Examining State Licensing Requirements for Select Master's-Level Behavioral Health Providers for Children.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined licensing requirements for select children's behavioral health care providers. METHODS: Statutes and regulations as of October 2021 were reviewed for licensed clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists for all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. RESULTS: All jurisdictions had laws regarding postgraduate training and license portability. No jurisdiction included language about specialized postgraduate training related to serving children and families or cultural competence. Other policies that related to the structure, composition, and authority of licensing boards varied across states and licensure types. CONCLUSIONS: In their efforts to address barriers to licensure, expand the workforce, and ensure that children have access to high-quality and culturally responsive care, states could consider their statutes and regulations.

A Process Evaluation of a Palliative Care Social Work Intervention for Cancer Patients in Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Background: Assessing and Listening to Individual Goals and Needs (ALIGN) is a palliative care social work intervention that aims to improve delivery of goal-concordant care for hospitalized older adults with cancer discharged to skilled nursing facilities. Objective: Explore processes through which ALIGN may improve delivery of goal-concordant care to substantiate the conceptual model grounding the intervention and to inform mechanistic hypotheses of how the intervention might be effective. Design: A process evaluation triangulating findings from patient and caregiver interviews with a matrix analysis of ALIGN social worker notes. Setting/Participants: Patients (n = 6) and caregivers (n = 13) who participated in a single-arm pilot study of ALIGN in the United States and 113 intervention notes (n = 18 patients) written by 2 ALIGN social workers. Measurement: Qualitative thematic content analysis Results: Themes included the following: (1) ALIGN helped reconcile participants' misaligned expectations of rehabilitation with the reality of the patient's progressive illness; (2) ALIGN helped participants manage uncertainty and stress about forthcoming medical decision making; (3) the longitudinal nature of ALIGN allowed for iterative value-based goals of care discussions during a time when patients were changing their focus of treatment; and (4) ALIGN activated participants to advocate for their needs. Conclusions: ALIGN offers support in prognostic understanding, communication, and decision making during a pivotal time when patient and caregivers' goals have not been met and they are reassessing priorities. A larger trial is needed to understand how these processes may improve the ability of participants to make value-based decisions and aide in delivery of goal-concordant care. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04882111.

Experiential Narratives of Factors Limiting and Boosting Access to Support Services for Women with Obstetric Fistula in Southeast Nigeria.

PURPOSE: Obstetric fistula is a chronic health condition that leaves affected women battered and traumatized, thereby exposing them to social recluse life as a result of associated discomfort and odor. Support services to those with challenging health conditions are reputed to help cushion the adverse effects on them; thus women with fistula and other chronic diseases receiving adequate support will help them to cope and recuperate from such illnesses. This study explores the factors limiting and boosting access to support services for those with obstetric fistulainNigeria. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Focus Group Discussions and In-depth Interviews were employed to obtain data from 44 participants. The thematic data analysis method was deployed in analyzing the data collected. RESULTS: Factors like the limited number of fistula specialist doctors, poor funding, withdrawal from seeking help, long distance, and discrimination limit patients' access to support services and adequate fistula care. The study highlighted that community involvement in fistula care, adequate funding, training, and retraining of professionals will boost support services for fistula patients. CONCLUSION: The study recommends the adoption of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of obstetric fistula patients including the involvement of not only medical personnel but also social workers, families, groups, and community leaders.

A Social Work Analysis of Facilitators of and Barriers to Adopting Technology in Older Adults: A Systematic Literature Review.

Increasing concern within social work about delivering comprehensive and high-quality care to older adults necessitates exploring their interest in information and communication technologies. The aim is to determine, via a systematic review using the PRISMA method, how the scientific literature on older adults' technology experiences through the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The review differentiates between enabling factors and barriers that influence older adults' use and acceptance of technology from their own perspective. It provides social workers with a comprehensive overview of use of technologies and identify general guidelines to enhance older adults' personal and communal autonomy.

Factors Associated with the Intention to Work with Older Adults Among First Year Social Work Students in Israel.

