ABSTRACT This paper contributes a new form of social work response to aspects of traumatic loss affecting people in shifting global realities. We examine the experience of critical, unexpected loss, believing this requires practitioners to re-define relational space with a deeper intuitive method of researcher and practitioner reflexivity. We present our model, the “Cycle of Intuitive Growth,” which elevates the healing capacity of intuitive knowledge within the person’s sense of self-realization. The “heuristic lens” of intuitive reflexivity adds to conceptualizations of transpersonal research and practice. Our intention is to identify universal principles for research and scholarship in loss and trauma work, recognizing the specific credentials of social work responses to community conflict in contemporary systemic shifts. This paper evidences the development of our primary terms “Critical Intuitive Reflexivity” and “Traumatic Loss and the Transfiguring Self” for practice application. Both contribute to the current climate of social work research, advancing clinical practice approaches for diverse and marginalized communities.

This article outlines two initiatives: (1) a part-time course in research methods for social workers in practice; and (2) a study of an evidence-based screening tool in child protection. Presentations of these at the Evidence into Practice Special Interest Group session at the European Association for Social Work Research 2025 conference are summarised. They are discussed using the overarching concepts of acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility as examples of practical approaches to bringing evidence from research into practice.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is currently transforming work, education, and societal institutions, and its applications extend to social work as well. This study mapped the current state of research on AI and social work by conducting a rapid review across seven databases and analyzing 58 relevant scholarly articles. The review identifies how AI technologies are defined in social work research, the domains in which they are applied, and the documented consequences of AI use in social work. The findings indicate that international research on this topic is growing rapidly and is concentrated in North America. In social work research, AI is examined particularly in relation to education, while studies focusing on practice emphasise child protection. The reviewed literature covers numerous applications of AI in social work and describes potential benefits for the development of services, education, administration, and research, alongside recognised risks and ethical challenges. Although AI offers notable opportunities for social work, including more efficient processes, reduced workload and strengthened evidence‑based practice, it also entails significant risks for vulnerable populations. Algorithms may amplify existing data biases, reduce decision‑making transparency and narrow professional discretion, thereby increasing the risk of discrimination, inequality and privacy violations. The results indicate that the contextual complexity of social work resists overly simplistic technical solutions and requires thorough ethical assessment as well as critical scrutiny of data and AI models prior to implementation. Responsible use further demands clear guidelines, interdisciplinary collaboration and strong critical AI literacy among social workers. AI is most suitable for social work as a complementary tool that can create added value when its role and technical design are thoughtfully defined. The review underscores the need for interdisciplinary research that integrates ethical considerations and core social work values in the responsible adoption of AI.

ABSTRACT Housing and neighbourhood contexts are critical social determinants of health for children and youth. However, little is known about how co‐occurring socioecological factors, including household, housing and neighbourhood contexts, cumulatively influence child and youth health risks. The aims of this study were to examine the combined effects of household‐, housing‐ and neighbourhood‐based risk and protective factors on child and youth health risks. Using data from the 2023 National Survey of Children's Health ( N = 55 162), we address the following research question: (1) To what extent are household‐, housing‐ and neighbourhood‐based risk and protective factors cumulatively associated with child and youth health risks? We utilize ordered logistic regression to examine relationships between household demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, housing hardships and neighbourhood‐based risk and protective factors on child and youth health risks. Results indicated that household‐ (OR = 1.36) and community‐based adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (OR = 3.11), as well as housing hardships, including difficulties paying rent (OR = 1.21), homelessness experiences (OR = 1.39) and eviction‐related stress (OR = 1.26), were associated with health risks. Neighbourhood safety (OR = 0.86), support (OR = 0.81) and family resilience (OR = 0.82) were protective against health risks. Children and youth experiencing the highest health risks were more likely to face greater hardships across housing and neighbourhood contexts compared to those who experienced moderate, low and no health risks. Findings highlight a need for preventive interventions that address housing and neighbourhood factors that undermine health. Implications for social work research, policy and practice are discussed.

