ABSTRACT Homelessness is a complex social issue that requires a dedicated workforce of helping professionals. Secondary traumatic stress is common among this workforce and contributes to poor professional quality of life, burnout, and job turnover. The purpose of this study was to evaluate Storytelling Through Music (STM), a six-week, multidimensional intervention designed to improve the well-being of social workers employed in homeless services. A mixed-methods design was utilized. Focus group interviews explored contextual factors impacting participants’ well-being and guided intervention writing prompts. A pre–post study evaluated intervention feasibility and preliminary impact. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Outcome data were collected at three time points, and paired t-tests examined changes over time. Fourteen social workers were enrolled (mean age = 37.4 years). STM delivery was feasible and acceptable to participants. Post-intervention, participants had significant improvements in depression, sleep, and emotionality. One month post-intervention, participants had significant improvements in anxiety, sleep, emotionality, self-compassion, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. This study provides early evidence that STM is feasible, well-received, and beneficial for social workers in homeless services. Findings support creative, peer-based strategies as practical tools for combating burnout and fostering resilience in emotionally demanding work environments. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06536387.

ABSTRACT This research study examined the experiences of racialized social workers in Canada through semi-structured interviews with five participants. Grounded theory analysis revealed six themes: participants’ experience with racism; bearing the burden: professional and personal responsibility; progress, regression, and stagnation: addressing racism; participants’ personal response to racism; participants’ experiences reporting racism; and identity, role and resilience in social work. Across all themes, participants described pervasive racism. The findings highlight the emotional labor of racialized practitioners who must advocate for racialized clients, shoulder microaggressions, and challenge racism without organizational support. Implications for social work and policy include the need for culturally responsive leadership, formal reporting mechanisms, and anti-racism training developed by racialized professionals. Future researchers should expand the sample size and compare experiences across settings. The findings from this study reinforce the importance of an anti-racist frameworks in social work education and practice.

Abstract New Zealand society has entrenched neoliberal messaging of personal responsibility and self-sufficiency over the past forty years. This article addresses a gap in knowledge about social worker political ideologies in New Zealand. It reports on the findings of a quantitative survey administered to New Zealand social workers. The aim of the survey was to identify dominant political ideologies held by social workers, measure a range of socially authoritarian and right-wing economic attitudes, and identify if these attitudes are consistent with their self-identified political ideology. Following analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics software, the results of the study found that most respondents positioned themselves as Liberal or Progressive yet held more right-wing attitudes towards personal responsibility and self-sufficiency than their political ideology might have predicted. The most significant finding is social worker age made more of a contribution than political ideology with respect to attitudes and beliefs around personal responsibility and self-sufficiency. Social workers under the age of fifty are more likely than social workers fifty years or older to be unwittingly reflecting neoliberal values of personal responsibility and self-sufficiency onto their clients, which is then likely to further marginalize their clients.

Abstract This article examines how arts-based, rights-oriented social work can foster voice, dignity, and inclusion with migrants in Spain. Drawing on decolonial theory and an a/r/tographic approach, we designed a collaborative program in reception settings with 57 adult migrants. Visual and performative artifacts—self-portraits, cultural “subway-map” cartographies, photo-narratives, a red-threads performance, and a floor installation—were treated as primary data. A constructivist grounded-theory strategy guided analysis using a formal–symbolic–contextual matrix (composition/color/materiality; metaphors and chronotopes; production/audience). Findings show measurable learning in visual literacy and creative–expressive and social competences, alongside increased agency in public spaces. Participants co-curated what to share, reframing dominant narratives of mobility through collective meaning-making and community pedagogy. The study details a practical rights-based toolkit for social work: layered, accessible consent; anonymity and takedown options for images/QR content; safety briefings for public actions; member checking across stages; and co-curation to prevent aesthetic paternalism. We argue that arts-based practice, read through a decolonial lens, moves beyond using art as a mere method and functions as education within the arts that advances human rights in research, practice, and social work education. Implications are offered for curriculum, frontline practice, and community advocacy.

