ABSTRACT Carceral social workers have to balance ambivalences between the interest of incarcerated people and the criminal justice system. The professional ethics of social work practice provide some answers to this challenge. Nevertheless, they are strongly based in a humanist understanding of our world. We therefore set out to explore how social work practice in carceral settings unfolds and how we could understand it, not only from the perspective of traditional social work ethics but from one of posthuman care ethics. We mobilise this perspective to go beyond a traditional professional and ethical view of social work practice to ask what would be required in a carceral setting to acknowledge (incarcerated) people fully in their entanglement with the world and how spaces could open up for potential to unfold and flourish. We base our analysis and thoughts on fieldwork conducted in an open prison in Switzerland.

ABSTRACT Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly used in social work practice, yet their ethical implications remain underexplored. This study addresses the gap by systematically reviewing literature on LLM-based tools in social service delivery. The review aims to identify the benefits, risks, and mitigation measures related to LLM use. Following PRISMA guidelines and employing a PICOC framework, we reviewed 34 studies published between 2019 and 2024 across multiple databases, including Web of Science, EBSCO, and Scopus. The results show that LLMs enhance efficiency in management, streamline frontline tasks, and support client needs. However, issues such as bias, lack of contextualization and explainability, and over-reliance pose ethical risks for both clients and professionals. We argue that Actor-Network Theory (ANT) helps reframe AI responsibility as distributed across human and non-human actors. It offers analytical tools to trace non-human agency and address ethical risks, highlighting the need for technical, organizational, and regulatory improvements.

While antitrafficking federal and state policies, service programs, and advocacy efforts have expanded significantly since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, little is known about how social work research and practice engage with the distinct vulnerabilities of foreign-national minors subjected to labor trafficking. This scoping review examines existing social work scholarship on labor trafficking of immigrant children and youth. The authors' findings suggest that while human service professionals play a critical role in identifying and supporting trafficked youth-often through schools, healthcare settings, and social service agencies-research remains disproportionately focused on sex trafficking. Although the 12 studies partially addressed child labor trafficking, their primary focus was on domestic child trafficking more generally, often using aggregated data that combined sex and labor trafficking survivors under the broader category of human trafficking. The authors highlight key gaps in research and propose directions for strengthening social work's engagement with labor-trafficked immigrant youth, ensuring more informed and effective responses to their needs.

ABSTRACT Family engagement is essential to student success, yet schools continue to struggle to include family voices in consequential decisions. This conceptual, reflective practice article applies Ecological Systems Theory and Empowerment Theory to examine how school social workers can prioritize family perspectives to promote equity and improve student outcomes. The article identifies structural and attitudinal barriers that suppress family participation and offers practice-ready strategies for building family capacity, establishing two-way communication, and advocating for policy reform. These strategies align with the NASW Nine Competencies and are linked to measurable improvements in attendance, academic achievement, and family-school partnerships. The arguments are grounded in practitioner experience and theoretical analysis rather than empirical outcome research, highlighting the need for future studies examining equity-centered family engagement frameworks in school social work practice. The integrated theoretical framework and reflective vignettes constitute a contribution to practice-based scholarship. When school social workers center family voice, they transform engagement from a compliance requirement into the equity-driven, relational practice that social work values demand.

ABSTRACT Social work educators are teaching in a political climate where efforts to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion content continue to grow. These pressures directly affect courses that focus on LGBTQIA2S+ (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit) communities, where curriculum and identity often become politicized. This teaching note describes the redesign of an undergraduate and Master of Social Work elective on social work practice with LGBTQIA2S+ individuals and communities during a semester shaped by antitrans rhetoric, a federal order targeting gender identity, and uncertainty about the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion instruction. Drawing on queer and trans scholarship on joy, belonging, and resistance, trauma-informed teaching, the work of adrienne maree brown, and Tuck’s critique of damage-centered narratives, I redesigned the course to center joy and wholeness. Instructor journal entries show the emotional and political conditions of teaching in this moment and how students shaped the learning environment. The course used ritual, flexibility, and student agency to build community. Assignments asked students to engage queer cultural production and create practice briefs. Lessons highlight the need for teaching that counters trauma fatigue, protects academic freedom, and prepares students for practice in politically hostile environments.