The Advanced Standing Master of Social Work (AS-MSW) option allows students with a bachelor’s of social work degree to save time, effort, and money on education. However, AS-MSW programs that require the completion of a thesis for graduation may seem overwhelming due to (a) time constraints and (b) students’ reluctance to learn research. To address these burdens and facilitate a smooth transition from baccalaureate to graduate education, this paper proposes a 12-week research methodology template for writing the first three chapters of a thesis: problem formulation, literature review, and methodology. This research template could be one of the bridge courses that AS-MSW students would take, preferably during summer terms. This conceptual paper carries implications for social work education and research since the existing literature largely ignores the mechanisms of the thesis option for AS-MSW programs. Social work faculty can utilize this course template to help their students build confidence vis-à-vis research.

The influence of neoliberalism is taken for granted in social work and has increasingly shaped social work practice, research and education. This article examines hope in social work and the importance of radically theorising hope to challenge the neoliberalisation of social work. Social work has a dual function that both resists and accommodates neoliberal agendas. Hope is a multidimensional concept. Hope is predominantly individualised in social work, but there are also radical and critical notions of hope that align with the broader political struggles of social work. Consistent with ethics of social justice, this article advocates for broadening the use of hope in social work to incorporate radical and critical hope in social work practice, research and education.

Summary Client documentation fulfills a variety of purposes in social work. As research on this topic has steadily increased, so has the need to take stock of what characterizes the literature in this area. This paper presents the results of a scoping review of 490 peer-reviewed articles published in English in this field, with a specific analysis of a subsample ( n = 95) that explicitly focuses on documentation as a research theme and relies on client documentation as a source of data. Findings While nearly half of the 490 articles analyzed mention documentation in at least four sections, only one-third posed research questions directly addressing it. This suggests that much of the peer-reviewed literature in English on documentation in social work treats documentation tangentially rather than as a central theme. The array of analyses performed also shows that documentation research is unevenly distributed across social work domains, and that Child Welfare and Protective Services (CWPS) is the domain that has thus far contributed the most to research in this area. In addition, this review highlights the key areas of inquiry that are addressed in research that uses client documentation as data and has research questions/aims on documentation. Applications This paper exposes some of the knowledge gaps that characterize social work research on client documentation and argues that investing in delineating a future research agenda for this topic would benefit not only social work scholarship but also practice.

This article presents reflections on the tensions and challenges of Social Work within the realm of Social Sciences, based on a paper discussed in September 2024 during a meeting between professionals of the Doctorate and Postdoctoral programs at the Facultad de Trabajo Social, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Using Pierre Bourdieu's concept of the "scientific field," the role of research in Social Work is analyzed through participant observations that reveal the perceptions of social workers regarding the work of those who engage in research. The distinction between "field social workers" and "social work teachers/researchers" is highlighted. The former, who work directly in the field, often perceive researchers as disconnected from daily practice. On the other hand, teachers/researchers criticize field workers for their lack of theoretical and methodological rigor in interventions. The article invites reflection on these divergent perspectives, proposing that the key challenge is the integration of research and intervention in Social Work. It advocates for a broader and more comprehensive understanding of the profession, as well as for the construction of intellectual networks that promote its development within the field of Social Sciences.

INTRODUCTION: Social work discourse regarding artificial intelligence (AI) in practice, research, and education has proliferated over the last 5 years, reflecting both excitement over its potential and ambivalence about its ethical challenges. However, the extent to which social work is fully engaging with the structure of AI and its enormous impacts on the environment, labour, and distribution of power remains unclear. METHODS: An integrative review of social work literature from 2020–2024 was conducted to address two research questions: 1) What is the nature of the social work discourse related to AI? 2) To what extent is the discourse addressing the structural aspects of AI? Integrative review is a methodology used to summarise empirical/theoretical/gray literature to provide a comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon and assess current themes, tensions, and gaps. FINDINGS: The literature overwhelmingly touted AI’s potential benefits for social work practice, research, and education. Discussions of ethical challenges, which often lacked depth and detail, narrowly focused on the downstream impacts of AI. The literature was almost entirely devoid of structural perspectives on AI. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that social workers tend to view AI as an area of computation rather than a vast political, financial, and social system that impacts the experiences, opportunities, and lived environments of social workers and clients. Social workers will be better positioned to use AI responsibly and influence its development if they engage with AI from a structural perspective, committed to sustainability and justice.