Objectives Extending healthy life expectancy represents a critical public health priority in Japan. Achieving this goal requires Community Comprehensive Support Center (CCSC) staff to develop competencies in building and managing community-based integrated care systems that promote mutual resident support. This study aimed to identify training challenges and future needs related to community development among CCSC staff nationwide.Methods Focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted with CCSC staff. Verbatim transcripts underwent thematic analysis to extract and categorize staff-identified training needs.Results Twenty-four staff members (mean age: 44.6 years; seven public health nurses, eight care managers, six social workers, one occupational therapist, one physical therapist, one nurse) from five CCSCs (two directly managed, three commissioned) participated in the study. Analysis of the FGI transcripts yielded 132 codes organized into five categories: (1) fostering resident independence, mutual support relationships, and community acceptance to establish integrated care systems; (2) advancing community activities using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle; (3) developing skills to secure community resources and engage in continuous self-improvement; (4) enhancing skills to support individuals with complex, challenging problems; and (5) promoting inclusive society by addressing regional disparities.Conclusion CCSC staff require enhanced skills in fostering resident independence and mutual support to reduce regional disparities and promote social inclusion. Findings emphasize the need for practical, on-the-job training methods, including case studies, to strengthen data-driven PDCA implementation and improve ethical decision-making in complex cases. Developing and implementing targeted training programs is essential to address identified needs and effectively advance community-based integrated care systems.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) has serious health consequences, yet routine IPV screening remains inconsistently implemented in hospital trauma centres. Despite evidence supporting screening, implementation challenges persist. This study used Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) to examine how trauma care providers perceive and enact IPV screening, with attention to cognitive processes, barriers, and facilitators to implementation. Methods We conducted CTA group interviews with nine trauma care providers from two trauma centers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Participants included trauma surgeons, nurse practitioners, social workers, and patient care managers. Using a structured interview guide and concept mapping techniques, we elicited knowledge structures, decision-making processes, and perceived constraints related to IPV screening. We applied an interpretive qualitative approach to uncover underlying themes related to cognitive work and task complexity. Grounded theory techniques, such as open and axial coding, were used in conjunction with CTA to analyze how participants reasoned through clinical scenarios. We paid close attention to how providers assessed cues, coordinated across roles, shifted priorities, and navigated organizational constraints. This hybrid approach allowed us to bridge systems-level implementation science with cognitive insights, drawing conceptually on CFIR and Proctor et al.'s implementation outcomes to generate actionable knowledge for IPV screening interventions in trauma care settings. Results Themes were synthesized into six overarching cognitive domains: trauma care workflow, team collaboration and knowledge, critical situations and decision-making, IPV screening practices and challenges, understanding patient experiences, and institutional support. These were further illustrated through refined concept maps that visually represented participants' mental models, task sequences, and decision-making strategies. Conclusion Trauma care providers are well-positioned to identify IPV, yet screening is constrained by limited institutional support, unclear procedures, and poor integration into trauma workflows. Findings highlight the need for system-level strategies that align IPV screening with the cognitive and organizational realities of trauma care. By applying CTA, this study informs the design and implementation of context-sensitive IPV screening interventions that are more acceptable, appropriate, and feasible in hospital trauma settings. Furthermore, this study informs implementation strategies for integrating IPV screening interventions into trauma care, with particular implications for improving the acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and sustainability of evidence-based practices.

