantitative cross-sectional study of a sample of 674 university students enrolled in social work programmes in four countries: Belgium, Canada, Chile and Switzerland. The study aimed to assess HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes among participants. The median HIV-KQ-18 score for the sample was 14.0, which Carey and Schroder classify as indicating borderline low levels of knowledge. Based on the results, the authors argue that social work education and training programmes should more comprehensively address HIV/AIDS within their curricula to better equip future social workers to challenge stigmatising and exclusionary practices rooted in long-standing lack of knowledge and erroneous beliefs about the disease.

A Call to Action: Addressing Ambivalence and Promoting Advocacy for Reproductive Rights in Social Work Education

ABSTRACT This article highlights the current sociopolitical reality surrounding reproductive rights in the United States, and the ambivalence of social work education in integrating reproductive justice into the curriculum and professional preparation of students for practice. The authors deconstruct a multisystem equivocation that manifests through the silence of Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) guidance on the issue, and the tenuous position of social work education programs within shifting institutional climates. A call to action is made with a specific proposal for CSWE and social work programs to consider for effective professional preparation of students and the fulfillment of the profession’s aspiration to protect human rights to autonomy and self-determination.

Macro Practice Supervision by Social Work Field Instructors

ABSTRACT Although the Council on Social Work Education has identified field education and macro practice as core domains in social work education, there has been limited research examining the implementation of macro practice elements in field education settings. As part of a larger research project examining field instructors’ inclusion of macro and diversity-based content in the field practicum placement, this exploratory study focused on (a) field instructors’ integration of macro practice elements into the field practicum setting and (b) the amount of time field instructors allotted to discussing macro practice elements in their weekly supervision with students. Surveys were completed by 102 field instructors associated with an accredited undergraduate and graduate-level social work education program at a public university in the intermountain west region of the United States. This study found that field instructors integrate few or limited macro practice elements into the field practicum placement, field instructors spend minimal time discussing macro practice elements with students during weekly supervision, and the macro practice elements discussed varied across field instructors and differed among primary areas of practice focus in practicum settings. Implications for social work education and field practicum education are provided, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

The influence of personality and preventive resources on perceived stress in German social work students

ABSTRACT Social work students are preparing for a high risk profession that might involve occupational stress and stress-related health outcomes. The transactional stress model by Lazarus and Folkman describes the process of cognitive appraisals in response to potential stressors in the environment and what central variables are antecedent to the perception of stress. In this study the interplay of core facets of the transactional stress model is investigated in order to underline the importance of teaching and improving preventive resources in social work education programs. This study explored personality, stress prevention resources, perceived stress, and stress symptoms for social work students. Structural equation modelling was used to examine how students’ stress symptoms are influenced by these factors and how the interplay between those factors can best be described. A sample of German social work students was surveyed (n = 407). Evidence was found for direct effects of stress prevention resources on perceived stress and from perceived stress on psychological symptoms. Therefore this study provides insights into how perceived stress in social work students can be explained with the transactional model and that prevention strategies need to be included in their educational program.

Pandemic disruptions: The subversion of neoliberalism.

The implications of the COVID 19 pandemic signal both tragedy and possibility. This reflective paper considers the amplification of the concurrent pandemics of violence against women and children and anti-black racism during the responses to COVID 19 and renewed calls to action. The enforced ‘pause’ as a result of social isolation or distancing measures in response to COVID-19, has led many people to re-imagine a different world and ignited social movements across the globe. Education must inspire a vision of what our world could be and define what action is needed and the steps required to implement change. The critical reflection that characterizes most social work educational programs can provide opportunities to harness such imaginings in redefining ‘the possible’ in the quest for a more equitable and safer world. This article describes the potential of the pandemic to subvert the pervasive influence of neoliberalism by promoting collective notions of care.

Suicide, Race, and Social Work: A Systematic Review of Protective Factors among African Americans

ABSTRACT Purpose: Suicide among African Americans has increased significantly in the past 15 years, yet it remains a neglected topic in social work research. This systematic review examines social work’s contribution to suicide research while focusing on the social context in which African Americans live. Method: Using a critical race theory, we examine protective factors specific to African Americans that may mitigate suicide risks. Results reveal that the social work profession has produced 20 suicide-related studies between 1980 and 2018. Results: Identify three types of protective factors against suicide among African Americans. These are: micro-level factors (private regard / strong African American identity and impulsive response to discrimination), mezzo-level factors (family support and the role of women), and macro-level factors (social support, poverty and lack of awareness, religion, access to care, and internal response to community violence). Conclusion: Finding demonstrate evidence of the relationship between protective factors and suicide among African Americans. Implications for the use of Critical Race Theory in Social Work research and practice are provided along with implications to advance suicide training in social work education programs.