BackgroundPalliative care is an essential component of high-quality cancer care; however, limited research has examined the multilevel barriers to and facilitators of social workers' ability to deliver palliative care for patients with cancer. Guided by ecological systems theory, this qualitative study identifies such barriers and facilitators perceived by social workers providing palliative cancer care in the United States.MethodsUsing an exploratory qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured Zoom interviews with 10 social workers practicing in palliative cancer care settings. We identified themes in participant responses using reflective thematic analysis and interpreted those themes within an ecological systems framework.ResultsParticipants identified barriers and facilitators across societal, organizational, interpersonal, and individual levels. Societal barriers included stigma, misunderstandings about palliative care, and financial constraints, whereas integration into care teams and continuity across care settings facilitated coordinated care. Organizational barriers included excessive workload demands and delayed referrals; social workers' community connections facilitated enhanced resource access and care coordination. Interpersonal barriers centered on unclear role delineation, while interprofessional collaboration, proactive role education, and positive patient experiences strengthened social work practice in palliative care settings. At the individual level, insufficient role preparation and administrative burden constrained patient-centered care; however, a strong sense of professional meaning and clinical competence supported social workers' practice in these settings.ConclusionEnhancing role clarity, palliative care education, interprofessional collaboration, and organizational support may strengthen social workers' integration within palliative care settings and advance person- and family-centered cancer care.

ABSTRACT Despite increased attention in the literature to understanding the adverse effect of IPV on survivors, little is known about exposure to IPV during childhood and the later impact on emerging professionals. The present study is among the first to analyze the relationship between witnessing IPV during childhood and other psychosocial variables among Master of Social Work (MSW) students. Survey data was collected from MSW students in the United States. Participants (N = 468) responded to items including demographics, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs), verbal and physical aggression, physical and emotional sibling violence (PESV), participant/family mental health, participant/family substance use, and participant physical health. Chi-square analysis found an association between witnessing IPV and household income in childhood, father and mother education, geographic region in childhood, and family history of mental illness and substance abuse. Independent t-test analysis found differences in ACEs, PACEs, verbal aggression and PESV by witnessing IPV. Findings suggest that for MSW students, childhood exposure to IPV may be associated with socioeconomic status, geographic context, verbal aggression, ACES, PACEs, and PESV. The implications for social work education and social work practice are critical to consider as MSW students will be those supporting society’s most vulnerable populations.

This study examines the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning, and related (LGBTQ+) individuals with psychiatric diagnoses regarding self-disclosure by LGBTQ+ social workers in mental health services. Understanding their perspectives and reflections contributes to deeper insight into the recovery process and the specific needs of LGBTQ+ clients. Twenty-nine LGBTQ+ individuals with psychiatric diagnoses receiving psychiatric rehabilitation services in Israel participated in semistructured in-depth interviews. Guided by intersectionality theory, this phenomenological study explores how shared identity shapes therapeutic relationships in mental health care. Findings revealed that therapist self-disclosure functions as a complex relational process. Visibility was experienced as a therapeutic resource that fostered trust, safety, and belonging and accelerated the development of the therapeutic alliance. At the same time, shared identity introduced ethical and relational complexities, including blurred boundaries, confidentiality concerns, and the risk of reducing clients' experiences to a single identity axis. Participants further described how professional stance and boundary negotiation enabled processes of rupture and repair, allowing challenges to be transformed into opportunities for deeper therapeutic engagement. The findings suggest that LGBTQ+ identity disclosure is neither inherently beneficial nor harmful, but depends on context, timing, implementation, and client interpretation. When enacted reflexively and supported by supervision, self-disclosure can enhance therapeutic care, reduce stigma, and promote equity in mental health services. These results underscore the need for structured training and institutional support to guide ethical and affirmative disclosure practices in clinical social work. Supporting LGBTQ+ visibility promotes social justice and inclusivity at the policy level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

ABSTRACT Natural disasters cause significant loss of life and heavily affect social, psychological, and economic well-being. Effective disaster management requires timely, adequate responses. Turkey, frequently exposed to disasters, needs strong management strategies. This retrospective study examines psychosocial service records to evaluate small-scale disaster responses in Samsun, emphasising temporary resettlement and survivors’ psychosocial well-being. Psychological well-being was analysed using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as an analytical framework. Findings show mixed experiences: while survivors appreciated shelter, service quality, and social support, challenges such as poor food, lack of privacy, internet issues, and limited social activities dominated. Psychosocial analysis revealed that 93% did not use available psychological support, likely due to stigma, despite PTSD symptoms. These results underscore the need for social work practitioners to implement more engaging psychological interventions, guided by CSWE competencies, and for disaster initiatives to include systematic impact evaluation. Such measures can enhance survivor recovery, self-actualisation, and professional disaster practice.