Background/Objectives: Empirical evidence on intergenerational commensality in institutional care settings remains scarce. This pilot and feasibility study evaluated the preliminary impact of an innovative intergenerational mealtime model on older adults’ subjective well-being, self-esteem, perceived health, and food consumption in an adult day care setting. Methods: A 16-week wait-list randomised controlled pilot trial with a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was conducted in an intergenerational centre in southern Spain. Twenty-two older adults who reside in a community living setting and attend a day care service were randomly assigned to two intergenerational dining intervention/waiting-list groups or a control group. Participants in the intervention/waiting-list groups had lunch four times per week with children 2–3 years of age, following a structured protocol. The quantitative outcomes examined included subjective well-being (WHO-5 Well-Being Index), self-esteem (Rosenberg scale), perceived health (EuroQol EQ-5D), and objective assessment of plate leftovers using photographic records and the Comstock visual estimation method. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and ethnographic observation. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06996418). Results: Across the study period, intervention, waiting-list, and control groups showed preliminary improvements in subjective well-being and self-esteem, but with no significant group-by-time interaction. In contrast, mixed-effects models revealed an encouraging significant reduction in plate leftovers among older adults during intergenerational meals, particularly in second courses. The reduction was consolidated during the post-intervention follow-up. Qualitative findings showed perceived improvements in emotional well-being, motivation, and appetite, thus highlighting potential relational and affective mechanisms underlying changes in eating behaviour. Conclusions: This pilot study shows promise for intergenerational commensality in adult day care settings and provides preliminary evidence of its potential to promote well-being and self-esteem and reduce food waste among older adults. Larger, multi-centre, appropriately powered trials are warranted to validate these findings.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) impacts the health of IPV survivors and their children. Survivors frequently seek care in emergency departments (EDs) and are best served by trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC), which emphasizes safety, trust building, and collaboration. However, the extent to which ED care aligns with TVIC is underexplored. To examine the alignment between TVIC principles and ED care provided to IPV survivors. This qualitative study was performed in 1 general academic, 1 general community, and 1 pediatric ED using a focused ethnographic approach from November 16, 2022, to June 30, 2024. Participants included a purposive sampling of English- or Spanish-speaking IPV survivors who sought care in the ED. Data included observations of social worker (SW)-survivor interactions and follow-up interviews with IPV survivors within 1 week. ED visit. Data generated from observation notes and interview transcripts were analyzed deductively (informed by principles of TVIC) and inductively. Codes were created and revised until reaching a stable list, then interpretation of the data was checked with a family violence community advisory board. Of 31 patient encounters (29 female [94%]; mean [SD] age, 29.0 [8.7] years), 29 included observations and 13 included follow-up interviews. Twenty-one patients presented to the general EDs following IPV-related injuries; most of the 10 encounters in the pediatric ED were disclosed during a child's medical visit. Six patients preferred Spanish. Findings were clustered into 4 TVIC domains: recognizing the impacts of trauma, prioritizing safety, connectiveness and choice, and fostering development. In recognizing the impacts of trauma, survivors described complex trauma histories that influenced how they navigated IPV and sought help. Safety was prioritized in encounters that were private, calm, and culturally and linguistically responsive, while noise and lack of privacy undermined care. Survivors engaged with SWs who emphasized autonomy and collaboration over directive communication to foster connectedness and choice, particularly when discussing sensitive topics such as child protective services referrals. SWs fostered capacity development by providing resources and handoffs to IPV advocates to address survivors' basic needs and help them navigate care systems. In this qualitative study of TVIC for IPV survivors in the ED, alignment with TVIC was facilitated by acknowledging past experiences, prioritizing collaboration, and addressing comprehensive needs. Lack of privacy, language barriers, and directive communication styles hindered TVIC alignment. Without TVIC, EDs may retraumatize IPV survivors, undermining their potential to serve as critical points of intervention.

This article aims to analyze the role of social work in the processes of reconfiguring the gender order at the Universidad del Valle. The gender order, as a social and symbolic structure that organizes the particular way in which higher education institutions operate, is based on social relations and power relations that traverse the bodies, sexualities, and identities of the subjects who inhabit these settings. The article is part of doctoral research that studied the case of this public higher education institution and the configuration and reconfiguration of its gender order between 1980 and 2020. The research was guided by feminist ethnography and historical sociology approaches and built knowledge through document review and interviews with women from the University with academic and activist backgrounds. In doing so, it identified significant moments in each of the four decades observed that have an impact on the continuous movement of the gender order, allowing us to glimpse the active and persistent presence of the profession and discipline of social work, through its teaching staff, in processes that confront and fracture the androcentric order of the Universidad del Valle. It is a disciplinary space akin to alternative epistemologies, problematizing power structures motivated by the capacity for agency and academic and intellectual influence of female professors who imbue each space with disciplinary meaning.

Social work is one of the professions that is closely connected to human beings. The social worker deals directly with humans and the environment. It aims to develop awareness and interest in the environment and the problems associated with it. In addition, it aims to provide individuals with skills, knowledge and attitudes, and to work in both individual and group ways to solve existing problems. Since the relationship between humans and the environment has become one of the contemporary issues after reaching a state of imbalance and deterioration, which has resulted in environmental problems that threaten human beings. The environmental issue has moved into the sphere of interest of the sciences. Social work is a profession that provides special attention to humans by helping them adapt and protect the environment. Therefore, humans must adopt positive behaviors toward the environment; consequently, they will be more capable of preserving it at all stages of life. This study aims to: - Identify the concept of social work in the field of environmental protection. - Identify the most important environmental problems and the role of social work in addressing these problems. - Identify the mechanisms of environmental protection through social work methods (individual, group, and community organization). - Reach the most important scientific conclusions that can be benefited from. The researcher reached a set of conclusions, the most important are: - Social work seeks to bring about desirable changes among individuals and groups in order to achieve mutual adaptation among them. - Social work works to increase the effectiveness of the rate of citizens’ participation in community affairs and the protection of their environment. - The necessity of generalizing environmental education at different stages of education. - The necessity of emphasizing the importance of youth centers that aim to serve the environment and carry out projects that target environmental conservation and protection. - Social work aspires to spread environmental awareness by helping humans, whether individuals or groups, to acquire awareness of and sensitivity toward the environment and the problems associated with it.

