Assessment of Integration of Disability Content into Social Work Education.

Three hundred members of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) responded to a survey regarding the inclusion of disability content in social work courses and supports needed to increase disability content. Although respondents generally agreed that disability content is important in social work education, its inclusion is inconsistent, with most frequent inclusion in courses on diversity and least frequent inclusion in courses on research. Respondents identified barriers to increasing disability content, including lack of resources for teaching, lack of relevant faculty expertise, and an overcrowded curriculum. Strategies and resources for infusing disability content into social work education are discussed.

Psychological Vulnerability and Gambling in Later Life.

OBJECTIVES: Because behavioral problems often emerge from maladaptive coping methods, we investigated whether unmet basic psychological needs evolve toward a level of psychological vulnerability that puts older adults who gamble at risk for becoming problem gamblers. METHODS: Data from a community sample of 379 adults ages 60 and above were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Participants responded to items regarding their demographics, gambling frequency, engagement in at-risk gambling behaviors, and the extent to which their basic psychological needs were met. RESULTS: Satisfaction of basic psychological needs among older adults who gamble was negatively associated with their being at risk for developing a gambling problem. Satisfaction of basic psychological needs also mediated the negative effect of socioeconomic status on at-risk gambling behavior. CONCLUSION: Social workers should become mindful of how older adults, who are confronting psychological vulnerabilities in later life, might well turn to gambling as a maladaptive coping mechanism.As per journal style, abstract must not exceed100 words. Please amend accordingly.

Hospice Core Professions' Views on Interdisciplinary Teams: A Qualitative Investigation.

The hospice interdisciplinary team (IDT) has been recognized as an ideal model for interprofessional collaboration. To address the manner in which interdisciplinary practices are perceived by team members, this study explored profession-based similarities and differences in perceptions among the four core hospice IDT members (physicians, nurses, social workers, and spiritual care providers) as well as experiences on the IDT. Semistructured interviews with 20 hospice professionals, 5 from each profession, were completed. Findings suggested that while hospice professions share some perceptions and experiences about hospice team membership, strengths of and barriers to teamwork, and individual members' contribution to the team, significant profession-based differences exist largely in the area of hospice team membership beyond the core members, type of language and descriptions used, perceptions of causes and effects of barriers to teamwork, and understandings of how team effectiveness is evaluated. Changes at the team-based, organizational, policy, and educational levels are needed to further maximize strengths of individual hospice IDT member and team qualities.

Correlates of, and barriers to, Internet use among older adults.

Older adults constitute the group with the greatest increase in Internet usage in the past decade; however, usage varies greatly within this population. Services to older adults require a current understanding of Internet-use trends. This study utilized a quantitative survey method to examine correlates of, and barriers to, current Internet use in a demographically diverse county in Southern California. Findings indicate that the presence of a computer at home, a job requiring computer use, age, education, and ethnicity are important factors in predicting Internet use in older adults. Implications for social work practice with older adults is discussed.

Similarities and differences in perspectives on interdisciplinary collaboration among hospice team members.

This study surveyed 4 core hospice professionals (physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains) on their perceived level of interdisciplinary collaboration, the influences of interdisciplinary collaboration, and job satisfaction to determine potential similarities and differences based on profession and various demographic characteristics of the members or member hospices. Analysis found that there are overall no differences based on demographic characteristics. Differences between professions, while few, were largely in the area of perceptions on relationships between members of the hospice team. Specifically, social workers appear to perceive themselves as less connected to the other members of the interdisciplinary team, an area theorized to influence interdisciplinary collaboration. Difference between professions was also found in job satisfaction. Implications for hospice practice and interdisciplinary education are discussed.

Targeted Mentoring: Evaluation of a Program.

Targeted mentoring refers to mentoring aimed at a particular population. This article presents the evaluation of a mentoring program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in social work education. Forty-three mentors and protégés responded to a survey regarding their program experiences. The results highlight the need for targeted mentoring, although some disparities of experience for mentors and protégés in this program are apparent. In general, mentors felt positive about participating, giving back to the LGBT community, and were more satisfied with their experiences than were the protégés, who were looking for more specific types of instrumental and psychosocial support.