ABSTRACT This study explored perspectives on effective forms of support for Syrians who performed social work functions during the complex emergency in Northwest Syria through 29 interviews with international and Syrian practitioners. The study found that performing social work functions during the crisis was a unique and often difficult experience for practitioners, but performing social work functions was nonetheless important to them. Practitioners highlighted actions that supported and strengthened their practice, such as strengthening coordination and referral networks. This study’s findings illustrate how actions to support local practitioners’ well-being may also require efforts to strengthen social work practice.

ABSTRACT Widows typically face significant challenges related to widowhood, such as restrictive cultural practices, socio-economic hardships, limited property rights, inadequate healthcare access, and social stigma. When a widow is also a migrant returnee, her situation is often compounded by additional layers of vulnerability. While the reintegration experiences of returnee women have received limited empirical attention, studies focusing specifically on widow returnees are even scarcer. Using Dziekońska’s framework, this study explored the reintegration experiences of a returnee widow in Elu Ohafia, Abia State, Nigeria, through semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal that the widow has not been fully reintegrated into her late husband’s family and community, as she feels emotionally abandoned, socio-culturally excluded, and environmentally vulnerable. Importantly, the study shows that her reintegration is mediated by kinship governance and patrilineal norms, which shape her access to belonging and the property she co-owned with her late husband. Drawing on this case, the study advances the concept of ‘invisible insiders’ to describe individuals who are formally incorporated into a community through marriage but remain structurally excluded from full membership and protection, particularly after widowhood. Implications of findings for research, policy and social work practice are discussed.

This study examines whether aging anxiety (based on terror management theory) or demographic and experiential factors better explain attitudes toward older adults among social work students and professionals. Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey from a sample of 309 social work students and professionals in Crete. Ageism and aging anxiety were assessed using the relating to older people evaluation scale and the aging anxiety scale. Multivariable analyses revealed that among students, positive attitudes toward older adults were primarily associated with fear of old people, while no significant multivariate predictors were identified for negative attitudes. Among social workers, positive attitudes were negatively associated with psychological concerns, urban origin, and higher educational attainment, and positively associated with fear of losses and early career experience. Negative attitudes were negatively associated with higher educational attainment. These findings underscore the need for targeted education, intergenerational programs, and further research to address ageism in social work practice.

In-hospital initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) remains low despite their effectiveness to reduce opioid-related mortality. We implemented an in-hospital OUD intervention across 12 hospitals to increase OUD treatment provision. Understand factors impacting adoption and implementation of a non-interruptive electronic health record-embedded intervention which provided OUD treatment guidance. We conducted focus groups and key informant interviews involving hospital-based physicians and advanced practice professionals (APPs), nurses, social workers, and pharmacists working in one largeColoradohealth system at 6 and 12months following the intervention's implementation. We employed both a deductive and inductive approach, based on a directed content analysis, to analyze qualitative data. Sixty-one professionals participated representing the three hospital regions across Colorado (northern, southern, central): 24 hospital-based clinicians, 19 nurses, 12 social workers, and 6 pharmacists. We identified five themes related to challenges and barriers to the adoption of the OUD intervention: (1) despite access to educational sessions and MOUD initiation protocols, discomfort treating OUD persisted; (2) inconsistent health system messaging and communication across hospitals resulted in variable use of the OUD intervention; (3) differential access to addiction expertise impacted MOUD initiation; (4) increased emphasis on opioid withdrawal severity assessment and documentation led to unexpected benefits and challenges; and (5) challenges were identified associated with the complexity of caring for patients with OUD in busy hospital practices. Various challenges were identified that impacted in-hospital OUD treatment provision after the intervention. Emergent themes informed opportunities that health system leaders could implement to expand in-hospital OUD treatment provision including frequent and cohesive messaging from leadership highlighting health system priorities and goals for OUD treatment, addiction specialist support with outpatient referral resources for OUD treatment linkage, ongoing education with reinforcement on MOUD initiation, and stigma training.

ABSTRACT This study explores social workers’ perceptions of the potential contributions of artificial intelligence (AI) to social work practice in relation to the profession’s knowledge, skills, and values base. Using an exploratory qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 social work professionals in Türkiye and analysed thematically. Results indicate that participants perceived AI as having the potential to enhance knowledge and professional skills by facilitating access to information, supporting decision-making, and improving intervention processes. At the same time, participants expressed concerns that AI may challenge value-based aspects of practice, particularly cultural responsiveness, confidentiality, and justice. The results highlight the importance of integrating AI into social work with careful attention to ethical standards and professional values. Future research should investigate context-specific ethical guidelines and examine interdisciplinary collaboration to support effective and value-congruent AI use in social work practice.