This article provides an analytical approach and model for mapping the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into clinical supervision (CS) in social work. With a focus on the evolving work roles of clinical supervisors involving AI technologies, this study offers a methodical approach for understanding the current landscape and anticipating the future direction of AI technologies in CS. This article presents an environmental scan of current and emergent AI technologies that are transformative for CS and a use case-based analysis that maps these AI technologies to the evolving work roles of clinical supervisors. Usage descriptions are provided to convey the actual and potential impacts of these AI technologies on the work roles of clinical supervisors. This study aims to support future critical research as the field of social work navigates the evolving entanglements of AI technologies with clinical social work practice. The analytical model offers a foundational resource for advancing future research on the implications of the integration of AI technologies into CS. It is intended to provide a starting point that can be used and updated by researchers in agile ways to map and analyze the evolving interplay of AI technologies and CS in social work.

ABSTRACT This article explores how homogenising views of equality and the lack of academic research on LGBTQI+ issues in Finnish social work contributes to the invisibility of gender and sexuality topics in social work education. It discusses the Finnish historical context of LGBTQI+ legislation and the struggle for legal equality. The article considers Finnish social work research on LGBTQI+ issues highlighting the shortcomings of social work practice knowledge with these communities. Through a multidimensional survey of master’s-level social work students across five Finnish universities, the study explores students’ attitudes, knowledge, and perceived readiness to work with LGBTQI+ service users. The findings show that students report positive attitudes toward LGBTQI+ people, but they also indicate significant gaps in knowledge, especially regarding structural discrimination and the specific needs of gender and sexual minorities. These gaps were more pronounced among heterosexual students, suggesting that personal identity may play a greater role than formal education in shaping awareness of LGBTQI+ issues. The findings of the limited survey imply the need for more explicit inclusion of LGBTQI+ perspectives in social work curricula, which require further research and pedagogical strategies that promote critical reflection, intersectional analysis, and LGBTQI+ affirmative practice.

While social work remains deeply human-centered, there are questions about how artificial intelligence (AI) can support the advancement of social work research. AI can guide researchers in various spheres, including developing and refining research questions, producing literature reviews and conducting analyses. AI can boost social work research productivity and position the profession as forward-thinking. However, since the buzz around ChatGPT began in 2022 there have been serious apprehensions around its potential misuse and ethical concerns. Through this note, our goal is to review the use of AI in social work research, summarize the types of AI software that can be utilized and conclude with a discussion about the considerations that social work scholars need to keep in mind while utilizing AI.

Purpose There is a paradox in social work research. Evidence is generated in the belief that it will inform social work practice, though research findings are rarely implemented in full. This paper explores how engaging with service users and citizens in the research and implementation processes may assist with research implementation. Method A case study method is used in which four examples of the implementation of practice research conducted in Australia, Finland and Norway in the fields of social inclusion in the disability sector; bereavement care; child welfare; and youth transitions are presented. These case studies are thematically analyzed using a collaborative narrative analytical method. Results Three common themes emerged: the unpredictable and dynamic outcomes of the implementation processes; a long-term commitment to co-creation; and the vitality of lived experience which enhances research implementation. Conclusion A research agenda arising from the limitations of this study and gaps in our knowledge is presented.

A commitment to co-production in which social workers co-create research, knowledge, and practice with people from multi-disciplinary backgrounds and people with direct lived experience of accessing services, who are termed experts by experience (EbEs), underpins social work ethics and values. EbEs are understood to be people who use their experiences of accessing health and social care services to influence and change all forms of social work. Despite this, EbEs have, to date, had limited involvement in teamwork in social work practice, although their contributions to social work education, research and practice innovations, as peers in the team, are of growing significance. A narrative review was undertaken to explore the gap in the routine involvement of EbEs in different forms of social work practice-based teamwork. This narrative review identified three over-arching themes to understand how EbEs contribute to social work teamwork: involvement in team relationships and in decision-making, involvement in knowledge production, and involvement in health and social care practice innovations. However, it must be acknowledged that the everyday involvement of EbEs in social work, including in multi-disciplinary teamwork, apart from small pockets of mental health practice, such as peer support workers, is lacking. It appears that EbEs are involved in practice innovations, rather than everyday practice; therefore, despite social work’s political and ideological commitment to co-production, it is less advanced than is often claimed.