This study examined a model based on the Terror Management Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify factors associated with social work students` intention to work with older adults. A cross-sectional study with a sample of 375 first-year Israeli social work students was undertaken. Attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were directly associated with this intention. Contact with older adults was related to anxiety about older adults, which along with anxiety about self-aging, was related to the TPB constructs. The model explained 63% of the variance of the students` intention to work with older adults.

Epistemic Justice in International Social Work Research: Postcolonial Theory and Analytic Strategies.

Scholars have long grappled with the ways in which unequal power relations influence the creation and circulation of international social work knowledge. I outline a robust postcolonial theoretical framework to elucidate complexities of global knowledge and power and extend possibilities for considering such questions of epistemic justice. Drawing on my own research with service providers in Nepal, I suggest three analytic strategies to apply postcolonial insights in international social work research: reflexivity, critical discourse analysis, and postcolonial translation. Postcolonial theory and the strategies provided support social work researchers to comprehend, generate, and disseminate knowledge that can disrupt colonial assumptions.

Inpatient Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in Patients Admitted with Alcohol-associated Liver Disease Is Not Universally Implemented in Practice, But Can Reduce Readmissions for Alcohol-associated Hepatitis.

Introduction: The management of alcohol-related liver disease requires a multidisciplinary approach to treat alcohol use disorder. We aimed to determine the proportion of actively drinking patients admitted for alcohol-associated hepatitis (AAH) or decompensated alcohol-related cirrhosis (DARLC) who were offered or underwent screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for alcohol use disorder during admission and if inpatient SBIRT is associated with reduced readmissions for alcohol-related liver disease. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of actively drinking patients admitted to our institution from January 2017 to December 2021 with AAH or DARLC. Logistic regression was used to identify factors, such as conducting SBIRT, that were associated with 30-day and 90-day readmissions for recurrent AAH or DARLC. Results: There were 120 AAH admissions (mean age 47.7 ± 13.6 years), and 177 DARLC admissions (mean age 58.2 ± 9.5 years). SBIRT was conducted in only 51.7% of AAH admissions, and 23.7% of DARLC admissions. For AAH, conducting SBIRT was associated with significantly reduced 30-day (OR 0.098, P = 0.001, 95% CI 0.024-0.408) and 90-day (OR 0.166, P = 0.003, 95% CI 0.052-0.534) readmissions. For DARLC, there was no association between conducting SBIRT and 30-day or 90-day readmissions. Conclusion: SBIRT was conducted with actively drinking patients in only 51.7% of AAH admissions and 23.7% of DARLC admissions. Patients admitted for AAH who received inpatient SBIRT had decreased 30-day and 90-day readmission rates for AAH or DARLC.

Perceptions of facilitators, barriers and solutions when preparing to implement a home visiting program in Sweden: a mixed-methods study.

Background: Although there is growing awareness that early childhood development programs are important for a sustainable society, there is a knowledge gap about how to implement such programs. Successful implementation requires attention to implementation drivers (competency, organization, and leadership) during all phases of the implementation. The purpose of this study was to describe cross-sectoral operational workgroups' perceptions of facilitators, barriers and solutions related to implementation drivers in the preparationphase of implementing an evidence-based early childhood home visiting program. Methods: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from twenty-four participants, divided into 5 groups, during implementation planning workshops. The workshops were guided by a structured method informed by the principles of Motivational Interviewing and within a framework of implementation drivers. Groups sorted cards with statements representing implementation drivers according to perceptions of facilitators and barriers, and percentages were calculated for each type of implementation determinant, for each type of driver. The groups discussed their card sorting and wrote action plans to address barriers, yielding documentation that was analyzed using deductive qualitative content analysis. Results: A mixed-methods analysis resulted identification of facilitators, barriers, unknowns and solutions in two to three subcategories under each main category of implementation driver. A competent and confident workforce, and enthusiasm and commitment were key facilitators. Key barriers were unclear roles and responsibilities, and insufficient articulation of local vision and goals. Many factors were described as yet unknown. Specific solutions were generated to support the implementation. Conclusions: Our study furthers the scientific understanding of how to take evidence-based early childhood programs from research to practice within an implementation drivers framework. Facilitators, barriers and solutions in key areas during the preparation phase were identified with the help of a novel tool. The results provide useful knowledge for decision makers and organizations preparing similar initiatives in communities striving to attain sustainable development goals.