ABSTRACT This study adapts the Workplace Age Discrimination Scale (WADS) to the Turkish context and examines how demographic and job-related factors shape perceived workplace age discrimination (WAD). Using survey data from 896 employees, we confirm the scale’s reliability and validity in Turkish workplaces. Findings indicate that both younger and older employees report discrimination, with higher levels among women and single individuals, reflecting Türkiye’s gender norms and marital expectations. Education, job position, tenure, job satisfaction, perceived respect, and experiences of being ignored significantly predict perceived WAD. Crucially, while higher job satisfaction and perceived respect are associated with lower discrimination, elevated educational backgrounds and higher organizational positions paradoxically predict greater levels of perceived WAD, highlighting enhanced cognitive sensitivity toward structural biases. Grounded in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, we interpret these results through Türkiye’s high power distance, collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance, showing how cultural values shape intergenerational dynamics. This study contributes to the sociocultural discourse on aging and offers practical insights for developing inclusive occupational social work practices that promote intergenerational equity.

ABSTRACT This article explores the application of the Mutual Aid model in group work to support disadvantaged women in accessing formal microcredit services in Ward X, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The integration of the Mutual Aid, Feminist Relational Model, and the Life Model of Social Work Practice addresses multi-layered challenges facing women in near-poor households. A short group-based intervention program fostered a sense of peer support, empowerment, and collective problem-solving. Eventually, participants were enabled to build confidence and expand their access to formal credit policies. Positive feedback from participants included strengthened capacity to mutually learn and navigate complex credit systems, and women were able to see themselves as active agents of change and mutual support, rather than as passive recipients of development. This case study affirms the practical relevance of Mutual Aid in the Vietnamese context and implies scaling for broader policy interventions to promote community-based empowerment for vulnerable populations.

ABSTRACT This article examines ways to support young adults’ self-determination in social work practice from the perspective of Axel Honneth’s recognition theory. Honneth’s theory emphasises the relational aspect of self-determination and suggests that supporting young adults’ self-determination in social work entails more than merely respecting their right to it. The active support and encouragement of social workers are also required to enable and create opportunities for young adults to exercise self-determination. The data consist of individual and group interviews with a total of 24 young adults and was analysed abductively, with the findings being grouped into three themes: (1) being heard and having an influence, (2) being recognised as worthy of respect and (3) being supported as a person capable of self-determination. The results demonstrate the practical applications of Honneth’s theory of recognition to identify concrete ways social workers can support young adults’ self-determination, and how recognition and misrecognition affect young adults’ ability to be self-determining.

ABSTRACT Sexual violence against boys and men remains underacknowledged in research, policy, and practice despite its psychological, relational, and social harms. Existing approaches, including trauma-informed care and common factors scholarship, identify important elements of support but do not fully explain how healing is shaped by ecological conditions for adult male survivors. This paper proposes the Ecological Common Factors Framework (ECFF), a conceptual, practice-informing framework that integrates ecological systems theory, common factors scholarship, research on male survivors’ disclosure and help-seeking, and social work and trauma-informed practice literature. The ECFF organises recovery around four interrelated domains: client factors, practitioner factors, therapeutic relationship factors, and extra-therapeutic context factors across ecological levels. A composite case illustration demonstrates its relevance for assessment, intervention planning, advocacy, resource coordination, and cross-system social work practice. The ECFF offers a more contextually grounded account of healing and provides a foundation for future refinement, empirical testing, and operationalisation.

ABSTRACT Social work practice in Zimbabwe, as in many Global South contexts, often unfolds in complex environments where verbal disclosure is limited, and formal indicators of harm are insufficient. While practitioners frequently rely on sensory cues and embodied intuition, these modes of knowing remain under-theorized and institutionally invisible. This study aimed to explore how social workers in Zimbabwe use their bodies as sensory tools in frontline practice and decision making. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the researchers conducted in depth, semi-structured interviews with 11 purposively sampled social workers with a minimum of four years’ practice experience. Data were analyzed through iterative phases using MAXQDA software, thematic coding, and collaborative interpretation. Findings revealed that social workers engaged sensory tools—such as smell, silence, spatial awareness, and embodied intuition—to detect hidden risks, assess emotional atmospheres, and regulate relational presence. However, participants faced challenges in articulating or legitimizing these insights within standardized frameworks. The study concludes that embodiment is not a supplementary skill, but a critical professional resource requiring institutional recognition. Implications include revising training curricula to include embodied practice, developing sensory-informed assessment tools, and fostering reflective supervision models. Recognizing embodied knowledge can strengthen early intervention and ethical responsiveness in complex practice settings.

Establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory panel to guide teaching, research and collaborations in the tertiary setting: Our school’s reflections