ABSTRACT Divided into two main sections, and surveying critical literature often neglected within social work's academic discourse, the article discusses AI and inequalities in a neoliberal and global context in which notions and practices circulating around ‘austerity', rationing and scarcity are entrenched. First, the focus is on predictive analytics within the spheres of child welfare, social protection and policing. Here AI-assisted ways of engaging with ‘social problems' shape methods of intervention and are prone to replicate and deepen the discriminatory approaches of the past. Second, it is maintained that development and deployment of AI is also likely to extend forms of neo-colonialism or, what some term, ‘digital colonialism’ in the Global South. Additional social work research might explore how to counteract some of these structurally embedded problems.

Purpose: This paper presents an institutional and organizational comparative case analysis of practice research platforms in social work, which are institutionally embedded partnerships of university-based research centers, organizations delivering social services and healthcare, and other knowledge intermediaries that connect social work practice and research. Methods: An institutional and organizational comparative case analysis is presented concerning four practice research platforms from the USA, Finland, Australia, and Singapore. Results: We identify similarities and differences in the platforms’ purpose and basic goals, administration and financing, and substantive and methodological foci in the development of social work practice research studies. Discussion: We conclude by identifying ways for practice research platforms, and thus social work practice research projects, to be sustained amidst future challenges. We also note ongoing needs for institutional support for practice research, involving co-leadership (involving academics, university and agency administrators and practitioners, and service users and advocates) and stable, diversified funding.

This qualitative study aims to explore the empowerment processes, future expectations, and service recommendations of refugee women living in Türkiye from a feminist social work perspective. Four focus group discussions were conducted with 10 Syrian women receiving services from a nongovernmental organization. The data were analyzed using theory-driven deductive thematic analysis with the MAXQDA 2024. Two main themes identified from the analysis: “empowerment levels and sources of strengths” and “future expectations and service recommendations of Syrian women.” The empowerment processes of the women were examined at personal, interpersonal, and socio-political levels, focusing on the resources utilized at each level. At the personal level, emotional, cognitive, motivational, and religious resources were identified, whereas at the interpersonal level, social support mechanisms, solidarity, and interaction with the local population were highlighted. At the socio-political level, vocational training and employment-related services emerged as significant empowerment resources. Key recommendations for enhancing women’s empowerment included the expansion of language and vocational training programs, the provision of psychosocial support services, and fostering social cohesion through initiatives. Future research would benefit from longitudinal designs to track immigrant women’s empowerment, compare experiences across groups from an intersectional perspective, and address structural barriers to service access.

Bridging Research and Practice in Health & Social Work: Publishing Perspectives from NASW Press Editors and Authors.

U.S. workers have endured a half-century of labor quality decline, a troubling trend in a powerful social determinant of health. Industry standards boards (ISBs) are a burgeoning policy solution across the United States through which tripartite teams of employers, employees, and governmental representatives recommend or directly enact labor standards for a labor sector. In this article, we review relevant labor policy, the current state of ISBs, and recommendations for forming and implementing ISBs. We close by summarizing practice implications for frontline social workers and social work researchers, including recommendations to advocate for ISBs for labor sectors employing our clients and members of our communities and our profession.

The soaring demand for sand driven by rapid urbanisation, population growth and increased global investment in infrastructure has intensified sand mining activities worldwide, with current extraction rates exceeding natural replenishment. The Government of India has strengthened legislation by amending existing laws and formulating new guidelines to govern sand mining operations. However, sand mining activities, both legal and illegal, have continued unabated, leading to various consequences across the country. The prevailing laws in India appear to be stringent but have failed in effective implementation at the grassroots level. Therefore, illegal and irregular sand extraction operations have continued to occur at an accelerated pace. The observations indicate that regulatory authorities are merely symbolic and ineffective in controlling and monitoring sand mining operations effectively at the community level. Further, the inefficiency of authorities has facilitated indiscriminate and illicit sand mining operations, resulting in significant social, economic and ecological repercussions. Considering these aspects, the present study advocates the use of social work methods, such as community organisation, social work research and social action, to address the issue effectively. Furthermore, it urges local authorities and policymakers to take action by setting up vigilance committees in every community, so that people themselves can monitor sand mining and protect their surroundings more effectively.