Can a "Pandemic Life Adaptation" Digital Technology Curriculum Reduce the Digital Disadvantage of Older Adults During COVID-19? An Intervention Study from Shanghai.

Older adults are at a digital disadvantage because of social stereotypes and a lack of social support; however, smartphones have become a necessary technology to cope with crises and daily life in China, especially during the pandemic. This study aimed to help marginalized older adults take on new tasks by developing digital technology education that used a framework of social cognitive theory in social work. The study followed a quasi-experimental design in which 153 elderly people were recruited from three community service centers; 90 of the participants received 6-weekly intervention. Intent-to-treat analysis, effect size calculations, and sensitivity analysis were conducted. The findings show that digital education significantly enhanced two domains of digital life adaptation abilities: general digital life adaptation abilities [g = .50, 95% CI (.70, 2.69)] and pandemic digital life adaptation abilities [g = .89, 95% CI (.96, 2.07)]. The intervention also improved three domains of digital self-efficacy: sharing and communication [g = .55, 95% CI (.04, .48)], verification [g = .34, 95% CI (.01, .59)], and influencing others [g = .53, 95% CI (.13, .77)]. The study showed that the new intervention approach reduced the harm to vulnerable older adults in the digital wave, especially during the pandemic.

Family Fellowship Society for Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (1993-2019): A Self-help Movement.

Family Fellowship Society for Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services is an initiative of families of persons with mental illness and with psychiatric disabilities. It has been advocating self-help movement on the part of the families who have been on the lookout for alternative care services. This venture has been technically supported by the mental health professionals at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore. It is a collaborative effort of families and professionals to address the needs that have been felt by the consumers and the professionals. It is the first of its kind in India. Over a period of 26 years, 150 + families have availed the alternative care for psychosocial rehabilitation services for their wards. In this context, an attempt was made to enlighten the psychosocial rehabilitation services at family fellowship society.

Multi-sector Development of Measures and Interventions to Prevent New Smokers Among Youths Living in Underprivileged Housing Projects in Thailand.

The purpose of this research is to develop preventive measures against smoking among youths living in Baan Eua Athon, underprivileged housing projects in Thailand. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this research encompassed quantitative and qualitative data collection in nine provinces of Thailand. Stratified multi-stage sampling was conducted, and data was gathered using questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. Adapting Green and Kreuter's Precede-Proceed Planning Model, the researchers identified key factors influencing youth smoking initiation through extensive fieldwork from January to December 2021. The results show that the primary drivers for new smokers, in order of significance, are limited knowledge about the effects of smoking, values, perception of associated disease risk, stress and anxiety, influence by family and friends, smoking control policies and activities of educational institutions influencing risk behaviors for new smokers. Research respondents from multiple sectors formulated seven measures to prevent new smokers, namely (1) building the capacity of stakeholders to increase knowledge among the target group; (2) creating a body of knowledge and control with retail shop operators; (3) building a smoke-free network team in the area; (4) creating smoke-free families; (5) creating an application to assess risk behaviors and offer an online consulting system; (6) developing a search process; and (7) analyzing interests to promote the needs of youth. Recommendations from this study can be used to monitor risk behaviors for new smokers and guide policy decisions for substance abuse prevention practitioners in the area.

Preventing smoking initiation in adolescents living in vulnerable socioeconomic conditions: Study protocol of the KickAsh!-intervention.

AIMS: Adolescents living in vulnerable socioeconomic conditions are confronted with tobacco-related health disparities. As school-based interventions appear to be less effective among these youngsters, other approaches are necessary. One promising avenue is youth social work settings that offer sport and recreational activities (SR-settings). SR-settings have been examined as a levering context for health promotion, but evidence regarding smoking prevention is currently lacking. METHODS: This study describes the protocol of a non-randomised cluster controlled trial evaluating a smoking prevention intervention for adolescents. At least 24 SR-settings are needed for the intervention and control group. A mixed-method design will be used. Quantitative measures will be used to assess effectiveness, involving validated questionnaires on smoking initiation behaviour and influencing factors (i.e. attitude, self-efficacy, social influence and risk perception). In addition, feasibility will be assessed with regard to intervention fidelity, dose and reach. Data will be collected at baseline, three and nine months following the intervention. To gain deeper understanding on the impact and underlying processes of the intervention, we will conduct qualitative interviews with users (adolescents) and implementers (youth workers within the SR-settings) of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting this trial will offer novel insights into the effectiveness of a smoking prevention intervention designed for adolescents living in vulnerable socioeconomic conditions. A mixed-method design will enable to measure impact, implementation and underlying processes of the intervention. Overall, this design will enhance our understanding on the suitability of SR-settings as contexts for smoking prevention initiatives targeting hard-to-reach youth. This trial is registered on Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05920772.