'Now we are on the same page' - experiences of foster parents and social workers participating in Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) training.

ABSTRACT Social work is an emotionally taxing field. Many students find themselves entering the profession of social work already burnt out. In order to address these concerns, self-care knowledge, values, and skills need to be integrated into the social work classroom early and routinely. This study utilized a fixed, convergent mixed methods design to determine how a semester-long reflective journaling assignment focused on burnout prevention, self-care, and self-reflection impacted BSW and MSW students’ self- and professional awareness. Open-ended prompts and an emphasis on weekly reflection and writing allowed for deeper student engagement. Students were able to connect self-care to professional identity and ethical practice, identify mindful practices to support self-compassion and balance, and grapple with the disconnect between what they read and learn in the classroom against the specific practices they engage in their daily lives. Students in this study were receptive of self-care education, and several spoke expressly about utilizing skills and shifting their mindset, thus showing the success of self-care education and journaling for self-reflection. Professional wellness is enduring in nature and must be integrated in intentional, routine, and meaningful ways in the classroom.

Access and engagement with maternity, social care and mental health services for perinatal migrant women with no recourse to public funds and irregular status: A cross-sectional study using the eLIXIR born in South London, UK, maternity-child data linkage.

The Lack of Broad Multidisciplinary Assessments in Children and Adolescents With Newly Diagnosed Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Clinicians' perspectives on family-based therapy (FBT) and psychiatric medication for eating disorders.

We sought consumers' views about Better Access, which funds sessions of care with eligible providers via the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). We surveyed a stratified random sample of consumers who saw a clinical psychologist, psychologist, social worker or occupational therapist (OT) via Better Access during 2021. The survey focussed on consumers' experiences with receiving treatment through Better Access, and the outcomes of this treatment. Survey data were linked to MBS claims data for consenting participants. In total, 2013 individuals completed the survey; linked MBS data were available for 1317 (65.4%). The majority (85.2%) were satisfied with their care, although they raised some issues, particularly around affordability. When asked to rate their mental health before and after treatment, 91.9% indicated it had significantly improved. Overall, 77.5% attributed this improvement to treatment by the mental health professional. For the full sample, baseline self-rated mental health was predictive of improvement, as was the number of sessions. For the sub-sample with linked data, these factors also predicted improvement, as did whether they paid a co-payment. In general, consumers who use Better Access appear to appreciate the programme and benefit from the care it provides. However, affordability remains an issue.

Leveraging patient and their surrogate caregiver communication with clinicians to predict palliative care decisions: A speech processing study.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of a multidisciplinary model of care on hepatitis C care among people released from provincial prison in Quebec, Canada.

Community health workers: a comparative assessment of capacities of a global policy approach in selected European health systems.

ABSTRACT Social work students in different countries often exhibit low intention to pursue careers with older adults, raising questions about the potential role of social work education in shaping this intention. This cross-sectional study examined a theoretical model exploring how knowledge about older adults, acquired through coursework and direct contact during fieldwork, relates to students’ self-evaluation of knowledge. It also examined how self-evaluation of knowledge is associated with the three constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB): attitudes toward working with older adults, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, and how these variables relate to students’ intention to work with older adults. The sample included 261 BSW students in Israel. Structural equation modeling showed that exposure through coursework and fieldwork was positively related to students’ self-evaluation of knowledge, which mediated the relationships between this exposure and students’ subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, which were directly linked to students’ intention. The model explained 67% of the variance in intentions. These findings underscore the importance of exposure to knowledge and direct contact in shaping students’ intentions through self-evaluation of knowledge and TPB constructs.