The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on Women’s Breast Cancer Screening in Accra, Ghana

Ghana has a relatively low incidence rate of women’s breast cancer compared to more developed countries. However, the breast cancer’s mortality rate is higher in the former compared to the latter. In Ghana, the role of social work in health care is limited or is not recognized. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, access to healthcare providers, and physicians’ recommendations on Ghanaian women’s breast cancer screening practices. A cross-sectional survey and convenience sample were used to collect data from 194 Ghanaian women after approval was obtained from two Institutional Review Boards, authors of instruments used, and the participants. Univariate, chi-square, and logistic regression statistics were used to analyze data. Seventy-one percent of the participants reported practicing breast self-examination (BSE) and 14% reported mammogram screening. While educational level and employment were positively associated with BSE, a regular visit to healthcare providers was negatively associated with BSE. Income and physicians’ recommendations were positively associated with mammogram screening. Ghanaian women’s low level of mammogram screening calls for first, increasing breast cancer awareness and education to counteract negative personal and cultural beliefs relating to breast cancer and screening. Second, social workers in collaboration with health professionals and social justice agencies should advocate and lobby for health insurance legislation which mandates coverage of mammogram screening services. Finally, introducing oncology social work to the curriculum of social work educational programs in Ghana is needed to prepare social workers to address psychosocial challenges relating to breast cancer.

Being Visible in the Policy Process: The Experience of the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University

Abstract Social work faculty regularly encourage students to engage in policy practice, often structuring course assignments to allow students to apply their social work knowledge and skills to the policy process. Faculty members, as part of the expectation that they engage in community service, often are themselves involved with community groups, agencies, organisations and government bodies to develop, revise and evaluate policies to promote social and economic justice. Less is known about how social work education programmes, as organisations, work to fulfil the profession’s expectations and mandates regarding promoting more just policies and programmes. Hence, qualitative data were collected from twenty participants, forty-nine documents and more than seventy email conversations to understand the experience of School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University. The School’s experience offers an example of how an educational enterprise using its faculty members can be involved in policy practice. This article identifies various activities in which the School has been involved over the past fifteen years as well as the challenges and benefits of being engaged in these forms of policy practice.

Strengthened by challenges: the path of the social work education in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Although the situations in many African countries require the presence of social workers, social work education is not yet well established in many parts of the Continent. The lack of social work educators presents a significant challenge to developing and running social work education programs. Hence, understanding how a social work education program can be opened despite such a shortage is very important. This article presents innovative strategies for developing a social work education program when local social work educators are not in place. It documents how Ethiopian graduate students assumed academic roles with the support of international social work faculty to manage and implement a social work education program. In 15 years, this initial program has resulted in the blossoming of social work education in Ethiopia, with 12 other universities and colleges currently offering social work degrees. Yet there have been many challenges along the way to this success. How these challenges became opportunities is instructive. This article documents the strategies used to overcome these challenges and make the School of Social Work at Addis Ababa University a sustainable national model. Lessons for social work educators and those interested in starting social work education programs are discussed.

Enhancing Educator by Experience led social work training: Lessons learned from the development of a Teaching Partnership Funded Project

ABSTRACT This paper shares learning from a project designed as part of a UK regional Teaching Partnership (TP) development to enhance service user and carer, or what we prefer to term ‘Educator-by Experience', Led social work teaching and training. The paper illustrates development of the project and the approach taken to agree the project remit and undertake the work. We discuss the project guiding principles and some challenges we encountered within the project development process and reflect on some lessons learned. The overall aim of this paper is to share practice-informed experiential learning to enhance ‘Educators by Experience-Led’ social work teaching and training. The paper will assist in enhancing the engagement of ‘Educators by Experience’ in the design, delivery and evaluation of social work education and training programmes.

‘Resilient when it comes to death’: Exploring the significance of bereavement for the well – being of social work students

This article describes a pilot qualitative research study, exploring the impact of bereavement experiences, on pre-qualifying social work students in two UK Universities with diverse demographics. The research study took place in the context of general concern about the mental health of UK University students and suggests that social work students may be at particular risk of developing emotional wellbeing issues linked to bereavement. Interviews followed a free association narrative technique, with analysis of the data highlighting four main themes. Firstly, bereavement is associated with practical problems which may trigger wellbeing issues. Secondly, there is an increased need for specific bereavement training and support to be embedded within social work programmes, alongside skills and knowledge of cultural diversity and the part this plays in the bereavement process. Lastly, the study demonstrated that bereavement experiences are not isolated but linked to other losses and therefore students may need effective support to process these before they can effectively support others. The study appears to be distinctive in its focus on the impacts of bereavement on social work students and has significant implications for the ways in which students are supported by social work education programmes, as well as paving the way for further research in this area.