A Culturally Humble Approach to Designing a Sports-Based Youth Development Program With African-Australian Community.

This article draws on the concept of cultural humility, to describe and analyze a decolonizing approach to co-designing a primary prevention basketball program for young African-Australian people in Melbourne, Australia. We explore the potential for genuine collaboration and power-sharing with a culturally diverse community through collaboratively developing the co-design process and resultant program design. This article highlights the central role of UBUNTU in the co-design process, prioritizing African ways of knowing, being, and doing within a Westernized social work and design context. Through reporting on the stages of program design, we offer an example of how Indigenous knowledges and philosophies such as UBUNTU might be incorporated into co-design through cultural humility. We suggest this allows for a transformation of design tools and processes in ways that undermine oppressive and marginalizing power imbalances in design and social work.

Alternative Pathways to Social Work Licensure: A Critical Review and Social Equity Policy Analysis.

PURPOSE: In August 2022, the Association of Social Work Boards released a long called for pass rate analysis that revealed significant disparities. While many states look to cease the requirement of the Bachelors, Masters, and Advanced Generalist exams in their licensure process, status quo bias leads to hesitancy to remove the requirement of the Clinical exam. METHOD: A critical review was undertaken to identify possible alternatives to the current multiple-choice competency-based exam which yielded three assessment formats (oral exams, portfolios, and performance assessment/simulations) and two alternatives (jurisprudence exams and provisional licensure). Informed by an Afrocentric lens, we undertook a social and racial policy analysis to examine alternative pathways for licensure from the perspective of a social work board member. We centered our analysis on the impacts on (1) Black social workers, who currently have the highest pass-rate disparities; (2) social workers whose primary language is not English, and (3) social workers with disabilities who have anecdotally reported difficulty with getting testing accommodations. We rated each alternative on four social equity analysis criteria of procedural fairness, access, quality, and outcomes. These ratings were computed into an overall rating for each alternative from equitable to inequitable. RESULTS: We found jurisprudence exams and provisional licensure have the best possibility of being equitable pathways to licensure, with potential impacts on the regulation of supervision and continuing education. CONCLUSION: Anti-racism and social justice as praxis require social work as a profession to divest from competency-based testing to eliminate racism in our own professional policies.

Evaluation of coping strategies of parents of children with cystic fibrosis.

This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to evaluate the coping strategies of parents of children with cystic fibrosis. The research sample is the parents (n: 112) who presented to Thoracic Medicine Department at Hacettepe University Pediatric Hospital between 3 April 2021 - 28 May 2021 and volunteered to participate in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form and Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE Inventory) were used in the collection of data. The study examined coping strategies according to children's characteristics such as age, sex, education, and parents' independent variables such as employment status, income status, number of individuals and children in the family, communication with other families, social and financial support. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Research findings show that religious coping was the most frequently preferred coping strategy, and behavioral disengagement was the least commonly used coping strategy. Emotion-Focused Coping Strategies were also commonly used. Social work interventions and strategies play an important role in helping parents to adopt positive coping strategies and improve their skills.

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND ITS PREVENTION STRATEGIES ON ADOLESCENT SCHOOL STUDENTS.

Substance use continues to be recognized as one of the major health and social issues in the Caribbean. This study focusses on the risks and consequences of adolescent school student's exposure to alcohol and prevention strategies. Participants were selected from the age group of 13 to 19 years old, who are attending Secondary School. Five schools were chosen according to the prevalence of alcohol. Students were purposively selected from each school based on the recommendations from the school social workers. Students completed the Adolescent Drug Involvement Scale (ADIS) to understand the extent of involvement in alcohol use. The study recommends that there is a need for effective parenting where training in awareness, skills, and techniques around engaging young adolescent students with age-appropriate information on alcohol abuse can be disbursed and reinforced as they enter various stages of their development.