#SocialWorkEducation: A Computational Analysis of Social Work Programs on Twitter

ABSTRACT Computational social science methods provide a better understanding of how social work education programs use Twitter. Data mining and sentiment analysis of 2,509 tweets were conducted using the Information, Community, and Action conceptual framework. Programs primarily tweet content related to the theme of Information and the tone of the tweets are mainly positive. Statistics such as the number of followers, number of tweets, types of hashtags (#) used, and when tweets are shared during the day are also provided to illustrate how programs use Twitter. A composite score was also developed to highlight the top 10 social work programs on Twitter. Implications for social work education are given along with suggestions for programs in developing a social media strategy.

A Social-Ecological Perspective of Spiritual Resilience and Suicidality among African-American Men

ABSTRACT Despite their minoritized status research has shown that suicide among African-American men has steadily increased. Research has also discussed generalized protective factors that have been found to mitigate suicide risk. What lacks is a more culturally nuanced definition of spiritual resilience which has been found to protect against suicide for African-American men. Using Socio-Ecological Resiliency Theory (S-ERT), The Theory of Intersectionality (TOI), and Critical Race Theory (CRT) as our theoretical lens, this article draws on the lived experiences of social workers working with suicidal African-American men. It examines the social ecologies of African-American men and seeks to understand how these experiences can help to mitigate suicide risk. Implications are provided for social work research, policy and education programs to ensure that practitioners are well versed in working with this population.

Who Am I and What Do I Do?

The purpose of this study is to examine social work professional identity development through interprofessional education and practice. The Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Training Program (IMBTP) was developed to prepare students for collaborative practice in integrated behavioral health settings. Interprofessional education and training was a core component of the IMBTP. At the conclusion of five cohorts (graduating 2014-2018), 61 MSW students had completed the training program. Content analysis of qualitative evaluation data revealed professional identity development as a recurring theme across multiple domains. Results demonstrate that providing opportunities for social work students to participate in interprofessional education and training allows for a greater understanding of other professional roles and perspectives, while at the same time helping to solidify the role and identity of a social worker. Social work education programs should consider including interprofessional education experiences for all students.

Implementation of the TeamSTEPPS Curriculum With Baccalaureate Nursing and Social Work Students Utilizing Student Trainers: A Qualitative and Quantitative Study.

Nursing and social work education programs are seeking innovative ways to prepare students to function as collaborative members of interprofessional teams upon graduation. Communication is a key linked to a decrease in medical errors, which compromise patient safety. In response to nursing students' concerns about clinical experiences in which they had witnessed poor communication with the potential to jeopardize patient care, faculty members identified a communication skills training program designed to improve team performance. Senior nursing and social work students at the beginning of their last semester of school were trained in selected modules of the Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) training program and subsequently trained their student colleagues. The goal was to emphasize communication skills and strategies in a sustainable student trainer model. Qualitative and quantitative data about participant experiences revealed significant improvement in teamwork attitudes and communication skills following the training.

Dyadic simulation to prepare students for counseling transgender children and their parents

ABSTRACT Transgender individuals are at risk for discrimination, which can lead to poor mental health outcomes. Social workers are often the health professionals to provide assistance during periods of transition. Social work education programs use simulation-based learning experiences to train students to think independently and respond empathically to clients. Nineteen undergraduate social work students participated in a dyadic simulation with transgender individuals and their cisgender parents, and they received lower performance scores compared to a similar group of students engaged in a simulation with bisexual child and parent dyads. This paper presents research findings and makes recommendations for simulation preparation activities to better prepare novice social workers for direct practice with transgender children and their parents. We conducted this simulation study at a private university in the United States of America.

A Breath of Fresh Air: Social Work IPE With People Experiencing Homelessness

ABSTRACT To meet the grand challenge of ending homelessness, social work education programs must prepare students to effectively collaborate with other health-related disciplines. This article presents social work and nursing student perceptions of an innovative interprofessional education activity conducted at a day shelter serving people experiencing homelessness. Students indicate they learned about and from each other, potentially improving future interprofessional collaboration. They also describe learning with each other as they interacted with people experiencing homelessness, developing a new understanding of this persistent social problem and an increased sensitivity toward individuals experiencing homelessness. Students also identify opportunities to improve the activity. Based on these positive results, implications for the continued use of interprofessional activities that include people experiencing homelessness are discussed.