Enhancing gerontological social work education: curriculum insights from offering a clinical gerontology certificate.

With the increasing aging population there is a need for more gerontological social work practitioners; however, such training for social workers in Canada is limited. To help address this gap, one faculty of social work developed a graduate level clinical social work practice certificate with a specialization in gerontology. In this paper we explore students' and instructors' perspectives about the curriculum, delivery, and impact of this certificate, and provide recommendations for improvement, particularly with respect to the clinical nature of the courses. Eight students and four instructors participated in the study. Strengths and opportunities for enhancement were identified for curriculum and delivery. Study findings also indicated that further curriculum development should focus on enhancing clinical skill development and providing more practice experience. Implications arising from these findings included developing clinical skills through experiential learning, interprofessional education, and service learning.

Reconsidering the discontinuation of M.Phil. programs in clinical psychology and psychiatric social work: An imperative for India's mental health future.

This viewpoint critically examines the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020's decision to discontinue M.Phil. programs in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatric Social Work in India. It explores the crucial roles these programs play in addressing the country's shortage of mental health professionals and evaluates the potential impact of this decision on mental healthcare. The article advocates for the necessity of these programs in maintaining the quality and accessibility of mental health services and calls for a reconsidered policy approach that balances educational reforms with the specialized needs of the mental health sector.

Language in Nigerian Correctional Education: Incarcerated Persons Speak.

PURPOSE: Language, as an integral aspect of human interaction, plays a pivotal role in the reformation process within the correctional setting. Nigerian correctional centers consist of a diverse population of incarcerated individuals originating from various cultural backgrounds, each possessing distinct linguistic abilities and comprehension. However, a conspicuous gap in the literature remains concerning the language practices of instructors in Nigerian correctional education programs and the active participation of incarcerated individuals in shaping their own educational experiences. The present study investigates the complex dynamics of language utilization in the correctional education system, with a specific focus on the perspectives and experiences of convicted incarcerated individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study gathered data from a sample of 20 convicted incarcerated individuals who were actively participating in correctional education programs, using semi-structured interviews as the primary method of data collection. Information on the various forms of language utilization within correctional institutions, the impact of language on the learning experiences of incarcerated individuals, and linguistic obstacles encountered in accessing high-quality education were thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The study revealed that formal language, technical language and everyday language are the various forms of language used in correctional centers. However, the form of language used by the instructor can make or mar the incarcerated person's learning experience thereby defeating the main goal of correctional education. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Correctional educators should employ clear language to convey information. Insights into the influence of language on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals can inform the development of social work curricula.

Please help me, I am drowning! The cry of parents of adolescents with a substance use disorder.

Background: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are on the rise among adolescents worldwide, including in South Africa, causing a significant challenge to parents. Regardless of the difficulties associated with SUDs in adolescents and their impact on parents, current studies on substance addiction have focused on diverse fraternities, excluding social work services for parents of adolescents with SUDs. Aim: To develop an in-depth understanding of social work services provided to parents of adolescents with SUDs. Setting: The study was conducted in two districts, Capricorn and Waterberg, in Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative research method using exploratory and descriptive designs was employed. The scheduled interview guides facilitated semi-structured interviews with 11 social workers and 8 parents. For data analysis, Tesch's eight steps were used. Results: Six themes emerged from the study: (1) social work interventions for parents, (2) family and community-related obstacles, (3) organisation-related obstacles, (4) substance use intervention strategies received by parents, (5) parents' coping mechanisms in dealing with adolescents with SUDs and (6) factors hindering access to social services. Conclusion: The findings show that the government, particularly the Department of Social Development as the custodian of social services, is obliged to develop and design standard guidelines for services to parents of adolescents with SUDs and to provide uniform services to social workers. Contribution: The study benefits the social work profession, particularly in the field of substance abuse because it generates effective parameters for services for parents of adolescents with SUDs.